"Not Letting Go" is a song by British rapper

Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He has been signed to Parlophone Records since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment compa ...

. It features the vocals from British singer

Jess Glynne Jessica Hannah Glynne (born 20 October 1989) is an English singer and songwriter. After signing with Atlantic Records, she rose to prominence in 2014 as a featured artist on the singles "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit and " My Love" by Route 94, bot ...

. The song was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 21 June 2015 as the lead single for his third studio album ''

Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

''. It also appears on the deluxe version of Glynne's debut album, ''

I Cry When I Laugh ''I Cry When I Laugh'' is the debut studio album by English singer Jess Glynne. It was released on 21 August 2015 in the United Kingdom and 11 September 2015 in the United States by Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group. ''I Cry When I Laugh'' ...

'' (2015). "Not Letting Go" samples the song "

Not for Long "Not for Long" is a song by American hip hop recording artist B.o.B. It was released on October 14, 2014, as a standalone single. The song, which was produced by P-Lo and Mark Nilan, and written by Paris Jones. It features guest vocals from Ame ...

" by American rapper

B.o.B. Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later, ...

and also contains a sample from "There's a Better Way" from

Jermaine Jackson Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jackson ...

's 1982 album " Let Me Tickle Your Fancy". The song entered at the top of 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 ...

, giving Tempah his sixth UK chart-topper (more than any other artist during the 2010s) and Glynne her fourth. Tempah overtook

Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. Dizze ...

for most number-one singles by a British rap artist.

Background

Talking to

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

, Tinie Tempah said, "I've been a fan of Jess since I heard her song 'Home'. We met properly at the Brits last year and spoke about doing something together. We both had crazy summers and kept bumping into each other at festivals. We eventually set a date for studio with Bless Beats, who produced the track, and it just kind of happened." He also said "Both being Londoners, I wanted to make a song that captured that London summertime feeling which is always the best time of the year for me and the time where I've had my most romantic experience. So it's an ode to a girl I met and our experiences in this amazing city we call home – London!"

Accolades

The song finished the year as the 36th-best-selling song of 2015 in the United Kingdom.

Music video

The music video was directed by Charlie Robins and Joe Alexander. It features both Tempah and Glynne, and was shot in Brockwell Park,

Brixton, South London Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th centu ...

Track listing

Live performances

Tempah performed the song with

Sasha Keable Sasha Keable (born 27 February 1994) is a British singer and songwriter of Colombian descent from South London, England. In 2013, she collaborated with Disclosure on the single " Voices" and toured with the duo around the UK. In 2014, she support ...

on ''

The Graham Norton Show ''The Graham Norton Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by Graham Norton. It was initially broadcast on BBC Two, from 22 February 2007, before moving to BBC One in October 2009. It currently airs on Friday evenings, with Norton s ...

'', as Glynne was having surgery on her vocal chords.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2015 singles 2015 songs Tinie Tempah songs Jess Glynne songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Songs written by Tinie Tempah Parlophone singles Songs written by Jermaine Jackson (hip hop producer) Songs written by Jess Glynne Songs written by Jin Jin (musician)