A writer of The Guardian compared the synthesizers in the song with the song " The Final Countdown" (1986) by Swedish rock band Europe.
In the song, Beyoncé sings about having "so many scars" and "taking this whole thing to the stars." Jeff Weiss of The Hollywood Reporter found an "old NASA movie sample and Kanye showing off his tattoos and inflexible singing voice." Simon Price of The Independent found neurofunk influences on "Lift Off". Seal provides backing vocals in the song, which according to Jon Caramanica of The New York Times were "impossible-to-notice". The song contains horns and martial drums as Beyoncé sings, "We gon' take it to the moon/ Take it to the stars." Throughout the song West 's vocals are enhanced by Auto-Tune in some places. "Lift Off" is a pop song mainly in 6/8 time, which features baroque strings and a chorus sung by Beyoncé, accompanied with synthesizers.
It was described as a "standout track" on the album by a writer for Vulture. During the party, "Lift Off" was one of the previewed songs. In February, 2011, Kanye West and Jay-Z held a party at the AMNH's Hayden Planetarium. However, Mars never appeared on the song and Beyoncé sang several lines during the chorus instead. In early May 2011, it was rumored that Bruno Mars recorded vocals for the song along with Beyoncé and it was reported that the song would be released as the lead single from the album. The song was recorded in Sydney, Australia. "Lift Off" was written by Kanye West, Jay-Z, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean, Bruno Mars and Seal, while production was handled by West, Bhasker, Mike Dean, Pharrell, Q-Tip and Don Jazzy. Jay-Z and Beyoncé performed it live as the last song during the concerts on their On the Run Tour (2014).īruno Mars ( pictured), who co-wrote "Lift Off", was rumored to be featured on the track. "Lift Off" was performed live by Jay-Z and Kanye West during their tour in promotion of Watch the Throne titled Watch the Throne Tour (2011–12). 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. "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. Instrumentally, the song is completed with synthesizers, martial drums and horns. It contains a chorus sung by Beyoncé, while other verses are sung by West and Jay-Z in a rap style. Musically, "Lift Off" is a pop song which uses baroque strings. However, Mars never appeared on the song and it was sent to urban contemporary radio on August 23, 2011. The song was rumored to be released as the lead single from the album containing additional vocals by Bruno Mars. It was written by Kanye West, Jay-Z, Jeff Bhasker, Mike Dean, Bruno Mars and Seal, while production was handled by West, Bhasker, Mike Dean, Pharrell, Q-Tip, and Don Jazzy for Jay-Z 's and West 's collaboration album, Watch the Throne (2011). " Lift Off" is a song by Jay-Z and Kanye West featuring American recording artist Beyoncé.