"Say You Won't Let Go" is a song by English singer and songwriter James Arthur. The song was released as a digital download on 9 September 2016 in the United Kingdom by Columbia Records as the lead single from his second studio album Back from the Edge (2016).[1] The single peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart, a position it maintained for three weeks. Outside the United Kingdom, the single has topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland. It also became his breakthrough hit in the US, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In early March, it had gone double platinum in the UK.[2] In May 2018, it was reported that The Script had launched legal proceedings against Arthur due to alleged copyright infringement in regards to the song.[3]
In response to claims that the song sounds similar to The Script's "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", the song's writers initially decided not to pursue legal action.[4] However, following a claim in May 2018, they were successfully awarded a songwriting credit.[5]
Commercial performanceedit
On 12 September 2016, the song was at number 30 on The Official Chart Update in the United Kingdom.[6][7] On 16 September 2016, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 25, and peaked at number one two weeks later, becoming Arthur's second number one and spending three consecutive weeks at the top. The song was ranked the nineteenth biggest-selling song of 2016 in the UK, making Arthur the biggest-selling British male artist of the year.[8] By the second week of January 2017, it had surpassed the one million sales mark, making him the first-ever X Factor act to have two singles sell over a million copies in his homeland.[9]
In the United States, the song debuted at #100 on the date November 12, 2016. The song peaked at #11 for two non-consecutive weeks being kept out of the top 10 from Malibu by Miley Cyrus the first week and Congratulations by Post Malone the second week. It spent 52 weeks on the chart.[10][11] The song is his first single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, making Arthur only the third winner to chart on the Hot 100 following Leona Lewis and Little Mix. In May 2017, the song reached No. 1 on the Adult Pop Songs Airplay Chart, more than six months after its release in the US.[12] The song was certified diamond in the US by the RIAA on February 15, 2023.[13] The song has sold over 1,208,000 digital copies in the US as of September 2017.[14] It was the eighth best-selling song of 2017 in the US, with 1,195,000 copies sold in 2017.[15]
By 2021, the single had sold 2,676,756 copies in the UK.[16]
On 15 September 2016, the song entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 91 before peaking at number one on 14 October and spending four non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts. The song has also charted in Australia, France, New Zealand and Sweden. On February 26, 2017, it was announced on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch that the single had sold 2 million copies worldwide.[17]
Music videoedit
A music video to accompany the release of "Say You Won't Let Go" was first released onto YouTube on 9 September 2016 at a total length of three minutes and thirty seconds.[18] On YouTube it has received over 1.2 billion views.[19]
^"Nielsen SoundScan charts – Digital Songs – Week Ending: 09/28/2017" (PDF). Nielsen SoundScan. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
^Keith Caulfield (3 January 2018). "Ed Sheeran's 'Divide' Is Nielsen Music's Top Album of 2017 in U.S." Billboard. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
^James Arthur on new music, respect and making bangers | Talent | Music Week
^"Sunday Brunch on Twitter". Twitter. 26 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
^JamesAVEVO (9 September 2016). "James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" – via YouTube.
^James Arthur. "James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
^"James Arthur on iTunes". itunes. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
^"James Arthur Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201707 into search. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201646 into search. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". Tracklisten. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
^"James Arthur Chart History (Euro Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
^"Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 2016" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". VG-lista. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
^"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201711 into search. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201646 into search. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
^"SloTop50 – Slovenian official singles chart". slotop50.si. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
^"James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
^"ARIA End of Year Singles 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
^"Jaaroverzichten 2017". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
^"Rapports Annuels 2017". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
^"Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
^"Track Top-100 2017". Hitlisten. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
^"Top Singles Annuel 2017 (physique + téléchargement + streaming)". SNEP(Syndicat National de l'Edition phonographique). Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
^"Stream Top 100 – 2017". Mahasz. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
^"Classifiche annuali dei dischi più venduti e dei singoli più scaricati nel 2017" (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original (Click on "Scarica allegato" and open the "Classifica annuale 2017 Singoli digital" file) on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
^"Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2017". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
^"Jaaroverzichten – Single 2017". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
^"Top Selling Singles of 2017". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
^"Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (James Arthur; 'Say You Won't Let Go')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
^"Italian single certifications – James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 14 May 2018. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Say You Won't Let Go" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
^"Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved July 10, 2022. Type James Arthur in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Say You Won't Let Go in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
^"New Zealand single certifications – James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
^"Portuguese single certifications – James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
^"Spanish single certifications – James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
^"Veckolista Singlar, vecka 48, 2017 | Sverigetopplistan" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. 1 December 2017. Scroll to position 83 to view certification.
^"The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Say You Won't LetGo')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
^"British single certifications – James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 January 2022.