Planet Popstar (theme from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards)

This article is about the theme from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. For the level select theme from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, see Planet Popstar (theme from Kirby's Return to Dream Land).

"Planet Popstar"^[1], also known as "Pop Star"^[2], is the music piece that's associated with Pop Star in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. The theme was composed by Jun Ishikawa.

Composition[edit]

Kirby finds his first Crystal Shard.

Planet Popstar is an upbeat 4/4 ornamented theme in the key of F major. It starts off with a brief introduction accentuating the dominant. The motif starts a high-pitched ascending tonic triad in second inversion (C-F-A), then circles in the range of a third before descending and returning to the dominant C major. After a percussion-filled pause, the motif repeats again with a slight variation, followed a subdominant-tonic sequence plays. The first section then replays. The middle section is performed at a lower pitch in a similar subdominant-tonic fashion, with the use of harmonic major. The melody revolves around the dominant for 2 bars before playing the motif again with different instruments a sixth apart. Finally, a truncated version of the middle section plays while rapidly modulating through B, C, D and E major, and after an ascending passage, it makes way back to the dominant of F major and loops.

Game appearances[edit]

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[edit]

This theme first appeared as a stage theme, used in stages 1 and 3 of Pop Star, the first stage of Neo Star, and the first stage of Ripple Star.

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

A short jingle based on "Planet Popstar" is used as Adeleine & Ribbon's Dream Friend jingle, which is titled "Sorry We're Late—It's Adeleine & Ribbon!" on Nintendo Music. This arrangement was done by Hirokazu Ando.

The Celebration Picture "Chasing Our Dreams" also features a slower arrangement of the theme. While overall similar to the original, it is more laid-back in character, and its final section is less tonally complex, adhering to single notes and refraining from modulation. This arrangement was also done by the original composer, Jun Ishikawa.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

The original version of "Planet Popstar" appears as a selectable music track in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — the former exclusively on the Dream Land (64) stage, the latter on any Kirby stage, Final Destination, Battlefield and its derivatives.

Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]

The original version from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, named Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards: Memorial Song 1 in-game, is unlocked for potential use in Races and Free Rolling upon reaching Gourmet Rank 64, fittingly enough.

Other appearances[edit]

"Planet Popstar" was included in the Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack. It can be found as the thirteenth track on this CD.

The theme was also part of the Kirby's Dream Land 3 / Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Medley from the Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert.

Additionally, a faithful 8-bit rendition of the song was also meant to be featured on the title screen of the cancelled Kirby Family game.

Names in other languages[edit]

References