Tom Ford

Lore & Background

The title of the song and chorus are a reference to fashion designer Tom Ford, who was also mentioned by Justin Timberlake in his Jay-Z collaboration "Suit & Tie". Tom Ford responded favorably to the song saying, "Who would not be flattered to have an entire Jay-Z track named after them? I mean, come on, it's pretty rare that something like that happens. It's a kind of validation of one's work, as it means that one has really penetrated and made an impact on popular culture." Following its release, Tom Ford received a huge spike in online search engine queries. On July 3, 2013, "Tom Ford" was previewed in one of Samsung's commercials for Magna Carta Holy Grail. "Tom Ford" premiered online the following day, along with the rest of Magna Carta Holy Grail upon its release to Samsung smartphone owners.

In Their Own Story

The song's production begins with influences of Radiohead's "Kid A" and transitions into blasts of "synthesizers and bubbling rhythm". The rest of the beat is constructed out of "machine gun sprays, Nintendo themes and bottle blows." It also features vocals by Beyoncé, credited as Third Ward Trill, on the outro to the song. On August 5, 2013, Beyoncé played her final North American Mrs. Carter Show World Tour show at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, at which she brought out Jay-Z to perform "Tom Ford" for the first time. Jay-Z also performed "Tom Ford" throughout his Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour in 2013. He also performed the single throughout his Magna Carter World Tour, that took place from October 2013 to January 31, 2014. On December 4, 2013, Jay-Z released the official remix to "Tom Ford" on his 44th birthday featuring deceased rapper Pimp C. Coincidentally, or perhaps intentionally, this was also the sixth anniversary of Pimp C's passing.

Reader's Guide

The song was met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Colin McGuire of PopMatters called the song one of the album's highlights saying, "Timbaland's production is the key here, his trademark bounce fueling the engine of this swift, far-out ride." Kitty Empire of The Guardian praised the song calling it, "a juicy cut from Jay-Z's entertaining 13th-odd album." Mike Madden of Consequence of Sound called the song "a relatively bare track dominated by Jay's emphatic flow", also naming it one of the album's "essential tracks." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Rolling Stone gave the song a negative review saying, "Tom Ford" might mark the lyrical nadir of Jay-Z's catalog. Rolling Stone ranked "Tom Ford" at number 77 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2013. On September 4, 2013, Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie freestyled to "Tom Ford" on BBC Radio's Tim Westwood TV. On October 15, 2013, rapper Angel Haze released a freestyle to "Tom Ford" as part of her "30 Gold Freestyle" series.

Did You Know?

• The song features additional vocals from Beyoncé, credited as Third Ward Trill.
• The official remix, released on Jay-Z's 44th birthday, features deceased rapper Pimp C and was released on the sixth anniversary of Pimp C's passing.
• Tom Ford himself responded favorably to the song, saying it was a "validation of one's work."
• The song's production begins with influences of Radiohead's "Kid A."
• Rolling Stone ranked "Tom Ford" at number 77 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2013.