"Not Letting Go"
Single by Tinie Tempah featuring Jess Glynne
from the album Youth
Released21 June 2015 (2015-06-21)
Genre
Length3:48
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bless Beats
Tinie Tempah singles chronology
"Tears Run Dry"
(2014)
"Not Letting Go"
(2015)
"Turn the Music Louder (Rumble)"
(2015)
Jess Glynne singles chronology
"Hold My Hand"
(2015)
"Not Letting Go"
(2015)
"Don't Be So Hard on Yourself"
(2015)

"Not Letting Go" is a song by British rapper Tinie Tempah. It features the vocals from British singer Jess Glynne. The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 21 June 2015 as the lead single for his third studio album Youth. It also appears on the deluxe version of Glynne's debut album, I Cry When I Laugh (2015). "Not Letting Go" samples the song "Not for Long" by American rapper B.o.B.[2] and also contains a sample from "There's a Better Way" from Jermaine Jackson's 1982 album "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy".

The song entered at the top of the UK Singles Chart, giving Tempah his sixth UK chart-topper (more than any other artist during the 2010s) and Glynne her fourth.[3] Tempah overtook Dizzee Rascal for most number-one singles by a British rap artist.[4]

Background

Talking to Digital Spy, Tinie Tempah said, "I've been a fan of Jess since I heard her song 'Home'. We met properly at the Brits last year and spoke about doing something together. We both had crazy summers and kept bumping into each other at festivals. We eventually set a date for studio with Bless Beats, who produced the track, and it just kind of happened." He also said "Both being Londoners, I wanted to make a song that captured that London summertime feeling which is always the best time of the year for me and the time where I've had my most romantic experience. So it's an ode to a girl I met and our experiences in this amazing city we call home – London!"[2]

Accolades

The song finished the year as the 36th-best-selling song of 2015 in the United Kingdom.[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Charlie Robins and Joe Alexander. It features both Tempah and Glynne, and was shot in Brockwell Park, Brixton, South London.[6]

Track listing

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Not Letting Go" (featuring Jess Glynne)3:48
Digital download – Remixes[7]
No.TitleLength
1."Not Letting Go" (XYconstant Remix)4:48
2."Not Letting Go" (Matrix & Futurebound Remix)4:20
3."Not Letting Go" (TroyBoi Remix)4:28
4."Not Letting Go" (All About She Remix)4:18
5."Not Letting Go" (Show N Prove Remix)3:15

Live performances

Tempah performed the song with Sasha Keable on The Graham Norton Show, as Glynne was having surgery on her vocal chords.[8]

Charts and certifications

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Ireland[23] 19 June 2015 Digital download Parlophone
United Kingdom[24] 21 June 2015

References

  1. ^ "Not Letting Go". Universal Music Publishing Group.
  2. ^ a b Nissim, Mayer (12 May 2015). "Listen to Tinie Tempah and Jess Glynne's new single 'Not Letting Go'". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  3. ^ Copsey, Rob (28 June 2015). "Tinie Tempah scores sixth Number 1 single with Not Letting Go". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  4. ^ Gboyega, Adenike (3 July 2015). "Tinie Tempah just made UK chart history". MOBO Awards. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  5. ^ "The Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2015 revealed". Official Charts Company. 4 January 2016.
  6. ^ "For easy urban vibes: Brockwell Park "is" summer in the city". Film Fixer. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  7. ^ "iTunes - Music - Not Letting Go (feat. Jess Glynne) [Remixes] - EP by Tinie Tempah". iTunes Store (US). 19 June 2015.
  8. ^ "The Graham Norton Show". 19 June 2015. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
  9. ^ "Tinie Tempah feat. Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Tinie Tempah feat. Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Chart Track: Week 27, 2015". Irish Singles Chart.
  12. ^ "Media Forest Week 30, 2015". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest.
  13. ^ "Tinie Tempah feat. Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  14. ^ "Tinie Tempah feat. Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  15. ^ "Tinie Tempah feat. Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  16. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  17. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  18. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  19. ^ Copsey, Rob (4 January 2016). "The Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2015 revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  20. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  21. ^ "Italian single certifications – Tinie Tempah feat. Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 6 June 2016. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Not Letting Go" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  22. ^ "British single certifications – Tinie Tempah feat. Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go". British Phonographic Industry.
  23. ^ "iTunes - Music - Not Letting Go (feat. Jess Glynne) - Single by Tinie Tempah". iTunes.
  24. ^ "iTunes - Music - Not Letting Go (feat. Jess Glynne) - Single by Tinie Tempah". iTunes.