There’s a good chance you’ve heard Jess Glynne’s “Hold My Hand” as the soundtrack to a chaotic holiday video on TikTok, far removed from its 2015 pop debut. Here’s how a three-week chart-topper became a viral sensation and what its journey says about the power of social media recontextualization.

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Release year: 2015 (Wikipedia – online encyclopedia) ·
Artist: Jess Glynne ·
Album: I Cry When I Laugh ·
UK chart peak: #1 ·
Certification: Platinum (BPI)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • “Hold My Hand” by Jess Glynne reached #1 on UK Singles in March 2015 and was used in Jet2 adverts since 2015 (Wikipedia)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact identity of the first TikTok user who sparked the “Nothing Beats A Jet2 Holiday” trend
  • Whether Jet2 originally commissioned the ad with Jess Glynne’s song or a fan edit started it
  • Exact date the trend passed critical mass
3Timeline signal
  • March 2015 – Song released (#1 for 3 weeks) (Wikipedia)
  • 2015–2016 – Jet2holidays adopts the track for adverts (Wikipedia)
  • 2024 – TikTok trend explodes; named song of the summer 2025 by TikTok (The Independent – UK news outlet)
4What’s next
  • The song will likely remain a staple for travel memes; Jet2 may lean into the trend with official campaigns
  • Jess Glynne’s catalog may see renewed streaming interest tied to the viral moment

Six key facts—one pattern: the same 2015 pop track has lived two completely separate lives, first as a heartfelt ballad and later as a humorous travel meme.

Fact Detail
Release Year 2015 (Wikipedia)
Artist Jess Glynne
Album I Cry When I Laugh (Wikipedia)
Chart Peak (UK) #1 (Wikipedia)
Notable Use Jet2 Holiday TikTok trend (The Independent)

The implication: a song can shed its original meaning entirely when placed in a new context. For Jet2, the emotional register of “Hold My Hand” shifted from romantic support to chaotic holiday comedy.

Who sang the Jet2 song?

Is Jess Glynne the artist behind the Jet2 advert?

Yes. The voice on the Jet2holidays advert is Jess Glynne, an English singer who released “Hold My Hand” on 22 March 2015. The song was written by Jack Patterson, Janee Bennett, Ina Wroldsen, and Glynne herself (Wikipedia – music encyclopedia). Glynne’s powerful vocals and the uplifting chorus made it a natural fit for a holiday advertisement.

How did Jess Glynne’s song become associated with Jet2?

The association dates back to 2015, when Jet2holidays began using the track in TV adverts and in-aircraft announcements (Wikipedia). But the real explosion came in 2024 when TikTok users started pairing the song with videos of holiday disasters—delayed flights, lost luggage, sunburn—under the caption “Nothing Beats A Jet2 Holiday.” The contrast between the upbeat song and the chaotic imagery turned the audio into a meme. By mid-2025, TikTok had named “Hold My Hand” its song of the summer, citing over 4.5 million videos and 50 billion views (The Independent – UK news outlet).

The paradox

Jess Glynne described the resurgence as a “massive surprise” (Wikipedia). A song about seeking comfort became the soundtrack for moments of perfect holiday chaos—and that ironic twist is exactly what made it viral.

The pattern: a brand’s chosen ad soundtrack can take on a life of its own when users embrace it as ironic fuel. Jet2 got years of free marketing, but the tone shifted from polished marketing to raw user-generated comedy.

Which year was Hold My Hand released?

When did Jess Glynne release Hold My Hand?

“Hold My Hand” was released on 22 March 2015 as Jess Glynne’s third solo single (Wikipedia). The official music video appeared on YouTube on 23 February 2015, a month before the single’s release (YouTube – official video).

What album features Hold My Hand?

The song appears on Glynne’s debut studio album, I Cry When I Laugh, released in 2015 (Wikipedia). The album also produced other hits like “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” and “Take Me Home.”

  • Release date: 22 March 2015
  • Album: I Cry When I Laugh
  • Debut chart position: #1 on UK Singles Chart, held for three consecutive weeks (Wikipedia)

What this means: the song achieved commercial success quickly, but its cultural footprint grew much larger a decade later through an entirely different medium—short-form video.

Why is the Jet2 song so popular?

How did the TikTok trend ‘Nothing Beats A Jet2 Holiday’ start?

The trend appears to have begun organically when a TikTok user posted a video of a travel mishap with the Jet2 advert audio playing. The format proved highly shareable: users would lip-sync or react to the voiceover (“Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday…”) while showing something going wrong. According to The Independent, the trend’s meaning is largely ironic—”users pair the cheerful Jet2 soundtrack with messy, embarrassing, or unexpectedly bad holiday moments.”

What factors contributed to the song’s resurgence?

Several factors aligned:

  • The song’s upbeat tempo and recognizable melody made it perfect for short clips
  • Jet2’s own ad had already baked the connection into British pop culture since 2015
  • TikTok’s algorithm rewarded the contrast between cheerful audio and chaotic visuals
  • Media coverage from outlets like The Independent amplified the trend
Why this matters

For brands, the trend shows that relinquishing control of a soundtrack to users can produce exponentially more engagement than a polished campaign. Jet2 didn’t launch the meme—its audience did.

The catch: the trend’s popularity hinges on the original ad’s voiceover by Zoë Lister (Wikipedia), which itself became a meme audio track independent of the song. The song is the carrier; the voiceover is the punchline.

What is the song “Hold My Hand” about?

What are the lyrics to Hold My Hand?

The chorus repeats a simple request: “Hold my hand, everything will be alright.” The lyrics describe seeking comfort and support in a relationship. The song was written by Jack Patterson, Janee Bennett, Ina Wroldsen, and Jess Glynne (Wikipedia).

What is the meaning behind the song?

The song’s emotional center is about reassurance—the singer offers to be a steady presence for someone going through a hard time. Lines like “I’ll be there for you” and “you’re not alone” reinforce a message of solidarity. This original meaning stands in contrast to the ironic holiday-mishap context of the TikTok trend, where the reassurance becomes a punchline.

“Hold my hand, everything will be alright / I’ll be there for you, you know I’ll be there for you”
— Lyrics from “Hold My Hand”, as published on Genius – lyrics database

The disconnect between the song’s earnest message and its memetic use is exactly what drives the humor. Audiences intuitively understand the gap between “everything will be alright” and a video of a toddler spilling juice on a plane seat.

Who sang the original Hold My Hand?

Is Hold My Hand by Lady Gaga a different song?

Yes. Lady Gaga released a song titled “Hold My Hand” in 2022 for the film Top Gun: Maverick. It is a completely different composition—ballad style, written by Gaga and BloodPop (Wikipedia).

Is Hold My Hand by Michael Jackson and Akon different?

Yes. Michael Jackson and Akon released a song called “Hold My Hand” in 2008 (posthumously in 2010). That version is also unrelated to Jess Glynne’s track. There are at least three major songs with the same title from different eras and artists (Wikipedia).

  • Jess Glynne (2015) – pop, UK #1
  • Michael Jackson & Akon (2010) – R&B
  • Lady Gaga (2022) – film soundtrack

The trade-off: title collisions can cause confusion in search, but they also offer a trivia element that enriches the listener’s experience. For most searches about the Jet2 song, the answer is unequivocally Jess Glynne.

Timeline

  • 23 February 2015: Official music video uploaded to YouTube (YouTube – official video)
  • 22 March 2015: Single released
  • 29 March 2015: Debuts at #1 on UK Singles Chart; stays for 3 weeks (Wikipedia)
  • 2015: Jet2holidays begins using the track in advertisements (Wikipedia)
  • 2016: Song certified Platinum by BPI
  • 2024: TikTok trend “Nothing Beats A Jet2 Holiday” goes viral (The Independent)
  • 2025: TikTok names it Song of the Summer (The Independent)

The timeline shows a decade-long gap between commercial peak and viral revival. Few pop songs experience such a delayed second act, especially one driven by irony rather than nostalgia.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

  • Jess Glynne is the singer of “Hold My Hand”
  • Song released in March 2015
  • Jet2holidays used the song in ad campaigns since 2015
  • The TikTok trend generated 50 billion views and 4.5 million videos (The Independent)
  • The trend is ironic in nature

What remains unclear

  • Who created the first viral “Nothing Beats A Jet2 Holiday” video
  • Whether Jet2’s original advert was commissioned by the brand or a fan edit
  • Exact date the trend passed critical mass

The asymmetry is typical of organic trends: the confirmed data is broad and aggregated, while the origin story remains fragmented across individual TikTok accounts.

Expert takes

“Hold my hand, everything will be alright / I’ll be there for you, you know I’ll be there for you”
— Jess Glynne, “Hold My Hand” lyrics, as cited on Genius – lyrics database

“The trend’s meaning is largely ironic: users pair the cheerful Jet2 soundtrack with messy, embarrassing, or unexpectedly bad holiday moments.”
— The Independent – UK news outlet

“Jess Glynne described the song’s resurgence with the associated campaign as a ‘massive surprise.'”
— Wikipedia – online encyclopedia

These perspectives capture the three layers of the story: the artist’s intention, the audience’s reinterpretation, and the cultural commentary that makes the meme stick.

Summary

What began as a straightforward pop ballad about offering comfort became an unintended branding force for Jet2holidays—and then an ironic meme that generated billions of views on TikTok. The song’s journey from UK number one to holiday-ad soundtrack to viral comedy audio shows how meaning can be completely rewritten by context. For Jess Glynne, the resurgence has brought a second wave of streaming attention and media coverage. For brands watching, the lesson is clear: the most powerful marketing may come from letting go of control. For British travelers scrolling TikTok, the next time a flight is delayed, they already know the soundtrack.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the official chart position of Hold My Hand?

It debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart on 29 March 2015 and held that position for three consecutive weeks (Wikipedia).

Is Hold My Hand a single or part of an album?

It was released as the third single from Jess Glynne’s debut album I Cry When I Laugh (Wikipedia).

Did Jess Glynne write Hold My Hand?

Yes, she co-wrote the song with Jack Patterson, Janee Bennett, and Ina Wroldsen (Wikipedia).

How long is the song?

The album version runs approximately 3 minutes and 47 seconds.

What genre is Hold My Hand?

It is a pop song with soul/R&B influences, typical of Jess Glynne’s style.

Is Hold My Hand available on streaming platforms?

Yes, it is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and all major streaming services (YouTube – official video).

What is the BPM of Hold My Hand?

The song has a tempo of approximately 120 BPM.

Did Hold My Hand win any awards?

While the song itself did not win major awards, it contributed to Jess Glynne’s reputation as a chart-topping artist and was certified Platinum by BPI.