"Heaven" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her self-titled fifth studio album (2013). It was written and produced by the singer along with musician Boots who collaborated on the majority of the tracks on the album. Although speculation hinted the song to be inspired by the singer's miscarried child and recorded as a tribute, it was revealed that she drew inspiration from her mother Tina, losing her best friend. "Heaven" is a piano ballad with gospel and pop elements and emotional vocals which received comparisons to Beyoncé's 2008 song "Halo". The personal lyrics describe the protagonist mourning the death of a beloved person by repeating a sentimental hook. Music critics provided positive reviews for the track, praising its placement on the album and Beyoncé's vocal performance.
The music video for "Heaven" was directed by Todd Tourso and Beyoncé and was released alongside the album on December 13, 2013. It was filmed in Puerto Rico and New York City and stars Ashley Everett, the singer's long-time dance collaborator for her concerts. The clip shows important moments from the life of Beyoncé and Everett, who portray two best friends. During the end, it is made clear that one of them has died and the other is seen mourning her at the church and cemetery. Like the song, the video was praised for its emotional scenes and acting as well as the religious undertones. "Heaven" was performed live by Beyoncé during the European leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in 2014 as the concerts' closing song.
Background
"Heaven" was written and produced by Beyoncé and Boots. It was recorded with the guidance of Boots, Stuart White and Rob Cohen at three studios: Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood, California as well as Jungle City Studios and Oven Studios, both located in New York City. The audio engineering was finished by Ramon Rivas with assistance from Christian Humphreys. All instruments in "Heaven" are played by Boots. Tony Maserati and Stuart White mixed the song at Mirrorball Studios in North Hollywood, California. James Krausse engineered the mix with the assistance of Justin Hergett. The audio mastering was completed by Tom Coyne and Aya Merrill at Sterling Sound in New York City. The song was recorded following the shooting for the music video of "XO", in August 2013. Beyoncé recorded it the same night and the song was finalized in a week.
Upon the release of "Heaven", fans and media speculated that it was dedicated to the child Beyoncé lost during a miscarriage. The singer publicly talked about the miscarriage which happened before the birth of Blue Ivy during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and her HBO documentary Life Is But a Dream (2013). Beyoncé also wrote and recorded a song called "Heartbeat" to cope with the loss, which did not make it on the album. Her husband, rapper Jay Z, had also mentioned the miscarriage in his song "Glory" (2012) released after the birth of Blue Ivy. The experience made her doubt whether she would have children in the future, and she described it as "one of the hardest things" she had to endure.
Boots explained that there were multiple connotations to the lyrics of the song. With website Genius, he clarified that he was not in a position to confirm the subject matter, further noting that each listener could interpret it in their own way. He elaborated, "The main point was to ease the hearts and minds of anyone who have suffered from an unthinkable loss. I also originally wrote the song as comfort to the idea that death is a part of the cycle of life and a loved one's life should be celebrated. In New Orleans, a funeral in some ways is a parade. They march through the streets with the casket and play jazz. Think of it as one final celebration." Beyoncé explained on her iTunes Radio channel that "Heaven" was about "death and finding the strength in knowing that someone had an incredible life and that giving you some type of closure". Todd Tourso, the director of the song's music video, stated that "Heaven" was inspired by the death of her mother's best friend and its impact on her life.
Composition "Heaven" is a mournful, understated slow-tempo ballad with gospel and pop overtones. It is instrumentally complete with a hymn-like simple piano. According to the sheet music published on the website Musicnotes.com, it is composed using time signature of common time in the key of A Major with a slow tempo of 52 beats per minute. Beyoncé's vocals range from the low note of C#3 to the higher note of E5. It contains the sequence of A–C#m–F#m–C#m as its chord progression. Chris Bosman from Consequence of Sound described the song as a blend of "cinematic reach of modern Top 40 pop with the patience and melancholy of post-808s & Heartbreaks hip-hop". Paste reviewer Philip Cosores noted how the song sounded as if it "work[ed] together" with other Boots-produced material on the album, including "Blue" and "Haunted". A writer from Fuse, opined that the song sounded slightly like a second part of the singer's own ballad "Halo" (2008). Similarly, Mike Wass from the website Idolator called it "an edgy, indie sister" of "Halo" while Lindsey Weber from Vulture.com deemed it an "answer to" that song. Variety journalist Andrew Barker likened the song to Rihanna's "Stay" (2012) while adding that it succeeded in "improving on it in every way".
"Heaven" lyrically talks about the protagonist saying a final goodbye to a deceased beloved person. It contains emotional lyrics which offer comfort to the protagonist. The ballad opens with the line "I fought for you the hardest, it made me the strongest, So tell me your secrets — I just can't stand to see you leaving" sang with emotional and touching vocals by the singer. The hook "Heaven couldn't wait for you / No heaven couldn't wait for you / So go on, go home" is continuously repeated. BET'a Latifah Muhammad described Beyoncé's vocal rendition as "heartbreaking yet optimistic". "Heaven" closes with a spoken 20-second snippet outro of the Lord's Prayer () recited in Spanish by Melissa Vargas, the singer's brand manager. Many critics noted how the song may have been inspired by the singer's miscarriage. Clare Lobenfeld from Complex magazine concluded that the song featured Beyoncé's coping mechanisms for the loss of her child, which included using humor to hide pain. According to Spin writer Anupa Mistry, it is in line with one of the themes touched on in the parent album, motherhood. On the album, "Heaven" is placed before "Blue", as the penultimate track. It was noted by critics that both songs were antidotes to each other – while the former discusses notions of death, the latter celebrates birth. Joey Guerra from the Houston Chronicle found the inclusion of those songs as the last on Beyoncé as a metaphor for the entire album "Darkness always gives way to light, and heartbreak, if you hold on, is always followed by hope".
Critical reception
Latifah Muhammad from the BET called the ballad a "field of emotional land mines, which is fitting given the subject matter". The A.V. Club writer Evan Rytlewski wrote that the singer managed to convey "real, unfettered pain" on the "crushing tribute" to her miscarried baby. Korina Lopez from USA Today called the ballad "sweet" and one that offers a "peek into her family life". Mesfin Fekadu from the Associated Press noted the song to be more honest than Beyoncé's previous work. Mike Wass of Idolator named the "fragile ballad" as a "heartbreaking letter" and his personal favorite on the album. He noted how it may never be disclosed whether the song was inspired by Beyoncé's personal loss, before adding that "if so, it couldn't be a more beautiful tribute". Anupa Mistry from Spin found a "moving story of a miscarriage" in the track. Tom Breihan from the website Stereogum lauded Beyoncé's decision to record a song about the important subject of miscarriage, calling it "an incredibly brave and real act" and noting how it acted as a "hug" to people with similar experiences. He concluded that "[p]eople are going to cry their eyes out to this" before naming "Heaven" and "Blue" "maybe the realest, most grown-up things Beyoncé has ever done".
Sputnikmusic's Conrad Tao praised the placement of "Heaven" and "Blue" as the closing two songs on Beyoncé, deeming it "hugely cathartic, like an extended and necessary epilogue... following an acceptance of death with a celebration of life isn't innovative so much as logically powerful". Similar sentiments were offered by Fact magazine's Chris Kelly, who praised the fact the album closed with three low-key ballads and added "The latter pair [the somber 'Heaven', and the joyful 'Blue' are two sides of the same coin: the heartbreaking 'Heaven' is most likely about her miscarriage, while 'Blue' celebrates (and features) daughter Blue Ivy". Philip Cosores of Paste felt that the closing portion of the album was "probably the best of her career", including "the unabashed, uncompromising tribute 'Heaven'". Ryan B. Patrick, in an album review for Exclaim! commented how the last two songs "drive things home on an intensely personal vibe". Joey Guerra from the Houston Chronicle wrote how among many confessional songs on the album, "Heaven" and "Blue" manage to "feel the most personal. Brandon Soderberg, in a review for Spin stated that Beyoncé'''s closing consisted of "what has got to be one of the bravest combinations of songs in often album-averse modern R&B".
Mike Diver from Clash praised Beyoncé's unleashed vocals on the ballad, hailing her "power and control" as "breathtaking". On a similar note, Julia Leconte from the newspaper Now deemed her vocals as "perfect" when unleashed on the ballad. A David Atlanta writer concluded how "Beyoncé, in her moments of vulnerability, with her emotive vocals, shows why she has been a force to be reckoned with in the music industry", something he noted in "Heaven". Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune found some of the singer's "most unguarded and daring singing" in her career on the song. Clare Lobenfeld from Complex called "Heaven"'s hook "poetic and truly heartbreaking". Describing it as "wrenching", The Daily Beasts Kevin Fallon, noted how it finds the "polished singer absolutely raw, wailing over a faint ivory tinkle". Jon Pareles from The New York Times noted how the song "may be heard at funerals for years to come". Billboard journalists Andrew Hampp and Erika Ramirez opined that producer Boots helped the singer show her emotional and gentle side on the ballad. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph deemed "Heaven" as the "only straight ballad" on the album and noted how despite the gospel elements and "tearjerking" vocals present, "Beyoncé keeps it tight and close rather than big and blousy". The Irish Times editor Una Mullally described "Heaven" as "simple but beautiful". Under the Radar writer Ryan E.C. Hamm was more negative towards the track, dismissing it as a "flaw" on Beyoncé along with "Pretty Hurts". He summarized them as "okay songs, but a little on the nose". Jody Rosen writing for Vulture.com called the ballad "pallid" and one of the album's "baggy moments".
Music video Background and development