Louis York, the genre-transcending duo consisting of hitmakers Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, has returned with their new single “Starlight.”
Over glowing guitar chords, Kelly sings of a significant other who offers much-needed reassurance during uncertain moments. Sometimes, simply having a luminous soul in your presence is enough to quiet any doubts or fears. Best of all, “Starlight” is written in a way that feels like he’s singing directly to the listener, adding an extra layer of connection and comfort to those who may feel alone.
“When the dark skies come alive / I wanna run away / Yeah, yeah, yeah / But you’re the starlight that lets me know / I’m gonna be OK,” Kelly croons in the chorus.
Speaking on the sonic inspiration of “Starlight,” Kelly shares, “There’s an easy breezy rock & roll-ness to it that I like. It doesn’t sound like this, but it’s the same way I felt the first time I heard ‘All I Wanna Do‘ by Sheryl Crow, but it also has some roots — almost Bob Marley-ness to it, too.”
Harmony notes, “For me, it’s just like, I feel like we captured the essence of Bob Marley music. It is kind of that soulful hymn. There is some quirkiness that happens every now and again when people of color are being original, like [Otis Redding’s] ‘(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay‘ and [Bobby McFerrin’s] ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy.'”
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“Starlight” is the Nashville-based duo’s first single since releasing their sophomore album, Songs with Friends, in 2024. The guest-filled project featured collaborations with some of Louis York’s musical pals, including Jessie J (“Heaven Bound“), Anthony Hamilton (“Alone A Lot“), PJ Morton (“Puppet Strings“), Lalah Hathaway (“Don’t Mean Much Anymore”) and Gramps Morgan (“Have A Little Light“), among others.
Regarding their album, Harmony told Rated R&B, “Songs With Friends was a conversation that me and Claude had like, ‘Yo, we got to move this thing forward outside of being creative guys. We got to get in people’s faces. Let’s make a duet album [with] friends that won’t mind collaborating, performing, doing TV performances, [and] the whole nine.”
Kelly added, “The ones who had real conversations with us beforehand about encouraging us like, ‘Yo, keep doing this.’ People on this album are industry friends, but they’re also real friends. We’ve had real conversations about getting through this crazy life as musicians.”
In other music news, Louis York recently joined forces with Kevin Ross to co-write and produce his single “Love In The Middle.” The feel-good tune is currently eyeing the top 10 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart at No. 11 this week.
“‘Love In The Middle’ is the magic you get when three friends lock-in to make a timeless love song that the people can still dance and sing along to forever,” Kelly told Rated R&B. Harmony commented, “It’s always a pleasure when the artist knows who they are and what direction they want to go in musically. Kevin knew exactly where he wanted to go, so we explored and created something unforgettable.”
Aside from music, Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony are also co-hosts of the Emmy-nominated podcast We Sound Crazy, alongside Phil Thornton and Tamone Bacon. Some of their latest guests include Montell Jordan, Regina Belle and Bryan-Michael Cox, among others.
Stream Louis York’s new song “Starlight” and watch their acoustic performance below.
