Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)

"Airplanes" is a powerful and introspective song that explores the themes of nostalgia, disillusionment with fame, and a deep yearning for a simpler past. The core message revolves around B.o.B's struggle with his newfound celebrity status. He reflects on his life before he became famous, a time when he created music out of pure passion rather than for money or to "stay relevant". The lyrics express a sense of being overwhelmed by the "glitz and the glam," the "pandemonium and all the madness" that comes with success.

The song's iconic chorus, sung by Hayley Williams, "Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now," serves as the central metaphor. Airplanes, common and man-made, are contrasted with shooting stars, which are rare, natural, and traditionally associated with making wishes. This substitution signifies a deep desperation; the narrator's need for a wish is so urgent that he is willing to project his hopes onto an everyday object. The wish itself is to escape the pressures of his current life and return to a time of innocence and authenticity.

Ultimately, the song is a poignant critique of the music industry and the personal cost of fame. It suggests that achieving one's dreams doesn't always lead to happiness and can, in fact, create a new set of problems and a sense of emptiness. It’s a relatable sentiment for anyone who has ever looked back on their past with longing, wondering if the path they chose has led them away from what truly matters.

The song opens with a deeply longing and imaginative question, wondering if the airplanes streaking across the night sky could be wished upon like shooting stars. This sentiment, sung with heartfelt emotion, reveals a profound need for a wish to come true right at that moment. It sets a tone of desperation and a desire for escape or change.

The narrative then shifts to a personal reflection on the journey to fame and the realities that came with it. The rapper reminisces about a simpler time, before music became a career with financial pressures and the constant need to stay relevant. He paints a vivid picture of his past, working mundane jobs like at Subway and creating music purely for the love of it. This nostalgia is contrasted with the present-day chaos of his life – the endless parties, the superficiality of glamour and fashion, and the overwhelming pandemonium that surrounds him. There's a palpable sense of disillusionment, a feeling that the dream he chased has a dark side he never anticipated.

He speaks of a moment of isolation amidst the madness, staring at a silent phone, waiting for calls that never come, illustrating the loneliness that can accompany success. It's a candid admission that fame doesn't equate to constant connection or happiness. The lyrics convey the struggle of navigating the "politics of the rap game," a system that seems to have tainted the pure passion he once had for his art. He expresses a desire to undo it all, to return to a time before his dialect and authentic self were polished for mass consumption, before the pressure to succeed overshadowed the joy of creation.

The central theme of wishing is powerfully reiterated throughout the song. The act of wanting to wish on an airplane is a metaphor for this desperation; in the absence of a naturally occurring miracle like a shooting star, he is willing to project his hopes onto a man-made object. This highlights the depth of his yearning for a return to authenticity and a simpler existence. The song is a poignant commentary on the price of fame, questioning whether the success and recognition are worth the loss of self and the peace of a less complicated life. It's a plea to rewind time and rediscover the initial spark and unfiltered passion that started his journey in the first place.

"Airplanes" was released on April 13, 2010, as the third single from B.o.B's debut studio album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. The song was written by B.o.B (Bobby Simmons Jr.), Jeremy "Kinetics" Dussolliet, Tim "One Love" Sommers, Christine Dominguez, Justin Franks (DJ Frank E), and Alexander Grant (Alex da Kid). The production was handled by Alex da Kid and DJ Frank E.

Interestingly, the chorus, which became the song's most iconic part, was written by the hip-hop duo Kinetics & One Love (Jeremy Dussolliet and Tim Sommers) while they were students. The track was originally intended for Lupe Fiasco, who had recorded verses for it. However, the song was later given to B.o.B by his label, Atlantic Records.

The collaboration with Hayley Williams of Paramore happened while she was on tour. She was sent the track, and both she and her bandmates loved it. Williams stated she was a fan of hip-hop and was excited to collaborate with an artist from the South. Despite the seamless blend of their styles, B.o.B and Hayley Williams did not record the song in the studio together and had not even met in person until they performed "Airplanes" live for the first time at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Their parts for the music video, directed by Hiro Murai, were also filmed separately due to scheduling conflicts.

A sequel, "Airplanes, Part II," was also created, featuring new verses from B.o.B and an additional verse from Eminem. Alex da Kid revealed that the beat for Part II was the original instrumental for the song.

The rhythmic and rhyming structure of "Airplanes" creates a dynamic contrast between the verses and the chorus, enhancing the song's narrative tension.

• Rhyme Scheme: B.o.B's verses utilize a relatively fluid rhyme scheme, characteristic of conversational rap. He employs a mix of perfect rhymes (paid/bank, back/unravel), near rhymes (this/fashion, blackness/madness), and internal rhymes to maintain a smooth flow. The scheme is not strictly rigid, prioritizing a natural storytelling cadence over a complex pattern. For example, in the first verse, he rhymes "this" with "fashion," "madness," and "blackness" at the end of consecutive lines, creating a chain of related sounds that builds momentum.
• Rhythm and Meter: The verses are delivered in a consistent, flowing rhythm that sits comfortably on top of the mid-tempo hip-hop beat. B.o.B's delivery is clear and deliberate, allowing the listener to focus on the narrative of his disillusionment. The chorus, sung by Hayley Williams, shifts the rhythmic feel. The vocal melody is more sustained and legato, creating a sense of soaring and expansiveness that contrasts with the grounded, percussive nature of the rap verses. This rhythmic shift emphasizes the emotional release and longing expressed in the hook.
• Interplay: The interplay between the lyrical rhythm of the rap and the musical rhythm of the piano-led beat is crucial. The piano provides a consistent melodic and harmonic foundation, while B.o.B's verses weave in and out, sometimes pushing the beat and sometimes laying back. This creates a compelling texture that keeps the listener engaged and highlights the contemplative and emotional nature of the lyrics.

"Airplanes" effectively blends musical and literary techniques to create its emotional impact.

• Musical Crossover: The song is a prime example of genre-blending, combining B.o.B's hip-hop verses with a pop-rock chorus delivered by Hayley Williams. This fusion appealed to a wide audience and was a hallmark of the era's music. The instrumentation features a prominent, melancholic piano riff that drives the song's wistful mood, layered over a strong hip-hop beat.
• Vocal Delivery: There is a stark contrast between the vocal styles. B.o.B's verses are delivered with a conversational, rhythmic flow that conveys his narrative and frustrations. Hayley Williams' vocals on the chorus are powerful, emotive, and soar melodically, capturing the song's underlying feeling of longing and desperation.
• Literary Devices: The lyrics employ several techniques. Metaphor is central to the song, as seen in the "airplanes as shooting stars" concept. Nostalgic imagery is used throughout B.o.B's verses, as he recalls specific details of his past life ("tryin' to get a tip at Subway," "nobody listen to my mixtape"). Rhetorical questions are implicitly asked, such as questioning the value of fame. The narrative itself is a form of confessional storytelling, a common trope in hip-hop where the artist reflects on their journey and struggles.

"Airplanes" was a massive commercial success and had a significant cultural impact upon its release in 2010. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and reached number one in the UK and New Zealand. The song became a defining hit of the era, praised for its successful fusion of hip-hop and pop-rock.

The track significantly boosted B.o.B's career, establishing him as a mainstream artist following the success of his debut single "Nothin' on You". It also marked Hayley Williams' first major chart entry as a solo featured artist outside of Paramore.

A sequel, "Airplanes, Part II," featuring Eminem, was included on the album and received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. This version further cemented the song's status and brought it to an even wider audience.

The chorus lyrics, particularly "Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?", became instantly iconic and widely quoted on social media, often used to evoke a sense of 2010s nostalgia. The song was featured in the video game Just Dance 3 and its music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Its blend of introspective rap and a powerful, melodic chorus influenced numerous tracks that followed, solidifying a trend of emotional and genre-bending collaborations in popular music.

The song's primary symbolism lies in its central metaphor: pretending airplanes are shooting stars.

• Airplanes vs. Shooting Stars: Shooting stars are traditionally symbols of hope, luck, and the rare opportunity to make a heartfelt wish. They are natural, fleeting, and magical. Airplanes, in contrast, are man-made, common, and represent travel, routine, and the modern, fast-paced world. By asking to pretend one is the other, the lyrics convey a profound sense of desperation and a loss of magic in the narrator's life. He can't wait for a real shooting star, so he must force the wish upon a mundane object, symbolizing a yearning for hope in a world that feels devoid of it.
• The Wish: The "wish" itself symbolizes a desire to escape and regress. It is a wish to go "back to a place much simpler than this," before the complexities and pressures of fame. It represents a longing for authenticity, creative freedom, and the happiness that existed before music became a commercial obligation.
• Flight: While airplanes literally represent flight, in the context of the song, this flight is double-edged. On one hand, B.o.B is constantly on airplanes as part of his celebrity lifestyle. On the other, the wish for the airplane to be a shooting star is a desire for a different kind of flight – an escape from that very lifestyle.

The most significant recurring element in "Airplanes" is the chorus, which functions as the song's central motif and emotional anchor.

• "Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?": This line, repeated multiple times, is the core of the song's message. Its recurrence drills home the theme of desperate wishing and the blurring lines between reality and desire. Each time it is sung, it reinforces the narrator's deep-seated longing to escape and find hope.
• "I could really use a wish right now": This phrase, repeated with increasing urgency in the chorus, directly states the narrator's emotional state. Its repetition emphasizes the immediacy and intensity of his need for change, moving beyond a simple desire to a critical necessity.
• The Motif of Looking Back: B.o.B's verses consistently return to the motif of the past. Phrases like "take me back to the days," "back when I was rappin' for the hell of it," and "go back to the days before the politics" create a recurring theme of nostalgia. This repetition contrasts the idealized past with the troubled present, forming the song's main narrative conflict.

These recurring elements make the song highly memorable and structurally cohesive, ensuring that the central themes of wishing, nostalgia, and disillusionment resonate powerfully with the listener.