"Hold On, We're Going Home" is a song by Canadian rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

, featuring the R&B duo

Majid Jordan Majid Jordan is a Canadian R&B duo, consisting of singer Majid Al Maskati and producer Jordan Ullman from Toronto, Ontario. They formed in 2011 and signed to OVO Sound, the record label co-founded by rapper Drake, producer Noah "40" Shebib and O ...

. The song was produced by

Noah "40" Shebib Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...

OVO Sound OVO Sound (also known simply as OVO) is a Toronto-based Canadian record label, founded in 2012 by hip hop artist Drake, producer 40, and Oliver El-Khatib. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Warner Music Group's Warner ...

and

Nineteen85 Anthony Paul Jefferies (born July 1, 1985), known professionally as Nineteen85, is a Canadian record producer and songwriter. Nineteen85 holds the distinction of winning an ASCAP Music Award back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. He is best known for p ...

, and it is the second single from his third studio album, ''

Nothing Was the Same ''Nothing Was the Same'' is the third studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on September 24, 2013, through OVO Sound, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records. Work on the record began in 2012 and ...

'', and was released for digital download on August 7, 2013, following the 2013 OVO Fest. It was later released to mainstream and

rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...

radio on August 13, 2013. The song peaked at number four on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, as well as number five on the singles chart in his native Canada. The song received positive reviews from music critics and was named the best song of 2013 by

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

as well as number 21 on its "Best Tracks of the Decade" list. In 2021, it was listed at No. 129 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Background

Before "Hold On, We're Going Home" was released, Drake had an interview with

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

News about the song during the 4th Annual OVO Fest saying, "It's me and 40 just channeling our Quincy Jones/Michael Jackson production duo,... Obviously no offense to the greats, I know we're not anywhere near that — it's just us kinda doing our thing, humbly attempting." He also added, "It's not a rap record,... It's not '

Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...

,' it's not ' Started from the Bottom.' In approaching this album I was like man, it would be great if we had a record that was played at weddings in 10 years or that people that are away from their families in the Armed Forces could listen to. Something that just astimeless writing, timeless melody. So I did it with the group that we signed to OVO called Majid Jordan."

Music video

The music video is labeled a short film and takes place in 1985 Miami.Watch The New Video For Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home" – XXL
/ref> It was directed by

Bill Pope Bill Pope, A.S.C. (born June 19, 1952) is an American cinematographer and filmmaker known for his collaborations with directors Sam Raimi, The Wachowskis and Edgar Wright. He has also photographed and directed numerous music videos for artists like ...

and released on September 24, 2013.Rap-Up.com , , Video: Drake – ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’
/ref> In the video Drake plays a kingpin whose lover (Ashley Moore) is kidnapped by a rival gang. Throughout the video, Drake does everything in his power to rescue her from captor/mobster played by actor Micah Fitzgerald. Cameo appearances in the video included

Fredo Santana Derrick Coleman (July 4, 1990 – January 19, 2018), known professionally as Fredo Santana, was an American rapper. The older cousin of Chicago rapper Chief Keef, Santana began recording music in 2011, releasing a series of mixtapes throughou ...

, Steven Bauer,

Johnny Simmons Johnny Simmons (born November 28, 1986) is an American former actor. He is known for his roles as Dylan Baxter in '' Evan Almighty'' (2007), Chip Dove in ''Jennifer's Body'' (2009), "Young Neil" Nordegraf in '' Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'' (2010 ...

and

ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...

among others.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by British artist

Dev Hynes Devonté Hynes (born David Joseph Michael Hynes, 23 December 1985), also known as Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and director based in New York City. From 2004 to 2006, Hynes was ...

under his Blood Orange moniker, English band

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, back ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

-based

synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

duo

Holy Ghost! Holy Ghost! is an American synthpop duo from Brooklyn, New York City. Founded in 2007, the duo consists of Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel. History Millhiser and Frankel both grew up on the Upper West Side of New York City and attended Trevor D ...

The Saturdays The Saturdays were a British-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and have been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa Wh ...

Lissie Elisabeth Corrin Maurus (born November 21, 1982), known as Lissie, is an American singer-songwriter. She released her debut EP, "Why You Runnin'", in November 2009. Her debut album, '' Catching a Tiger'', was released in June 2010. Her second st ...

and

Ella Henderson Gabriella Michelle Henderson (born 12 January 1996), known as Ella Henderson, is an English singer. She competed in the ninth series of ''The X Factor UK'' in 2012, finishing in sixth place despite being a strong favourite to win. She signed ...

did a mashup of the song with John Newman's " Love Me Again".

Conor Maynard Conor Paul Maynard (born 21 November 1992) is an English singer. Born and raised in Brighton, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music Group in 2011. Maynard rose to fame in 2012 when he was nominated for, and subsequently won, MTV's ''M ...

did a medley with the song along

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

's "

Wrecking Ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball. An e ...

" and

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...

's "

Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...

". He later performed a separate cover for the song. In May 2014, ''The Voice'' contestant

Christina Grimmie Christina Victoria Grimmie (March 12, 1994 – June 10, 2016) was an American singer and YouTuber. In 2009, she began posting covers of popular songs onto YouTube. After releasing her debut EP, '' Find Me'' (2011), her YouTube channel reached ...

sang the song during the sixth season of the show. In June 2014,

Foster the People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members are singer Mark Foster, guitarist Sean Cimino, and keyboardist Isom Innis. Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending several years in ...

also covered the song on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...

. In September 2014,

Nick Mulvey Nick Mulvey (born 4 November 1984) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He played the hang as a founding member of the band Portico Quartet. In 2011 started his career as a singer-songwriter releasing the EPs ''The Trellis'' (2012) ...

also delivered an acoustic rendition of the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. American singer

Pia Mia Pia Mia Perez (born September 19, 1996) is an American singer, songwriter, and model. She began her career by posting videos of herself singing on the video sharing site YouTube, and went on to star in commercials and music videos. Pia Mia sign ...

also made a cover of the song and it went viral gaining over 10 million views. In 2015, on the voice Australia Nathan Hawes did an acoustic version of this. On 2020-04-03 UK Artist

Nerina Pallot Nerina Natasha Georgina Pallot (born 26 April 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and producer, who has released six albums and over a dozen EPs. She was nominated for British Female Solo Artist at the 2007 BRIT Awards and nominated for an I ...

released a compilation of the lockdown sessions covers titled "Best In Show" featuring "Hold On, We're Going Home" on track 6.

Commercial performance

"Hold On, We're Going Home" debuted at number five on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart, making it Drake's thirty-third top 10 hit on the chart. This accomplishment broke the tie for second-most top ten hits with singer

R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...

, only trailing behind rapper

Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...

, who has 36. The song also made the top ten in the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

, peaking at number five, making it his highest-charting single in his home country. In the song's fifth week on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it became Drake's 13th top ten hit, climbing at number eight. This feat gave him the most top ten hits of the year with four, including "

Fuckin' Problems "Fuckin' Problems" (edited version titled as "F**kin' Problems", and "Problems") is a song by American rapper ASAP Rocky, featuring Canadian rapper Drake, and fellow American rappers 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar. It was released on October 24, 20 ...

" (number 8), " Started from the Bottom" (number 6), and " Love Me" (number 9). The song reached number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, becoming Drake's first song to reach the top five of the Hot 100 since "

Find Your Love "Find Your Love" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake. The song was written by Drake, Patrick Reynolds, Jeff Bhasker and Kanye West and produced by the latter two and No I.D. It serves as the second single from his debut album, ''Thank Me Later'' ( ...

". The song peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It sold over two million copies as of January 2014. The song sold 207,000 copies in Canada in 2013. The single reached a peak of number four in the United Kingdom, giving Drake his highest-peaking single there at the time ("

One Dance "One Dance" is a song by Canadian rapper and singer Drake from his fourth studio album ''Views'' (2016). It features guest vocals from Nigerian afrobeats artist WizKid and British singer Kyla. The artists co-wrote the dancehall and afrobeats son ...

" later reached number one in 2016). It also received heavy rotation on South African radio stations, peaking a number one on the South African Airplay Chart.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control Drake (musician) songs Majid Jordan songs 2013 singles 2013 songs Cash Money Records singles OVO Sound singles Republic Records singles Contemporary R&B ballads Song recordings produced by Majid Jordan Song recordings produced by Nineteen85 Songs written by Drake (musician) Songs written by Jordan Ullman Songs written by Majid Al Maskati Songs written by Nineteen85 South African Airplay Chart number-one singles Synth-pop ballads