Don't Hold the Wall

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"Don't Hold the Wall"
Song by Justin Timberlake
from the album The 20/20 Experience
ReleasedMarch 15, 2013
Recorded2012
StudioLarrabee Studios (North Hollywood)
GenreR&B
Length7:10
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Timbaland
  • Justin Timberlake
  • Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon

"Don't Hold the Wall" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter

Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with additional writing from James Fauntleroy
.

Background and production

Timberlake started writing and recording for his third studio album in the "late part of May, first week in June" and concluded in July 2012.[1] The project was produced in a span of 20 days.[2] In August 2012, producer Jim Beanz reported that Timberlake started work on his new music project.[3] However, at that time, shortly after the announcement, Timberlake's publicist revealed that there were no current plans for a new Timberlake album, affirming instead that Timberlake was working with Timbaland on songs for his upcoming project Shock Value III.[3] Although, originally planned for release in October 2012, the album's date was postponed because of the singer's wedding with actress Jessica Biel.[1] Timberlake's manager Johnny Wright stated that although in the project were involved artists who are also primarily and Timberlake's friends it was tough keeping the album a secret, making them use codenames for the project.[1] The album was released on March 15, 2013, under the title The 20/20 Experience.[4]

"Don't Hold the Wall" was written by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley,

Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon and James Fauntleroy.[5] The song was produced by Timbaland, Timberlake and Harmon.[5] Timberlake arranged and produced his vocals, which were recorded at Larabee Studios in North Hollywood, California.[5] Harmon provided keyboards for the song, while Elliot Ives played the guitar.[5] The song was engineered by Chris Godbey, with assistance from Alejandro Baima.[5] The song was mixed by Jimmy Douglass, Godbey and Timberlake at Larabee Studios.[5] The song contains samples of "Steel Dream" by Cirque Du Soleil and sections of dialogue from the 1955 film A Word to the Wives...[6]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Don't Hold the Wall" is a R&B song with a length of seven minutes and ten seconds.[7] According to Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle the song "rides a hypnotic, sensual groove".[8] The song contains tribal chants and "oozing" vocal samples.[9] Tribal drums,[10] rainsticks, "spacious drums"[9] and a "pseudo-Indian" beat[11] are also present.

"Don't Hold the Wall" begins a "gorgeous sounding"

Bollywood and Bhangra music.[12] Four minutes and twenty seconds into the song, "Don't Hold the Wall" transcends "darker, more muscular structure", according to Billboard's Jason Lipshutz.[9] The song concludes with drum and bass loops and vocoder backing vocals.[12]

Lyrically, the song sees Timberlake in pursuit of a woman in a club, "something he's undoubtedly had little trouble doing over the years".[14] Timberlake commands the object of his affection to "give in" to her "physical impulses".[9] Timbaland chants, "Dance... Don't hold the wall", in a voice that sounds "as if it is coming through a broken phone receiver", according to Allan Raible of ABC News.[11] According to Lipshutz, Timbaland's production on the song is "the star" of The 20/20 Experience.[9] He wrote that "there are so many things happening" in the song that it takes five listens just to "process them".[9]

Critical response

Sarah Dean of

The Huffington Post called "Don't Hold the Wall" one of the "strongest songs" on The 20/20 Experience. She cited the song as being the "Chop Me Up" of FutureSex/LoveSounds and the "Rock Your Body" of Justified "funked up" for The 20/20 Experience.[14] Allan Raible of ABC News called the song a "sparse, hand-clap jam" that does not warrant its seven-minute length, even with its "marginally interesting breakdown".[11]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The 20/20 Experience.[5]

Locations
Personnel
  • Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley – producer, songwriter
  • Justin Timberlake – Mixer, producer, songwriter, vocal producer, vocal arranger
  • Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon – keyboards, producer, songwriter
  • James Fauntleroy – songwriter
  • Chris Godbey – engineer, mixer
  • Jimmy Douglass – mixer
  • Alejandro Baima – assistant engineer
  • Elliot Ives – guitar

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
South Korea Gaon International Chart[15]
 24
US
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[16]
 4
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[17] 37

References

  1. ^ a b c Aswad, Jem (March 19, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Manager Johnny Wright on Secret Plans Around '20/20 Experience,' Touring, Myspace, More". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  2. ^ Halperin, Shirley (27 March 2013). "How a Live Nation Deal Cornered Justin Timberlake". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  3. ^
    Time Inc
    . Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  4. Apple. Archived from the original
    on March 9, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  5. ^
    Sony Music Entertainment. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link
    )
  6. ^ https://www.whosampled.com/sample/683704/Justin-Timberlake-Don%27t-Hold-the-Wall-A-Word-to-the-Wives-Well,-How-Do-You-Like-It%3F/
  7. ^ Golden, Grant (March 20, 2013). "Timberlake's return just short of a perfect vision". Technician. North Carolina State University. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  8. ^ "Not a drop of hindsight on forward-looking '20/20' – Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Justin Timberlake, 'The 20/20 Experience': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. March 12, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  10. ^ "Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience, album review". Telegraph. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  11. ^ a b c "Review: Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience' – ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. March 23, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  12. ^ a b c "Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience | Album Reviews". musicOMH. March 15, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  13. ^ Bentley, Jean (March 11, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience' is Streaming Online Right Now! An Early Review | Celebrity News". Hollywood.com. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  14. ^ a b Dean, Sarah (March 15, 2013). "Justin Timberlake 'The 20/20 Experience' Review: It's Good to Hear from an Old Friend". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  15. Gaon Chart. Archived from the original
    on March 16, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  16. ^ "Justin Timberlake Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  17. ^ "Justin Timberlake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
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