The title refers to his feelings about his copy of Chocolate Factory…
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[6.22]
Thomas Inskeep: Finally: a) a Jess Glynne single that makes good use of her warbly voice, b) a disco-y summer banger of a single, c) the return of hot-and-cold Tinie Tempah, firmly in “hot” mode here. I was certain this was based on a sample, but apparently Tempah wrote it himself, with Bless Beats behind the boards. “Not Letting Go” comes off aces, the rare summer-focused single that sounds summery. It also sounds timeless — echoes of 1990 drum programming in the snare track underpinning the second verse, but it isn’t tied to any particular time or era. This soars above everything.
[9]
Scott Mildenhall: So laid-back that it’s fallen off its chair, knocked its head and been advised to take it easy. Such an innocuous production is quite uncharacteristic for Tinie, and the polar opposite of the low-in-the-mix Glynne’s waveform-transcending solo single. Few songs are so nonabrasive, and therein lies the problem: “Not Letting Go” is very pleasant background music, but immediately forgettable.
[6]
Micha Cavaseno: Awkwardly clipped phrasing and overall poor performance on Glynne’s part does damage to the intended miles this harmless summer roller Tempah’s cooked up. His flow has not changed in the past decade, nor has his made-for-TV movie level visions for every single, but he’s still not without his charms as a purveyor.
[5]
Alfred Soto: The rap is at a Pras level of competence, but Glynne and the backing track — burbling bass and four-on-the-floor thunk — offer compensatory pleasures. Should a wedding deejay select it, I’ll dance.
[5]
Ramzi Awn: Clean enough to reel you in but unfocused, “Not Letting Go” falls somewhere between “Bitch I’m Madonna” and vintage Robyn: a tough line to straddle.
[4]
David Sheffieck: Two things I learned from this: Tinie really, really likes R. Kelly and it’s awkward by the second time around; 2) We are living in a golden age of romantic rap songs and I am here for every one.
[7]
Iain Mew: I guess Tinie didn’t get the memo about R. Kelly, or at least found the relatable signifier potential of “Ignition (Remix)” and “I Believe I Can Fly” too good to resist. “She like the hook but she don’t know the verse” is cheekily meta in a song where his contributions are more charm over content than he’s ever gone on his own records before. He’s there to sweep us along to the chorus, and luckily it’s Jess Glynne’s warmest and most glorious yet.
[8]
Andy Hutchins: Sufficiently sunny, and with a passable Joss Stone impersonation from Ms. Glynne, but: I’ve listened to this twice, and the only thing I remember Tinie saying is the pre-hook in which he laments the hook being the only memorable part of his song. Well-prophecied, bruv.
[5]
Brad Shoup: A sun-splashed take on “Ride Wit Me,” with a total posi performance from Tinie and some Cool & Dre-style non-grime production from Bless Beats. Glynne turns in a lovestruck, kinda androgynous hook, like JT giving a shit. As the only #1 R. Kelly’s ever gonna be on again, it’s pretty great.
[7]