''Hold Fast'' is a song written and recorded
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...
band
MercyMe. It was released as the second single from their 2006 album ''
Coming Up to Breathe
''Coming Up to Breathe'' is the fourth studio album by Christian rock band MercyMe. Released on April 25, 2006, by INO Records, the album was intended by MercyMe to be edgier than their previous albums. ''Coming Up to Breathe'' sold 58,000 copies ...
''.
Composition
"Hold Fast" is a
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...
song with a length of four minutes and thirty-eight seconds.
The song was written and composed by Bart Millard, Barry Graul, Jim Bryson, Nathan Cochran, Mike Scheuchzer, and Robby Shaffer,
and was produced by
Brown Bannister
Elliott Brown Bannister III (born August 15, 1951) is an contemporary Christian music (CCM) producer and songwriter. Bannister released one album of his own, ''Talk to One Another'', in 1981 on NewPax Records. It was reissued on the Reunion Records ...
.
The song is set in the key of
B and has a heavy
rock tempo of 80 beats per minute, with a vocal range spanning from F
4-G
5.
The song has a build-up in the bridge
that has been described as 'powerhouse'.
The sound of the song has evoked comparisons to
Coldplay.
Reception
Critical reception
"Hold Fast" received generally positive critical reception. Steve Losey of
Allmusic commented that the song "is rock with polish"
and that "Nathan Cochran's
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
groove not only sounds heavy but its very tone exudes sweat".
He also opined that "The mid-song bridge shows the band at their pinnacle when the guitars build to Millard's intense vocals".
Russ Breimier of ''
Christianity Today
''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'' commented that the song "initially sounds much like
ercyMe'susual balladry, but then relies on heavier guitars and a powerhouse build during the bridge (a la
Coldplay), as well as some clever lyrics to address the intended audience".
Chart performance
"Hold Fast" debuted at No. 23 on the
Hot Christian Songs chart for the chart week of October 28, 2006. In its sixth chart week the song advanced to No. 6, but dropped to No. 10 the next week. In its eighth chart week "Hold Fast" dropped out of the top ten entirely, falling to No. 12. The song dropped to No. 16 in its tenth chart week, and then to No. 24 in its eleventh, but jumped to No. 3 in its twelfth chart week. The song held the spot for a further three weeks before dropping to No. 4 in its sixteenth chart week. The song spent a total of twenty-five weeks on the chart before dropping out.
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On the
Adult Contemporary chart, "Hold Fast" debuted at No. 28 for the chart week of April 4, 2007, It achieved its peak position of No. 27 in its fifth chart week,
and spent a total of eight weeks on the chart.
Uses
"Hold Fast" is also features of the compilation album ''
WOW Hits 2008'', and the 2009 compilation album
10.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
References
{{authority control
2006 songs
2006 singles
MercyMe songs
Songs written by Bart Millard
pt:Hold Fast