Lana Del Rey took the world by surprise when she dropped an official studio recording of “Say Yes to Heaven” on various streaming services without any prior announcement on May 19. The single, which was penned by Del Rey herself alongside Rick Nowels back in 2012, finally saw the light of day after a recent resurgence in popularity, garnering over 1.5 million views on TikTok. Accompanying the much anticipated official release of this track is a sped-up counterpart, paying homage to the prevailing trend of accelerated music on TikTok.
The long-winded journey of “Say Yes to Heaven” has been quite a remarkable one, as the song remained elusive for a significant period before finding its way into the public domain through leaks and online platforms. Initially, the track was recorded back in 2013 with the intention of being featured on Del Rey’s third studio album “Ultraviolence” in 2014. However, fans were disheartened to discover that the unreleased gem never fell from heaven as the track was cut from the album’s official release.
“Say Yes to Heaven” was initially recorded in the same sessions that produced other notable tracks such as “I Can Fly,” “Shades Of Cool” and “Sad Girl,” along with other outtakes from “Ultraviolence” like “Fine China” and “Your Girl.” After its absence from “Ultraviolence,” rumors began to circulate, suggesting the existence of over a hundred diverse mixes of the song. Fans caught a glimpse of the “Ultraviolence” version, originally titled “Yes to Heaven,” through a snippet that surfaced online in August 2016. A complete demo of the track eventually leaked on SoundCloud later that year, allowing listeners to experience the full composition. In the following year, another demo version of the song for the 2015 album “Honeymoon” was also leaked.
In the year of 2022, a snippet of a sped-up rendition surfaced on Tiktok and instantly became a viral sensation, garnering significant traction and reigniting its fanbase. The ethereal melody notoriously established itself as an anthem embraced in numerous TikTok edits, portraying the romance of fictional characters. Much like several other songs from Lana Del Rey’s unreleased discography, including “Queen of Disaster,” “Jealous Girl,” “Put Me in a Movie” and “Serial Killer,” the track swiftly became a fan-favorite for many who fervently clamored for its official studio release.
However, recent reports began to shed light on the removal of videos featuring the song due to copyright claims, igniting discussions on Reddit that pondered the likelihood of an official release of “Say Yes to Heaven.” Fans also noticed that the track had been officially copyrighted by Polydor and Interscope Records, preceding its much-anticipated official release.
Ever since the song’s debut, the viral track ascended the ranks of the U.K. Spotify chart, firmly securing a place within the coveted top 10. This remarkable achievement was mirrored in various other countries as well. Notably, “Say Yes to Heaven” serves as Del Rey’s first release following the unveiling of her ninth studio album, “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.”
The melancholic strains of the song gracefully unfold, commencing with languid guitar arpeggios and delicate echoes of guitar strings. As the composition gradually ascends, a subtle crescendo ushers in the chorus, accompanied by a muted ensemble of gentle drums and faint tambourine accents. This nuanced variation of instruments weaves intricate textures into the melody and imbues this song’s version with a newfound depth. For those who eagerly awaited its arrival, the long-anticipated release proved to be a resounding triumph.
However, leaked versions of the song unveiled a different sonic tapestry — original demos featured less of a focus on the strings and embraced a more prominently accentuated beat of its drums. Yet, in the official version, the melody undergoes a transformation, shifting its focal point from percussive rhythms to the emotive strumming of an electric guitar as the backbone and essence of this dream-like melody. While the leaked mixes carry a more provocative and mischievous flair marked by temptation, the reworked mix embraces a slower and more somber melody that emotionally hits tenfold.
Throughout the song, the evocative echoes of strings resurface with their ethereal presence, intertwining with the music, particularly in moments that bear the weight of the most solemn lyrics: “I’ve got my eye on you / I’ve got my eye on you.” This recurring motif serves as a poignant signal in the music, heightening the emotional weight of these introspective verses.
Beyond its surface impression as a romantic song, “Say Yes to Heaven” carries a much more tragic tale of love. Its lyrics paint a poignant portrait of Del Rey’s vulnerability and yearning for affection from her lover. But, despite his hesitation, the songbird remains resolute and unwavering in her devotion. At the core of the track, she compares him to a celestial realm — her very own “heaven” — both as a term of endearment and a gift she is prepared to bestow upon him should he choose to accept her: “Say yes to Heaven / Say yes to me.”
“The one thing I’ve never been spared from is having these normal, somewhat contentious relationships. It’s not like if you become a singer, when you date people, they feel like they have to be nice to you because if they’re not, maybe they’d be called out. That never happens. They’re still themselves completely,” Del Rey told Rolling Stone UK earlier this year. “And I think that’s why some people might call some of my stuff polarising, because either you’ve been in a contentious family dynamic or interpersonal relationships, or you haven’t.”
Raymond Dinh is an Entertainment Staff Writer. He can be reached at raymontd@uci.edu.
