Genre Reggae Label Parkwood
Columbia | Length 3:41 | |
Released August 16, 2016 (2016-08-16) Recorded Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles Writer(s) Thomas Pentz
Ezra Koenig
Beyoncé Knowles
Emile Haynie
Joshua Tillman
Uzoechi Emenike
Sean "Melo-X" Rhoden
Doc Pomus
Mort Shuman
DeAndre Way
Antonio Randolph
Kelvin McConnell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs | ||
"Hold Up" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album, Lemonade (2016). The song was serviced to rhythmic radios in the United States on August 16, 2016 as the third single from the album. It was written by Diplo, Ezra Koenig, Beyoncé, Emile Haynie, Joshua Tillman, MNEK and Sean "Melo-X" Rhoden.
Contents
The song contains a sample of "Can't Get Used to Losing You", written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman; an interpolation of "Maps", performed by Yeah Yeah Yeahs and written by Brian Chase, Karen O and Nick Zinner; and an interpolation of "Turn My Swag On", written by Soulja Boy, Antonio Randolph, Kevin McConnell. Ezra Koenig's Tweet from 2011, "hold up...they don't love u like i love u" had confused people as the song was written in 2011 but, as he explained on Twitter, it was just a random tweet at the time. A demo of "Hold Up" was first written and recorded by Diplo and Koenig in 2014, using a sample of "Maps".
"Hold Up" received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 59th ceremony.
Critical reception
Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal named "Hold Up" as the "Best New Track" of the day, calling Beyoncé's vocals "emotive" and stating "The music has no weight, no place, no time—a calypso dream heard through walls and generations...When Beyoncé works in the pained refrain of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' “Maps,” she makes it glorious while allowing our memories to hint at the anguish underneath."
Slant considered the song the 4th best one of 2016, while Pitchfork named it the 28th best. The song would later be voted in Village Voice's Pazz & Jop best in music in 2016, the 18th best single of the same period. Billboard ranked "Hold Up" at number 23 on their "100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" list: “Beyonce’s Lemonade was designed for memes… and tweets… and gifs. But ask anyone the image that defines the album, and you’re likely to see a shot from “Hold Up”.”
Commercial performance
After the release of Lemonade, "Hold Up" debuted and peaked on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 13. "Hold Up" also entered on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs at number 8. In overseas charts, the song entered in multiple digital charts in top 5: Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway.
Music video
The song's music video is part of a one-hour film with the same title as its parent album, originally aired on HBO but also not included with the purchase of the album itself. The Jonas Åkerlund-directed video features Beyoncé destroying multiple cars and security cameras using a baseball bat. According to Mashable, Knowles also makes reference of Oshun, a Yoruba goddess of water, fertility, love, sensuality. It received two nominations at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video and Best Art Direction, winning the former. One week later, Beyoncé released the music video on her YouTube and Vevo channels.
Live performances
"Hold Up" is part of the set list of the The Formation World Tour with the first performance taking place in Miami at the Marlins Park on April 27, 2016.
"Hold Up" was also performed as part of a medley of songs from Lemonade at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2016, along with "Pray You Catch Me", "Sorry", "Don't Hurt Yourself", and "Formation".