I Hold On

"I Hold On"
Single by Dierks Bentley
from the album Riser
Released	August 26, 2013
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2013
Genre	Country
Length	4:39 (album version) 3:46 (radio edit)
Label	Capitol Nashville
Writer(s)	Brett James Dierks Bentley
Producer(s)	Ross Copperman
Dierks Bentley singles chronology
"Bourbon in Kentucky" (2013) "I Hold On" (2013) "Drunk on a Plane" (2014)

"I Hold On" is a song recorded by American country music artist Dierks Bentley. It was released in August 2013 as the second single from his seventh studio album, Riser.^[1] Bentley wrote the song with Brett James.^[2]

Content

The song describes the singer staying true to what he enjoys and is comfortable with, including an old truck, an old guitar, and his lover. The truck and guitar referenced are still used by Bentley today. In his Sounds Of Summer tour, he played his old guitar that has a hole in it. Part of the video in the background while he played the song showed his 1994 Chevy Silverado that he and his late father drove to Nashville.

Critical reception

Billy Dukes of Taste of Country gave the song three out of five, writing that "one senses him trying to do something new, something totally unique, but still not quite wanting to give up the sound and style his longtime fans appreciate." Dukes stated that "lyrically, he starts strong, but levels off, relying more on attitude than substance by the midway point."^[3] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song four stars out of five, saying that "with low booming bass lines and a percussive arena-rock melody backing up Dierks Bentley's lyrics, 'I Hold On' is the kind of song that showcases Dierks Bentley in a new way." Bjorke called it "a strong lyrical song, a song which showcases the artistry of Dierks Bentley that sometimes gets dismissed when he's chasing radio airplay but is held up when he records and release stuff that doesn't."^[4]

Live performances

Bentley debuted the song when he co-hosted The View on July 26, 2013.^[5] He also performed it on the season finale of America's Got Talent on September 18, 2013.^[6] On January 3, 2014, he also performed during halftime of the 2014 Orange Bowl.

Music video

A live music video was directed by Ryan Silver and premiered in August 2013.^[7] The official music video was directed by Wes Edwards and premiered in October 2013.^[8]

Commercial performance

"I Hold On" debuted at number 59 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart for the week of September 7, 2013.^[9] It also debuted at number 35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and at number 84 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart for the week of September 14, 2013. It also debuted at number 100 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of January 4, 2014. The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on April 28, 2014, and Platinum on November 24, 2014.^[10] As of early May 2014, the song has sold 610,000 copies in the United States.^[11]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2013–14) Peak position Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] 44 Canada Country (Billboard)[13] 2 US Billboard Hot 100[14] 40 US Country Airplay (Billboard)[15] 1 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[16] 3 Year-end charts Chart (2014) Position US Country Airplay (Billboard)[17] 41 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[18] 45

Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 610,000[11] ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Wyland, Sarah (August 14, 2013). "Dierks Bentley Releases "I Hold On" as New Single". Great American Country. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
2. Whitaker, Sterling (August 13, 2013). "Dierks Bentley Releases New Single, ‘I Hold On’". The Boot. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
3. Dukes, Billy (August 13, 2013). "Dierks Bentley, ‘I Hold On’ – Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
4. Bjorke, Matt (August 12, 2012). "Single Review: Dierks Bentley - I Hold On". Roughstock. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
5. Vinson, Christina (July 28, 2013). "Dierks Bentley Debuts New Song ‘I Hold On’ on ‘The View’". Taste of Country. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
6. Sciarretto, Amy (September 18, 2013). "Dierks Bentley to Perform ‘I Hold On’ on ‘America’s Got Talent’ Finale". Taste of Country. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
7. "CMT : Videos : Dierks Bentley : I Hold On (Tour Performance)". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
8. "CMT : Videos : Dierks Bentley : I Hold On". Country Music Television. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
9. Morris, Edward (August 31, 2013). "Luke Bryan's Crash My Party Still Commands the Album Charts". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
10. "American single certifications – Dierks Bentley – I Hold On". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
11. Bjorke, Matt (May 8, 2014). "Country Chart News - The Top 30 Digital Singles - May 8, 2014: Brantley Gilbert's Guns N Roses Debut". Roughstock. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
12. "Dierks Bentley – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Dierks Bentley.
13. "Dierks Bentley – Chart history" Billboard Canada Country for Dierks Bentley.
14. "Dierks Bentley – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Dierks Bentley.
15. "Dierks Bentley – Chart history" Billboard Country Airplay for Dierks Bentley.
16. "Dierks Bentley – Chart history" Billboard Hot Country Songs for Dierks Bentley.
17. "Best of 2014: Country Airplay". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
18. "Best of 2014: Hot Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.