Hold On (En Vogue song)
Encyclopedia
"Hold On" was the debut single from En Vogue
's debut album, Born to Sing
. It reached number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. The single became one of 1990s' biggest hits in the US and also a major hit in the UK (#2 in the US, #5 in the UK). It also reached #1 on the U.S. Dance chart. 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 Cindy Herron
on lead but Terry Ellis
on the introduction. The song also contains a guitar sample from "The Payback
" by James Brown
.
"Hold On" reached #1 on the Billboard Year-End
chart for 1990 as an R&B hit. As a pop hit, it also reached #8 on that portion of the Year-End chart.
En Vogue performed the song at the 2008 BET Awards with Alicia Keys
.
The song's chorus was used and performed by Pharrell in the 2007 Jay-Z
song "Blue Magic
".
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
's debut album, Born to Sing
Born to Sing
-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*arranging – Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy*art direction – Bob Defrin...
. It reached number one on the Hot Black Singles chart. The single became one of 1990s' biggest hits in the US and also a major hit in the UK (#2 in the US, #5 in the UK). It also reached #1 on the U.S. Dance chart. The song opens with an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
rendition of the Motown standard "Who's Lovin' You
Who's Lovin' You
"Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence Trent-D'arby, Brenda and The Tabulations, John Farnham,...
", written by Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
and originally recorded by his group, The Miracles
The Miracles
The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
. It features Cindy Herron
Cindy Herron
Cindy Herron-Braggs , is an American singer and actress, who is best known as a founding member of the R&B/Pop quartet En Vogue.-Early life:...
on lead but Terry Ellis
Terry Ellis
Terry Lynn Ellis is an African-American R&B singer best known for her work with the quartet En Vogue.-Biography:...
on the introduction. The song also contains a guitar sample from "The Payback
The Payback (song)
"The Payback" is a funk song by James Brown, the title track from his 1973 album of the same name. The song's lyrics, originally written by trombonist and bandleader Fred Wesley but heavily revised by Brown himself soon before it was recorded, concern the revenge he plans to take against the man...
" by James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
.
"Hold On" reached #1 on the Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End
Billboard Year-End charts are a cumulative measure of a single or album's performance in the United States, based upon the Billboard magazine charts during any given chart year. Billboard's "chart year" runs from the first week of December to the final week in November...
chart for 1990 as an R&B hit. As a pop hit, it also reached #8 on that portion of the Year-End chart.
En Vogue performed the song at the 2008 BET Awards with Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
.
The song's chorus was used and performed by Pharrell in the 2007 Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
song "Blue Magic
Blue Magic (song)
"Blue Magic" is the first single from Jay-Z's tenth studio album, American Gangster., the song was released as a single on September 20, 2007. In the chorus Pharrell sings an interpolation of the song "Hold On" by R&B girl group En Vogue. The song uses the hookline from Mick Smiley's song "Magic"...
".
Charts
| Chart (1990) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 1 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 5 |
| End of year chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Won Billboard Music Award Billboard Music Award The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011... for R&B Single of the Year ("Hold On"). |
| 1991 | Nominated for a Grammy Award Grammy Award A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry... for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group ("Hold On") |
| 1991 | Won Soul Train Music Award for Best Single by a Duo/Group ("Hold On"). |
See also
- R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)R&B number-one hits of 1990 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1990:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Four songs have reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Escapade", "Vision of Love,", "Love Takes Time" and "I'm Your Baby Tonight."-See also:*1990 in music*List of number-one...
- List of number-one year-end R&B singles (U.S.)
- Number-one dance hits of 1990Number-one dance hits of 1990 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine Hot Dance Club Play number one hits of 1990.-See also:*1990 in music*List of number-one dance hits *List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart...