Hold On (KT Tunstall song)
Encyclopedia
"Hold On" is an alternative rock
song performed by Scottish
singer KT Tunstall
. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne
for Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic
(2007). The song was released as the album's first single
on 16 July 2007 in the United States
and on 13 August 2007 in Canada
. It was released in the United Kingdom
as a download single
on 13 August 2007, and on CD and 7" on 27 August 2007.
's Susan Visakowitz called the song an "exhilarating three-minute ride" and "infectious and convincing". Michael Slezak in a review for Entertainment Weekly
was less impressed with the song, writing that "the melody lacks the immediate snap, crackle, pop of her previous hits". This song was #55 on Rolling Stone
, "Hold On" debuted at number thirty-four on 19 August 2007, on download sales only. Two weeks later, after the song was released physically, the song jumped eighteen places to a new peak of 21. In Canada
, the song was released on 13 August 2007. Two weeks later it debuted at number forty-six on the Canadian Hot 100
and at number twenty on the Digital Singles chart. "Hold On" debuted on the United States
Billboard
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart at number eight, and exited the chart the following week. In its second week on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
chart the song reached number thirty-five.
perimered in July 2007 on MTV
's Total Request Live
. On BET
's 106 & Park
, it premiered in August 2007. On Yahoo! Music
it premiered on 30 July 2007.
In the music video, Tunstall starts dancing in a bar, then she dances at venues, parodying music videos of various genres and ages.
Digital download
(Released 16 July 2007)
CD single
(Released 27 August 2007)
Vinyl single
(Released 27 August 2007)
DVD single
(Released 27 August 2007)
EU CD single
(Released 27 August 2007)
Promo CD
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
song performed by Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
singer KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne is a multi-platinum selling British record producer. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, such as New Order, Doves, U2 and KT Tunstall. During the 1990s, Osborne was half of the Perfecto Records team, a production and remix collaboration with Paul Oakenfold; the artists...
for Tunstall's third album Drastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic
Drastic Fantastic is the second studio album by Scottish Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records on 10 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and 18 September 2007 in the United States and Canada. The album was leaked on P2P networks on 3 September 2007. "Hold On", the...
(2007). The song was released as the album's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on 16 July 2007 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and on 13 August 2007 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a download single
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 13 August 2007, and on CD and 7" on 27 August 2007.
Critical reception
"Hold On" received mixed reviews from music critics. Billboard.comBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's Susan Visakowitz called the song an "exhilarating three-minute ride" and "infectious and convincing". Michael Slezak in a review for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
was less impressed with the song, writing that "the melody lacks the immediate snap, crackle, pop of her previous hits". This song was #55 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Release history
| Country | Release Date |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Canada | |
| United Kingdom |
Chart performance
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, "Hold On" debuted at number thirty-four on 19 August 2007, on download sales only. Two weeks later, after the song was released physically, the song jumped eighteen places to a new peak of 21. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the song was released on 13 August 2007. Two weeks later it debuted at number forty-six on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
and at number twenty on the Digital Singles chart. "Hold On" debuted on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart at number eight, and exited the chart the following week. In its second week on the Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks
Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts...
chart the song reached number thirty-five.
Chart positions
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 | 95 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 27 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
46 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
39 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Norway Singles Chart | 19 |
| Spain Hot 100 | 23 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 26 |
| Germany Singles Chart | 100 |
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
perimered in July 2007 on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. On BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
, it premiered in August 2007. On Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
it premiered on 30 July 2007.
In the music video, Tunstall starts dancing in a bar, then she dances at venues, parodying music videos of various genres and ages.
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single release of "Hold On".Digital download
(Released 16 July 2007)
- "Hold On"
CD single
(Released 27 August 2007)
- "Hold On"
- "Journey"
Vinyl single
(Released 27 August 2007)
- "Hold On"
- "Suddenly I See" (Live)
DVD single
(Released 27 August 2007)
- "Hold On" music video
- "Hold On" (Behind the Scenes)
- "Hopeless" (Live acoustic) - audio
- Photo gallery
EU CD single
(Released 27 August 2007)
- "Hold On"
- "Journey"
- "Hold On" video
Promo CD
- "Hold On" 2:58
- "Hold On" (Instrumental) 2:58