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10 songs that feel like Holding on to You

Matched to Holding on to You by Twenty One Pilots on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.

Holding on to You
The song you love
Holding on to You
Twenty One Pilots
moderate 50/100 intensity 85 BPM
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Go Let It Out — Oasis moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

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Breathe — U2 moderate 78 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (49/100). Same layered texture.

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Ain't Your Mama — Jennifer Lopez moderate 95 BPM

Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Measured 98% alike.

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Poison Oak — Bright Eyes moderate 85 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

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More Than a Feeling — Boston moderate 100 BPM

A 97% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100).

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Put Your Lights On — Santana featuring Everlast moderate 102 BPM

97% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (51/100). Same layered texture.

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Until It Sleeps — Metallica moderate 90 BPM

Keeps the same cathartic pull — lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Measured 99% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

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Last Last — Burna Boy moderate 90 BPM

Measures 99% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

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I Ain't Mad At Cha — 2Pac featuring Ice Cube moderate 90 BPM

A 99% feel-match — carries the same cathartic pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).

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Ya No Hay Nadie Que Me Pueda Salvar — Luis Fonsi moderate 90 BPM

99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (50/100). Same layered texture.

…and if you want it calmer

Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Holding on to You is more than you want right now.

Mas Que Nada by Jorge Ben
Mas Que Nada — Jorge Ben safe 100 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. Intensity 35/100, down from 50.

Riptide by Vance Joy
Riptide — Vance Joy safe 100 BPM

Its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7, so it lands at 22/100 — the pull without the edge.

Have You Ever by Brandy
Have You Ever — Brandy safe 80 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 24/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

One Piece at a Time by Johnny Cash
One Piece at a Time — Johnny Cash safe 90 BPM

Holds the same feel while its dynamic range stays a gentler 5 where the original climbs to 7. 29/100, versus the original's 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé
If I Were a Boy — Beyoncé safe 92 BPM

Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 28/100, down from 50. Nearly the same tempo, too.

The Best Thing I Never Had by Beyoncé
The Best Thing I Never Had — Beyoncé safe 81 BPM

Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 27/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.

That's the Way It Is by Celine Dion
That's the Way It Is — Celine Dion safe 90 BPM

If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 36/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.

Jump by Madonna
Jump — Madonna safe 125 BPM

Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 45/100, versus the original's 50.

Frequently asked

What songs sound like “Holding on to You” by Twenty One Pilots?

The closest feel-matches we measure are “Go Let It Out” by Oasis, “Breathe” by U2, “Ain't Your Mama” by Jennifer Lopez — the top match scores 99% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.

What songs are like “Holding on to You” but calmer?

“Mas Que Nada” by Jorge Ben, “Riptide” by Vance Joy, “Have You Ever” by Brandy keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.

How intense is “Holding on to You”?

It measures 50/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild sudden shifts, and dynamic vocals. Tempo is 85 BPM.

How do you decide which songs are similar?

Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.

By the numbers: how this song compares

Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.

Where it sits in 19,000 songs

On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 62% of songs, calmer than the other 38%. Its intensity reading of 50/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.

What makes it unusual

What stands out most about this song is a slow, unhurried pace: more extreme on that axis than 77% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.

Feels almost identical to

Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.

What it’s good for

Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout3/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype4/10

Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.

2013 in context

The 408 songs we’ve measured from 2013 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 7/10, this track is right in line with its year.

Mixes smoothly with

Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.

The fingerprint

Intensity50
Dynamics67
Tempo25
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load0

The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.

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