Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Just Hold On

"Just Hold On"
Single by Steve Aoki and Louis Tomlinson
from the album Neon Future III
ReleasedDecember 10, 2016 (2016-12-10)[1]
Recorded2016
Genre
Length3:18
LabelUltra
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Steve Aoki singles chronology
"Supernova (Interstellar)"
(2016)
"Just Hold On"
(2016)
"Alive"
(2017)
Louis Tomlinson singles chronology
"Just Hold On"
(2016)
"Back to You"
(2017)
Music video
"Just Hold On" on YouTube

"Just Hold On" is a song by American DJ Steve Aoki and English singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson, released through Ultra Music as the latter's debut solo single on 10 December 2016. The song was written by Aoki and Tomlinson alongside Eric Rosse, Sasha Sloan and Sir Nolan, and was produced by Aoki, Sir Nolan and Jay Pryor.[4] Aoki and Tomlinson performed the song for the first time on the 2016 series finale of The X Factor (UK).[5] They also performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2017.[6]

"Just Hold On" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, and number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Aoki's highest-charting song in both countries. The song's music video was released on March 8, 2017. The song reached number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales.[7] The song is also included as a bonus track on the Japanese version of Tomlinson's debut album Walls.[8]

Background and release

"Just Hold On" is the first solo music project by Tomlinson after One Direction began their first official break in December 2015.[2] After watching Aoki perform in Las Vegas, Tomlinson reached out to him via Twitter asking if they could work together.[9] A preview of the song was released on December 9.[10]

Tomlinson's debut performance of "Just Hold On" on The X Factor (UK) came just days after it was announced that his mother, Johannah Deakin, died at the age of 42 after a battle with leukemia.[11] The song was made available on the iTunes Store and streaming services on December 10, 2016.[12]

Speaking about the song in retrospect with Herald & Review, he revealed he was chasing a radio hit with "Just Hold On", feeling he "had to" go after a hit. Although, he stated it was a song he was "immensely proud of."[13]

Composition

"Just Hold On" is written in the key of B major with a tempo of 115 beats per minute in common time. The verses follow a chord progression of G5–E5–B5–F5, and Tomlinson's vocals span from F3 to B4.[14]

The song was originally written as a "fight song for everyday life struggles," but due to the death of Tomlinson's mother, the track became a "personal tribute." Tomlinson told On Air with Ryan Seacrest, "When we wrote the song, it was more about any kind of hardship in life you might have to struggle with. That wasn't the intention deliberately. It's kind of saying don't feel sorry for yourself; keep fighting, keep strong. So those two kind of fell into place and that obviously made the performance more personal for me."[9]

Critical reception

In the website Idolator, Christina Lee wrote the song is an "uplifting EDM fare that comes standard with summer music festivals, though also a brand new direction for Louis after five One Direction albums."[15] Daily Express also called the track "fittingly uplifting".[16] We Got This Covered described Aoki's production, stating: "Aoki layers in mid tempo four on the floor rhythms, injecting a tropical vibe moving into the chorus with exotic melodies and undeniable groove; it looks like Aoki is hoping to get in on the EDM-pop crossover trend... of 2016. Thankfully, he doesn't go the future bass route, opting instead to craft a tropical pop production elevated by Louis Tomlinson's smooth vocal approach. 'Just Hold On' is definitely catchy enough to get some heavy radio play, and Tomlinson's presence on the song may just be enough to score Steve Aoki a full-fledged pop hit."[17]

Music video

The music video for "Just Hold On" premiered on 8 March 2017.[18] The video features two people time traveling and running around country-to-country, from England to the United States.[19] Markos Papadatos of Digital Journal described the video as "youthful with a liberating vibe to it."[20]

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for "Just Hold On"
Year Organization Award Result Ref(s)
2017 Teen Choice Awards Choice Electronic/Dance Song Nominated [21]
Choice Music Collaboration Won [22]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[59] Platinum 70,000
Belgium (BEA)[60] Gold 10,000
Canada (Music Canada)[61] Platinum 80,000
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[62] Gold 45,000
France (SNEP)[63] Gold 100,000
Germany (BVMI)[64] Gold 200,000
Italy (FIMI)[65] Platinum 50,000
Mexico (AMPROFON)[66] 2× Platinum+Gold 150,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[67] Platinum 30,000
Poland (ZPAV)[68] Gold 10,000
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[69] Gold 30,000
Sweden (GLF)[70] Platinum 40,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[71] Gold 15,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[72] Platinum 600,000
United States (RIAA)[73] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Just Hold On - Single". iTunes. 10 December 2016. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b Hugh McIntyre (11 December 2016). "One Direction's Louis Tomlinson Goes Solo With Steve Aoki Collab 'Just Hold On'". Forbes. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  3. ^ "The Best House Songs Of 2017". Capital XTRA. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  4. ^ Jeffrey Yau (18 December 2016). "Get To Know Steve Aoki's Recent Collaborator, Jay Pryor". Your EDM. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. ^ Daniel Kreps (11 December 2016). "See One Direction's Louis Tomlinson Debut 'Just Hold On' on 'X Factor'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  6. ^ Sasha Geffen (25 January 2017). "Louis Tomlinson And Steve Aoki Bring 'Just Hold On' To America For The First Time". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales: Week of December 31, 2016". Billboard. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Amazon.co.jp: ウォールズ (通常盤) (特典なし)" (in Japanese). Amazon.
  9. ^ a b "Louis Tomlinson Talks 'Just Hold On' With Steve Aoki, Gives Update On One Direction". iHeartRadio. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  10. ^ Jackie Kolgraf (9 December 2016). "Preview:Louis Tomlinson - Just Hold On (feat. Steve Aoki)". United by Pop. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  11. ^ Ashley Iasimone (10 December 2016). "Louis Tomlinson & Steve Aoki Premiere 'Just Hold On' on 'The X Factor UK': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Louis Tomlinson debuts new song on 'X Factor' days after mom's death". Entertainment Weekly. 10 December 2016. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Louis Tomlinson admits he chased a hit with Just Hold On". Herald & Review. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  14. ^ Aoki, Steven (14 December 2016). "Steve Aoki & Louis Tomlinson "Just Hold On" Sheet Music in B Major (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  15. ^ Christina Lee (11 December 2016). "Louis Tomlinson & Steve Aoki Debut "Just Hold On" On 'The X Factor UK': Watch". Idolator.
  16. ^ Shaun Kitchener (10 December 2016). "Listen: Louis Tomlinson goes solo with Just Hold On in tribute to late mother". Daily Express. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
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  20. ^ Markos Papadatos (8 March 2017). "Review: Steve Aoki and Louis Tomlinson stun on new 'Just Hold On' video". Digital Journal. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
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  65. ^ "Italian single certifications – Steve Aoki & Louis Tomlinson – Just Hold On" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 March 2017. Select "2017" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Just Hold On" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  66. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 2 October 2021. Type Steve Aoki & Louis Tomlinson in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Just Hold On in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  67. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Steve Aoki & Louis Tomlinson – Just On Hold". Radioscope. Retrieved 23 December 2024. Type Just On Hold in the "Search:" field.
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