Hold Fast (song)

"Hold Fast" received generally positive critical reception. Steve Losey of Allmusic commented that the song "is rock with polish"[1] and that "Nathan Cochran's bass groove not only sounds heavy but its very tone exudes sweat".[1] He also opined that "The mid-song bridge shows the band at their pinnacle when the guitars build to Millard's intense vocals".[1] Russ Breimier of Christianity Today commented that the song "initially sounds much like [MercyMe's] usual balladry, but then relies on heavier guitars and a powerhouse build during the bridge (a la Coldplay), as well as some clever lyrics to address the intended audience".[4]

"Hold Fast" debuted at No. 23 on the Hot Christian Songs chart for the chart week of October 28, 2006.[5] In its sixth chart week the song advanced to No. 6,[6] but dropped to No. 10 the next week.[7] In its eighth chart week "Hold Fast" dropped out of the top ten entirely, falling to No. 12.[8] The song dropped to No. 16 in its tenth chart week,[9] and then to No. 24 in its eleventh,[10] but jumped to No. 3 in its twelfth chart week.[11] The song held the spot for a further three weeks[12][13][14] before dropping to No. 4 in its sixteenth chart week.[15] The song spent a total of twenty-five weeks on the chart before dropping out.[16]

On the Adult Contemporary chart, "Hold Fast" debuted at No. 28 for the chart week of April 4, 2007,[17] It achieved its peak position of No. 27 in its fifth chart week,[18] and spent a total of eight weeks on the chart.[16][19]