"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 (formerly Tinie Tempah), is a British rapper and singer. He has been signed to Parlophone since 2009, now a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his ...

. It features the vocals from British singer

Jess Glynne Jessica Hannah Glynne (born 20 October 1989) is a British singer. She rose to prominence in 2014 as a featured artist on the singles " Rather Be" by Clean Bandit and " My Love" by Route 94, both of which reached number one on the UK Singles C ...

. 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 (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as bei ...

''. It also appears on the deluxe version of Glynne's debut album, '' I Cry When I Laugh'' (2015). "Not Letting Go" samples the song " Not for Long" by American rapper B.o.B and also contains a sample from "There's a Better Way" from

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

's 1982 album " Let Me Tickle Your Fancy". The song entered at the top of the UK Singles Chart, 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), known professionally as Dizzee Rascal, is a British rapper and MC. He is often credited as a pioneer of British hip hop and grime music and was ranked by ''Complex'' as one of the greatest British ...

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 initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...

, 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.

Track listing

Live performances

Tempah performed the song with Sasha Keable 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 ...

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

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{authority control 2015 songs 2015 singles 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)