Aim For The Moon
by Pop Smoke (featuring Quavo)

Album: Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020)
Charted: 34
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Shooting for the stars and aiming for the moon is a popular aspirational saying encouraging positivity and thinking big. The adage may have originated from self-help author W Clement Stone, who wrote, "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star."

    Here, Pop Smoke is flexing about achieving his ambitions ("I'm on Venus"). He brags about the fruits of his success: a luxurious lifestyle, plenty of women, and partying in exotic locations.
  • Quavo joins Pop Smoke, contributing a boastful verse about his wealth. The Migos rapper also features on two other Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon tracks: "Snitchin" alongside Future, and "West Coast S--t" alongside Tyga.
  • Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon was released posthumously following Pop Smoke's murder on February 19, 2020. The album debuted at the top of the US Billboard 200, making Pop Smoke the first act in hip-hop history to have a posthumous debut album enter at #1. XXXTentacion, Tupac Shakur, and The Notorious B.I.G., also had chart-topping albums after their untimely deaths, but they'd all previously released other long players.
  • Oliver Cannon directed the song's music video, which pays tribute to The Notorious B.I.G's "Sky's The Limit" clip. It features a childhood version of Pop played by the late rapper's friend, teenage rapper Bouba Savage. We see him living out his lavish lifestyle dining on hamburgers served on a silver platter by a butler and riding with the kid playing Quavo in a Rolls Royce with a "Woo" New York vanity plate.
  • Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon climbed to #1 on the UK albums chart 12 weeks after making its debut at #2. Pop Smoke became the first ever solo artist to land a posthumous debut chart-topping album; the only other act to achieve the feat was the British rock band Viola Beach. Their self-titled debut album was released six months after the entire group died in a car crash.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Lecrae

LecraeSongwriter Interviews

The Christian rapper talks about where his trip to Haiti and his history of addiction fit into his songs.

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.