Heaven (Jay Z song)

"Heaven" is a song recorded by American rapper Jay-Z from his twelfth studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013) featuring American recording artist Justin Timberlake. The song was written by Jay-Z, The-Dream, members of R.E.M., Adrian Younge, Timbaland, and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon 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. He explained the song in a promotional video for Samsung saying,

The song indulges in religious allegory, and is one of the few songs on Magna Carta Holy Grail that touch 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, R.E.M.'s 1991 single "Losing My Religion". Following the album's release, former frontman of R.E.M. Michael Stipe told NME that he's "thrilled" and it was a "great honor", that Jay-Z included the lyrics in one of his songs.

Heaven (Los Lonely Boys song)

"Heaven" is the title of a popular song from 2004 by the American Tejano/Chicano rock band Los Lonely Boys. The song was written by brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza, who comprise the foundation of the band, and it appears on their multi-platinum self-titled album.

Reception

Released as a single in mid-2004, "Heaven" reached the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at 16 in August. Later that year, the song began a sixteen week run at number 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in October. It was also a minor hit at country radio, where it peaked at number 46.

AllMusic reviewer Thom Jurek describes the song as "infectious" and draws comparisons to the music of Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Los Lobos. He states that "Heaven" is "a single in the old sense of the word: killer hook, easy groove, a slippery but unmistakable bridge with a beautiful vocal to boot -- all coming in under four minutes."

Awards

The success of "Heaven" led to two Grammy Award nominations and one win for the band at the 47th Grammy Awards, held in early 2005. The song won in the category Best Pop Performance by a Duo group, while Los Lonely Boys were nominated in the category Best New Artist, losing out to Maroon 5.

Heaven (BeBe & CeCe Winans album)

Heaven is the third album released by brother and sister duo BeBe & CeCe Winans and their second released on Capitol Records. It was number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart.

Smooth jazz musician Lonnie Liston Smith covered the title song from his 1990 album, Love Goddess

Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams, featuring fellow singer Carl Thomas also covered the title song in the closing track from her 2002 solo debut, Heart to Yours.

Track listing

Charts

Singles

References

Bela Talbot

Bela Talbot is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama/horror television series Supernatural, portrayed by Lauren Cohan. Appearing only in the third season, she uses knowledge of the supernatural world to her advantage rather than to help those in need. Self-centered and a thorn in the side of the series' protagonists, Bela makes her living by stealing occult objects and selling them to wealthy clients. Critical reaction to the character was mixed, with negative responses from fans ultimately leading to her departure at the end of the season.

Plot

In her first appearance, "Bad Day at Black Rock", Bela Talbot hires two crooks to steal a cursed rabbit's foot from a storage container owned by the deceased John Winchester, a hunter of supernatural creatures. Anyone who touches the foot is granted good luck, but will die within a week if the foot is lost. She intends to sell it and shows no concern for the fate of the thieves. John's sons, series protagonists Sam and Dean, retrieve the foot but are cursed by it. Bela interferes when they attempt to destroy it, and shoots Sam in the shoulder. Dean, however, tricks her into touching it. She gives the foot up for destruction, but manages to steal $46,000 in winning lottery tickets from Dean that he had purchased using the foot's granted luck.

Abby (film)

Abby is a 1974 American blaxploitation horror film about a woman who is possessed by an African sex spirit. The film stars Carol Speed as the title character, William H. Marshall (best known for portraying the lead role in Blacula) and Terry Carter. It was directed by William Girdler, who co-wrote the film's story with screenwriter Gordon Cornell Layne.

The film was a financial success, grossing 4 million in a month, but was pulled from theaters after the film's distributor, American International Pictures, was accused of copyright violation by Warner Bros., which saw the film as being derivative of The Exorcist and filed a lawsuit against AIP. Girdler himself told the Louisville Courier Journal: "Sure, we made Abby to come in on the shirttail of The Exorcist." The film is also inspired by 1968's Rosemary's Baby.

The film was considered dead until 2004, when a 16mm low quality copy of Abby was released in DVD. Despite mixed reviews initially, the film has a cult following and is considered by many a classic blaxpoitation film.