"New Killer Star" is a song written and performed by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

in 2003 for his album ''

Reality Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...

''. This was the first single from the album. While it is uncertain what the song is really about (like other Bowie songs), the lyrics make oblique reference to life in post- 9/11

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. However the video clip, directed by Brumby Boylston of National Television, tells a surreal story using lenticular-postcard-like images of a spaceship almost crashing into the modern American heartland. Bowie himself said of the song: "I'm not a political commentator, but I think there are times when I'm stretched to at least implicate what's happening politically in the songs that I'm writing. And there was some nod, in a very abstract way, toward the wrongs that are being made at the moment with the Middle Eastern situation. I think that song is a pretty good manifesto for the whole record." The song title is a play on the words 'nuclear star'. The b-side is a cover of

Sigue Sigue Sputnik Sigue Sigue Sputnik were a British new wave band formed in 1982 by former Generation X bassist Tony James. The band have had three UK top-40 hit singles, including " Love Missile F1-11" and " 21st Century Boy". The band's music, image and in ...

's "

Love Missile F1-11 "Love Missile F1-11" is the debut single by British band Sigue Sigue Sputnik, released in 1986 from their debut album '' Flaunt It''. It was the band's biggest hit, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart. The track was produced by Giorgio ...

Music video

The music video features lenticular images throughout.

Track listing

CD: ISO-Columbia / COL 674275 1 (Italy)

# "New Killer Star" - 4:40 # "

CD: ISO-Columbia / 38K 3445 (Canada)

# "New Killer Star" (Edit) - 3:42 # "Love Missile F1-11"

DVD: ISO/Columbia COL 674275 9 (Austria)

# "New Killer Star (Video version)" - 3:40 # "Reality (Electronic Press Kit)" # "Love Missile F1-11"

Charts

Personnel

According to Chris O'Leary: *

– vocals, rhythm guitar, Korg Trinity, keyboards *

Earl Slick Earl Slick (born Frank Madeloni in Brooklyn, New York, October 1, 1952) is a guitarist best known for his collaborations with David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Robert Smith. He has also worked with other artists including John Waite, Tim ...

– guitar *

David Torn David M. Torn (born May 26, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining electronic and acoustic instruments and for his use of looping. Background Torn has contributed to recordings by artists as diverse ...

– guitar *

Gail Ann Dorsey Gail Ann Dorsey (born November 20, 1962) is an American musician. With a long career as a session musician mainly on bass guitar, she is perhaps best known for her lengthy residency in David Bowie's band, from 1995 to Bowie's death in 2016. Asid ...

– background vocals * Sterling Campbell – drums * Catherine Russell – background vocals *

Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...

– bass *

Mark Plati Mark Plati is a New York–based musician, record producer, and songwriter, best known for his work in the 1990s with David Bowie. Plati also has worked with Spookey Ruben, The Cure, Duncan Sheik, Hooverphonic, Robbie Williams, Joe McIntyre, D ...

– bass Production *David Bowie – producer *Tony Visconti – producer, engineer *

Mario J. McNulty Mario J. McNulty (born December 1978) is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer and audio engineer based in New York City, United States. He has worked with David Bowie, Prince (musician), Prince, Nine Inch Nails, The B-52s, Julian Lenn ...

– engineer

References

{{Authority control 2003 singles Columbia Records singles David Bowie songs Music about the September 11 attacks Songs written by David Bowie Song recordings produced by Tony Visconti