"Freeek!" is a song written and performed by English singer

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

. The song contains samples from " Try Again" by

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...

, " Breathe and Stop" by

Q-Tip Cotton swabs (American English) or cotton buds (British English), also Q-tips ( proprietary eponym), are wads of cotton wrapped around a short rod made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are most commonly used for ear cleaning, although th ...

, and "N.T." by

Kool & the Gang Kool & the Gang is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B, soul music, soul, and funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964. Its founding members include brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell (musician), Ronald Bell (also known as " ...

. A remastered version called "Freeek! '04" was later included on Michael's fifth and final studio album, ''

Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

'' (2004). The single was released on 18 March 2002; the first of six to come from ''Patience'', although the album itself was not released until 2004. The song peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and also charted within the top ten in many other European countries. It topped the charts of Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, and Spain and reached number five in Australia.

Music video

The music video for "Freeek!" was directed by Joseph Kahn. It incorporates a futuristic theme, including

cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...

'', with a sexually aggressive tone. The directorial effects in the video were first used in

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 " Doesn't Really Matter" video, also directed by Kahn. With a production budget of $2 million (equivalent to $3.3 million in 2023), the music video for "Freeek!" was among the most expensive music videos made.

Track listings

UK and Australian CD1 # "Freeek!" # "Freeek!" (The Scumfrogs mix) # "Freeek!" (Moogymen mix) UK and Australian CD2 # "Freeek!" # "Freeek!" (Max Reich mix) # "

The Long and Winding Road "The Long and Winding Road" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album '' Let It Be''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. When issued as a single in May 1970, a month after the Beat ...

" (

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

cover) UK cassette single and European CD single # "Freeek!" # "The Long and Winding Road" (Beatles cover) Japanese CD single # "Freeek!" # "Freeek!" (The Scumfrogs mix) # "Freeek!" (Moogymen mix) # "Freeek!" (Max Reich mix) # "The Long and Winding Road" (Beatles cover)

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2002 songs 2002 singles British funk songs George Michael songs Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn Number-one singles in Denmark Number-one singles in Hungary Number-one singles in Italy Number-one singles in Portugal Number-one singles in Spain Polydor Records singles Song recordings produced by George Michael Songs about BDSM Songs written by George Michael