"The Launch" is a song by Dutch disc jockey DJ Jean. It was written by Addy van der Zwan, Jan Engelaar, Jan Voermans, and Koen Groeneveld, with production handled by DJ Jean and Klubbheads (Addy van der Zwan and Koen Groeneveld). Vocals are performed by Natasja Morales.
The track was released in the Netherlands in April 1999 and reached number one on the Dutch Top 40. In the United Kingdom, the song was released in August 1999, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart the following month.
Recording took place at Digidance Studio 2 in the Netherlands, where the team crafted the song's signature build-up leading to an explosive drop in a trance-infused house style.
"The Launch" samples the horn riff from The Don's 1998 track "The Horn Song" as the melodic foundation.
British electronic dance and clubbing magazine Mixmag included "The Launch" in their list of "The Biggest Drops in Dance Music" in 2020, writing, "Get ready for the launch advises a vocal near the start of this track. The sage words follow a sample of NASA comms, which come back around as a space shuttle countdown (5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..) as the track builds towards its momentous drop. It's extremely cheesy, and extremely fun. When those bouncing trance notes rush in, dancefloors always hit the stratosphere."