"Heaven" is a song recorded by American rapper Jay-Z for his twelfth studio album ''

Magna Carta Holy Grail ''Magna Carta Holy Grail'' (alternatively written and stylized as ''Magna Carta... Holy Grail'') is the twelfth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was made available at first for free digital download for Samsung customers via the Jay-Z ...

'' (2013), featuring American recording artist Justin Timberlake. The song was written by Jay-Z, Timberlake,

The-Dream Terius Youngdell Nash (born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His co-writing credits include songs with "Me Against the Music" (2003) for Britney Spears, " Rid ...

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

Adrian Younge Adrian Younge (born May 7, 1978) is an American composer, arranger and music producer based in the Los Angeles area. Background Younge grew up in Fontana, California. His father is a lawyer and Younge himself earned a Juris Doctor degree fro ...

Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...

, and

J-Roc Jerome Harmon (born September 25, 1968), better known as J-Roc, is an American songwriter and music producer from Fort Worth, Texas. He frequently collaborates with Timbaland. Jerome Harmon has produced for Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, C ...

, 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 ''Billboard'' Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.

Background

On "Heaven", Jay-Z questions the meaning of religion and once again shoots down rumors that he is part of the secret organization

Illuminati The Illuminati (; plural of Latin ''illuminatus'', 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on ...

. He explained the song in a promotional video for

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

, 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."

The song indulges in religious allegory, and is one of the few songs on ''

'' that touches upon existential and spiritual themes. Throughout the song he ponders faith, superstition and free thinking. The songs features Jay-Z rapping a lyric of rock band

's 1991 single "

Losing My Religion "Losing My Religion" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in February 1991 as the first single from the group's seventh album, '' Out of Time'' (1991). Built on a mandolin riff, the song was an unlikely hit for the grou ...

". Following the album's release, former frontman of R.E.M.

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Pos ...

told ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' that he was "thrilled" and that it was a "great honor" that Jay-Z included the lyrics in one of his songs.

Release and promotion

On June 25, 2013, "Heaven" became the second song from ''

'' (after the lead single "

Holy Grail The Holy Grail (french: Saint Graal, br, Graal Santel, cy, Greal Sanctaidd, kw, Gral) is a treasure that serves as an important motif in Arthurian literature. Various traditions describe the Holy Grail as a cup, dish, or stone with miracu ...

") to have its partial lyrics revealed by the JAY Z MAGNA CARTA App via

. On June 27, 2013, Jay-Z released a video via the same app of him discussing the song in depth with superproducer

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

Critical reception

"Heaven" was met with generally positive reviews, with most critics praising it over the hit

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

, another Jay-Z/Justin Timberlake collaboration, "

". Ian Cohen of '' ''Pitchfork'''' praised the song as one of the album's strong points, stating, "Heaven" is the most thought-provoking spiritual meditation ay-Z'swritten, and the willful misreading of "Losing My Religion" is used to powerful effect. 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) "Part II (On the Run)" is a song recorded by American rapper Jay-Z from his twelfth studio album ''Magna Carta Holy Grail'' (2013) featuring American singer and wife Beyoncé. The song was written by Jay-Z, James Fauntleroy, Timbaland, and J-Roc ...

". Del F. Cowie of '' Exclaim!'' said the song's production "sounded like a long-lost

Wu-Tang Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affil ...

instrumental somehow bereft of an

Inspectah Deck Jason Richard Hunter (born July 6, 1970), better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He is a member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface. He has acquired critical praise for his intricate ly ...

verse." Randall Roberts of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' praised the song's production by

, saying: "The producer and rapper move with the coordination of expert magicians juggling Champagne bottles and knives." Louis Pattison of ''

'' gave a more mixed review, related to Jay-Z not taking full advantage of the subject matter. 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

Maybach Maybach (, ) is a German luxury car brand that exists today as a part of Mercedes-Benz. The original company was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach, originally as a subsidiary of ''Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH'', and ...

s and Lamborghinis as metaphors for angels." In a negative review, Colin McGuire of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' called the R.E.M. sample awkward and cheesy. Mike Diver of '' Clash'' also discredited Jay-Z for not taking advantage of the "rich imagery" of the R.E.M. sample.

Charts

References

{{authority control Jay-Z songs Justin Timberlake songs 2013 songs Songs written by Jay-Z Songs written by Timbaland Songs written by Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon Song recordings produced by Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon Song recordings produced by Timbaland Songs written by Bill Berry Songs written by The-Dream Songs written by Peter Buck Songs written by Mike Mills Songs written by Michael Stipe