About
Robbie Williams released Freedom as his first solo single after leaving Take That. The track, a cover of George Michael's 1990 hit Freedom! '90, was intended as both a musical and symbolic statement of independence.
At a midnight press conference at London's Royal Lancaster Hotel, Williams announced his new deal with Chrysalis Records and said:
It's more of a statement than a single. To tell you the truth, the statement is I'm free to do whatever I want to do and whatever I choose.Robbie Williams
The single reached No. 2 in the UK, held off the top spot by the Spice Girls' Wannabe. It also topped the charts in Spain and made the Top 10 across Europe and Australia. George Michael was reportedly pleased with the cover, although Williams changed a few lyrics, including "just a buddy and me" to "just my buddies and me".
In his autobiography Feel, Robbie later wrote:
It's pretty much lost in the annals of history because no one ever mentions it ever. I was all like, I want to do something different, be somebody different, be myself. And then the first thing I do is release a cover.Robbie Williams
The video, directed by Garth Jennings, later known for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Sing, reflected the Britpop style of the time. Williams later admitted:
I did all the lip syncing to George Michael's version because I hadn't recorded mine yet... I'd just finished off the top drawer of the minibar — all the liqueurs and spirits — and then started the video.Robbie Williams
He performed Freedom again on The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour in 2017, as a tribute to George Michael shortly after his passing.
Lyrics
Credits
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Vocalist
Robbie Williams -
Songwriter
George Michael -
Original Artist
George Michael