With one week left until the release of Gesaffelstein’s new album HYPERION, he has dropped one final single, “Blast Off” featuring Pharrell Williams.
“Blast Off” follows previously released tracks “Lost in the Fire” featuring The Weeknd and “Reset,” both of which were met with middling enthusiasm. The same will likely be said of the newest single, which features an almost tribal, hypnotic beat accompanied by ’80s synths and an unimpressive vocal performance from Pharrell.
We’ve heard Pharrell be a phenomenal vocalist, especially on “Get Lucky” with Daft Punk, but his talents seem wasted on this repetitive and uninspiring single. There’s a chance my opinion could change when I hear the whole album in its entirety and see how each track fits into each other, but as a single, this is wholly forgettable.
The rollout of Gesaffelstein’s new album has been somewhat lackluster. After news broke that he had signed with Columbia Records, home now of Swedish House Mafia and Daft Punk, fans were (rightly) concerned that he would be going a more pop route. As it stands, their fears have been substantiated.
Listen to “Blast Off” below.
Gesaffelstein – Blast Off ft Pharrell [Lyrics]
[Verse 1]
You’ve been thinking about this all night
All week saying this was right
Cross your heart and hope to die
Are you sure you wanna pay the price?
Do it outside in the night
’Cause where you going is the life
[Chorus]
When I’m looking in your face
(Oh, higher, higher)
You give me faith
(Oh, high up in the sky)
I feel this faith
(Oh, higher, higher)
This must be fate
(Oh, high up in the sky)
What do I know?
[Verse 2]
Saying that you wanna know
What it feels like to let go
Everything that was before
Should you do it in the youth?
Be enlightened, feel the truth
But the serotonin [?]
[Chorus]
When I’m looking in your face
(Oh, higher, higher)
You give me faith
(Oh, high up in the sky)
I feel this faith
(Oh, higher, higher)
This must be fate
(Oh, high up in the sky)
What do I know?
[Bridge]
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
To look in your eyes when you see the vision
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
I need somebody, I need a witness
To look in your eyes when you see the vision
Late night (Late night), decisions (Decisions)
Do you wanna (Do you wanna?) be lifted? (Be lifted)
Late night (Late night), decisions (Decisions)
Do you wanna (Do you wanna?) be lifted? (Be lifted)
Late night (Late night), decisions (Decisions)
Do you wanna (Do you wanna?) be lifted? (Be lifted)
Late night (Late night), decisions (Decisions)
Hello (Hello) spirit
Blast off
[Verse 3]
Hold on tight, hold on for life
If this is what you like
Do it all night
Girl, I don’t gotta fly
I just wanna ride
Back and forth, left and right
Ain’t tryna be slick
But I just wanna slide
Or I can be a kite, and I can just fly
Away with the birds
Call sky
High, high, high, high
Backroad trails, follow the line
Coming from, still birds in the sky (Oh yeah)
Bunch of horses herd in the sky
Stare too long, you’ll be hurting your eye
How does it feel to be on this side?
The sunshine, the all-seeing eye
Like ayy, like a lightning strike
Into your body and up through your mind
And into your spirit, and your spirit does fly
Floating high, landing high
Away into the light
[?] in for a dime
Again
[Chorus]
When I’m looking in your face
(Oh, higher, higher)
You give me faith
(Oh, high up in the sky)
I feel this faith
(Oh, higher, higher)
This must be fate
(Oh, high up in the sky)
What do I know?