Hold On (En Vogue song)

"Hold On" is a song by American girl group En Vogue. It was released in early 1990 as the lead single from their debut album, Born to Sing. The song was produced by Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, and composed by the former two and all members of En Vogue. It peaked at number 5 in the UK and number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US. In addition, the song reached number-one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. In 2017, "Hold On" was ranked number 4 in Spin magazine's ranking of "The 30 Best '90s R&B Songs".

"Hold On"
Single by En Vogue
from the album Born to Sing
B-side"Lies"
Released
  • December 5, 1989 (1989-12-05) (airplay)
  • March 5, 1990 (1990-03-05) (CD/cassette)
RecordedAugust – September 1989[1]
StudioStarlight Sound (Lake City, Florida)
Genre
Length
  • 5:03
  • 4:23 (7-inch edit)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Denzil Foster
  • Thomas McElroy
En Vogue singles chronology
"Hold On"
(1989)		 "Lies"
(1990)
Music video
"Hold On" on YouTube

Production

The song opens with an a cappella rendition of the Motown standard "Who's Lovin' You", written by Smokey Robinson and originally recorded by his group, The Miracles. It features lead vocals by Cindy Herron and Terry Ellis vocals on the introduction.

Commercial performance

Following its release, the single peaked number one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles, number two on Billboard Hot 100 (behind Glenn Medeiros and Bobby Brown's "She Ain't Worth It"), and number one on Billboard's Hot Dance chart. "Hold On" was also a hit in several countries worldwide, reaching number 5 in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, number 6 in Germany, number 10 in the Netherlands, and number 12 in Austria. "Hold On" was the top R&B hit on the Billboard Year-End chart for 1990,[2] and was the eighth most-successful pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Chart.

En Vogue performed the song at the 2008 BET Awards with Alicia Keys. In 2007, the song's chorus was used and performed by Pharrell on Jay-Z's song "Blue Magic" The song was also sampled in the Terminator X song "Buck Whylin'.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis described the song as a "cool, shuffling, timeless hip-hop R&B track".[3] Another editor, Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as "yearning".[4] David Taylor-Wilson from Bay Area Reporter called it "sexy and gentle, with a teasing, downtempo dance beat."[5] Bill Coleman from Billboard commented, "Step back and give 'em some room! Quartet of future divas fresh from the Foster/McElroy stable deliver intricate, tight harmonies with a dash of sass on this groove-laden debut. Can't wait for the album."[6] He also added that "lazy and hypnotic R&B pulse serves as the perfect bed for the members' on-the-money styling; you would be doing your dancefloor a great disservice if you ignored it..."[7] The Network Forty wrote, "Gold single, golden girls! What more do you need to convince you to spin this hardcore dance floor jam."[8] Gerald Martinez from New Sunday Times called it "gospel-funk" with "stunning vocal arrangements."[9] Edward Hill from The Plain Dealer said in his review of Born to Sing, that "Hold On" "is already famous for its no-holds-barred a cappella opening and sluggishly powerful bassline. On 12-inch it's pepped up with bonus beats and a slightly faster rhythm track."[10] David Quantick from Smash Hits noted it as "lithe and lovely".[11] Steve Daly, writing for Spin magazine, said the song is "perfect for those warm evening on the stoop" and felt that the "exotic melody takes its cue from Soul II Soul, while the rhythm section does a slow grind in 95 percent humidity with no AC."[12] Cheo H. Coker from Stanford Daily wrote, "It was the first song in a long time that featured real singing, perfect four-part harmony (a capella no less), and a mother lode of hip-hop attitude and feeling."[13] Laura Checkoway from Vibe noted it as "an answer of sorts to 1962's "Who's Lovin' You" from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles."[14] Wells Journal called it "a moody but repetitive song with mellow backing track".[15]

Impact and legacy

The Daily Telegraph ranked "Hold On" at number 47 in their Top 50 Dance Songs list in 2015, adding:

"R&B girl group En Vogue broke through with this club classic. A sharp acapella rendition of Motown standard Who's Lovin You leads into a hip-hop beat with a funky bass line, horn and piano sounds. "You've got to hold on, to your love", the girls proclaim, and it is their powerful singing that carries this one."[16]

Spin placed the song at number 4 in their list of The 30 Best ’90s R&B Songs in 2017. They wrote:

"Producers Foster & McElroy deliver a slow-burning rhythm with a James Brown drum kick, but "Hold On's" greatest element is Herron, Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, and Maxine Jones blending their voices into a sound that shifts the culture."[17]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Born to Sing.[23]

Charts and certifications

Awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryAlbum / TrackResult
1990Billboard Music AwardR&B Single of the Year"Hold On"Won
1991Grammy AwardBest R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group"Hold On"Nomination
1991Soul Train Music AwardBest Single by a Duo/Group"Hold On"Won

See also

References
  1. "WebVoyage Record View 1". Cocatalog.loc.gov. October 2, 1989. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
  2. "Year End Charts - Year-end Singles - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  3. "En Vogue - Born to Sing". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  4. "En Vogue - The Very Best of En Vogue". AllMusic. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  5. Taylor-Wilson, David (May 10, 1990). "Patti's Gonna Getcha". Bay Area Reporter. p. 34. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  6. "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. March 17, 1990. p. 93. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  7. Coleman, Bill (April 21, 1990). "Dance Trax: R&B Tracks Prvide A Slice Of 'Ghetto Heaven'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 25. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  8. "Crossover: Retail Sales" (PDF). The Network Forty. May 25, 1990. p. 38. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  9. "Top notch hits from Collins". New Sunday Times. November 15, 1998. p. 13. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  10. Hill, Edward (May 4, 1990). "En Vogue can wail with best girl groups". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  11. "Review: LPs". Smash Hits. No. 300. May 30, 1990. p. 60. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  12. Daly, Steve (August 1, 1990). "Singles". Spin. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  13. Coker, Cheo H. (April 16, 1992). "Hip-hop's four funky divas". Stanford Daily. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  14. "ESSENTIAL EN VOGUE". Vibe. June 1, 2007. p. 134. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  15. "Sounds of the studio". Wells Journal. July 5, 1990. page 72. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  16. "Top 50 dance songs". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  17. "The 30 Best '90s R&B Songs". Spin. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
  18. Hold On (US 12-inch vinyl disc). En Vogue. Atlantic Records. 1990. 0-86234.CS1 maint: others (link)
  19. Hold On (US cassette single sleeve). En Vogue. Atlantic Records. 1990. 4-87984.CS1 maint: others (link)
  20. Hold On (German 7-inch single vinyl disc). En Vogue. Atlantic Records. 1990. A 7908, 7567-87908-7.CS1 maint: others (link)
  21. Hold On (European CD single liner notes). En Vogue. Atlantic Records. 1990. A7908CD, 7567-86178-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  22. Hold On (UK cassette). En Vogue. East West Records. 1990. E3796C.CS1 maint: others (link)
  23. Born to Sing (Media notes). En Vogue. Atlantic Records. 1990.CS1 maint: others (link)
  24. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  25. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9879." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  26. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 7980." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  27. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7 no. 23. June 9, 1990. p. IV. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  28. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Hold On". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  29. "Nederlandse Top 40 – En Vogue" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  30. "Dutchcharts.nl – En Vogue – Hold On" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  31. "Charts.nz – En Vogue – Hold On". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  32. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  33. "En Vogue Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  34. "En Vogue Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  35. "En Vogue Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  36. "En Vogue Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  37. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  38. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  39. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  40. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  41. "Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1990". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  42. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  43. "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  44. "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. March 2, 1991. p. 41.
  45. "Billboard Top 100 – 1990". Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  46. "R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  47. "American single certifications – En Vogue – Hold On". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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