Starlight (Ashton Stone Album)

***Starlight*** is the debut studio album by American Singer Ashton Stone. It was released on November 3, 2008, by A1 Records. After signing a recording contract in light of his growing popularity on YouTube, Stone worked with collaborators Cirkut, Benny Blanco and Busbee. The record incorporates teen pop, pop rock, dance-pop. Lyrically, it visualizes Stones idealized view on love, youth, and coming of age situations.

Upon its release, *Starlight* received generally favorable reviews from critics, who commended its lyrical content, Stone's musicianship and vocal ability. It was a commercial success, topping the charts in several countries including Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Germany. It debuted at number one on the US *Billboard* 200 albums chart with first-week sales of 725,000 copies. In doing so, Stone became the youngest solo male artist to top the chart since Angelo Reyes in 1991. It has since been certified four-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). *Starlight* became the twenty-fourth best-selling album of 2009, and has sold over 4.4 million copies In the United States as of January 2014. Stone supported the album with his first headlining worldwide concert tour, the Starlight Tour (2009-2010).

The first two singles off the album "Starlight" and "Heartbeat" gained success in Canada and the US, with both going number one on the US Hot 100, and top 10 in Canada. The subsequent singles "Until I Met You", "Wild Things", "Let's Go", "Keep You Close feat. Austin Mahone" and "Ghost" went on to be Stone's international break-throughs, charting within the top-ten of several countries worldwide. Two promotional singles were released "Tired of the City" and "Don't". The album went on to receive a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.

## Background

Stone developed a love for music at an early age, influenced by his fathers long time friend, Kent Richfield. Whom he introduced Stone to music artists such as Angelo Reyes, Madonna, Riley Anderson and Millie Reynolds. He began singing at the age of five and wrote his first song about how he wanted to be like his elder brother when he was older. Stone played the guitar in school and also auditioned for his school's choir, but was rejected after being told he could not sing. He began taking singing lessons soon after that. When he entered high school, Stone's ambition to start a music career grew, with him joining the glee club, and creating a Youtube account to post his music. When he posted a cover of Nicholas Stewart's "Someday", he achieved viral success, with his channel garnering millions of views and followers. Stone managed to attract the attention of the A&R representative, Robert Lane of A1 Records, where he would be offered a recording contract. Stone and his family enlisted the help of Kent Richfield who worked as a lawyer, Richfield soon introduced Stone to Levi Seaton of 3RM management, where he would sign a management deal, and a recording contract with A1 Records.

## Writing and Recording

In January 2008, Stone began writing and recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios in London, with producers Cirkut, Benny Blanco and Busbee. Initially Stone wanted to have the executive position on production, but A1 Records thought he wasn't capable of the role, with him being only sixteen at the time. Cirkut was given the position as executive producer, and acted as a mentor to Stone. With him teaching Stone about production and helping him become better songwriting, going as far to letting Stone solo produce a few tracks with one that made it onto the final album, "Bye Your Side". With songwriting Stone proved to be much more proficient, with him writing much of the album. The album themes revolve around Stone's youthful view on love, and romanticized situations he experienced during his time in high school. He normally would write a song in one day, usually within two to three hours, he would often go into studio sessions with an idea already in mind and begin writing. Stone wrote upwards to 50 songs for the album, much of which many of which were never finished as he was constantly writing new ones. He turned down several songs offered to him by other artists because he felt the album wouldn't feel as personal if he didn't write them himself. With his manager Levi Seaton explaining that these songs ended up being massive hits for other artists. Towards the last few recording sessions in March 2008, Cirkut asked Stone to add a featuring artist to the song "Keep You Close", with him agreeing to the idea they eventually got Austin Mahone to record his vocals for the track. By April 2008, the last session was held and the album was finalized with Stone already having the lead single, and planning out the marketing campaign for the album.

## Composition and Artwork

Musically *Starlight* contains genre of pop, dance-pop and pop rock, with lyrical themes of love and youth. Stone insisted on wanting an upbeat energy to the album so that it would be cohesive, reasoning that he did not want every song to sound the same. He described some songs as "very carefree and empowering", while others "are a little bit more personal and vulnerable". He stated that he took inspiration from young artists before him, such as Angelo Reyes, Viper Hamato and Nicholas Stewart, by writing meaningful lyrics in a way that could be relatable to a wide range of listeners. Stone further explained the idea behind *Starlight,* stating he felt there wasn't really any young male artists at his age who wrote honest and vulnerable lyrics at the time, and that the songs he wrote were intended to fill that role. The singer concluded by mentioning that honesty is the key to the sound.

*Starlight*'s production utilizes Stone's live guitar and piano instrumentation alongside thick synthesizers, detailed percussion and pop melodies, with influences from 80s and 90s pop music. Stone explaining retrospectively in 2013: "I think nostalgia complimented by Cirkut's amazing electronic pop production is really what made the album connect with so many people" With James Foster of *Slant Magazine* stating that the albums sound being a "mixture of pop rock electric guitar with the late 90s pop perfected melodies".

In March 2008, Stone and Seaton enlisted creative director Ash Davis to help come up with a visual style for the album, where Davis arranged a photoshoot in an former industrial building in east London, featuring blue backlights. Stone explained he wanted the album to have a "striking and cohesive" look and feel, The album cover was made black and white, with Stone's name being a vibrant blue and the title a minimalist thin font. The single covers are all in, and share the album covers font style, with the title in the minimalist font and Stone's name in big vibrant colors.

## Promotion

### Singles

*"Starlight"* was released as the album's lead single commercially worldwide on May 5, 2008, through digital distribution and as a CD single in select markets. The song was generally well received with reviewers complimenting its catchy chorus and lyricism. It achieved commercial success in the US and Canada where it reached number one on the US Hot 100, and went top ten in Canada. With the music video for the single went on to win numerous awards.

*"Heartbeat"* was released as the second single from the album. It was also well received by critics, most of whom have praised the songs production and Stone's vocals. The single also achieved success in North America, going number one in the US and top ten in Canada as well. The single went on to win Pop Song Of The Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

*"Until I Met You"* was the album's third single. The song received generally positive reviews, with critics praising the songs production and its slick hook and melody. The single went on the become Stone's international breakthrough, with the single reaching number one in the US, and top ten in the UK, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and most European nations, while peaking at #14 in Japan.

*"Wild Things"* was the fourth single from the album. The song was lauded by critics, calling the single's production incredibly infectious, and the impeccable arrangement one of the best pop melodies on the album. The single's commercial success reflected Stone's ever growing superstardom at the time, going top ten in almost all the countries it was released to, with it reaching number on in many European nations. In the US the single peaked at number two on the Hot 100, and became Stone's first top ten single in Japan.

*"Let's Go"* was released as the fifth single. The song received generally positive reviews, with many calling it the albums best example as a pop song, saying while its lyricism isn't the strongest, it more then makes up for it with its flawless chorus and hook. The single went on to become Stone's most successful off the album, topping the charts in the US, Canada and across Europe, and top ten across Latin America, and Asia. In the UK and Australia the single reached the number two position on the charts. The single went on to win numerous awards, including winning a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance.

*"Keep You Close feat. Austin Mahone"* was released as the sixth single from the album. The song was generally well received by critics, saying Stone's and Mahone's vocals blended nicely together. The single peaked at number thirty on the US Hot 100, breaking Stone's streak of top ten singles on the chart. Internationally the single continued Stone's rising success, becoming his first number one in the UK, and Latin America. The single sold best in Europe and the UK, where it sold over 2.5 million units.

*"Ghost"* was announced as the seventh and final single. The song was well received by critics, with many complimenting the songs production. The single peaked at number three on the US Hot 100, while reaching number one in Canada and Australia. In Latin America, UK and Europe the single reached the top ten.

### Live Performances and Media Appearances

To promote the album, Stone did several performances worldwide. He began a radio promotional tour several weeks before his debut single officially released, beginning in April 2008, he would perform acoustic renditions of songs off the album either with guitar or piano. Stone also utilized his online presence, with his *Myspace* and *Facebook* accounts keeping fans updated. On Youtube, Stone created a web-series titled *"Ashton Adventures"*, documenting his life and career, which gained him many more fans. His first televised appearance was on *The Colbert Report* on July 24, 2008. He also performed on *The Ellen DeGeneres Show*, *Conan*, *Good Morning America*, *American Idol*, *T4* and *Wetten Dass..?.* On September 9, 2008, he headlined the *Made In America Festival* performing three shows. Three songs from *Starlight*, were used in the second season of *The CW*'s series *Gossip Girl.* At the 2008 *MTV Europe Music Awards* he performed "Until I Met You". His gig involved choreographed dance moves, and a electric guitar solo. This performance is considered his breakthrough moment in Europe. On February 8, 2009, Stone performed at the *51st Annual Grammy Awards,* where would go on to win Best Pop Solo Album. The singer was the closing act of the show where he performed a medley of his singles "Starlight", "Let's Go" and "Wild Things".

### Tour

*Main article: **Starlight Tour***

The album received further promotion from his first headlining concert tour, the *Starlight Tour*, which started on August 28, 2009, in Houston, Texas. Initially planned to be a North American tour, dates in the UK were added, followed by mainland Europe. By early 2010 shows in Australia and New Zealand were confirmed, with Latin American dates soon followed. Shows were also performed at various festivals in Latin America, most with Stone being the headlining act. The singer described the tour as "very much a spectacle live show experience, I sing, dance and have a live band playing with me every night."

The show consisted of three segments, with each segment being followed by a video interlude to the next segment, and it ended with an encore. The set list consisted of songs from *Starlight* only, but unreleased tracks were performed on certain dates. Towards the end of the tour Stone performed "Nothing Changes", which later went on to be added onto his sophomore album, *Potential*.

## Critical Reception

*Starlight* received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 13 reviews. AllMusic editor Spencer Burke called the album "a refreshingly nuanced take on the teen pop genre, the innocence of the lyrics manage to come off as honest, and not as childish." Kyle Collins from Paste Magazine wrote "Stone's musical ability is very apparent on this album, with his instrumental talents shining through the glossy pop synths. *Starlight* is a feast for the ears, and the fact that Ashton Stone is only 16 years old makes this all the more impressive." Eleanor Evans from *The Washington Post* criticized the album for lacking originality. Rene Lowe from Noisey called the album a decent debut effort, complimenting the production, but lamenting that the album beyond the singles shows Stone's inexperience in music. *Starlight* garnered four Grammy nominations, at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, the album itself was nominated for Best Engineered album and won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album.

**Professional Ratings**
 AllMusic
 The A.V Club
 Exclaim.ca
 Paste Magazine
 Noisey
 NME.com

## Commercial Performance

In the United States, *Starlight* debuted at number one on the *Billboard 200* with sales of 725,000 *album-equivalent units* in its first week, of which 540,000 were pure sales. The album setting many chart records and catapulting Stone to mainstream prominence, with the album spending its first 10 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. *Starlight* managed to sell 2,988,000 copies worldwide in 2008, making it the 41st best selling album of the year. As of June 2014, the album has managed to sell 4.3 million in the US, being certified 4x platinum by the RIAA.

In Canada, the album debuted at number two, it fluctuated around the chart before topping the chart in its 26th week. In Latin America the album debuted in the top ten of Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, eventually reaching number one in all three countries. In Brazil the album would go on to sell 217,000 and 189,000 in Mexico. In Australia the album debuted at number 6, and eventually reaching a peak of number two. The album has become certified 2x platinum in Australia, by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 151,000 copies

In the United Kingdom, *Starlight* debuted at number two with first week sales of 92,581 copies. The album would go on to spend 274 weeks on the British albums chart. Since then, the album has become certified 3x platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

In Europe the album enjoyed huge commercial success, with it peaking at number two in Germany, France and Italy. Reaching number one in Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium. The album would go on to remain a strong seller throughout 2009, with a bulk of its sales being gained after his single "Until I Met You" gained traction on European radio. *Starlight* would go on to become certified 3x platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), for sales of 3,300,000 copies in Europe. In Japan the album debuted and peaked at number 7 with sales of 17,416 copies. The album would go on to become certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), with 167,000 albums sold.

As of June 2014, *Starlight* has gone on to sell over 10 million albums worldwide.

## Personnel

* Ashton Stone - writer, producer, lead vocals, background vocals, electric guitar, piano, graphic design
* Cirkut - writer, producer, synths, drums, keyboards, producer, programming, engineering
* Busbee - writer, producer, bass, acoustic guitar, programming, string arrangements
* Benny Blanco - writer, producer, drums, keyboards, synths, programming, engineering
* Arthur Collins - mastering, engineering, additional production
* Levi Seaton - management
* Aubrey Parks - management, marketing director
* Leo James - assistant
* Ash Davis - art director, graphic design
* Spencer Lang - photography
* Alex Gill - A&R coordinator
* Noah Fulton - mixing, mastering
* Katie Baker - vocal production
* Austin Mahone - vocals, writer