"Freed from Desire" is a song written and recorded by the 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, a gold record in the United Kingdom and in Italy.
The song was written and composed by Gala, and produced by and , two Italian producers.
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[]
In a list of "The Top 10 Dance Tunes of the '90s" for Attitude in 2016, "Freed from Desire" was ranked at number 3.[14]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".[15] Dave Fawbert from ShortList described it as an "absolute, total banger", adding it as "a song that the Beatles would have been proud to have written."[16]
Chart performance[]
"Freed from Desire" went on to become a huge hit all over Europe, becoming the singer's most successful single to date. It peaked at number-one in Belgium and France, and managed to climb into the top 10 in Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Scotland and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the song reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart on August 3, 1997.[17] It spent 8 weeks inside the top 10 and 14 weeks in total in the top 75. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Freed from Desire" also peaked within the top 10, reaching its best position as number 4. Additionally, it was a top 20 hit in Austria, Finland, Germany and Switzerland. The single was awarded a diamond recording award in France, a platinum record in Benelux and a gold record in Italy and the United Kingdom.
Music video[]
The music video for the song was uploaded to YouTube in 2013. As of October 2020, the video has received more than 94 million views.[18]
