Tori Kelly finds comfort in her “North Star” in the first single from Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas Playlist, the holiday movie spin-off of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. The track (which is available for preorder) and the Roku Channel film arrive on Wednesday.
Produced by Harvey Mason Jr., and written by cast member Mary Steenburgen, Caitlyn Smith and Troy Verges, the song finds Kelly singing of a holiday gathering in the wake of loss. “I’m always looking up, ’cause I can feel your love and I know just where you are in the sky and in my blood,” she sings. “And I’ve never been to heaven, but it doesn’t seem that far ’cause you’re my North Star.”
“Music and the holidays have always just effortlessly gone together. I really resonated with the message of ‘North Star,’ missing a loved one during the excitement and happiness of the holiday season, but also being reminded that their love is never really far away,” Kelly said in a statement.
“The week before I went to Vancouver to shoot the film, two of my favorite collaborators from Nashville, Caitlyn Smith, and Troy Verges, came to L.A. to write music with me,” Steenburgen added. “We read the script for Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas and decided to write songs to submit for the end credit song. ‘North Star’ was chosen, and we were thrilled that Tori Kelly wanted to record it. The great Harvey Mason Jr. produced the song. I remember the first Christmas without my Dad. A lot of people have an empty chair at the table this year. This song is dedicated with love to them all.”