"Lift Off" is a song by American rappersKanye West andJay-Z featuring the latter's wife, American singerBeyoncé. It was written by rappers,Jeff Bhasker,Mike Dean,Bruno Mars, andSeal, while production was handled by West, Bhasker, and Mike Dean withPharrell,Q-Tip, andDon Jazzy receiving co- and additional production credits. It was originally released on August 8, 2011 as a track from Jay-Z's and West's collaborative albumWatch the Throne before being sent tourban contemporary radio on August 23, 2011. The song was rumored to be released as thelead single from the album containing additional vocals by Bruno Mars. However, Mars never appeared on the song.
Bruno Mars (pictured), who co-wrote "Lift Off", was rumored to be featured on the track.
"Lift Off" was written byKanye West,Jay-Z,Jeff Bhasker,Mike Dean,Bruno Mars andSeal, while production was handled by West, Bhasker, Mike Dean, Pharrell, Q-Tip and Don Jazzy.[1] The song was recorded in Sydney, Australia.[1][2] In early May 2011, it was rumored that Bruno Mars recorded vocals for the song along with Beyoncé and it was reported that the song would be released as thelead single from the album.[3][4] However, Mars never appeared on the song and Beyoncé sang several lines during the chorus instead.[5][6] In February, 2011, Kanye West and Jay-Z held a party at the AMNH's Hayden Planetarium. During the party, "Lift Off" was one of the previewed songs. It was described as a "standout track" on the album by a writer forVulture.[7]
"Lift Off" is apop song mainly in6 8 time, which featuresbaroque strings and achorus sung by Beyoncé, accompanied withsynthesizers.[8][9][10] The song containshorns andmartial drums as Beyoncé sings, "We gon' take it to the moon/ Take it to the stars."[11] Throughout the song West's vocals are enhanced byAuto-Tune in some places.[12] Seal provides backing vocals in the song, which according to Jon Caramanica ofThe New York Times were "impossible-to-notice".[2][13] In the song, Beyoncé sings about having "so many scars" and "taking this whole thing to the stars."[14] Jeff Weiss ofThe Hollywood Reporter found an "oldNASA movie sample and Kanye showing off his tattoos and inflexible singing voice."[14] Simon Price ofThe Independent foundneurofunk influences on "Lift Off".[15] The NASA sample is from theApollo 11 launch as spoken byJack King.[16][17] A writer ofThe Guardian compared the synthesizers in the song with the song "The Final Countdown" (1986) by Swedishrock bandEurope.[18]
"Lift Off" was sent tourban contemporary radio stations in the United States on August 23, 2011.[19] According to several media, the song was very popular onTwitter and across the Internet, becoming a trending topic.[20][21]Billboard magazine claimed that Jay-Z suggested amusic video for it could appear.[22]
Several critics praised Knowles' (left) vocals in the song, while Jay-Z's (center) and Kanye West's (right) were discussed in a less positive light.
"Lift Off" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Before the song was released,MTV News' Alvin Blanco heard a preview of the song and described it as "resounding... sounds like it was tailor-made to be performed in large stadiums."[23] Kyle Anderson ofEntertainment Weekly wrote that the song "is rescued by Beyoncé, who whips the chorus with a belt so powerful you'd think it insulted her mother."[8]Slant Magazine's Matthew Cole also praised the song writing, "'Lift Off' is a study in stylized blockbuster excess, with West's best fanfare sinceEncore eventually being drowned out by a simulated rocket launch that will sound awesome in your car stereo provided it doesn't cause your subwoofers to bust your windows."[24] Rob Harvilla ofSpin found a "hook so ridiculous ('We gon take it to the moon / Take it to the stars!') that only Beyoncé could sell it."[25] Michaelangelo Matos ofThe Guardian praised the song calling it "bombastic".[18]Digital Spy's Robert Copsey put "Lift Off" on his list of "Tracks to download" from the album.[26]Evening Standard's John Aizlewood called the song "rocket-propelled".[27]Rolling Stone's Matthew Perpetua commented: "Beyoncé joins the boys for a synth-heavy banger that takes off like a rocket and eventually arrives at a spacey, blissful resolution. It all but demands a sci-fi music video featuring Beyoncé as a sexy astronaut."[28]
David Amidon ofPopMatters praised the hook of the song but said that it contained Jay-Z's "most disturbingly maudlin delivery" since the song "Pray" fromAmerican Gangster (2007).[29] Jason Lipshutz ofBillboard praised the song, calling it an "uptempoWatch the Throne highlight".[30] Another writer forBillboard, Erika Ramírez, wrote: "Although it feels misplaced in between tracks 1 and 3, the 'stadium status' track is one to look forward to in seeing performed on the WTT tour."[31] Jeff Weiss ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote that the song isn't "asGlee-ready as 'Empire State of Mind'."[14] Andy Hutchins writing forThe Village Voice said that "'Lift Off' isn't a hit" by concluding "Beyonce dominates; Kanye sounds half-invested at best; and Jay's presence is limited to four bars, one aDale Earnhardt reference."[32]IGN's Chad Grischow wrote "the song is actually the least compelling of the album, sounding far more interesting when the heavy bass thump finally strips away late for a great piano melody and bongo fuelled beat."[33] Joey Guerra of theHouston Chronicle said that Beyoncé's vocals were "confident" throughout the "grand, athletic and anthemic" song.[34]
The song also received some negative reviews. In his review ofWatch the Throne, Andy Kellman ofAllMusic wrote, "The lowest point is 'Lift Off', a bombastic mess; West's stillborn, sung vocal clashes against a triumphant hook from Beyoncé, while the behind-the-scenes cast... overcook a regal and rugged, yet ultimately muddled, production".[35] Jayson Rodriguez ofXXL said that "'Lift Off' feels too airy on a project this heavy".[36]Chicago Tribune writerGreg Kot described Beyoncé's vocals as "disengaged".[37] Calling the song a "letdown", Tyrone S. Reid ofSeattle Post-Intelligencer wrote that "even with Beyoncé supplying the hook, 'Lift Off' is dismal".[38]
"Lift Off" was included in the set list of theWatch the Throne Tour (2011–12) by Jay-Z and Kanye West.[39][40] David Peisner ofSpin magazine noted that the rappers didn't sing their lines during the performance, but ad-libbed over the backing track.[41]The Orange County Register's Ben Wener noted that the song was "annoyingly abbreviated: [it] barely registered a blip toward the end".[42] "Lift Off" was also part of the set list of Beyoncé and Jay-Z's co-headliningOn the Run Tour (2014) where it was played as the tour's outro following the finale.[43] West performed the song for one of his "Sunday Service" concerts on March 10, 2019.[44] Beyoncé included the song as part of her setlist for theRenaissance World Tour in 2023.[45]
Before its release as a single, the song charted at number eighty one on theAustralian Singles Chart for the week of August 15, 2011,[46] and peaked at number one on theSouth Korea Gaon International Chart.[47] "Lift Off" became the forty third best-selling single in South Korea in 2011.[48] On the chart issue dated August 20, 2011 "Lift Off" debuted at number forty eight on theUK Singles Chart.[49] It did not enter the USBillboard Hot 100, but peaked at number twenty on the August 27, 2011 issue of theBillboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as a twenty five-song extension to the Hot 100.[50]
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