"Freed from Desire" is a Eurodance song by Italian singer and songwriter Gala. Produced by DJ Molella and Phil Jay,it was released in 1996 as the first single from her debut album,Come into My Life (1997). It was a hit in many European countries,reaching number one in France and Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia). The track was released in the UK in July 1997,peaking at number two and spending eight weeks inside the top 10 and 14 weeks in total in the top 75. Gala achieved a diamond recording certification in France,a double-platinum certification in Belgium and Italy,and a triple-platinum certification in United Kingdom.
In a list of "The Top 10 Dance Tunes of the '90s" for Attitude in 2016,"Freed from Desire" was ranked at number three.[2]Melody Maker complimented its "driller-killer Europop irresistibility".[3] A reviewer from Music Week gave the song four out of five,writing,"A chart topper across Europe,this has similar appeal to Crystal Waters' "Gypsy Woman". That reached number two and,with the right exposure,this could,too."[4]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".[5] Dave Fawbert from ShortList described it as an "absolute,total banger",and "a song that the Beatles would have been proud to have written."[6]
Chart performance
"Freed from Desire" went on to become a huge hit all over Europe,becoming the singer's most successful single. It peaked at number one in Belgium (in both Flanders and Wallonia) and France,and entered the top 10 also in Denmark (7),Iceland (9),Ireland (2),Italy (2),the Netherlands (5),Scotland (3),and the United Kingdom. In the latter,the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart on August 3,1997.[7] It spent 8 weeks inside the top 10 and 14 weeks in total in the top 75,while peaking at number four on the UK Dance Singles Chart in the same period. On the Eurochart Hot 100,"Freed from Desire" also peaked within the top 10,reaching its best position as number four in December 1996. Additionally,it was a top 20 hit in Austria (16),Finland (17),Germany (14) and Switzerland (13).
The single was awarded a diamond recording certification in France,a triple-platinum in United Kingdom,and a double-platinum certification in Belgium and Italy.
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Freed from Desire" was filmed in Hamburg at the Speicherstadt[8] under the direction of German director and photographer Nina Bittel.[9] It was shot in a sepia tone filter and showed Gala being chased around by several different men. Other scenes feature the singer driving a 1962 Austin-Healey 3000.[8]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. † Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Usage in sports
The song has had a significant usage in association football, where fans from around the world have made their own iterations of the song with changed lyrics.[64]
It has been used as a football chant by fans of Bohemian FC in Dublin as far back as April 2011, where at a game away to Sligo Rovers it was sung with the lyrics amended to "The Bohs have got no money, we've got a bag of E's." (Ecstasy) Reference was made to the chant in the Irish Independent at the time, who wrote "For 45 minutes the visiting fans – who clearly planned around dry Good Friday – roared out 1990s dance classic 'Freed From Desire' seemingly oblivious to their team being dismantled on the park"[65] and was recorded by Sligo Rovers fans in the opposite stand. [66]
The chorus was used for a football chant in 2012 by Stevenage F.C. fans for winger Luke Freeman as: "Freeman's on fire, your right back is terrified!"[67]Bristol City then adopted the chant following the signing of Freeman from Stevenage in June 2014. 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 after his transfer there.[68] However, Mitrović suffered poor form; the chant went viral 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.[69][70] This version was recorded by dance producers Blonde under the alias DJ Kenno, and it reached No. 76 on the UK single chart.[71][72] Fans from Northern Ireland also sang "Will Grigg's on Fire", notably during UEFA Euro 2016, as he played for Northern Ireland.[73][74] 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".[75][76] It was later seen as the unofficial song of UEFA Euro 2016.[77]
Gala herself has expressed support for the use of the song as a sports anthem, stating that "it’s such a beautiful thing that a song has an energy by itself":
Music and sport both gather people of different backgrounds together – a rich guy and a poor guy, they both love the same song, they both cheer for the same football team. It really brings people together from different backgrounds and countries.[78]
Other usage
In October 2022, a video of fans singing about Will Grigg was re-captioned "Kerch Bridge on fire, your defence is terrified!" in the aftermath of the 2022 Crimean Bridge explosion.[79] The video gained further traction in mid-2023, with at least one news channel mistaking it for Ukrainians celebrating.[79]
The song was heavily used in the 2024–2025 Serbian students-led anti-corruption protests.[80][81] In April 2025, on her Instagram profile Gala supported the protests with the message: "Proud to hear my music used by students protesting government corruption".[80] Gala appeared on the 2025 Exit festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, opening the festival's 25th edition with her performance. After a sixteen-minute silence, which commemorated sixteen victims of the 2024 Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse, which sparked the protests, Gala walked out on stage with a group of Serbian students, sending a message in Serbian: "Stand up for your rights. Show that the people have the power. Pump it, bre".[81]
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