"Hold On" is a song by American rock band Alabama Shakes. The track was first released on February 6, 2012 in the United Kingdom as the lead single from the studio album Boys & Girls (2012).[1]
Music video
A music video to accompany the release of "Hold On" was first released on YouTube on 30 March 2012. In this video, the song was performed live in a studio. As of November 2022, the video has over 49 million views.[2]
Reception
"Hold On" received critical acclaim from music critics. Rolling Stone named it the best song of 2012.[3] It was also voted the 11th best single of 2012 by The Village Voice's 40th annual Pazz & Jop poll.[4]
NPR named "Hold On" the fifth best song by a woman or non-binary artist in the 21st century, saying of the song:
"Despite her ability to quickly transition from a sultry croon à la Janis Joplin to a bellowing, often disembodied howl, it's the lyrical wisdom that masks Howard's young age and makes this song special. "Hold On" is not just a mantra offering the encouragement needed to get through life's rough patches; it's a timeless song that wouldn't work without Howard's ability to interweave a myriad of emotions with raw honesty" [5]