Don't Let Go (Love)


"Don't Let Go " is a song by the American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, Marqueze Etheridge and produced by Organized Noize for the Set It Off soundtrack, also appearing on the group's third album, EV3. The song was the band's last single to feature former band member Dawn Robinson and was En Vogue's biggest international single, making it to number 10 on several countries. According to Billboard, the single ranked as the 83rd most successful single of the 1990s.
The song compelled Elektra mogul Sylvia Rhone to place En Vogue back in the studio to record their EV3 for release in 1997. However, Dawn Robinson felt a solo career was not feasible while she was still a member of En Vogue, while the other group members plus the record producers and label executives were focused on the new En Vogue album. Forced to choose, Robinson decided to leave En Vogue for a solo career with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records. The turn of events following the success of "Don't Let Go " was the beginning of a long and tumultuous era for En Vogue as member changes became quite frequent. In 2011, NME ranked the song at number 127 in their list of the "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years".

Background

"Don't Let Go " was written by Andrea Martin, Ivan Matias, Marqueze Ethridge, and Organized Noize members Sleepy Brown, Rico Wade, and Ray Murray, while production was by Organized Noize. Vocal production was supervised by Matias. Dawn Robinson sings the entire lead while Maxine Jones performs the bridge. Cindy Herron performs a verse to the bridge. Terry Ellis sings outro lyrics in the music video version and "Fulton Yard Mix". Martin Terry and Tommy Martin played the guitars on the song, while drums were played by Lil' John. Marvin "Chanz" Parkman played the grand piano.

Critical reception

editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the song as "yearning". Larry Flick from Billboard called it a "bluesy interlude" and commented further that the harmonies are "instantly recognizable, flexing sweetly over the track's live funk beat and snaky guitar licks. If you're looking for a duplication of past hits, forget it. This is a far more musically mature effort that will appeal to both street and sophisticated tastes." J.D. Considine from Entertainment Weekly wrote in his review of EV3, "No surprise, then, that although the women get top billing, the arrangements are the real stars. "Don’t Let Go " is the most obvious example, since the interplay between lead and background vocals is as disciplined as it is dramatic." Another editor, David Grad noted its "combination of sensual harmonies and sultry attitude" and added it as a "provocative little offering". Dave Ferman from Fort Worth Star-Telegram said the song is "hauntingly lush" and that it "finds the singers' voices ebbing and flowing like the ocean on a threatening day." Gerald Martinez from New Straits Times called it "dramatic", noting that "this song has all the punch, power and stunning voices in harmony that one has come to expect from En Vogue." NME said En Vogue's performance "was gutsy and full of knowing gravitas." People wrote that the single is "still smoldering". They also noted the song's "tough sound" and picked it as the higlight of the EV3 album. Elysa Gardner from Rolling Stone described it as a "even more aggressive tune" and added that the "slow-burning" track "promote romantic and carnal abandon, advising lovers to proceed without caution." Laura Jamison from Salon Magazine noted it as a "tempestuous" and "sexy" single. Ann Powers from Spin called it "a cry for a lover's loyalty that En Vogue convert into a nonnegotiable demand". She complimented the song as their "highest achievement" on EV3.

Commercial performance

"Don't Let Go " became the third En Vogue track to reach at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 where it was the group's fifth and final Top 10 hit. It was blocked from the top spot by Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart". The song was a #1 R&B song for one week becoming En Vogue's sixth and final #1 R&B Hit. It reached #5 in the UK in early 1997 and spent 13 weeks in the UK top 40, eight of them in the top 10. The single re-entered the UK chart at number 23 in 2011 after the girl group Little Mix performed the song on the eighth series of the British television singing competition, The X Factor, on November 19, 2011. The En Vogue track reached #23 on the UK chart and also returned to the Irish charts at #50. In 1997, "Don't Let Go " went to #1 on the Norwegian top 20 singles chart and stayed there for six consecutive weeks. In total, it was in the top 20 for 16 weeks.
The single sold 1.3 million copies in the United States and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Legacy

In October 2011, NME placed the song at number 127 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
In 2018, Stacker ranked it at number 43 in their list of "Best pop songs of the last 25 years".
In 2019, Elle listed "Don't Let Go" at number 32 in their ranking of "52 Best 1990s Pop Songs"

Music video

The music video for "Don't Let Go " was directed by Matthew Rolston under the Alan Smithee pseudonym. It was En Vogue's third collaboration with Rolston following "My Lovin' " and "Whatta Man".
The music video shows En Vogue singing in front of an audience are dressed in black outfits while some clips of Set if Off are inserted. A second music video was released using the same footage of all four band members singing in front of an audience, but the scenes from Set It Off are replaced with images that followed a new storyline. In this version, Mekhi Phifer plays a man who has been secretly cheating all four band members. The four women find out about each other and confront Phifer's character through their performance at the party.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Cover versions