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Holy Grail (Jay-Z song)

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"Holy Grail"
Song

"Holy Grail" is a song by American hip hop artist Jay Z from his twelfth studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail. It features vocals from American singer Justin Timberlake and serves as the album's first single.[1][2][3][4] It was produced by The-Dream, Timbaland and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with additional production from No ID and contains elements of Nirvana's 1991 hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Following the release of the album, the song charted in many regions, entering at number eight and reaching number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, as well as charting at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The song received mixed reviews from music critics.

"Holy Grail" won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 56th Grammy Awards. In 2014, Billboard placed it at number 25 on their list of Top 100 Hot Rap Songs of all time.[5]

Recording and composition

"Holy Grail", along with another track from Magna Carta... Holy Grail called "Oceans" were recorded in 2011 during the recording sessions for Jay Z's collaborative album with Kanye West, Watch the Throne. West wanted the two songs to appear on Watch the Throne, but Jay Z chose to keep them for his upcoming studio album and they were replaced with "No Church in the Wild" and "Made in America".[6] The early version of the instrumental was created in 2011 by The-Dream. When the recording sessions for MCHG started, Timbaland together with fellow producer J-Roc rearranged it to create the final track.[7]

"Holy Grail" is composed in a D minor key, and plays in common time at a tempo of 72 beats per minute. The vocals ranges from a G3 to C6.[8] Jay-Z lyrically sampled rock group Nirvana's single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", after receiving permission from Courtney Love who owns the rights to the original song.[9] In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Jay Z stated that "Holy Grail" was "the map for the album" and that it set the tone for the rest of MCHG. When the song was first recorded for Watch the Throne, Jay Z thought it would get lost on the album and decided to keep it as the "center piece" for his next album.[10] The song's lyrics can be interpreted as Jay-Z's and Timberlake's love-hate relationship with fame.

Music video

On August 2, 2013, Jay-Z revealed to Power 106 that he and fellow tour mate Justin Timberlake had begun shooting the music video for "Holy Grail".[11] The music video was directed by Anthony Mandler and was released on August 29, 2013 on Facebook, making social media history as the first time a clip from major artists debuted strictly on the site.[12] Dubbed a "visual" rather than a "music video", the piece is a remixed version of the original album version, featuring pitch shifted vocals and a change in the song structure. The visual was critically acclaimed for both its imagery, and remixed vocals. Kyle Anderson from Entertainment Weekly praised the piece's imagery, describing its nightmarish sequences as "arresting", and complimented the remixed video version of the song which he thought was "miles beyond the album version".[13]

Critical reception

"Holy Grail" has received mixed reviews from critics. Andy Gill of The Independent described the song as "smooth and mellifluous,"[14] while Rolling Stone's Simon Vozick called it a "surprisingly moody opener."[15] DJ Booth praised the track as an "appropriately bombastic intro to an epic LP."[16] Panning the song as "laughably overblown", Ian Cohen of Pitchfork Media writes that Timberlake "cycles through every tortured artist cliché short of a crucifixion metaphor."[17] Cohen further stated that the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" interpolation "becomes just another forgettable status symbol" and commented: "Where Kurt Cobain felt compromised by his fame, Jay and Timberlake are doing everything in their power not to offend the money people—whether it's Samsung, Target, or someone dropping $250 to see them at the Rose Bowl."[17]

Commercial performance

The song had a hot-shot debut on many charts upon the release of the album, despite not being released as an official single. It debuted at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, being at the time the second highest debut on that chart of the year.[18] It peaked at number four and remained in the top 10 for 16 weeks. It has sold over 3 million copies in the US as of March 2014.[19]

After entering at number 24, "Holy Grail" peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.[20]

Live performances

Justin Timberlake and Jay Z performed "Holy Grail" together during their co-headlining tour Legends of the Summer. They also performed the song live at the Wireless Festival in London on July 14, 2013.[21] During the concert at Barclays Center as part of Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience World Tour on December 14, 2014, Jay Z joined him on stage to perform the song.[22]

"Holy Grail" was also performed during the On the Run Tour (2014), a co-headlining tour by Beyoncé and Jay Z. During the performance of the song, Beyoncé sang Justin Timberlake's parts. Consequence of Sound's Alex Young chose the song as one of the particular highlights of the show.[23]

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Award Result Ref.
2013 Soul Train Music Awards Best Hip Hop Song of the Year Nominated [24]
2014 Billboard Music Awards Top Rap Song [25]
Grammy Awards (56th) Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Won [26]
Best Rap Song Nominated
iHeartRadio Music Awards Best Collaboration [27]
Hip Hop/R&B Song of the Year
BET Awards Best Collaboration [28]
BET Hip Hop Awards Best Collabo, Duo or Group [29]
ASCAP Pop Music Awards Most Performed Songs Won [30]
ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards Award Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs [31]
Top Rap Song
BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards Most Performed Songs [32]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[60] Platinum 20,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[61] Gold 7,500*
Sweden (GLF)[62] Platinum 40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[63] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[64] 3× Platinum 3,000,000[19]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom July 10, 2013[65] Contemporary hit radio Roc Nation
Italy July 12, 2013[66] Universal
United Kingdom July 15, 2013[67] Urban contemporary radio Roc Nation

References

  1. ^ "[FIRST LISTEN] Jay Z Drops "Holy Grail" In Most Innovative Campaign Which Turned Out To Be A Flop|JAY Z| News | MTV European". Mtv.tv. July 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  2. ^ "Stream Jay-Z's 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' On Hot 97 – XXL". Xxlmag.com. July 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  3. ^ "Jay-Z Justin Timberlake Holy Grail". Complex. July 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  4. ^ "Listen: Jay-Z's "Holy Grail" ft. Justin Timberlake – Fuse". Fuse.tv. July 5, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  5. ^ "Hot Rap Songs Chart 25th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  6. ^ "Jay-Z. Zane Lowe. Part 1: Magna Carta Holy Grail". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  7. ^ "Unlocking the Holy Grail: Timbaland". Revolt. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  8. ^ Jay-Z "Holy Grail" Sheet Music – Download & Print. musicnotes.com. Accessed on July 28, 2013.
  9. ^ Chattman, Jon (June 19, 2013). "Free Love: "A-Sides" Interview with Queen Courtney On New Music, Her Autobiography, A Reality TV Show, and Jay-Z Covering Nirvana?". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  10. ^ "Jay-Z. Zane Lowe. Part 2: Fame". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  11. ^ Tardio, Andres. "Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake Are Filming "Holy Grail" Video". HipHop DX. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  12. ^ "Video: Jay Z f/ Justin Timberlake – 'Holy Grail'". Rap-Up.com. October 18, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  13. ^ "Jay Z drops 'Holy Grail' video featuring Justin Timberlake". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  14. ^ Gill, Andy (July 5, 2013). "Jay-Z, Magna Carta Holy Grail – review". The Independent. London. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  15. ^ "Magna Carta . . . Holy Grail". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  16. ^ "Jay-Z – Holy Grail". DJ Booth. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Cohen, Ian (July 8, 2013). "Jay-Z: Magna Carta Holy Grail". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  18. ^ Grein, Paul (July 16, 2013). "Week Ending July 14, 2013. Albums: Jay-Z Back On The Throne | Chart Watch – Yahoo! Music". Music.yahoo.com. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  19. ^ a b Grein, Paul (March 26, 2014). "Chart Watch: Two Movie Songs In Top 5". Yahoo Music. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  20. ^ "Official UK Singles Top 100 – 20th July 2013". UK Singles Chart. Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on July 16, 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  21. ^ "Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake Perform 'Holy Grail' at Wireless Festival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  22. ^ Stecker, Erin (December 15, 2014). "Beyonce & Taylor Swift Dance Together at Justin Timberlake Show". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  23. ^ Young, Alex (June 26, 2014). "Jay Z and Beyoncé kick off On the Run Tour with massive 42-song setlist". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  24. ^ "2013 Soul Train Music Awards: Kendrick Lamar leads the pack, Miguel & Justin Timberlake follow". centrictv.com. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  25. ^ "Billboard Music Awards: Full Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. May 18, 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  26. ^ "Grammy Nominations 2014: See the list of nominees". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. December 6, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  27. ^ "iHeartRadio Music Awards: FINALISTS REVEALED!". iHeartRadio. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  28. ^ "Beyonce & Jay Z Lead 2014 BET Awards". Billboard. January 26, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  29. ^ "BET Hip-Hop Awards 2014 Nominations Revealed". hotnewhiphop. September 4, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  30. ^ "Congrats On 3 ASCAP Awards!". justintimberlake.com. April 24, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  31. ^ "Congrats To JT On His 2014 ASCAP Awards!". justintimberlake.com. June 30, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  32. ^ "Christopher 'Ludacris' Bridges and Top Songwriters Honored at the 2014 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards". BMI. Broadcast Music, Inc. October 21, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  33. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  34. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  35. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  36. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  37. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail". Tracklisten.
  38. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail" (in French). Les classement single.
  39. ^ "Chart Track: Week 29, 2013". Irish Singles Chart.
  40. ^ "The Official Lebanese Top 20". Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  41. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  42. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail". Top 40 Singles.
  43. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail". VG-lista.
  44. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  45. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201333 into search.
  46. ^ "GAON Music Charts". Gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
  47. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail". Singles Top 100.
  48. ^ "JAY-z feat. Justin Timberlake – Holy Grail". Swiss Singles Chart.
  49. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  50. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  51. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  52. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  53. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  54. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  55. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  56. ^ "Best of 2013: Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2013. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  57. ^ "Best of 2013 - Hot 100 Songs". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  58. ^ "2013 Year End Charts — R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  59. ^ "2013 Year End Charts — Rap Songs". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  60. ^ "Danish single certifications – Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake". IFPI Danmark. Scroll through the page-list below until year 2013 to obtain certification.
  61. ^ THE FIELD id (chart number) MUST BE PROVIDED for NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATION.
  62. ^ certweek IS REQUIRED FOR SWEDISH CERTIFICATIONS.
  63. ^ "British single certifications – Jay Z – Holy Grail". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Holy Grail in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  64. ^ "American single certifications – Jay Z – Holy Grail". Recording Industry Association of America.
  65. ^ "BBC Radio 1 Playlist – Wednesday 10th July". BBC Radio 1. BBC. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  66. ^ "Jay Z – Holy Grail (Universal)" (in Italian). Radio Airplay SRL. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  67. ^ Hart, Tina (July 11, 2013). "Radio playlist update: BBC Radio 1Xtra". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved November 16, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
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