"Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" is a song by Zambian-born Zimbabwean singer

Rozalla Rozalla Miller (born 18 March 1964), better known as simply Rozalla, is a Zimbabwean electronic music performer who was born in what was then Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). At the age of 18, she moved with her parents to her father's country ...

, released in August 1991 as the second single from her second album, '' Everybody's Free'' (1992). It had been a staple in the clubs in Ibiza and Mallorca in the summer of 1991, and hordes of recovering ravers were delighted to find "that tune about being free to feel good and stuff" was available to buy back home. Upon its release, the song reached number two in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, while entering the top 10 in Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the single reached number six, and in Zimbabwe, it peaked at number four. It also topped the US '' Billboard''

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart. The song is widely regarded as one of the biggest dance anthems of the 1990s and it has been remixed and re-released several times.

Recording

The song was recorded in the Peer Music studio, in a basement on

Denmark Street Denmark Street is a street on the edge of London's West End running from Charing Cross Road to St Giles High Street. It is near St Giles in the Fields Church and Tottenham Court Road station. The street was developed in the late 17th centu ...

in London's West End. In the 2017 book, ''Stars of 90's Dance Pop: 29 Hitmakers Discuss Their Careers'' by James Arena, Rozalla told about the making of "Everybody's Free", "Nigel wanstongave me the song to sing, or at least the chorus, but I should mention that I couldn't sing any song exactly the way the writer or producer might necessarily have wanted me to. I always had to personalize it. Well, I went in and sang the chorus over and over until we had a sound that everyone loved. We played the chorus on the studio speakers, and we just knew we had it — our hook. That put Nigel on the next level to find the verses, the storyline so-to-speak, to go with the chorus."

Critical reception

Barry Walters from '' The Advocate'' complimented the song as "fabulous".

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

editor William Cooper described it as a "catchy, cathartic rave anthem that managed to cross over to the

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

pop charts." Larry Flick from '' Billboard'' deemed it "bright and invigorating", and "imbued with anthemic U.S. house vibes and lush Euro-disco execution". He also viewed it as a "brain-embedding anthem", and complimented the singer's "crystalline voice." Amy Linden from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

'' called it "soaring". She stated that Rozalla "radiates independence" and "seizes the mystical, richly textured,

techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...

-house reins and rides, stating her case with total clarity and power, injecting heart and depth into a genre that is often soulless." Dave Sholin from the '' Gavin Report'' noted that "one of the most electrifying tracks around is far from new to audiences around the world. Just think of a country and chances are good that this has been #1 there. Following some lengthy delays on the official U.S. release, here it is ready to explode at Top 40." Davydd Chong from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

s ''RM'' Dance Update called it both "pulsating" and "anthemic". Another editor, James Hamilton, described it as a "moodily started then scampering and raving jangly Italo style cheerful galloper". In an retrospective review, Pop Rescue wrote that "Everybody's Free" "really showcases Rozalla’s vocal range", declaring it as "brilliant". Mark Coleman from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' felt "it's unforgettable once it gets under your skin. There's a subtle African rhythmic influence bubbling under the raving synth lines, and Rozalla pulls a bittersweet melody out of the hedonistic chorus." Another editor, Al Weisel described it as an "ecstatic" single. Anita Naik from '' Smash Hits'' viewed it as an "ear-splitting rave number". The magazine's Marc Andrews felt it "contained one of the most memorable spazz drum "sequences" in recent history". Jonathan Bernstein from '' Spin'' wrote, "Lumbered with the misnomer "Queen of Rave", this Zambian minx strikes a mighty blow for her side in the up-to-now unequal battle of woman against machine. With grace and grit, Rozalla transforms the standard house thump into a living, breathing, beating heart."

Chart performances

"Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" first charted in the United Kingdom in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

, peaking at number six. It made the top 40 best selling UK singles of 1991, at position 40. The success soon crossed over to the rest of Europe, where the single reached number two in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. It made it to the top 10 also in Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it peaked at number six in January 1992. Additionally, "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" was a top 20 hit in Austria, Finland and Italy. Outside Europe, it peaked at number-one on the '' Billboard''

chart in the United States, number two on the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' Dance/Urban chart in Canada, number 11 in Australia and number 14 in New Zealand. The song was not released in the United States until 1992, when Rozalla was signed to Epic Records after a sought-after bidding war. It performed extremely well on the

chart, climbing to number one. On the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, the track was a top 40 Hit, reaching number 37.

Music video

Various

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

s exist for "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)". One of them, a semi-live performance video directed by Nick Burgess-Jones for Rozalla's original label Pulse 8, first aired in September 1991. In the United States, Epic had Rozalla record a different video (shot in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

). Rozalla also shot a video for her 1996 remix in Africa and another for the 2002 version with German Eurodance group

Aquagen Aquagen is a German electronic dance music duo, consisting of Gino Montesano and Olaf Dieckmann. They initially achieved success with their single "Ihr Seid So Leise" ("Why Are You So Quiet?"), which sold more than 250,000 copies in Germany. D ...

. Australian TV network Ten and affiliates used the Global Deejays remix to advertise the 2009 series of ''

So You Think You Can Dance Australia ''So You Think You Can Dance Australia'' is an Australian version of the American reality dance competition ''So You Think You Can Dance''. The show is hosted by Carrie Bickmore, with judges Paula Abdul, Shannon Holtzapffel, Jason Gilkison and ...

''.

Remixes

"Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" has been remixed various times. In 1996, a remix reached number 30 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. In 2000, she re-recorded with Richard 'Humpty' Vission and had a minor US dance hit. In 2002 came the

remix of the song, which reached number 22 in Germany, followed by a Delerium & Faze remix in 2005. The following year came from Italian Kortezman the new remix of the song. A shortened version of the Aquagen remix was used in the introduction to ''

The Venture Bros. ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on February 16, 200 ...

'' episode, " Powerless in the Face of Death". In 2015, the single received an updated remix, billed as the "Crazy Ibiza Remix," which Rozalla loved, and then commented on her Facebook page thanking the fans and mixers who continue to keep the song alive to this day.

Impact and legacy

"Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)" won an award in the category for Best hi-NRG 12-inch Single on the 1993 WMC International Dance Music Awards. It was ranked number two in "The Top 10 Dance Tunes Of The '90s" for '' Attitude'' in 2016. American entertainment company '' BuzzFeed'' ranked it number 47 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s" in 2017. ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' ranked the song number 15 in ther list of "Before EDM: 30 Dance Tracks From The '90s That Changed The Game" in 2018.

Accolades

(*) indicates the list is unordered.

Track listings

Original version

* 7" single # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (free radio mix) – 3:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba mix) – 4:00 * 12" maxi # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (original mix) – 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba mix) – 6:05 * 12" maxi – Italy # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (original mix) – 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (7" edit) – 3:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba mix) – 6:00 * CD single # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (original mix) – 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba edit) – 3:58 * CD maxi – Australia # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (original mix – edit) – 3:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (original mix) – 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba mix) – 6:10 * CD maxi – France, Belgium # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" – 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba mix) – 6:05 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (a cappella-Italia mix) – 6:06 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (africana mix) – 7:17 * CD maxi – Germany # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (club mix) – 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba mix) – 5:57 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (free radio mix) – 3:33 * CD maxi – UK # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (original mix) – 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba mix) – 6:06 # "

Faith (In the Power of Love) "Faith (In the Power of Love)" is a song by Zambian-born singer Rozalla. It was released in April 1991 as the third single from her second album, '' Everybody's Free'' (1992). The single first charted in the UK in April 1991, reaching No. 65. The ...

" (coola vibes) – 7:23 * Cassette # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (original mix) - 6:40 # "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" (Free Bemba)

Aquagen featuring Rozalla version

* CD maxi # "Everybody's Free" (radio edit) – 3:40 # "Everybody's Free" (original album version) – 6:35 # "Everybody's Free" (extended mix) – 8:50 # "Everybody's Free" (club mix) – 6:10 # "Everybody's Free" (Dance Nation remix) – 7:23 # "Everybody's Free" (Green Court remix) – 8:44 # "Everybody's Free" ( Kosmonova remix) – 5:35

Global Deejays featuring Rozalla version

* CD maxi # "Everybody's Free" (General Electric version) – 7:00 # "Everybody's Free" (2elements mix) – 6:37 # "Everybody's Free" (Klaas remix) – 6:38 # "Everybody's Free" (Markito's sunlight remix) – 6:07

Charts

Weekly charts

Original version

Remix versions

¹ By Richard umptyVission featuring Rozalla
² By Aquagen featuring Rozalla
³ By Global Deejays featuring Rozalla

Year-end charts

Cover versions

Quindon Tarver Quindon Dan Tarver (August 4, 1982 – April 1, 2021) was an American singer. He was best known for his covers of Prince's "When Doves Cry" and Rozalla's " Everybody's Free" for the 1996 film ''William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet''. Life and ca ...

performed a choral cover for the 1996 film ''

Romeo + Juliet Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a pries ...

.'' His version was later sampled for Baz Luhrmann's single "

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young", commonly known by the title "Wear Sunscreen", is an essay written as a hypothetical commencement speech by columnist Mary Schmich, originally published in June 1997 in the ''Chicago Tribune' ...

". Blümchen - Ich Bin Wieder Hier (1998) German cover in happy hardcore style. Global Deejays released a version of "Everybody's Free" in 2008 that was credited to Global Deejays featuring Rozalla. It features guitars and strong dance beats. It was used in television promotions for ''

'' and debuted at number 33 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It climbed to number 7, which made it Rozalla's highest-charting single in Australia. Australian singer Nat Conway released a synthpop cover produced by

MNEK Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike (born 9 November 1994), professionally known by his stage name MNEK (, ), is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Award, and has received the ASCAP Vangua ...

on 19 August 2016 as her debut single. In 2015, Conway had performed the track as her audition song on the seventh series of

The X Factor Australia ''The X Factor'' is an Australian television reality music competition, based on the original UK series, to find new singing talent. The first season of the show premiered on Network Ten on 6 February 2005. Ten dropped ''The X Factor'' after ...

. She went on to finish 6th and she signed a record deal with label

Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. SMEA also formerly published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of Sony ...

. Kylie Minogue covered the song for her 2016 album '' Kylie Christmas: Snow Queen Edition''. The cover was used in a Christmas TV advertisement for British pharmacy chain

Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Boot or Boots may also refer to: Businesses * Boot Inn, Chester, Cheshire, England * Boots (company), a high-street pharmacy chain and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom * The Boot, Cromer St ...

. In 2022, Minogue's version was used in the film Bros. In the same year,

Chase & Status Chase & Status are an English electronic music duo composed of Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status). In addition, Andy Gangadeen is the drummer when the band performs live. MC Rage formerly performed as MC with the group, but left in J ...

sampled the track's chorus for their song "

Spoken Word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

", featuring George the Poet. The Finnish EDM producer Jaakko Salovaara, known as JS16, released a cover version on May 28, 2021, featuring Alora & Senii and Felix Ojack.

References

{{authority control 1991 singles 1991 songs 2016 songs Epic Records singles Kylie Minogue songs Music videos directed by Nick Burgess-Jones Music Week number-one dance singles Pulse 8 singles Rozalla songs Songs against racism and xenophobia Songs written by Nigel Swanston