Featured image credit: Shattered Dreams by Starset;
Release Dates:
Head Over Heels: May 2, 2025
Shattered Dreams: Aug. 28, 2025
I grew up in the ’80s and the version of Head Over Heels that I remember is the Tears For Fears version. There are several versions, however, and I’m not sure who originally wrote the song. A quick Google search says it was Tears For Fears, but there seems to be some inconsistent information and I don’t want to get lost in a rabbit hole.
I’m not sure if anyone else has covered Shattered Dreams, but JohnnyHatesJazz is the version I remember from the ’80s. I will say I do not remember this band but that was a screen name before screen names existed I guess, haha.
Starset took these more or less upbeat-sounding songs, and created much more depressing versions which much more closely match their lyrics. Not that I don’t like them – obviously it’s the opposite or else I would’ve just skipped these two songs altogether. But, they are covers, not original Starset songs, so they go together here.
Of the two videos, the Shattered Dreams video is better. I have had a hard time getting Head Over Heels out of my head, but that video is much more cartoony.
The Shattered Dreams video seems more like the theme of what the band has been showing in their recent videos. And it more clearly tells a heartbreaking story. A flash of beauty which captivates the main character and is then searched for throughout the entire video.
With Head Over Heels, I immediately relate with the main character. Quiet suffering in the monotony of every day life. She has a red button that she hits which takes her on adventures and makes her happy, and then comes back down.
They’re both kind of acid trips.
Both videos depict a main character being lost in a dream. These two songs seem like they may be a dichotomy because Shattered Dreams main character is a man, and Head Over Heels main character is a woman. I wouldn’t put it past Starset to do something like this, but I can’t say for sure that it was in fact intentional.
The Interludes
These two songs wouldn’t have come out without some drama behind the scenes. I’ve been digging since yesterday (in my free time) because I saw this a few weeks ago:
Now, this guy is complaining about the interludes, which is kinda wild as a Starset fan. For anyone who doesn’t know, there are a very high percentage of Starset songs which end with a long interlude, and almost every album starts or ends or sometimes both, with interludes. They market themselves as a “Cinematic Rock” band, because they have very specific lore which is tied to books that Dustin has written.
I know Shattered Dreams and Head Over Heels were two of the three unplanned songs Dustin mentions here, but I am honestly not sure what the third one is. My original hunch was that Dark Things was an unplanned edition, but I can’t say for sure.
My opinion? I had no idea it was intended to be an EP. Granted, I haven’t really been using Instagram (which is where this was found) that much since January, but if they announced that it was supposed to be an EP, that news clearly missed most of the fanbase.
I was fully expecting a new album; they have never released an EP. So, there was some miscommunication somewhere, and now everybody on the subreddit hates themselves and each other for being reddit users. There are so many posts where people have been attacking other fans because they didn’t or couldn’t pay close enough attention to know for sure that this was an EP.
I will tell you as someone who has attended several shows at this point: Starset fans can be a bit crazy (but I do love the outfits and want one, too). I share the same opinion as most of the other fans: I obviously believe this is one of the most talented bands that exist in our timeline right now, and they should be treated as such. I appreciate the low cost of tickets ($125 for VIP at most shows) because they have never used Ticketmaster. As well as their human approach to the fanbase as a whole. I have had met them and adore them. These guys and gals are my heroes, and I fully support them.
But, you can never make everyone happy.