Let It Go (James Bay song)
2014 single by James Bay
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"Let It Go" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Bay. It was released in Europe on 15 September 2014 through Republic Records as the first single from Bay's second extended play of the same name. It was included on Bay's debut studio album Chaos and the Calm (2014). The song was written by Bay with Paul Barry and produced by Jacquire King. The Let It Go EP was released prior on 3 May 2014.
| "Let It Go" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by James Bay | ||||
| from the album Chaos and the Calm and the EP Let It Go | ||||
| Released | 15 September 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–2014 | |||
| Studio | Blackbird (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Republic | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Jacquire King | |||
| James Bay singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Let It Go" on YouTube | ||||
The song was re-released in March 2015 after "Hold Back the River" and peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart in July 2015, beating its previous peak of 62 on 27 September 2014.[1] In May 2015, "Let It Go" peaked at number 8 in Australia, whilst in New Zealand, the song debuted on 15 June 2015, at number 31, before climbing to number 24 the following week. A week after that, the song entered the top 10 of the chart, peaking at number 10. On 9 January 2016, the single debuted at number 98 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Bay’s first song to chart in the US. The single would eventually reach a peak of number 16 on 23 July 2016. A remix by Jack Steadman was released in 2015.
Critical reception
Gregory Robson of AbsolutePunk called "Let It Go" a "rising current of despondency, heartache and powerhouse vocals" and "the clearest example of who exactly Bay is, that is, supple instrumentation, gauzy textures and that ageless croon".[2]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2014–2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[3] | 8 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] | 45 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[5] | 23 |
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[6] | 37 |
| France (SNEP)[7] | 55 |
| Germany (GfK)[8] | 22 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[9] | 21 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] | 18 |
| Netherlands (Global Top 40)[10] | 39[a] |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] | 15 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] | 10 |
| Portugal (Official Chart AFP)[13] | 45 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 82 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[15] | 94 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[16] | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[17] | 16 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[18] | 2 |
| US Rock & Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[19] | 47 |
| US Adult Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[20] | 15 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[21] | 12 |
| US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[22] | 5 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[23] | 39 |
| US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[24] | 8 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2016) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[31] | 75 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[32] | 92 |
| France (SNEP)[33] | 182 |
| Netherlands (Global Top 40)[34] | 100 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[35] | 99 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[36] | 44 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[37] | 22 |
| US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[38] | 15 |
| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[39] | 39 |
| US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[40] | 4 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (2010–2019) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[41] | 74 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[42] | 3× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
| Belgium (BRMA)[43] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[44] | 2× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[45] | Diamond | 800,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[46] | 3× Platinum | 270,000‡ |
| Germany (BVMI)[47] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[48] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[49] | 6× Platinum | 180,000‡ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[50] | Platinum | 10,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP)[51] | 2× Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[52] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Sweden (GLF)[53] | 2× Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[54] | 5× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[55] | 7× Platinum | 7,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
Notes
- The Global Top 40 chart debuted on the 29th week of 2016, "Let It Go"'s only week on the chart and close to the end of the song's charting period across the world.