2023 single by Lana Del Rey
"Say Yes to Heaven" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. It is an outtake from the sessions of her third studio album, Ultraviolence (2014). After the song was leaked online and went viral on TikTok, it was surprise-released as a single on May 19, 2023. The song was written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, who also produced it. "Say Yes to Heaven" is an ambient and downbeat ballad about a narrator's attempt to escape with her lover.
In reviews of the track, critics praised it for its lyrics and the production. Commercially, the song peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Global 200 and the top 10 on singles charts in Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Say Yes to Heaven" peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also received certifications from Greece, Poland, and the UK.
Background and release
Lana Del Rey wrote the song with long-time collaborator Rick Nowels in 2012.[1] It was recorded in November 2013[1] during the sessions of Del Rey's third studio album, Ultraviolence (2014), but did not make the final track-list.[2] The song began to spread in around 2016.[1] In October 2020, "Say Yes to Heaven", also known as "Yes to Heaven",[3] was fully leaked onto the internet and went viral during the next two years;[4] 2022 in particular saw the rise of a sped-up snippet of the song in TikTok.[1] In March 2023, the song was claimed for copyright by UMG and Polydor Records, and sparked speculations about an imminent release.[5] Polydor and Interscope Records surprise-released the song as a single on May 19, 2023, with a sped-up version as its B-side.[6][7][8] Interscope sent the song to US adult alternative radio on June 5, 2023,[9] followed by alternative radio on June 6.[10]
Composition
"Say Yes to Heaven" runs for three minutes and twenty-nine seconds.[8] Nowels produced the song, and played electric guitar and Hammond organ. Other musicians include Patrick Warren (guitar, marimba, strings), Tim Pierce (electric guitar), and Brian Griffin (percussion). Dean Reid and Roy English provides drum programming for the song, which was engineered by Kieron Menzies, John Christopher Fee, Trevor Yasuda, and Rocci. It was mixed by Reid and mastered by Ruairi O'Flaherty.[11]
"Say Yes to Heaven" is an ambient[7] and downbeat ballad[12] about a narrator encouraging her lover to run away with her.[13] The acoustic production[14] incorporates muted drums,[15] tambourine,[12] and reverbed, finger-picked guitar arpeggios.[16][5][12] Del Rey's vocals throughout the song is laid back but sharp according to critic Ted Davis of American Songwriter.[17] The lyrics features romantic imagery and motifs that were previously used in Del Rey's other songs, such as red dress, heaven and dancing.[5] Jo Vito of Consequence[15] and Jonathan Cohen from Spin found "Say Yes to Heaven" to be distinct from the leak but thought the song maintains its overall tone.[16]
"Say Yes to Heaven" opens with gentle acoustic guitar strumming and electronic chords, with the narrator's submission to her lover: ("If you dance, I'll dance / And if you don't, I'll dance anyway / Give peace a chance / let the fear you have fall away").[17] In the chorus, Del Rey sings in a more breathy voice as she describes the narrator's plead to her lover: ("I've got my eye on you / Say yes to heaven / Say yes to me").[5] Towards the end, the narrator's yearning comes out more resolute than desperate to her lover: ("If you dance, I'll dance / I'll put my red dress on, get it on").[17]
Reception
"Say Yes to Heaven" was praised for its lyrics and the production. They described it as "dreamy",[7][12][17] "heavenly",[7] and "melancholy".[17] Davis praised Del Rey's "playful" vocals and her songwriting for capturing a sense of "stoic, timeless, and implicitly flawed yearning" in the song.[17] Vito commended Del Rey's "signature, poetic ambiguity" and the sonic pallette that "[she became] so good at crafting".[15] Nylon's Sophia June called the song a "simple gut-punch about submission and yearning"[5] and Alternative Press' Sadie Bell called the song a "sweet, lovelorn ballad".[6]
On singles charts, "Say Yes to Heaven" debuted on both the United States's Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, with peaks of number 54 and number 4 respectively.[18][19] It received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which denotes 500,000 track-equivalent units based on sales and on-demand streaming.[20] The song was her best-performing single on the UK Singles Chart in years;[14] it reached number nine, and marked Del Rey's sixth top-ten career entry and her first as a soloist since "Born to Die" (2011).[21][22] It received a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for selling over 200,000 units.[23] Elsewhere, "Say Yes to Heaven" peaked within the top ten in Ireland (8),[24] Poland (9),[25] and New Zealand (10).[26]
The song reached number 18 on the Billboard Global 200.[27] It also received platinum certifications from Poland,[28] and gold from Greece.[29]
Track listing
Digital download and streaming[8]
- "Say Yes to Heaven" – 3:29
- "Say Yes to Heaven" (sped up) – 2:37
7" vinyl
- Side A
- "Say Yes to Heaven" – 3:29
- Side B
- "Black Beauty" – 5:14
Personnel
Credits are adapted from Tidal:[11]
- Lana Del Rey – songwriting, vocals
- Rick Nowels – songwriting, production, electric guitar, Hammond organ
- Patrick Warren – guitar, marimba, strings
- Dean Reid – drum programming, mixing
- Kieron Menzies – engineering
- John Christopher Fee – engineering
- Trevor Yasuda – engineering
- Rocci – engineering
- Tim Pierce – electric guitar
- Brian Griffin – percussion
- Roy English – drum programming
- Ruairi O'Flaherty – mastering
