Lift Off

"Lift Off"Song by The Throne
General information
Featured artist(s)	Beyoncé
Released	August 8, 2011
Recorded	2011
Genre	Hip-hop, Pop
Length	4:26
Album	Watch The Throne
Writer(s)	Seal, Jeff Bhasker, Pharrell Williams, MIKE DEAN, Bruno Mars, JAY-Z, Kanye West
Producer(s)	Pharrell Williams, Don Jazzy, Q-Tip, MIKE DEAN, Jeff Bhasker, Kanye West, Ken Lewis
Track list
Previous	"No Church in the Wild"
Next	"Ni**as In Paris"

"Lift Off" is a song by The Throne (JAY-Z and Kanye West) featuring American singer Beyoncé. It was written by the two, in addition to Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean, Bruno Mars, Seal, and Pharrell Williams. It also serves as the second track on the duo's collaboration album, Watch The Throne (2011). The song is currently available to buy on Apple Music and Beatport, while you can purchase the music sheet on Broekmans & Van Poppel.

Production

The track features grand production, with many instruments. Specifically, synthesizers, martial drums and horns. It runs on 179 BPM, with the key of D minor. The production was done by West, Bhasker, Mike Dean, Pharrell Williams, Q-Tip, and Don Jazzy.

Background

It is speculated that West's vocals are cut off from an initial freestyle due to his tone and the use of some slightly mumbled lyrics. With this in mind, it's likely Kanye recorded before Jay. As well, the song was rumored to be released as the lead single from the album, containing vocals from Bruno Mars. However, Mars never appeared on the released song.

Reception

"Lift Off" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics who generally highlighted the song and praised its hook as well as Beyoncé's vocals, though some criticized the vocals by West and Jay-Z. The song peaked at number one on the South Korea Gaon International Chart and number twenty one on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. the song charted at number eighty one on the Australian Singles Chart for the week of August 15, 2011, and peaked at number one on the South Korea Gaon International Chart. "Lift Off" became the forty third best-selling single in South Korea in 2011. On the chart issue dated August 20, 2011 "Lift Off" debuted at number forty eight on the UK Singles Chart. It did not enter the US Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number twenty on the August 27, 2011 issue of the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which acts as a twenty five-song extension to the Hot 100.

Lyrics

[Intro: Jack King]
All engines running

[Chorus: Beyoncé]
We gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars
How many people you know can take it this far?
I'm supercharged
We 'bout to take this whole thing to Mars (Lift off)
Now we gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars
We don't know what we could do to make it this far
So many scars
We 'bout to take this whole thing to Mars

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Lift off
Lift off, takin' my coat off
Showing my tattoos, I'm such a show-off, hah
I feel the pain and then roll off
I got the whole city, they about to go off
How many n***as with me up and in the aisle? (Lift off)
How many people want to roll on me now? (Lift off)
Like you know, na-na-na, you know me by now (Lift off)
Know me, know me by now (Lift off)

[Chorus: Beyoncé]
We gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars
How many people you know can take it this far?
I'm supercharged
We 'bout to take this whole thing to Mars (Lift off)
Now we gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars
We don't know what we could do to make it this far
So many scars
We 'bout to take this whole thing to Mars

[Post-Chorus: Kanye West]
Lift off (Lift off), off, ah, like you know, na-na-na
You know me by now, know me, know me by now
You know me, know me by now, know me, know me by now

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]
Lift off
Rappers hear Watch the Throne, they gon' be pissed off
Earth is boring to 'em, shit is making my dick soft
When you earn hard as me, eventually, you hit a big wall
Five, four, three, two, we need fuel, lift off

[Chorus: Beyoncé]
Now we gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars
How many people you know can take it this far?
I'm supercharged
We 'bout to take this whole thing to Mars (All engines running)
Now we gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars
We don't know what we could do to make it this far
So many scars
We 'bout to take this whole thing to Mars (Lift off)

[Interlude: Jack King]
Twenty seconds and counting
T-minus fifteen seconds, guidance is internal
Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, ignition sequence start
Six, five, four, three, two, one, zero, all engines running
Lift off, we have a lift off

[Outro: Beyoncé]
Jump
Now we gon', now we gon', now we gon', now we gon' (J-jump)
Now we gon' take it to the moon
Now we gon', now we gon' (J-j-jump)
We gon' take it to the moon
Take it to the stars (J-j-jump)
We gon' take it to the moon
Take it to the stars
How many people you know can take it this far?
Take it to the stars
How many people you know can take it this far?
Now we gon', now we gon', now we gon', now we gon', now