"Barely Holdin' On" | ||||
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Single by Polo G | ||||
from the album Hood Poet | ||||
Released | August 18, 2023 | |||
Length | 2:54 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | ||||
Polo G singles chronology | ||||
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"Barely Holdin' On" is a song by American rapper Polo G. It was released on August 18, 2023, as the second single from his fourth studio album, Hood Poet . The song was produced by Southside, Dr. Luke, and Noah Goldstein.
On August 15, 2023, Bartlett officially announced his next album, Hood Poet . He announced the single for release the following Friday, with the album to release on September 15, 2023. [1]
The song features tranquil guitars and keyboards and a fidgety beat. [2] Throughout the song, Polo raps about his mental-health and gunplay, with lines such as: "Ain't hard to figure him out 'cause all his thoughts was tweeted/ We blew some shots to shut him up, that's why his top was leakin'." [3] In the first verse, Polo G mentions his childhood friend who was shot and killed in a drive-by on September 18, 2014, [2] [4] while in the second verse he raps about his upbringing, in which he raps about his heavy trauma. [2]
Alexander Cole of HotNewHipHop called the track "an uplifting yet emotional song that speaks to some of the trauma Polo G has faced throughout his life." [5] Vibe said that the song "soundtracks the visual, but paints a picture of the artist attempting to rationalize his own trauma, as well." [4]
Polo G released the song's music video on August 18, 2023. It was directed by Araad and shows scenes of Polo G at a piano as well as with living individuals who each go through their own struggles. [6] [7]
Technical
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
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Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [8] | 93 |
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [9] | 4 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] | 68 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [11] | 23 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [12] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |