"Heaven" is a song by American singer

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

. It was written by Legend along with label boss

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

, Jessyca Wilson and his brother Vaughn Stevens for his second studio album '' Once Again'' (2006). Production was helmed by West, with Legend credited as co-producer. The song samples excerpts from "Heaven Only Knows" (1972) as performed by

Monk Higgins Milton Bland (October 3, 1930 – July 3, 1986) better known as Monk Higgins, was an American musician and saxophonist who was born in Menifee, Arkansas. Biography Higgins's biggest hits were the instrumental tracks "Who Dun It" (which reached ...

. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Milton Bland and Alexandra Louise Brown are also credited as songwriters. The song was released as the album's second single in fall 2006. A moderate commercial success, "Heaven" reached number 26 on US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

, but failed to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Released to critical success however, it won Legend his second consecutive

Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes: *In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male *From 1969 to 1994 it was awarded as Best R&B V ...

at the 49th award ceremony. The song produced two music videos, the first one featuring women posed as various

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

era paintings. The second one features more John Legend himself and less posture women. Both videos were shot at

Highclere Castle Highclere Castle is a Grade I listed country house built in 1679 and largely renovated in the 1840s, with a park designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century. The estate is in Highclere in Hampshire, England, about south of Newbury, B ...

and directed by

Hype Williams Harold Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video director, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Early life Williams was born in Queens, New York. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adel ...

. The instrumental would be reused on "HEAVEN TO ME" (2023) by

Tyler, The Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future. Okonma self-released his debut mixtape Bast ...

Track listings

Notes * signifies a co-producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Once Again''. * Andrew Dawson — recording (at

Sony Music Studios Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan. I ...

) *Sharief Hobley — guitar *Anthony Kilhoffer — recording (at

Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...

) *

— co-producer, organ, vocals, writer *Andy Marcinkowski — mixing assistant *

Tony Maserati Tony Maserati is an American record producer and audio engineer specializing in mixing. He was involved in the development of the New York R&B and hip-hop scene in the 1990s, working with Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Queen ...

— mixing *

— production, writer *Jessyca Wilson — background vocals

Charts

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heaven (John Legend Song) 2006 singles 2006 songs GOOD Music singles Sony Music singles John Legend songs Music videos directed by Hype Williams Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs written by John Legend Songs written by Kanye West