"Free" is a song by American singer

Mýa Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), known professionally as Mýa, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress. She was born in Washington D.C. and studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Her ca ...

. It served as the third and final single from her second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, ''

Fear of Flying Fear of flying is the fear of being on an aircraft, such as an airplane or helicopter, while it is in flight. It is also referred to as flying anxiety, flying phobia, flight phobia, aviophobia, aerophobia, or pteromerhanophobia (although aero ...

'' (2000), in December 2000. Originally featured on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

to the 2000 film ''

Bait Bait may refer to: General * Bait (luring substance), bait as a luring substance ** Fishing bait, bait used for fishing Film * ''Bait'' (1950 film), a British crime film by Frank Richardson * ''Bait'' (1954 film), an American noir film by Hugo ...

'', 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 Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

, Harrison, Terry Lewis, Alexander Richbourg, and

Tony Tolbert Anthony Lewis Tolbert (born December 29, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UTEP Miners and was sele ...

. Lyrically, "Free" addresses on independence. The song received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, musically comparing it to

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

’s third studio album ''

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 * Controlling ...

'' (1986). "Free" underperformed on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s US

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; 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 ...

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 that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

was filmed by director

Dave Meyers David Meyers may refer to: *Dave Meyers (director) (born 1972), American music video director *Dave Meyers (basketball) David William Meyers (April 21, 1953 – October 9, 2015) was an American basketball player who played for the Milwaukee Buck ...

. 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 ''

'' (2000) starring

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Grammy Award ...

. 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 need ...

. The song's tempo is set at a moderate

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. 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 * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...

. 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 F₃ to D₅. 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 (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

, 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 no ...

Critical reception

Free garnered mixed to positive reviews. Chuck Taylor from ''

'' 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. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with vari ...

earlier work with

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 lineup 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, record producer, television personality, and author. The first signee with record executive Louis Silas, Jr.'s Silas Records, she rose to prominence with her debu ...

). 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, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' 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') 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

's old alley - more so before Janet found '

' 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 music services including Internet radio, a digital music store, music streaming service, media player software, and original programming. Yahoo Music was sold to Rhapsody in early 2008. Pro ...

, 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 lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...

and J.Lo which should steam up many a window.

Accolades

Chart performance

In the United States, for the issue dated week of February 3, 2001, "Free" was

“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

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 country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, "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 Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...

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

for "Free" was directed by

. Harrison explained to

LAUNCH Launch or launched may refer to: Involving vehicles * Launch (boat), one of several different sorts of boat ** Motor launch (naval), a small military vessel used by the Royal Navy * Air launch, the practice of dropping an aircraft, rocket, or ...

how involved she was in the making of "Free" speaking on following: the roller-skating, party dances, locking and Waacking were actually of all her concepts. Harrison got together with an underground

dancer Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

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 (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

's '' TRL'' and

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

'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.

Live performances

Mya performed "Free" on multiple

talk shows A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (20 ...

and award shows. On November 11, 2000, she performed "Free" on ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois, for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featu ...

''. On December 7, 2000, she performed at

's ''Fashionably Loud''. In February 2001, Mya performed at ''

The Rosie O'Donnell Show ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety show, variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on June 27, 200 ...

''. The following week, February 28, 2001, she hosted and performed at the

2001 Soul Train Music Awards The 2001 Soul Train Music Awards were held on February 28, 2001, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Queen Latifah, Mýa, and Shemar Moore. Special awards Quincy Jones Award for Career Achievement * The ...

. On April 17, 2001, she performed at ''

The Queen Latifah Show ''The Queen Latifah Show'' is an American television talk show hosted by Queen Latifah. The original ''The Queen Latifah Show'' ran from September 13, 1999, to August 31, 2001. The revamped ''The Queen Latifah Show'' ran from September 16, 2013, ...

''.

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 single :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

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Fear of Flying''.

Recording

*Recorded at Flyte Tyme Studios (

Edina, Minnesota Edina ( , ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous ci ...

) *Mixed at Flyte Tyme Studios (Edna, Minnesota)

Personnel

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. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with var ...

– production * "Big Jim" Wright – co-production *Steve Hodge – recording engineer, mixing *Brad Yost – recording engineer assistance *Xavier Smith – recording engineer assistance

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