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"Rocket" is a song by Beyoncé, for her self-titled fifth studio album. The song was written by Miguel, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Timbaland and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with production from the latter three.

Miguel initially conceived the song inspired by Beyoncé, trying to showcase her confidence and sexuality. Beyoncé revealed that "Rocket" was inspired by D'Angelo's "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" (2000) and felt it was one of her liberating songs meant to illustrate different sides of her personality.

Background[]

"Rocket" is a slowtempo soul, funk and R&B ballad which was frequently compared to the music of D'Angelo and Prince. It features explicit and metaphorical lyrics discussing frank female sexuality, a prominent theme present on Beyoncé. Lyrically, it sees Beyoncé addressing a male partner through sexual innuendos, adopting soft and sensual vocals. Upon its release, "Rocket" received positive reviews from music critics who considered it to be one of the singer's most explicit work and praised its main theme.

Music video[]

The music video for "Rocket" was directed by Beyoncé along with Ed Burke and Bill Kirstein. It was filmed at a room known as Hudson Studio in the hotel The Standard, High Line, located in Manhattan, New York City. Some of the scenes were also shot in the hotel's hallway while others were filmed at different locations. The visual was released on December 13, 2013 to iTunes Store on Beyoncé itself along with sixteen other music videos for every track on the album.

Todd Tourso, who served as the creative director for Beyoncé, revealed that while making the video, "Rocket" was altered to fit with its visual counterpart.

Live performances[]

At the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyoncé performed "Rocket" during a medley consisting of songs from her fifth studio album.

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