City of Stars is the third song to appear here from my favourite musical La La Land. It won the Academy Award for Best Music (original Song). The music of the song was composed by Justin Hurwitz while the lyrics were provided by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
City of stars
Are you shining just for me?
City of stars
There’s so much that I can’t see
Who knows?
Is this the start of something wonderful and new?
Or one more dream that I cannot make true?
In the film, the song is first sung by Gosling alone as the character of Sebastian as he sings and dances on the Hermosa Beach Pier. (see video below).
Justin Hurwitz described the writing of the song: ‘…I was just composing it from an emotional place and thinking about the tone. I would say the tone is hopeful, but melancholy at the same time. And it kind of goes back-and-forth between cadencing in major and cadencing in minor, because I think that’s kind of what the song is about. You have these great moments and then you have these less great moments in life and in Los Angeles and we see it happen in the story….’
Interestingly, the song Hit Number 1 and 2 on Japan and South Korea’s billboard charts respectively.
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I adored this brilliant movie, and I adored this song in it. Thanks for bringing back this memory.
Great! I didn’t know the song at all.
That’s wonderful you liked it Bruce. I adore this movie and the music within.