The audio song was released on 16 March 2013 and received critical reception from critics as well as became very popular among the audiences. The music video was released on 24 March 2013.
Critical reception
The song received acclaim from critics. Glamsham gave a rating of 5 stars out of 5 and said, "It is indeed an exhilarating experience listening to the songs of Aashiqui 2 and in this age of mundane and average/repetitive musical fares that are being churned out, the audio of Aashiqui 2 is surely a treat for all music buffs. "Tum Hi Ho" and "Sunn Raha Hai" are our favorites, but "Chahun Main Ya Naa" and "Piya Aaye Na" end up as a close second. A chartbusting musical experience indeed." Planet Bollywood commented "The song has all the hallmarks of a Mithoon creation; it’s soulful, extremely touching and of course it’s dripping with melody. The piano, strings, and beats are very effective in creating an eerie romantic atmosphere for the singer to transform the song and Arijit Singh does that magnificently." Koimoi commented, "Album opens with a heavy and deep voice of Arijit Singh crooning "Tum Hi Ho". Composer Mithoon has penned the lyrics for this passionate ballad which might remind one of the rest of the Bhatt music that has been heard in abundance in recent times, right from Raaz 3 to Jism 2. Arijit’s voice does touch the listener’s heart and lyrics support the passion as well." IANS wrote, "The album opens with "Tum Hi Ho". Sung by Arijit Singh, it starts slowly but gradually picks up the pace. Melodious and rhythmic, it has meaningful lyrics. A happy romantic number, it brings the story of a lover sharing his happiness with the world " while some critics call it a self-centered narration of a lover's heart along with a darkness.
Success and impact
The song became a hit with approximately 5 million views on YouTube within 10 days of release, which helped in the marketing of the film. Various versions of the song were uploaded by amateur singers, guitarists and DJs on social networking sites. Aashiqui 2 had less than 3 weeks for the promotion unlike other Bollywood movies which indulge in months of promotion. However, it was Tum Hi Ho which became a rage and created instant buzz for the film in the market. The movie upon release, became a blockbuster, earning 132 crore in an unimaginable 11-week run worldwide and was termed as one of the best trending films of Indian Cinema. The song won Most Entertaining Song of the year at the Big Star Entertainment Awards 2013. The music video on Youtube has garnered 210 million views as in January 2019.
Other versions
The song was released in another duet version called "Meri Aashiqui" with Palak Muchhal. On December 2018, American rapper T-Pain was accused of plagiarizing the composition on his single called "That's Yo Money". However the music video has been taken down. Composer Mithoon stated: "Sir, the melody that you have used in your new song is my original work for a previously released Hindi film..The Label is looking into this."
