"Say Yes to Heaven"
Cover art for "Say Yes to Heaven": Lana Del Rey seated on a chair as she prays with her eyes closed
Single by Lana Del Rey
B-side
Written2012
ReleasedMay 19, 2023 (2023-05-19)
RecordedNovember 2013
Genre
Length
  • 3:29
  • 3:03 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Nowels
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"The Grants"
(2023)		 "Say Yes to Heaven"
(2023)		 "Candy Necklace"
(2023)
Audio video
"Say Yes to Heaven" on YouTube

"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]

  1. "Say Yes to Heaven" – 3:29
  2. "Say Yes to Heaven" (Sped Up) – 2:37

7" vinyl

Side A
  1. "Say Yes to Heaven" – 3:29
Side B
  1. "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

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Say Yes to Heaven"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[28] Platinum 50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[20] Gold 500,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[29] Gold 1,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various May 19, 2023 [12]
United States June 5, 2023 Adult alternative radio Interscope [9]
June 6, 2023 Alternative radio [10]
Various November 14, 2023 7-Inch Single Interscope [57]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Brodsky, Rachel (May 19, 2023). "Lana Del Rey Shares Previously Unreleased "Say Yes To Heaven" After Success As Sped-Up TikTok Sound". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ Skinner, Tom (May 19, 2023). "Listen to Lana Del Rey's dreamy new single 'Say Yes To Heaven'". NME. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ Mier, Tomás (May 19, 2023). "Lana Del Rey Surprise Drops Previously Unreleased 'Yes to Heaven' After Going Viral on TikTok". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  4. ↑ Ingle, Alex (May 23, 2023). "Lana Del Rey's 'Say Yes to Heaven' looks set to hit the Top 10 this week". Dork. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 June, Sophia (May 20, 2023). "Lana Del Rey's 'Yes to Heaven' is about submission & yearning". Nylon. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Bell, Sadie (May 19, 2023). "Hear Lana Del Rey's surprise release of fan-favorite, 2012 track "Say Yes To Heaven"". Alternative Press Magazine. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Kahn, Jamie (May 31, 2023). ""Say Yes to Heaven, Say Yes to Me": A Love Letter to Lana Del Rey's Magical, Not-So-New Single". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Del Rey, Lana (May 19, 2023). "Say Yes To Heaven – Single". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Triple A Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Alternative Future Releases". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "'Say Yes to Heaven'". Tidal. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Brandle, Lars (May 19, 2023). "Lana Del Rey Gives Belated Release to 'Say Yes To Heaven': Stream It Now". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Lana Del Rey Shares 'Say Yes To Heaven,' A Fan-Favorite Outtake". Uproxx. May 19, 2023. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Griffiths, George (May 23, 2023). "It's time for Lana Del Rey to open the vaults". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 Vito, Jo (May 19, 2023). "Lana Del Rey Finally Releases "Say Yes to Heaven": Stream". Consequence. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  16. 1 2 Cohen, Jonathan (May 19, 2023). "Years After Online Leak, Lana Del Rey Finally Releases 'Say Yes To Heaven'". Spin. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Davis, Ted (October 6, 2023). "The Meaning Behind the Yearning "Say Yes to Heaven" by Lana Del Rey". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  19. 1 2 "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  20. 1 2 "American single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Say Yes to Heaven". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  21. ↑ Brandle, Lars (May 29, 2023). "Lana Del Rey's 'Say Yes To Heaven' Scores U.K. Top 10 Debut". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "British single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Say Yes to Heaven". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  25. 1 2 "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 19.05.2023–25.05.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  26. 1 2 "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 29, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  27. 1 2 "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  28. 1 2 "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 20, 2023. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Say Yes to Heaven in the search box.
  29. 1 2 "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 43/2023" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  30. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 29, 2023. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Single Charts vom 30. Mai 2023". oe3.orf.at. November 8, 2019. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  33. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202321 into search. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Top Singles (Week 21, 2023)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Lana Del Rey – Say Yes to Heaven" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  36. ↑ "IFPI Charts". ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  37. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 22. nedēļa" (in English and Latvian). LAIPA. June 5, 2023. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  40. ↑ "2023 21-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  41. ↑ "The Official Lebanese Top 20 – Lana Del Rey". The Official Lebanese Top 20. June 30, 2023. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Luxembourg Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  43. ↑ "This Week's Official MENA Chart Top 20: from 19/05/2023 to 25/05/2023". theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. May 30, 2023. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Lana Del Rey – Say Yes to Heaven" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Singel 2023 uke 21". VG-lista. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Lana Del Rey – Say Yes to Heaven". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  47. ↑ "RIAS Top Charts Week 21 (19 - 25 May 2023)". RIAS. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  48. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202321 into search. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  49. ↑ "BGM Chart – Week 20 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 21". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Lana Del Rey – Say Yes to Heaven". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  52. ↑ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100)". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  54. ↑ Ainsley, Helen (January 4, 2024). "The Official best-selling vinyl albums and singles of 2023". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  55. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  56. ↑ "Rock & Alternative Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  57. ↑ Lana Del Rey - Say Yes To Heaven, November 14, 2023, retrieved November 23, 2023
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