Freed from Desire

"Freed from Desire" is a song written and recorded by the Brooklyn-based Italian singer and songwriter Gala. It was released in 1996 as the first single from her first album Come into My Life. "Freed from Desire" was a hit in many European countries, reaching number 1 in France and Belgium. The track was released in the UK in July 1997 and peaked at number 2 and spent 8 weeks inside the Top 10 and 14 weeks in total in the Top 75. Gala achieved a Diamond recording award in France, a Platinum record in Benelux and a Gold record in the United Kingdom.

"Freed from Desire"
Single by Gala
from the album Come into My Life
B-side"Freed From Desire" (mixes/remixes)
Released1996
GenreEurodance[1]
Length
  • 3:50 (album version)
  • 3:27 (single)
Label
  • ZYX (Germany)
  • Fact (Netherlands)
  • Nitelite (Italy)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Maurizio Molella
  • Phil Jay
Gala singles chronology
"Everyone Has Inside"
(1996)		 "Freed from Desire"
(1996)		 "Let a Boy Cry"
(1997)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Alternative cover
Music video
"Freed from Desire" on YouTube

The song was written and composed by Gala, and produced by Filippo Andrea Carmeni and Maurizio Molella.

Other versions

In 2016, Gala recorded an acoustic version of "Freed from Desire" at Les Studios Saint Germain in Paris, for the movie Un homme à la hauteur directed by Laurent Tirard with Jean Dujardin.

The chorus was adapted in 2012 by Stevenage F.C. fans for winger Luke Freeman as: "Freeman's on fire, your right back is terrified!"[2] Following that, in early 2016, Newcastle United supporters adapted the song for their striker Aleksandar Mitrović, the refrain being: "Mitro's on fire, your defence is terrified", which has also been used by fans of Fulham FC.[3] However, Mitrović suffered poor form; the chant came into greater prominence in May of that year, as Wigan Athletic supporter Sean Kennedy uploaded on YouTube his version of "Freed from Desire" titled "Will Grigg's on Fire", in recognition of the recent goal-scoring feats of Will Grigg, a Wigan player.[4] Since it was uploaded, the song has become a viral football chant.[4][5] This version was recorded by dance producers Blonde under the alias DJ Kenno, and it reached No. 76 on the UK single chart.[6][7]

Fans from Northern Ireland also sang "Will Grigg's on Fire", notably during UEFA Euro 2016, as he played for Northern Ireland.[8][9] Fans of Ireland, Wales, England, and France made their own versions of the song for their players, such as "Vardy's on Fire" and "Grizi's on Fire".[10][11] It was later seen as the unofficial song of UEFA Euro 2016.[12] "Freed from Desire" itself was used as the unofficial anthem for the Belgian team during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[13]

Critical reception

Pop Rescue called it a "great" song, noting "the handclaps, the beats, drum fills, whirling synths and that bassline, and of course that catchy 'ner ner ner ner-ner ner her' section." They added it as "a fine specimen" of "90s dance".[14] Dave Fawbert from ShortList described it as a "absolute, total banger", adding it as "a song that The Beatles would have been proud to have written."[15]

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by German director and photographer Nina Bittel.[16] It has a sepia tone and features Gala being chased by several men that wants her. Other scenes shows the singer driving in an open car. The video was uploaded to YouTube in 2013. In August 2020, the video has got more than 89,900,000 views.[17]

Track listings
CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Edit Mix)"3:21
2."Freed from Desire (Full Vocals Mixx)"4:13
CD maxi / Europe
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Radio Mix)"3:30
2."Freed from Desire (Solid Base Remix)"5:30
3."Freed from Desire (The Paradise Mix)"8:35
4."Freed from Desire (Full Vocal Extended Mix)"4:17
CD maxi / Australia
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Radio Mix)"3:32
2."Freed from Desire (The Paradise Mix)"8:37
3."Freed from Desire (Full Vocal Mix)"4:17
4."Freed from Desire (Whistle Remix)"6:06
5."Freed from Desire (The Soundlovers Remix)"5:57
12" maxi
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Full Vocals Mixx)"4:13
2."Freed from Desire (Edit Mix)"3:21
3."Freed from Desire (The Paradise Mix)"8:35
CD maxi – Remixes
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Short Mix)"3:35
2."Freed from Desire (The Soundlovers Remix)"6:01
3."Freed from Desire (Whistle Remix)"6:09
12" maxi – Remixes
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (The Soundlovers Remix)"5:52
2."Freed from Desire (Whistle Remix)"6:00
3."Freed from Desire (Video Mix)"3:28
12" maxi – Remixes
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Mr. Jack Club Mix)"7:33
2."Freed from Desire (Full Vocal Mix)"4:13
3."Freed from Desire (Mr. Jack deja vu Dub)"5:01
12" maxi – Remixes
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Mr. Jack Club Mix)"7:33
2."Freed from Desire (Full Vocal Mix)"4:13
3."Freed from Desire (Mr. Jack Deja Vu Dub)"5:01
12" maxi – U.K. Remixes[18]
No.TitleLength
1."Freed from Desire (Allisters Full Vocal Mix)"7:05
2."Freed from Desire (Mr. Jack Club Mix)"8:15
3."Freed from Desire (Dillon & Dickins Mix)"8:41
4."Freed from Desire (Original Mix)"4:13

Charts and sales
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See also

References
  1. "Premiere: Gala – Freed From Desire (Torus Coolstep Mix)". Dummy Mag. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  2. @StevenageFC (30 May 2012). "Freeman's on fire, your right back is terrified! #inmyhead Any songs for the new boys Dunne, Tansey and Arnold? #stevenagefc" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. Zed, Row (23 March 2016). "Newcastle supporters' Aleksandar Mitrovic chant is almost as cool as Aleksandar Mitrovic himself". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  4. Davis, Callum (17 May 2016). "'Will Grigg's on Fire!' Fan behind the cult chant given a free Wigan season ticket". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  5. "Watch Hibs fans serenade Anthony Stokes with a chant ... before the Scottish Cup hero joins in". Daily Record. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  6. "Official Singles Chart Top 100: 03 June 2016 – 09 June 2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  7. "WATCH: Club version of 'Will Grigg's On Fire' hits iTunes chart". Sky Sports. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  8. Ducker, James (26 January 2018). "Will Grigg: 'The song was fine, but I just wanted to get out onto that pitch'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  9. "Video: Euro 2016 - Northern Ireland fans keep the songs coming as 'Will Griggs on fire' echoes around an empty Parc des Princes stadium". Belfast Telegraph. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  10. Whaling, James (12 June 2016). "Vardy's on fire! Watch England fans adapt Will Grigg chant for Leicester striker". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  11. Vely, Yannick (26 June 2016). "Euro 2016: "Griezmann's on Fire ..."". Paris Match (in French). Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  12. "This is what Freed from Desire's Gala really thinks of the Will Grigg version". Irish Examiner. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  13. "The Latest: Beckham-Ibrahimovic have friendly World Cup bet". The Washington Post. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  14. "Review: "Come Into My Life" by Gala (CD, 1997)". Pop Rescue. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  15. Fawbert, Dave (19 July 2017). "29 classic songs that are somehow 20 years old this year". ShortList. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  16. "Gala ‎– Freed From Desire". Discogs. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  17. "GALA - Freed from desire [Official video HD]". YouTube. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  18. "Gala – Freed From Desire (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  19. "Austriancharts.at – Gala – Freed from Desire" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
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  27. "Offiziellecharts.de – Gala – Freed from Desire". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  28. "Íslenski Listinn: Topp 40: Nr. 236 vikuna 28.8. '97. – 4.9. '97" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 29 August 1997. p. 22. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  29. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Freed from Desire". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  30. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 108 no. 34. 24 August 1996. p. 58. ISSN 0006-2510.
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  46. "Jahrescharts – 1997" (in German). Offiziellecharts.de. GfK Entertainment Charts. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015.
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  51. "Les Meilleures Ventes "Tout Temps" de 45 T. / Singles / Téléchargement" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  52. "British single certifications – Gala – Freed from Desire". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Freed from Desire in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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