Star exploding — somewhat taken aback (4)
I believe the answer is:
idol
'star' is the definition.
(idol is a kind of star)
'exploding somewhat taken aback' is the wordplay.
'somewhat' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'taken aback' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'lodi' can be found hidden inside 'exploding'.
'lodi' in reverse letter order is 'IDOL'.
(Other definitions for idol that I've seen before include "Billy" , "One much admired" , "Personal hero" , "Something worshipped" , "Pop - - (TV)" .)