Let Me Hold You

Background

Bow Wow had publicly announced his interpretation of the song's meaning as he stated in an interview with MTV:

"Basically the song is me talking to a girl and telling her, 'These are the things I can do for you. Let me hold you down. This is what I want to do for you as a man. These are the things I'm capable of doing for you if you get with me. Just hear me out.' I'm just really talking to the ladies. The song is really special to me, and I love that song."

The collaboration began when Bow Wow was talking with producer Jermaine Dupri about the song and how he suggested on getting Omarion to appear on the track. In a 2011 retrospective of his previous hits with Complex, producer No I.D. said that this was the first time he worked with Dupri and was asked by him to bring over his samples to pick one that would be used for a single to finish off the album. He played him the Luther Vandross sample and was hesitant about his initial reaction at first before thinking it over and seeing its potential as a smash hit.

Composition

"Let Me Hold You" was co-written and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri and No ID. It features a sample of Luther Vandross' version of "If Only for One Night", written and originally performed by Brenda Russell. The song is in 4/4 time and in the key of E♭ minor.

Critical reception

The song received positive reviews from music critics. David Jeffries of AllMusic put it alongside "Like You" as the album's highlights that work "on a more adult level." Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews praised the production by Dupri and No ID for their clever take on the sample, Bow Wow's lyrics and Omarion's guest vocal performance. Angie Romero of Vibe praised the sing-song hook for making the track "undeniably catchy."

Commercial performance

"Let Me Hold You" debuted at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of May 21, 2005. Three weeks later, it moved twenty-two spots from number 73 to 51 for the week of June 11, 2005. It moved eleven spots from number 28 to 17 for the week of July 2, 2005. It moved four spots from number 15 to 11 for the week of July 16, 2005. It reached the top ten for the week of July 23, 2005 at number 8. It reached its peak at number 4 and held that spot for three weeks and spent a total of twenty-four weeks on the chart. With the release of "Let Me Hold You", Bow Wow achieved his first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing his 2003 hit "Let's Get Down" which peaked at number 14. The song was also Omarion's first top ten hit as a solo artist, although he previously had a number-one hit with "Bump, Bump, Bump" as a member of B2K.

Similar to its airplay success, sales peaked lower at number 24 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. Jermaine Dupri, with the inclusion of "Let Me Hold You" in the Hot 100 Airplay chart, had production (or co-production) credit on the current top four songs on that chart ("Let Me Hold You", along with Bow Wow's next single, "Like You", Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and "Shake It Off" held positions 1-4). The song was also Bow Wow and Omarion's first entry on the Pop 100, where it peaked at number 14, with an airplay position at number 9. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and its component airplay (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) the single peaked at number 2, being kept from the top spot by Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together". The song also became a number-one hit for both artists on the Hot Rap Songs chart for seven weeks and the Rhythmic Top 40 chart for five weeks.

On May 14, 2006, the song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 1,000,000 copies in the United States.

Music video

The song's music video, directed by Bryan Barber, features Bow Wow attempting to woo a girl with mixed results. After surprising her at her house, the two attend a house party, but problems arise as she is less social than Bow Wow, who begins talking to other girls. After a brief reconciliation, the two argue again over the music at the party. Once again, the two are able to reconcile, but things remain awkward, and they do not communicate on their return home. The video appears to be an unresolved cliffhanger, but a "to be continued" title is shown as the video ends. (The video's story is continued in Bow Wow's next video, "Like You".) The video features a cameo from the song's co-producer, Jermaine Dupri.

Live performances

"Let Me Hold You" was a staple at concerts for Bow Wow's 2005 summer tour Scream Tour IV. It was performed at the 2005 American Music Awards on November 22, 2005 as part of a medley with Bow Wow's "Like You" and Omarion's "O".

Formats and track listing

1. "Let Me Hold You" (Radio Version) – 4:08
2. "My Baby" (Album Version W.O. Intro) – 3:58

1. "Let Me Hold You" (Radio Version) – 4:08
2. "Let Me Hold You" (Album Version) – 4:08

1. "Let Me Hold You" (Radio Version) – 4:08
2. "Let Me Hold You" (Instrumental) – 4:08
3. "Let Me Hold You" (Album Version) – 4:08
4. "Let Me Hold You" (Instrumental w/Background Vocals) – 4:08

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Wanted.