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"Don't Let Go (Love)" is a song by American R&B group
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the singl ...
. It was produced by
Organized Noize Organized Noize is an American production duo from Atlanta, Georgia, currently composed of Ray Murray, Rick Wade and Sleepy Brown. History Among the hit records they have worked on include TLC's "Waterfalls", En Vogue's " Don't Let Go (Love ...
for the ''Set It Off'' soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third album, '' EV3'' (1997). It was released to radio on September 23, 1996, and issued as a single on October 22. The song was the group's last single and music video (directed by
Matthew Rolston Matthew Russell Rolston is an American artist, photographer, director and creative director, known for his lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design. Rolston has been identified throughout his career with the revival an ...
) to feature member
Dawn Robinson Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966) is an American singer and actress best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Rob ...
and was En Vogue's biggest international single, making it to the top 10 in several countries. According to ''
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 advertis ...
'', the single ranked as the 83rd most successful single of the 1990s.


Background

"Don't Let Go (Love)" was written by
Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American and Canadian actress, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and '' Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), '' Wag the Dog'' (1 ...
, Ivan Matias, and Marqueze Ethridge along with
Organized Noize Organized Noize is an American production duo from Atlanta, Georgia, currently composed of Ray Murray, Rick Wade and Sleepy Brown. History Among the hit records they have worked on include TLC's "Waterfalls", En Vogue's " Don't Let Go (Love ...
members
Sleepy Brown Patrick Leroy "Sleepy" Brown (born January 24, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is one-third of the Atlanta-based production team of Organized Noize, which has created hits for acts such as Outkast, Goodie Mob an ...
, Rico Wade, and Ray Murray, while production was by Organized Noize. According to Ivan, the song was originally written for American rock band
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
. Martin and him were rather surprised when
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
president
Sylvia Rhone Sylvia Rhone (born March 11, 1952) is an American record company executive. Since 2019, she is the Chairman and CEO, chair and CEO of Epic Records, a label owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Rhone served previously in senior positions at Vested ...
hired them to record it with the quartet after she had heard their demo. In 2012, he disclosed: "Sylvia heard something we couldn't. Andrea ordered me to get into that studio and cut those vocals anyway — while she went to get her nails done. It was then that we employed the 'you like it, we love it' outlook." Vocal production was supervised by Matias.
Dawn Robinson Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966) is an American singer and actress best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Rob ...
sings the entire lead while
Maxine Jones Maxine Jones (born January 16, 1962), is an American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman, best known as a founding member of the R&B/ pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals ...
performs the bridge.
Cindy Herron Cynthia Ann Herron (born September 26, 1961), professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs is an American singer and actress. Herron is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of ...
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 A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
. The song compelled Elektra mogul
Sylvia Rhone Sylvia Rhone (born March 11, 1952) is an American record company executive. Since 2019, she is the Chairman and CEO, chair and CEO of Epic Records, a label owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Rhone served previously in senior positions at Vested ...
to place En Vogue back in the studio to record their '' EV3'' project for release in 1997. While the other group members plus the record producers and label executives were focused on the new En Vogue album, Dawn Robinson wanted to pursue a solo career. Forced to choose between the group or her solo project, Robinson decided to leave En Vogue for a recording deal with
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
's Aftermath Records. The turn of events following the success of the song was the beginning of a long and tumultuous era for En Vogue as member changes became quite frequent.


Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
editor
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
described the song as "yearning".
Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
from ''
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 advertis ...
'' called it a "bluesy interlude", and commented further that the harmonies are "instantly recognizable, flexing sweetly over the track's live
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
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 ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' 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 (Love)' is the most obvious example, since the interplay between lead and background vocals is as disciplined as it is dramatic." Another ''EW'' editor, David Grad, noted its "combination of sensual harmonies and sultry attitude", and deemed it as a "provocative little offering". Dave Ferman from ''
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'' said the song is "hauntingly lush", and that it "finds the singers' voices ebbing and flowing like the ocean on a threatening day." A reviewer from ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' gave it four out of five, stating that "the girls let rip with a swoonsome, powerful single" and a "positive taster" for a spring album, that "should please fans and ensure they attract a few more." Gerald Martinez from ''
New Straits Times The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as a local offshoot of Singapore-based ''The Straits Ti ...
'' 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." Rebecca Schiller from ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' said the group's performance "was gutsy and full of knowing gravitas." Another ''NME'' editor, John Mulvey, stated that the single "retains a frankly terrifying power". A reviewer for ''
People Magazine ''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''Peopl ...
'' wrote that it is "still smoldering", noting the song's "tough sound", and naming it the highlight of ''EV3''. Elysa Gardner from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' described it as an "even more aggressive tune", and added that the "slow-burning" track "promotes romantic and carnal abandon, advising lovers to proceed without caution." Laura Jamison from ''
Salon Magazine ''Salon'' is an American politically progressive and liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events. Content and coverage ''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, includ ...
'' noted it as a "tempestuous" and "sexy" single. Ann Powers from ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' 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''. Ian Hyland from ''
Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marked ...
'' commented, "The hit singles ' Whatever' and 'Don't Let Go' may well be brilliant but they only add more spice to a mighty fine collection."


Commercial performance

"Don't Let Go (Love)" became the third En Vogue track to peak at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it was the group's sixth and final Top 10 hit. It also peaked at number two on the U.S.
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
and ranks at number 43 on its all-time chart. The song was a number-one R&B song for one week, becoming En Vogue's sixth and final number-one R&B hit. It reached number five 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 girl group
Little Mix Little Mix are an English girl group that formed on the eighth series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor.'' They are the first group and the only girl group to win the original UK series. The lineup consisted of Leigh-Anne Pin ...
performed the song in "Movies" week on the eighth series of the British television singing competition, ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', on November 19, 2011. ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' ranked the song number 127 in their list of the "150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years" in 2011. The En Vogue hit reached number 23 on the UK chart and in Ireland, it also returned to the charts at number 50. In 1997, the song went to number one on the Norwegian top 20 singles chart (VG-Lista Topp 20) 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 Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
.


Music video

The music video for "Don't Let Go (Love)" was directed by
Matthew Rolston Matthew Russell Rolston is an American artist, photographer, director and creative director, known for his lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design. Rolston has been identified throughout his career with the revival an ...
under the Alan Smithee pseudonym. It was En Vogue's third collaboration with Rolston following "
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/ R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 by Eastwest Records as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, ''Funky Divas'' (1992). The single reached number two ...
" and " Whatta Man". The video shows En Vogue singing in front of an audience are dressed in black outfits while some clips of ''Set It 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 Mekhi Phifer ( ; born December 29, 1974) is an American actor. Beginning his career in the mid-1990s, Phifer was known for a few notable roles in films including ''Clockers (film), Clockers'', ''Soul Food (film), Soul Food'', ''High School High' ...
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.


Legacy

In October 2011, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' ranked the song number 127 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". In 2017, ''
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 advertis ...
'' ranked "Don't Let Go (Love)" number 62 in their "The 100 Greatest Pop Songs of 1997". In 2018, ''Stacker'' ranked it number 43 in their list of "Best pop songs of the last 25 years". In 2019, ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'' ranked it number 32 in their list of "52 Best 1990s Pop Songs"


Awards and nominations


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Other versions

* On November 19, 2011, girl-group contestant
Little Mix Little Mix are an English girl group that formed on the eighth series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor.'' They are the first group and the only girl group to win the original UK series. The lineup consisted of Leigh-Anne Pin ...
performed the song for "Movies" week on the eighth series of the British television talent contest ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', leading to En Vogue's version re-entering the UK chart at number 23. In the finals, Little Mix performed the song for a second time and they won the show on December 11. The song is a bonus track on the group's winner's single, "
Cannonball A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge, launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a lar ...
". Following the group's win and their single, the song re-entered the charts again a few weeks later at number 27. * US girl group Good Girl covered the song on ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...
'' in the year of 2016. * British
house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
producer James Hype released a cover of the song titled " More Than Friends", with vocals by South London-based artist Kelli-Leigh. "More Than Friends" peaked number eight on the UK Singles Chart in August 2017. * Australian singer Greg Gould teamed up with En Vogue founding member Maxine Jones with a duet ballad version in 2017. * In 2018, singers Kelsea Johnson and Jordyn Simone performed the song during the Battle rounds on the 14th season of '' The Voice''. * Rock group Deepfield covered the song for their debut album Archetypes and Repetition.


See also

* List of number-one R&B singles of 1997 (U.S.) * List of number-one hits in Norway


References

{{Authority control 1996 singles En Vogue songs Number-one singles in Denmark Number-one singles in Norway Songs written by Andrea Martin (musician) Songs written by Ivan Matias 1996 songs Song recordings produced by Organized Noize Contemporary R&B ballads 1990s ballads Music videos directed by Matthew Rolston American pop rock songs Songs written by Sleepy Brown East West Records singles