地上の星 (Chijou no Hoshi), by
中島みゆき (Nakajima Miyuki), Documentary プロジェクトＸ (Project X) OP. Lucky Star #7 ED.
Listen to it and you'll know why Miyuki sang it the way she did. It's really required, not that Miyuki is secretly a manly man.
Project X is considered recommended viewing by school-age children in Japan. It chronicled challenges faced by Japanese innovators and businesses. It was aimed to "regain Japanese competitiveness after the burst of the bubble economy". I don't know how any of this has to do with anime (I've never watched the show), but I guess it's appropriate since anime is one of the most successful Japanese export industry that's fueled purely by creativity of the Japanese. Also Miyuki loved trivial knowledge and this show must be one of her favorites. And the goddess singer's name is Miyuki. I'm pretty this ED threw all otaku's for a loop. Great job KyoAni.