Count me among those fans who find “What ’bout My Star” from Macross Frontier to be one of the catchiest pop songs Yoko Kanno has ever produced. You could have Kelly Clarkson shout the hook in the chorus and sell a truckload of CDs. That’s how slick it sounds.

One reason I enjoy the song so much, I think, is because it’s essentially an extended version of Kanno’s “Going to the Sea” from the Honey and Clover movie soundtrack. I’ve always loved that particular track, but it’s more an incipient song than anything else, only consisting of a quick introduction, a “B” section, and a single chorus. It doesn’t develop any further.

“What ’bout My Star,” on the other hand, takes the same basic musical idea and transforms it into a full song. It’s especially easy to hear in the @Formo duet version, which was featured in part in Episode 5 of the series. That’s my preferred version of the song, by the way.

Of course, it’s just one of many great songs that have graced the series thus far. “Diamond Crevasse” is spectacular, and “Infinity” worked out surprisingly well in show. And then there’s that damn carrot song…