“Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

“Can’t Hold Us” is one of the most monumental hip-hop songs by American hip-hop music duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. According to hip-hop jargon, saying someone ‘can’t hold’ you is a way of saying they can’t compete. And likewise what Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are basically telling the world is that nothing can stop them from rising to the top. This is not only due to the strength of their own success but also because the crew from their hometown – Seattle, Washington – has their back.

They also make numerous references to the nostalgic days of rap music. And even though they state they will “fight ‘til it’s over”, this is likely in the symbolic sense as this is clearly a rap song that has more of a feel-good, celebratory vibe than a competitive one.

Facts about “Can’t Hold Us”

• “Can’t Hold Us” was released on 16 August 2011. It was featured on the duo’s 2012 album “the Heist”. The song is actually the third single from that album.
• The music-streaming service Spotify awarded this track “the Most-Streamed Song of 2013”.
• As of 2018, “Can’t Hold Us” had sold over 4 million copies in America alone.
• A remix of this song was made, called “Just Can’t Hold Us”, featuring rap legend Eminem.
• The music video for this song, which earned two MTV Video Music Awards, was premiered on 17 April 2013 by Macklemore.
• This song has been used in commercials for many prominent companies, including Microsoft, ESPN and the Miller Brewing Company.
• The track was also featured in the 2013 “Jobs” motion picture, a couple of video games (including NBA 2K14) and in a number of other pop media.
• In 2012 “Can’t Hold Us” was the official touchdown song of the Seattle Seahawks, an American football team. FYI: Macklemore is a Seattle native.
• The song features vocals from American singer Ray Darlton. Dalton’s vocals were added in the latter stage of the song’s production, as they had finished the entire track but didn’t have a hook. Darlton helped them with the hook. It’s noteworthy that Darlton was also born in Seattle, Washington.
• The track was written by Macklemore, Lewis and Darlton. Lewis handled the production.
• The record label this song was released on is Macklemore LLC.

Did “Can’t Hold Us” win a Grammy?

No. Its music video was however, nominated for a Grammy at the 2014 Grammy Awards in the category for Best Music Video. It lost to Justin Timberlake and Jay Z’s “Suit & Tie”.

Are there any covers of “Can’t Hold Us”?

Yes. Some of the artists who have covered this song include: Pentatonix, Sumo Cyco and Emblem3.

How did “Can’t Hold Us” perform on the charts?

It performed very well in charts across the globe. For example, in 2013, the song earned the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the second time Macklemore and Ryan Lewis achieved this feat.

When “Can’t Hold Us” reached the number 1 spot on the Hot 100, the duo made history. And what history was this? They became the first duo in the entire history of the Hot 100 to have their first two singles reach number 1. The other single was “Thrift Shop”.

Away, from the US, the song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number on in Australia. This feat gave the duo their third consecutive number-one song in Australia.