Meaning of “Balloons” by Noname (ft. Eryn Allen Kane and Jay Electronica)

Noname is an indie artist from Chicago who released her second studio LP, “Sundial”, on 11 August 2023. Along with it came “Balloons”. This marks the first time the songstress has dropped a song with Jay Electronica, a rap artist from New Orleans. 

However, she has collaborated with Chicago-based singer Eryn Allen Kane a couple of times in the past. For instance, Eryn was featured on Noname’s 2016 track “Reality Check”. And that same year, both made an appearance on Chance the Rapper’s “Finish Line / Drown”.

“Balloons”

With this post being written a couple of days after the release of “Sundial”, based on Spotify streams, it’s safe to say that “Balloons” has proven to be the most-popular song on the album by far. By the looks of things this is in large part due to Jay Electronica’s lyrical contribution. The rapper actually holds down the song’s third verse.

Electronica’s career never really took off as some notable figures presumed it would a few years back. It can be said that he is perhaps best known as being affiliated with Jay-Z and Kanye West. For instance, Yeezus featured Jay on his 2021 track “Jesus Lord“. 

Anyone familiar with that song would know that Electronica has what may be defined as a counter-cultural slant. Put simply, he is a rapper whose lyrics are replete with religious and non-mainstream references. And so it is with “Balloons”, with Noname’s style also being known to possess a revolutionary slant.

The problem with songs like these, if you will, is that they’re filled with so much diverse figurative lingo and non-conventional references that it can become challenging to pin down what the vocalist is speaking to. 

For instance, good luck trying to derive a concise thesis sentiment from the first verse, as rendered by Noname. The passage reads sort of like a freestyle, in terms of the number of seemingly unrelated topics it appears to touch upon. But the lyrics are too sophisticated to presume they are impromptu. And overall, perhaps we can say that the main idea being presented is Noname, in all of her diversity, being a boss chick.

Chorus of “Balloons”

As far as the chorus goes, we have Noname stating that she’s “on the moon”, “cry(ing) balloons” which are “black and blue tonight”. In terms of the colors mentioned, a logical postulation would be that they allude to depression (i.e. the color blue) or maybe even violence, as “black and blue” is a common metaphor for physical bruising. 

“I’m on the moon, I cry balloons
They black and blue tonight
And if the homie in the back, then tell him to hit me back
Homie in the back then tell him to hit me back tonight”

Also, Noname putting forth that she’s ‘crying balloons’ reads like an allusion to heavy tears, i.e. depression, sadness or perhaps being the victim of violence. But what they may have to do with her being “on the moon” is not that simple to understand in context, nor is her, in conjunction with the vocalists, instructing the “homie in the back” to ‘hit her back tonight’.

Verse II

The second verse is also painfully poetic. But therein, it reads as if Noname is criticizing the music industry, as well as certain unspecified artists. What she’s apparently condemning them for is taking personal suffering, such as the death of loved ones, and monetizing it. 

So theoretically that may be what the chorus is alluding to, i.e. Noname and co. mocking the types of musicians who turn their personal drama, if you will, into party songs, or something like that.

The Bridge

The bridge then goes on to imply that “on the moon” reference alluding to Noname being an alien or something of the sort. Or all things considered, perhaps it is indicative of the likes of her and Electronica looking forward to being transported to another world sometime in the future, which is a belief that is sorta common amongst certain religious sects.

Jay’s Verse on “Balloons”

That then brings us to Jay’s verse, which comes after the bridge. More specifically in terms of the headlines that have been generated, Electronica has been accused of being anti-Semitic. But he doesn’t appear to really say anything bad about Jews.

Earlier in the verse Jay recalls, in a braggadocious manner, the fact that he reportedly had an affair with Kate Rothschild, who is part of the uber-rich Rothschild dynasty. The Rothschild family, to note, is Jewish. Furthermore, yes, it is true that they are often cited by anti-Semites as personifying the so-called Jewish conspiracy to take over the world. 

But what Jay is saying has nothing to do with that idea whatsoever. Rather, he is bragging about ‘sawing the Rothschild family in half’, as his affair with Kate led to Rothschild divorcing her husband. And let’s conclude the matter by noting that in the grand scheme of things, there really isn’t anything unusual about a rapper boasting about sleeping with someone else’s lady.

Later in the verse, we find Electronica referencing “the imams, the rabbis and the Pope”, i.e. Muslims, Jews and Catholics. And he does so within the context of touting his own religious devotion (to the Nation of Islam). Here, he is basically inferring that no other religious body can cause him to deviate from his established faith.

Other Famous References in “Balloons”

Other notable references found in the verse include Jay giving a shoutout to Pink Floyd. He also disses Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, referring to him as “a joke”. 

Long and Short of “Balloons”

So overall what we are met with is braggadocio, albeit unconventionally replete with religious and political references. Also, they are rendered in such a manner such that listeners who do not come from a certain background will be not able to rightfully discern all that’s being put forth. Or let’s say that Jay Electronica is obviously better-read and a deeper thinker than your average rapper. But going as far as to label these lyrics anti-Semitic is a stretch.

The Composers of “Balloons”

This song was written by the following:

• Noname
• Eryn Allen Kane
• Jay Electronica

And its producers are Ben Nartey and Saba.