Hold On (Colbie Caillat song)

Caillat worked with "Brighter Than the Sun" collaborator Ryan Tedder on the song, and made a conscious effort to explore new musical territory. "[The song] lets people know that there aren't any boundaries," Caillat said of "Hold On". "It's always good to grow as an artist."[1] In an interview with Billboard, Tedder called the song "a game changer" for Caillat, noting "it's gonna shock people."[4] Tedder suggested the song "might be one of the biggest records [he's] done in years," while Republic Records co-founder Monte Lipman enthused to Billboard that "Hold On" was possibly "the best record of [Caillat's] career and something [they're] excited about."[4]

Music blog POP! Goes the Charts gave the song a mixed review in which they pointed out the "stale and tired sounding" lyrics, while also praising the "explosive chorus" and crossover appeal.[5] Billboard Magazine critic, Jonathan Nguyen, was more positive of the song: "While the lyrics run stale and hackneyed, Tedder lends his OneRepublic touch to the heavily Florence And The Machines-inspired anthemic track that soars on a bombastic arrangement of layered orchestral crescendos. The result is something that touches the soul". Robbie Daw of Idolator responded positively to the single's radio-friendliness: "with its oh-oh-ohs on the chorus, minimal lyrics and pleasant instrumentation, who knows — this all just might be repetitive enough to work its way into radio listeners’ brains to the point where it becomes the singer’s biggest hit to-date." He also singled out Caillat's "emotional vocal delivery" on the track and compared it favorably to the works of popular contemporaries Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, and Leona Lewis.[3]