Kristine Flaherty grew up outside of Chicago, devouring her father's classic rock records and staying up late dancing to Parliament-Funkadelic in the living room. It was this same musical open-mindedness that would later spark her artistic development. She found her musical voice in college, fusing the eclectic power of the Bay Area hip hop scene with her own unique presence, inspired by strong, independent female artists ranging from Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill to Fiona Apple and Liz Phair.
On stage, K.Flay is a one-woman whirlwind: whether she’s creating beats, singing, rapping or playing guitar, her wit and acerbic charm shine through. Her talents have led her to share the stage with artists including Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and 3OH!3, where she quickly won over audiences who hadn’t seen anything quite like her before. Further setting her apart from the pack, she serves as her own producer in the studio, methodically infusing her hip hop swagger with a dose of sonic exploration.
With one mixtape (the genre-hopping MASHed Potatoes) already available online, K.Flay is spending the rest of 2010 recording in San Francisco and touring with Passion Pit in October and 3oh!3 in November.
Starf***Er
k.flay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her bedroom's filled with needle caps and counter-tops of pills
Highly well connected so you're privy to her sins
Not supposed to say but by the way
That's how she stays so thin
At a warehouse deep in Bushwick, you rendezvous with so and so
Whose avant-garde and parties hard and someone I should know
Gossiped about gossip
With the famous close acquainted
And I've heard you've got a bunch
You can be what you wanna be
Make yourself into anyone, anything
You can be what you wanna be
Check the white dust upon on your skinny jeans
You're a star-
You're a star-
You're a star-
You're a star-fucker
So you met somebody on the guest list
Scooped up the dirt on a dude and his mistress
Bash on a rooftop
Lips on a cigarette
Set your eyes on a page six mansion
The nights and the clubs and the shopping sprees
The lights and the drugs and the philosophy
Is he loaded? Possibly
So you're down in the coat room on your knees
Like right when a girl gets popular
You wanna hangout, you wanna talk to her
You wanna laugh and cry with the socialite
You wanna pass the line, yeah I know the type
Well, I can remember when all of my clothes didn't seem so cool
Soon as I'm blowin' up, you're showin' up
Got a caked up face but I see right through
You can be what you wanna be
Make yourself into anyone, anything
You can be what you wanna be
Check the white dust upon on your skinny jeans
You're a star-
You're a star-
You're a star-
You're a star-fucker
You were lame last year
But now you're not the same
Droppin' names
Doing bad things on a glass mirror
You were lame last year
But now you're on the scene
Got important friends you recommend that I should meet
You were lame last year
But now you know the band
Photograph with loads of drunken bros and older men
You were lame last year
But now you're so and such
Phone's just blowin' up
You're showin' up
You're showin' up
You're showin' up
You can be what you wanna be
Make yourself into anyone, anything
You can be what you wanna be
Check the white dust upon on your skinny jeans
You're a star-
You're a star-
You're a star-
You're a star-fucker
The song "Starf***er" by K.Flay is a satirical take on the Hollywood celebrity culture, where people are willing to do anything to become popular and successful. The lyrics talk about a person who is constantly name-dropping and trying to impress others by associating themselves with famous stars and their scandalous lifestyle. They brag about knowing an actress who uses drugs to stay thin and meeting artists who are avant-garde and party hard. The chorus "You're a star-f***er" sarcastically alludes to the fact that these people are not genuine fans of the celebrities but only feed off their fame to gain recognition and status among their peers.
The second verse sheds light on the person's desperate attempts to fit in with the cool crowd. They are willing to do anything to get invited to parties, rub shoulders with famous people, and be part of the celebrity scene. The bridge highlights the irony of this situation, where a person who was once considered "lame" is now gaining popularity by virtue of their connections and newfound status. They are now the ones who are "showing up" everywhere and dropping names to impress others.
Overall, K.Flay's "Starf***er" is a commentary on the superficiality and shallowness of the celebrity culture, where people are willing to compromise their values and integrity to become popular. The song is a warning against the dangers of seeking validation from external sources and trying to fit in with the crowd, instead of being true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you know this well known actress who's been shooting more than films
You boast of knowing an actress who is famous for taking drugs more than making films
Her bedroom's filled with needle caps and counter-tops of pills
Her bedroom is full of syringe caps and pill containers
Highly well connected so you're privy to her sins
You have high-level connections that allow you to know about her drug use
Not supposed to say but by the way
You are not supposed to reveal this information, but you do so anyway
That's how she stays so thin
The reason she maintains a thin figure is because of her drug use
At a warehouse deep in Bushwick, you rendezvous with so and so
You meet with someone at a distant warehouse in Bushwick
Whose avant-garde and parties hard and someone I should know
This person is highly creative, likes to party, and is important for you to know
Gossiped about gossip
You gossip about others' gossip
Hungover over brunch
You are hungover while eating brunch
With the famous close acquainted
You hang out with people who are famous and you know them well
And I've heard you've got a bunch
I have heard that you have lots of famous friends
You can be what you wanna be
You have the ability to be whoever or whatever you want
Make yourself into anyone, anything
You can transform yourself into anyone or anything you desire
Check the white dust upon on your skinny jeans
You have a white powder on your skinny jeans
You're a star-
You are treated like a celebrity
You're a star-fucker
You are someone who is attracted to and wants to associate with famous people
So you met somebody on the guest list
You met someone who was on the VIP guest list
Scooped up the dirt on a dude and his mistress
You have obtained scandalous information on a man and his mistress
Bash on a rooftop
You attend parties on rooftops
Lips on a cigarette
You smoke cigarettes
Set your eyes on a page six mansion
You have your sights set on a mansion that is frequently written about in Page Six
The nights and the clubs and the shopping sprees
You enjoy going to nightclubs and going on shopping sprees
The lights and the drugs and the philosophy
You enjoy the bright lights, drugs, and philosophical discussions
Is he loaded? Possibly
You wonder if someone is rich or not
So you're down in the coat room on your knees
You are in the cloakroom on your knees
Like right when a girl gets popular
You want to hang out with someone after they become famous
You wanna hangout, you wanna talk to her
You want to be friends and talk to her
You wanna laugh and cry with the socialite
You want to share experiences, including laughter and tears, with someone who is sociable
You wanna pass the line, yeah I know the type
You want to skip the line and I am aware of the kind of person who does this
Well, I can remember when all of my clothes didn't seem so cool
I recall a time when my clothes were not considered fashionable or trendy
Soon as I'm blowin' up, you're showin' up
As soon as I become famous, you want to be around me
Got a caked up face but I see right through
You have a face that is covered in makeup, but I see beyond the facade
You were lame last year
You were unpopular and uncool last year
But now you're not the same
Now you are different
Droppin' names
You are mentioning the names of famous people
Doing bad things on a glass mirror
You are engaging in bad activities while looking at yourself in a mirror
Got important friends you recommend that I should meet
You have important friends whom you suggest I should meet
But now you know the band
Now you know the members of the band
Photograph with loads of drunken bros and older men
You have taken pictures with many drunk guys and older men
But now you're so and such
Now you are one of the popular people
Phone's just blowin' up
Your phone is constantly ringing and receiving messages
You're showin' up
You are eager to join the party and meet the famous people
Writer(s): KRISTINE FLAHERTY, MATHIEU JOMPHE
Contributed by Alaina T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.