EDITORS’ NOTES

With ominous piano notes and a pleading vocal from Justin Timberlake, “Holy Grail” opens Magna Carta… Holy Grail with force, reintroducing JAY Z like he never left. Though the release of Magna Carta… Holy Grail seemed somewhat spontaneous, its opening track and the Frank Ocean–highlighted “Oceans” were started two years before its 2013 release, showing Hov's skills as a tactician. Songs like “Jay Z Blue” (an ode to his daughter) and “Part II (On the Run)” (a continued tale of love with wife Beyoncé) show a more mature artist. And songs like “Tom Ford” and “Picasso Baby” bring a jolt of new energy that gives the album a signature bounce.