Ghost Star: Kata's Song in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Contains Spoilers
"Ghost Star" the song Kata sings in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, is one of my proudest contributions to the game. And seeing the fan reaction to it has been one of the most meaningful moments of my career. Wanted to share my original version, which you can hear below.
"Ghost Star", the song Kata sings in Jedi: Survivor, is one of my proudest contributions. And seeing the fan reaction to it has been one of the most meaningful moments of my career. Wanted to share my original version - enjoy! Story below. #JediSurvivor
You can hear versions of "Ghost Star" in game, sung by both Tajinae Turner (Kata) and Noshir Dalal (Bode). If you enjoy the song, be sure to thank them for going the extra mile to make this song come to life.
When we were in PCAP filming the final scenes of the game, there were times when Kata (played by Tajinae Turner) felt impossibly real on the stage. So did Kata's pain. I felt like she needed something to get through the dark times.
I wrote the lyrics first, a lullaby I imagined Kata's mother must've sung to her. I was influenced by a song my mother used to sing to me, Wynken, Blynken And Nod (originally a poem by Eugene Field). My mom always sung the Carly Simon version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgmKcbLJVxg
The first melodies I tried were in a major key. I sent them to our music team, who shared the incredible Tanalorr composition. From their influence, I switched Ghost Star to a minor key, eventually ending on the final melody.
I recorded a scratch track with my guitar and sent it along to Tajinae Turner, who plays Kata, not knowing how it would turn out. We were so busy at that time, recording several VO sessions a day, that when hers arrived, I nearly forgot we'd asked her to sing this song.
She said she'd been practicing, and then in one amazing take, Tajinae recorded the beautiful, haunting version you can hear in the game. Several times, I almost abandoned the song. Glad I didn't. Kata needed it, she'd been through so much.