Track Star

Album: single release only (2020)
Charted: 53 31
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Darien Hinton is a singer and rapper from Opp, Alabama, who records under the name Mooski. He served in the Marines after high school before devoting himself to rap music. "Track Star" is his breakthrough song.
  • The song finds Mooski addressing his girlfriend, who is unwilling to talk through the problems in their relationship. He calls her a "track star" because she habitually runs away when things get hard. Mooski explained to Audacy the track is about an "experience of being with somebody who's always running away from everything... and you're the complete opposite."
  • Mooski wrote the song with its producer, Woodpecker. The Dutch beatmaker has also worked with Lil Tjay ("20/20") and Young Thug ("U Ain't Slime Enough").
  • Ben Marc (Moneybagg Yo's "Said Sum Remix") directed the video. It co-star's rapper Coi Leray as a love interest, and songwriter Nija Charles (Chris Brown's "No Guidance," Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande's "Rain On Me," and Grande's "Positions") as the girl Mooski cheats with. Mooski told Audacy the clip provides images to the song's lyrics with a fun plot twist towards the end.
  • Mooski recruited Chris Brown, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Yung Bleu to jump on the song's remix, which he released on May 18, 2021. Each of the artists contributes a verse.
  • Mooski wrote the song at home in under three hours one night in early 2020. He told Billboard he penned it after working a shift as an officer in the Marines, based on an $80 YouTube instrumental he had fallen in love with.

    Mooski said after hearing the instrumental, "All these melodies started coming to me." He then came up with lyrics about the feeling of "loving somebody that runs away from their problems. You're trying to be with them, but when things get hard, they take off. Eventually, you understand that you can't be with them."
  • The song went viral on TikTok as fans danced to the chorus, which starts with the line, "She's a runner she's a track star."

Comments: 2

  • Juco from Dothan, Alabama Keep Grinding DH!!! Good Things Coming!
  • Bikodabarber’s Mama from Atl Son played this song at least 10x- first the beat then the lyrics hit hard. This is timeless piece with an old skool spin on it. I’m a Luther Teddy P, Isley EWF generation music lover- this one has me on repeat in the shower reminiscing
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Name the Character in the Song

Name the Character in the SongMusic Quiz

With a few clues (Works at a diner, dreams of running away), can you name the character in the song?

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.