<p>We examine the spillover effects of highly cited “star papers” on the visibility and citation impact of neighboring articles within the same journal issue. We expand on the literature that explores the determinants of an article’s citedness, shifting the focus to examine how star papers shape the citation dynamics of co-published works. Further, we analyze how digital unbundling—enabled by the internet—has weakened these spillovers. Our findings provide insights for journal editors, publishers, and platform designers, offering strategies to enhance the discoverability of scholarly content in an increasingly digital research landscape.</p>