"Free" is a song by American singer
Mýa
Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ ...
. It served as the third and final single from her second
studio album, ''
Fear of Flying
Fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane, or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromechanophobia (although a ...
'' (2000), in December 2000. Originally featured on the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
to the 2000 film ''
Bait'', the song was one of the two tracks added to the re-release edition of ''Fear of Flying'' on November 7, 2000. It was written and composed by
Jimmy Jam, Harrison,
Terry Lewis,
Alexander Richbourg, and
Tony Tolbert. Lyrically, "Free" addresses on independence.
The song received generally mixed reviews from
contemporary music critics, musically comparing it to
Janet Jackson’s third studio album ''
Control'' (1986). "Free" underperformed on ''
Billboard''s US
Hot 100; peaking and spending two non-consecutive weeks at number 42. It was the second single by Harrison that failed to reach the coveted Top 40. It performed even worse on ''Billboard''s component
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
chart peaking at a moderately low number 52. Internationally, the single reached the top five in Australia and top 20 in the United Kingdom. The song's accompanying
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 ...
was filmed by director
Dave Meyers. Harrison incorporates various dance routines throughout the video, choreographed by Brian "Footwork" Green, which won him an ACA (American Choreographer's Award) in 2001.
Background and composition
Before being added to the re-release edition of ''Fear of Flying'', "Free" was initially released as the first single to feature film ''
Bait'' (2000) starring
Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film '' Ray'', for which he won the ...
.
Co-written by Mýa, "Free" is in the key of
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major.
The B natural minor scale is:
:
Changes neede ...
. The song's tempo is set at a moderate
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
beat at 112
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ( ...
in
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
. Harrison's
vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...
span from a F
3 to D
5. The lyrics of "Free" are composed in the traditional
verse-chorus form. Mýa opens the song with brief spoken lyrics. She begins the first verse, followed by the chorus leading her into the second verse. The song continues to the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
, chorus, then fades out with Mýa's
chant
A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...
.
Critical reception
Free garnered mixed to positive reviews. Chuck Taylor from ''
Billboard'' compared the song to production duo
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...
earlier work with
Janet Jackson and added: "Free" is all about being a strong, self-sufficient, independent woman—a nearly ubiquitous theme these days among female artists (check out currents songs by
Destiny’s Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
,
Kandi, and
Chanté Moore
Chanté Torrane Moore (born February 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, and author. Rising to fame in the early 1990s, Moore established herself as an R&B singer.
Her debut studio album '' Precious'' w ...
). But what comes across strongest in this song is the trademark Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis sound. As a matter of fact, the track practically rips off what we know as the Janet Jackson style, with Mýa’s fragile voice possessing many of the same qualities as Janet’s. Acknowledging, "Free" is just a little too girly pop-sounding, even for the pop audience out there today." ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' gave the song a mixed review and rated the single four out of ten stars writing, "
R&B's enduring (annoying?) cutesy pie has done the double. Released a single that ties in with her butter wouldn't melt image -how else to you explain the lyrics, "I'm me/single, sexy and free"? Yes, make no mistake, this is Mýa trapped in Lolita land (check out the video below) not sure if she's the insolent girlfriend ('
Case of the Ex
"Case of the Ex" (sometimes subtitled "Whatcha Gonna Do") is a song by American singer Mýa. It was written and composed by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and his songwriting partners Traci Hale and Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanyne for Mýa's second studi ...
') or, as this track would paint her, a pre-teen with no idea of her temptation, but aware that she has 'something about her'. Musically, this is right up
Janet Jackson's old alley - more so before Janet found '
Control
Control may refer to:
Basic meanings Economics and business
* Control (management), an element of management
* Control, an element of management accounting
* Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization
* Controllin ...
' and became obsessed with sex. So, if you're a chick who's so cute you turn yourself on, but still a virgin, this is your anthem. But of course, you'll be singing it to yourself, cos you love yourself so darn much, won't ya?! Writing for
Yahoo! Music UK
Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds ...
, Cyd Jaymes described "Free" as a mighty, bass-laden funky R&B groove with hints of Janet Jackson,
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
and
J.Lo
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
which should steam up many a window.
Chart performance
In the United States, for the issue dated week of February 3, 2001, "Free" was
Billboard's
Hot 100 “Hot Shot Debut” of the week debuting at number 76. In its third week it ascended from 74-61 issue dated week of February 17, 2001. The song reached its peak at number 41 in its fourth week ascending from 61-41 issue dated week of February 24, 2001. It spent a total of 17 consecutive weeks on the chart. It was the second single released by Harrison to miss the coveted pop Top 40. On ''Billboard''s
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
chart the song failed to achieve success; peaking at a moderately low fifty-two issue dated week of December 28, 2000.
Despite its chart placements in the U.S., "Free" was moderately successful in international territories. In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, "Free" became her second Top Ten (solo) third overall, it debuted at number 11 during the week of June 3, 2001. It reached its peak at number four in its sixth week during the week of July 8, 2001. It spent a total of 21 consecutive weeks altogether on the chart and was certified platinum by
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
for shipments of 70,000 units sold. It found success in the
UK where it became her fifth Top 20 hit, it debuted and peaked at number 11 during the week of June 9, 2001. It spent a total of 6 consecutive weeks on the chart.
Music video
The
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 ...
for "Free" was directed by
Dave Meyers. Harrison explained to
LAUNCH how involved she was in the making of "Free" speaking on following: the
roller-skating
Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, sid ...
, party dances, locking and Waacking were actually of all her concepts. Harrison got together with an underground
dancer
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...
/
choreographer
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...
named Brian Green (a.k.a. Brian " Footwork " Green ), and they put it together on their own. Mýa revealed it was a struggle and a fight working with someone underground because he's not established, but continued by saying that was the best thing about making "Free" because I knew him and what he had to offer and it was great. "Free" premiered on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
TRL TRL or trl may refer to:
Arts
* Temporary Residence Limited, a record label
* ''Total Request Live'', a former MTV show
* TRL Awards (''Total Request Live''), an Italian music award
Libraries
* Tampines Regional Library, a regional library in Ta ...
'' and
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
's ''
106 & Park
''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
'' on November 16, 2000.
Track listings
German CD single
# Free (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Video Edit) – 4:08
# Free (Milk & Sugar Club Mix) – 7:38
German Remix 12-inch single and vinyl single
:A1 Free (Milk & Sugar Club Remix) – 7:38
:A2 Free (Milk & Sugar Club Instrumental) – 7:38
:B1 Free (Milk & Sugar Vocal Dub) – 5:52
:B2 Free (Milk & Sugar Dub Instrumental) – 5:52
Germany 12-inch single
:A1 Free (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Version) – 5:21
:A2 Free (Ricco Version) – 4:11
:B1 Free (Howard Cross Version) – 3:14
:B2 Free (Instrumental) – 4:11
Germany maxi-single
# Free (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Video Edit) – 4:08
# Free (Ricco Version) – 4:11
# Free (Milk & Sugar Radio Mix) – 3:23
# Free (Howard & Cross Version) – 3:14
# Free (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Version) – 5:21
# Free (Milk & Sugar Club Mix) – 7:38
U.S. 12-inch single and vinyl single
:A1 Free (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Version) – 5:21
:A2 Free (Ricco Version) – 4:11
:B1 Free (Howard Cross Version) – 3:14
:B2 Free (Instrumental) – 4:11
European maxi-single
# Free – 5:21
# Free (X.Men Vocal Mix) – 4:19
# Free (Ricco Version) – 4:11
# Free (Video CD-ROM)
UK 12-inch single and vinyl single
:A1 Free (X.Men Vocal Mix) – 4:19
:A2 Free (Milk & Sugar Club Mix) – 7:38
:B1 Free (X.Men Dub) – 4:56
:B2 Free (Milk & Sugar Dub)
UK 12-inch single and vinyl singlee
:A1 Free (Original Mix)
:A2 Free (Ricco Version)
:B Free (X-Men Vocal Mix)
Australia maxi-single and enhanced CD
# Free (Album Version) – 5:16
# Free (Milk & Sugar Mix) – 3:23
# Free (Howard & Cross Version) – 4:20
# Case Of The Ex (Mýa Remix) – 3:31
# Free (Milk & Sugar Club Mix) – 7:28
# Free (Milk & Sugar Club Mix Instrumental) – 7:28
# Video Free
Credits and personnel
* Produced by:
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...
* Co-produced by:
"Big Jim" Wright
* Engineered & Mixed by: Steve Hodge
* Assistant Engineers: Brad Yost, Xavier Smith
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Free (Mya Song)
2000 singles
2000 songs
Interscope Records singles
Mýa songs
Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Songs with feminist themes
Songs written by Alexander Richbourg
Songs written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Songs written by Mýa