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'Heaven' is a song recorded by American rapper Jay-Z for his twelfth studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013), featuring American recording artist Justin Timberlake. The song was written by Jay-Z, Timberlake, The-Dream, R.E.M., Adrian Younge, Timbaland, and J-Roc, while the production was handled by the latter two. During the song, Jay-Z touches on subjects of religious allegory and an interrogation of organized religion. The song has since peaked at number 10 on the BillboardBubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.

Background[edit]

On 'Heaven', Jay-Z questions the meaning of religion and once again shoots down rumors that he is part of the secret organization Illuminati.^[1] He explained the song in a promotional video for Samsung, saying,

'No matter what religion you are, accept the other people's idea. Because, have you ever been to heaven? This song is toying with the idea of it being on Heaven or Hell on earth. My idea of being on Heaven is in your daughter's laughter. Hell could be if your child missing's for three minutes; you in three minutes of Hell.'^[2][3]

The song indulges in religious allegory, and is one of the few songs on Magna Carta Holy Grail that touches upon existential and spiritual themes.^[4] Throughout the song he ponders faith, superstition and free thinking.^[5]

The songs features Jay-Z rapping a lyric of rock band R.E.M.'s 1991 single 'Losing My Religion'.^[1] Following the album's release, former frontman of R.E.M. Michael Stipe told NME that he was 'thrilled' and that it was a 'great honor' that Jay-Z included the lyrics in one of his songs.^[6][7]

Release and promotion[edit]

On June 25, 2013, 'Heaven' became the second song from Magna Carta Holy Grail (after the lead single 'Holy Grail') to have its partial lyrics revealed by the JAY Z MAGNA CARTA App via Samsung.^[1][8] On June 27, 2013, Jay-Z released a video via the same app of him discussing the song in depth with superproducer Rick Rubin.^[9]

Critical reception[edit]

'Heaven' was met with generally positive reviews, with most critics praising it over the hit lead single, another Jay-Z/Justin Timberlake collaboration, 'Holy Grail'. Ian Cohen of Pitchfork praised the song as one of the album's strong points, stating, 'Heaven' is the most thought-provoking spiritual meditation [Jay-Z's] written, and the willful misreading of 'Losing My Religion' is used to powerful effect.^[10] David Weiss of Paste credited 'Heaven' for setting off the most interesting section of the album, ending at the Beyoncé-featuring 'Part II (On the Run)'. Del F. Cowie of Exclaim! said the song's production 'sounded like a long-lost Wu-Tang instrumental somehow bereft of an Inspectah Deck verse.'^[4] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times praised the song's production by Timbaland, saying: 'The producer and rapper move with the coordination of expert magicians juggling Champagne bottles and knives.'^[11]

Louis Pattison of NME gave a more mixed review, related to Jay-Z not taking full advantage of the subject matter.^[12] Grant Jones of RapReviews said of the song: 'The piercing 'Heaven' starts off well, with an intriguing defense of Illuminati rumours from Jay, but shortly falls back on his lavish lifestyle, using Maybachs and Lamborghinis as metaphors for angels.'^[13] In a negative review, Colin McGuire of PopMatters called the R.E.M. sample awkward and cheesy.^[14] Mike Diver of Clash also discredited Jay-Z for not taking advantage of the 'rich imagery' of the R.E.M. sample.^[15]

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abc03/18/2004 00:00:00 (2013-06-25). 'Jay-Z Loses His Religion, Samples R.E.M. On 'Heaven' – Music, Celebrity, Artist News'. MTV.com. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
2. ^'Jay-Z Talks Song 'Heaven''. Complex. 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
3. ^'Jay-Z Breaks Down 'Heaven' and 'Jay-Z Blue' (Video)'. MissInfo.tv. 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
4. ^ ^abCowie, Del F. 'Jay Z – Magna Carta Holy Grail • Hip-Hop Reviews •'. Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
5. ^https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/05/arts/music/jay-z-frets-on-magna-carta-holy-grail.html?_r=2&
6. ^Craig Rosen July 17, 2013 (2013-07-17). 'R.E.M.'s Stipe 'Thrilled' to be Part of Jay-Z's 'Heaven' – Yahoo! Music'. Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
7. ^'Michael Stipe is 'thrilled' Jay-Z used REM lyrics on 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' | News'. Nme.Com. 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
8. ^'Jay-Z's Magna Carta Track 'Heaven' References R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' | News'. Pitchfork. 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
9. ^Montanez, Eric. 'Jay-Z Discusses Meaning Behind 'Heaven''. Hypetrak. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
10. ^'Jay-Z: Magna Carta Holy Grail | Album Reviews'. Pitchfork. 2013-07-08. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
11. ^Roberts, Randall (2013-07-05). 'Review: Jay-Z's 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' full of empty boasts'. latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
12. ^'NME Album Reviews – Jay-Z – 'Magna Carta Holy Grail''. Nme.Com. 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
13. ^'Feature for July 9, 2013 - Jay-Z's 'Magna Carta... Holy Grail''. Rapreviews.com. 2013-07-09. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
14. ^McGuire, Colin. 'Jay-Z: Magna Carta...Holy Grail (take two)'. PopMatters. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
15. ^'Jay-Z – Magna Carta… Holy Grail | Reviews | Clash Magazine'. Clashmusic.com. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
16. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)'. Billboard.
17. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)'. Billboard.

'Holy Grail' is a song by American hip hop artist Jay-Z from his twelfth studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail. It features vocals from American singer Justin Timberlake and serves as the album's first single.^[1][2][3][4] It was produced by The-Dream, Timbaland and J-Roc, with additional production from No ID and contains elements of Nirvana's 1991 hit single 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Following the release of the album, the song charted in many regions, entering at number eight and reaching number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as charting at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. 'Holy Grail' has sold over 3.4 million copies in the United States as of 2018.^[5]

'Holy Grail' won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 56th Grammy Awards. In 2014, Billboard placed it at number 25 on their list of Top 100 Hot Rap Songs of all time.^[6]

• 7Charts

Recording and composition[edit]

'Holy Grail', along with another track from Magna Carta Holy Grail called 'Oceans' were recorded in 2011 during the recording sessions for Jay-Z's collaborative album with Kanye West, Watch the Throne. West wanted the two songs to appear on Watch the Throne, but Jay-Z chose to keep them for his upcoming studio album and they were replaced with 'No Church in the Wild' and 'Made in America'.^[7] The early version of the instrumental was created in 2011 by The-Dream. When the recording sessions for MCHG started, Timbaland, together with fellow producer J-Roc, rearranged the instrumental to create the final track.^[8]

'Holy Grail' is composed in a D minor key, and plays in common time at a tempo of 72 beats per minute. The vocals range from the note of G₃ to C₆.^[9] Jay-Z lyrically sampled rock group Nirvana's single 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', after receiving permission from Courtney Love, who owns the rights to the original song.^[10] In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Jay-Z stated that 'Holy Grail' was 'the map for the album' and that it set the tone for the rest of MCHG. When the song was first recorded for Watch the Throne, Jay-Z thought it would get lost on the album and decided to keep it as the 'center piece' for his next album.^[11] The song's lyrics can be interpreted as Jay-Z's and Timberlake's love-hate relationship with fame.

Music video[edit]

On August 2, 2013, Jay-Z revealed to Power 106 that he and fellow tour mate Justin Timberlake had begun shooting the music video for 'Holy Grail'.^[12] The music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and was released on August 29, 2013 on Facebook, making social media history as the first time a clip from major artists debuted strictly on the site.^[13] Dubbed a 'visual' rather than a 'music video', the piece is a remixed version of the original album version, featuring pitch shifted vocals and a change in the song structure. The visual was critically acclaimed for both its imagery, and remixed vocals. Kyle Anderson from Entertainment Weekly praised the piece's imagery, describing its nightmarish sequences as 'arresting', and complimented the remixed video version of the song which he thought was 'miles beyond the album version'.^[14]

Critical reception[edit]

Andy Gill of The Independent described the song as 'smooth and mellifluous,'^[15] while Rolling Stone's Simon Vozick called it a 'surprisingly moody opener.'^[16] DJ Booth praised the track as an 'appropriately bombastic intro to an epic LP.'^[17] In Billboard, Adelle Platon noted the song 'features Timberlake's vocals in raw, heart-wrenching form as he sings of the pitfalls of fame.'^[18] Criticizing the song as 'laughably overblown', Ian Cohen of Pitchfork Media writes that Timberlake 'cycles through every tortured artist cliché short of a crucifixion metaphor.'^[19] Cohen further stated that the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' interpolation 'becomes just another forgettable status symbol' and commented: 'Where Kurt Cobain felt compromised by his fame, Jay and Timberlake are doing everything in their power not to offend the money people—whether it's Samsung, Target, or someone dropping $250 to see them at the Rose Bowl.'^[19]

Chart performance[edit]

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The song had a hot-shot debut on many charts upon the release of the album, despite not being released as an official single. It debuted at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, being at the time the second highest debut of the year 2013 on that chart.^[20] It peaked at number four and remained in the top 10 for 16 weeks. It has sold over 3.4 million copies in the US as of 2018.^[5]

After entering at number 24, 'Holy Grail' peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.^[21]

In 2013, 'Holy Grail' was ranked as the 22nd most popular song of the year on the Billboard Hot 100.^[22]

Live performances[edit]

Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z performed 'Holy Grail' together during their co-headlining tour Legends of the Summer. They also performed the song live at the Wireless Festival in London on July 14, 2013.^[23] During the concert at Barclays Center as part of Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience World Tour on December 14, 2014, Jay-Z joined him on stage to perform the song.^[24]

'Holy Grail' was also performed during the On the Run Tour (2014) and as the opening number on On the Run II Tour (2018), a co-headlining tour by Beyoncé and Jay-Z. During the performance of the song, Beyoncé sang Justin Timberlake's parts. Consequence of Sound's Alex Young chose the song as one of the particular highlights of the show.^[25]

Awards[edit]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Jay-z Heaven Lyrics

Release history[edit]

Jay Z Heaven Mp3 Download

References[edit]

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1. ^'[FIRST LISTEN] Jay Z Drops 'Holy Grail' In Most Innovative Campaign Which Turned Out To Be A Flop|JAY Z| News | MTV European'. Mtv.tv. July 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
2. ^'Stream Jay-Z's 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' On Hot 97 – XXL'. Xxlmag.com. July 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
3. ^'Jay-Z Justin Timberlake Holy Grail'. Complex. July 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
4. ^'Listen: Jay-Z's 'Holy Grail' ft. Justin Timberlake – Fuse'. Fuse.tv. July 5, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
5. ^ ^abcTrust, Gary (February 4, 2018). 'Ask Billboard: Justin Timberlake & *NSYNC's Career Album & Song Sales'. Billboard. Billboard-Hollywood Media Group. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
6. ^'Hot Rap Songs Chart 25th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs'. Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
7. ^'Jay-Z. Zane Lowe. Part 1: Magna Carta Holy Grail'. BBC Radio 1. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
8. ^'Unlocking the Holy Grail: Timbaland'. Revolt. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
9. ^Jay-Z 'Holy Grail' Sheet Music – Download & Print. musicnotes.com. Accessed on July 28, 2013.
10. ^Chattman, Jon (June 19, 2013). 'Free Love: 'A-Sides' Interview with Queen Courtney On New Music, Her Autobiography, A Reality TV Show, and Jay-Z Covering Nirvana?'. Huffington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
11. ^'Jay-Z. Zane Lowe. Part 2: Fame'. BBC Radio 1. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
12. ^Tardio, Andres. 'Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake Are Filming 'Holy Grail' Video'. HipHop DX. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
13. ^'Video: Jay Z f/ Justin Timberlake – 'Holy Grail''. Rap-Up.com. October 18, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
14. ^'Jay Z drops 'Holy Grail' video featuring Justin Timberlake'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
15. ^Gill, Andy (July 5, 2013). 'Jay-Z, Magna Carta Holy Grail – review'. The Independent. London. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
16. ^'Magna Carta . . . Holy Grail'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
17. ^'Jay-Z – Holy Grail'. DJ Booth. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
18. ^Platon, Adelle (December 27, 2016). 'Justin Timberlake's 14 Best Hip-Hop/R&B Collaborations'. Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
19. ^ ^abCohen, Ian (July 8, 2013). 'Jay-Z: Magna Carta Holy Grail'. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
20. ^Grein, Paul (July 16, 2013). 'Week Ending July 14, 2013. Albums: Jay-Z Back On The Throne | Chart Watch – Yahoo! Music'. Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
21. ^'Official UK Singles Top 100 – 20th July 2013'. UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on July 15, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
22. ^'Best of 2013 – Hot 100 Songs'. Billboard.com. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
23. ^'Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake Perform 'Holy Grail' at Wireless Festival'. Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
24. ^Stecker, Erin (December 15, 2014). 'Beyonce & Taylor Swift Dance Together at Justin Timberlake Show'. Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
25. ^Young, Alex (June 26, 2014). 'Jay Z and Beyoncé kick off On the Run Tour with massive 42-song setlist'. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
26. ^'2013 Soul Train Music Awards: Kendrick Lamar leads the pack, Miguel & Justin Timberlake follow'. centrictv.com. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
27. ^'Billboard Music Awards: Full Winners List'. The Hollywood Reporter. May 18, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
28. ^'Grammy Nominations 2014: See the list of nominees'. Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. December 6, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
29. ^'iHeartRadio Music Awards: FINALISTS REVEALED!'. iHeartRadio. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
30. ^'Beyonce & Jay Z Lead 2014 BET Awards'. Billboard. January 26, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
31. ^'BET Hip-Hop Awards 2014 Nominations Revealed'. hotnewhiphop. September 4, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
32. ^'Congrats On 3 ASCAP Awards!'. justintimberlake.com. April 24, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
33. ^'Congrats To JT On His 2014 ASCAP Awards!'. justintimberlake.com. June 30, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
34. ^'Christopher 'Ludacris' Bridges and Top Songwriters Honored at the 2014 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards'. BMI. Broadcast Music, Inc. October 21, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
35. ^'Australian-charts.com – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. ARIA Top 50 Singles.
36. ^'Ultratop.be – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail' (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
37. ^'Ultratop.be – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail' (in French). Ultratop 50.
38. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)'. Billboard.
39. ^'Danishcharts.com – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. Tracklisten.
40. ^'Lescharts.com – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail' (in French). Les classement single.
41. ^'Offiziellecharts.de – Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. GfK Entertainment Charts.
42. ^'Chart Track: Week 29, 2013'. Irish Singles Chart.
43. ^'The Official Lebanese Top 20'. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
44. ^'Dutchcharts.nl – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail' (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
45. ^'Charts.nz – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. Top 40 Singles.
46. ^'Norwegiancharts.com – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. VG-lista.
47. ^'Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
48. ^'ČNS IFPI' (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201333 into search.
49. ^'GAON Music Charts'. Gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
50. ^'Swedishcharts.com – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. Singles Top 100.
51. ^'Swisscharts.com – JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. Swiss Singles Chart.
52. ^'Official Singles Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
53. ^'Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40'. Official Charts Company.
54. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Hot 100)'. Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
55. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)'. Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
56. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Pop Songs)'. Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
57. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)'. Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
58. ^'Jay-Z Chart History (Rhythmic)'. Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
59. ^'End of Year Charts – Top 50 Urban Singles 2013'. ARIA Charts. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
60. ^'Jaaroverzichten 2013: Singles' (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
61. ^'Jaaroverzichten 2013: Urban' (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
62. ^'Best of 2013: Canadian Hot 100'. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
63. ^'Stream 2013' (in Danish). Hitlisten. Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
64. ^'Årslista Singlar – År 2013' (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
65. ^'End of Year Charts: 2013'(PDF). ChartsPlusUK. p. 3. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
66. ^'Best of 2013 - Hot 100 Songs'. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
67. ^'Pop Songs – Year-End 2013'. Billboard. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
68. ^'2013 Year End Charts — R&B/Hip-Hop Songs'. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
69. ^'2013 Year End Charts — Rap Songs'. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
70. ^'Danish single certifications – Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake'. IFPI Denmark. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2013 to obtain certification.
71. ^'Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake)' (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
72. ^'New Zealand single certifications – Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail'. Recorded Music NZ.
73. ^'Guld- och Platinacertifikat' (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.Type Jay Z in the top right search bar. Click on 'Sok' and select 'Visa' under Holy Grail to see certification.
74. ^
    • 'Gaon Chart: Online download (Foreign) – 2013 Year-End Chart'. Gaon Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Industry Association. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
75. ^'Justin Timberlake's Official Top 20 biggest songs'. The Official UK Charts Company. November 1, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
76. ^'British single certifications – Jay Z – Holy Grail'. British Phonographic Industry.Select singles in the Format field.Select Gold in the Certification field.Type Holy Grail in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
77. ^'American single certifications – Jay Z – Holy Grail'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
78. ^APFV (November 30, 2013). 'Certificaciones De Venezuela Del 2013'(PDF) (in Spanish). APFV. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
79. ^Hart, Tina (July 11, 2013). 'Radio playlist update: BBC Radio 1Xtra'. Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved November 16, 2013.