"Wishing on a Star" is a ballad first recorded by Americansoul andR&B groupRose Royce. It was written by formerUndisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin, and produced byNorman Whitfield. The song was originally offered toBarbra Streisand for an album project but she declined. It was first released as a single by Rose Royce in 1977 and has since been recorded by numerous acts includingthe Cover Girls in 1992,Jay-Z in 1998,Beyoncé in 2005, andSeal in 2011.21 Savage used a sample of the original 1977 version for his hit "All of Me", which was released on his 2024 albumAmerican Dream, and used earlier in the trailer for his debut film, American Dream: The 21 Savage Story
Included on their second album,In Full Bloom (1977), "Wishing on a Star" is a slowballad written by formerUndisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced byNorman Whitfield. It was sung byGwen Dickey under her stage name. The lyrics concern a woman longing for the return of an ex-lover so that they can resume their relationship. The original version of "Wishing on a Star" peaked at number 52 on theBillboardR&B singles chart.
BritishDJ andproductiongroupFresh 4 released their cover in September 1989. The group consisted of a group consisting of Paul Southey (Suv),Krust, Judge and Flynn Thompson. It was produced bySmith & Mighty and featured Lizz E, and became the group's only notable UK hit, peaking at number 10 on theUK Singles Chart.[2]
The Cover Girls recorded a cover of the song in 1992 for their third albumHere It Is. It was the first single featuring new lead singer Michelle Valentine. The group's version peaked at number nine on theBillboard Hot 100 chart and became the 49th biggest single of 1992 in America.[3] While the group had had success in America up to that point, the single was their first single to become a hit when it was released in Europe, peaking at number 6 in the Netherlands and number 38 in the UK.[4]
In Brazil, this version gained popularity after being included in the soap operaDe Corpo e Alma soundtrack, being the theme of the character Yasmin Bianchi, who was played by actressDaniella Perez.
The Cover Girls also recorded a Spanish version of the song.
Americanjazz andR&B singerRandy Crawford recorded a cover of the song for her 1998 albumEvery Kind of Mood: Randy, Randi, Randee. The song was produced byMousse T., and released as the third single off the album in September 1998.
A music video for the song was also released, showing a child actor David Sincere Aiken portraying Jay-Z growing up inMarcy Houses. Jay-Z himself does not appear in the video played by celebrity choreographer David Sincere Aiken .[7]
British magazineMusic Week gave the song four out of five, writing, "This cover keeps close to the original withDickey's vocals leaving Jay Z to add a Nineties feel with his rap. This should prove to be his most successful hit yet."[8]Rose Royce's Dickey was also complimented as the "real highlight" of the cover.[9]
"Wishing on a Star" was covered by American singerBeyoncé for the CD part of her live albumLive at Wembley (2004).[14] A writer forAllMusic described Beyoncé's cover as "sexy".[14] The cover was also used to promote the fragranceTrue Star endorsed by American fashion designerTommy Hilfiger in 2004.[15] Ana cappella version of the song was recorded by Beyoncé for its television campaign.[15] Anextended play (EP), titledTrue Star: A Private Performance and composed of two songs–"Wishing on a Star" and "Naïve", was released to promote the fragrance. Produced by Beyoncé and Hilfiger, it was solely available with limited edition purchases of True Star.[16]
In 2011, "Wishing on a Star" was covered byNigerian-British singerSeal. It was released as the first UK single taken from his albumSoul 2 on November 20, 2011. This interpretation of "Wishing on a Star" was produced by previous collaborator,Trevor Horn.
Seal's version of the song premiered onKen Bruce'sBBC Radio 2 show on October 13, 2011.[23] The single later peaked on the Radio 2 B-list.[24]
In her review forSoul 2, Caroline Sullivan ofThe Guardian expressed, "His voice and interpretive skills are such, though, that most tracks fit him like a glove, to the point where, on Rose Royce's Wishing on a Star, his oak-aged vocal seems a better fit for the remorseful lyric than original singer Gwen Dickey's. He grew up with these 1970s hits, and evidently reveres them, but isn't cowed by them".[25] In his review, Mike Diver of theBBC expressed that "Seal has a voice that can melt icecaps has never been doubted by his detractors – the problems with his material post-Seal (II) went deeper, to a basic songwriting level. Here, freed of the weight of his own emotions, he soars on a sublime Wishing on a Star (which manages to borrow its smoky backing from Sade's Smooth Operator).[26]
Wishing on a Star was covered by the finalists ofthe eighth series ofThe X Factor, also featuring previous boyband contestantsJLS andOne Direction. The cover was released on November 27, 2011, via digital download, and released as a physical single the following day. All proceeds from the single went to the children's charity organization Together for Short Lives.[30] The song debuted at number one on theUK Singles Chart with first-week sales of 98,932 copies.[31]
^Sullivan, Caroline (November 19, 2011)."Seal: Soul 2 – review".The Guardian. London.Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
