"Free Woman" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga recorded for her sixth studio album Chromatica. Gaga co-wrote it with the song's producers BloodPop, Axwell and Johannes Klahr. "Free Woman" was included as the fifth track on the album, several weeks after a high quality demo version of the song leaked onto the internet. It is a eurohouse and eurodance song, with heavy influence from the music of the 1990s. Inspired by her real life events, Gaga opens up about coping with her PTSD which she suffered after being sexually assaulted by a music producer. She also wanted to celebrate her LGBT fans, and wrote the song especially with the trans community in her mind. The song's lyrics talk about reclaiming one's identity and answer the question, "what does it mean to be a free woman?".

"Free Woman"
Honey Dijon remix single cover
Single by Lady Gaga
from the album Chromatica
Released	April 13, 2021[1]
Genre	Eurohouse eurodance EDM
Length	3:11
Label	Interscope
Songwriter(s)	Lady Gaga Michael Tucker Axel Hedfors Johannes Klahr
Producer(s)	Lady Gaga BloodPop Axwell Klahr
Lady Gaga singles chronology
"911" (2020) "Free Woman" (2021) "I Get a Kick Out of You" (2021)
Audio video
"Free Woman" on YouTube

Many of the music critics highlighted the song for its strong, empowering lyrics, while some deemed the production generic. On April 13, 2021, "Free Woman" was sent to radio in France as the fourth single from Chromatica. Remix edits of the track were produced by Honey Dijon and Clarence Clarity; the latter's version features additional vocals by British singer Rina Sawayama and appeared on Gaga's remix album, Dawn of Chromatica (2021). "Free Woman" was part of the setlist to Gaga's 2022 stadium tour, The Chromatica Ball. It was also featured in Apple's GarageBand app and Gaga's commercial for Dom Pérignon.

Background and recording

"Free Woman" was co-written by Gaga with the track's producers, BloodPop, Axwell and Johannes Klahr.[2][3] Axwell disclosed that he really liked retro sound of the early version of the song which Gaga created with Bloodpop, and he "was picturing clubs in New York in the '90s" when he heard it.[4] Klahr added that they "amplified the '80s and '90s sounds and added [their] flavor to see where [they] could take it but kept the soul" and "with Gaga's lush vocals on top of that, [they] wanted to make the groove as nice and fluid as possible to make it authentically club."[4] Gaga explained that she was in a dark state of mind while writing the song, "thinking on some days [she] was going to die... so [she] better say something important", and completing the song helped her get over this feeling, saying that "now I listen to it and know that I'm going to live."[5] Talking with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Gaga elaborated on the very personal background of the song:

I was sexually assaulted by a music producer. It’s compounded all of my feelings about life, feelings about the world, feelings about the industry, what I had to compromise and go through to get to where I am. I had to put it there. And when I was able to finally celebrate it, I said, 'You know what?' [...] I’m no longer going to define myself as a 'survivor' or a victim of sexual assault. I am just a person who is free that went through some fucked up shit.[6]

Gaga also revealed that "Free Woman" was written with the trans community in her mind.[7] She wanted to acknowledge her own strength with the song, while also celebrating the LGBT community who helped her cope with PTSD and move forward.[5] Gaga further added that initially she wanted to name the album after the song, but went with Chromatica instead, as she felt her internal struggles called into question the proposed title's integrity.[7]

Release and composition

On May 7, 2020, a high quality leak of the song surfaced onto the internet, becoming a trending topic on Twitter in the process, although all leaked versions of the song were swiftly removed by Interscope Records.[9] Three days before the album's release, Gaga shared a promotional image on her Instagram account with the lyrics "This is my dancefloor / I fought for", along with the caption, "THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM #CHROMATICA".[10] On May 29, 2020, Chromatica was released, with "Free Woman" included as the fifth song on the album.[11] On April 13, 2021, "Free Woman" was sent to radio in France as the fourth single from the record.[1]

"Free Woman" is a 1990s-influenced[12] Eurodance[13] and eurohouse[14] song, with elements of acid house[15] and disco.[16] It involves an EDM drop,[17] and a midtempo gospel groove from a keyboard line.[18] Alexandra Pollard of The Independent found similarities in the sound of "Free Woman" with Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique's "Love is Free",[15] while Salvatore Maicki of Nylon compared it to the music of La Bouche.[19] According to the sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, the song is written in the time signature of common time, and is composed in the key of A minor with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. The vocals range from the tonal nodes of A♭₃ to E♭₅.[20]

The song sees the singer answering the question "what does it mean to be a free woman?", and challenging the need to be with a man in order to survive.[5] She declares that she can feel free on her own and "victoriously move[s] forward",[5][21] saying "I'm still something if I don't got a man / I'm a free woman."[22] Annie Zaleski of Time wrote that the song is about reclaiming one's "identity and gender after a sexual assault",[23] while Laura Alvarez from Forbes described the lyrics as a "battle with happiness due to life's adversities".[24] Carl Wilson from Slate thought that the track "flashes back to Stefani Germanotta pre-Fame in New York" with the line "I walk the downtown, hear my sound/ No one knows me yet, not right now."[25]

Critical reception

Jem Aswad from Variety thought the track "has a liberating and empowered feel and a rousing chorus".[26] Jeremy J. Fisette from Beats Per Minute opined that the song "offers us a self-empowerment anthem we’ve all sort of heard before, but Gaga sells it with her moody melodies and strong vocals on the hook."[27] USA Today's Patrick Ryan found it an "euphoric thumper".[28] Slate's Carl Wilson thought that "it's the wistfulness, and the little bit of musical theater in it, that make it more than a rote empowerment anthem."[25] Mark Richardson from The Wall Street Journal said that "Free Woman" "seems crafted for future Gay Pride celebrations, with lyrics that frame the dance floor as something communities have to fight for."[16] Nick Smith of musicOMH called the track "dancefloor empowerment at its finest".[29]

Insider picked "Free Woman" as one of the best tracks of the album, saying that it is "both a powerful statement and an irresistible pop anthem". Insider's Callie Ahlgrim highlighted "the blunt confidence" in the lyrics, while Courteney Larocca described the song as "an intimate, triumphant exploration of healing and moving forward after enduring a sexual assault."[30] Laura Dzubay of Consequence named it as one of the essential songs of the album, and appreciated the "This is my dance floor/ I fought for" part of the lyrics, saying that the line "carries a resonance beyond itself in this specific moment — dancing is almost always something fought for in one way or another, but particularly for those who have gone through traumatic experiences, and the power to create the space for dancing is never one to be taken lightly."[31] Kory Grow from Rolling Stone highlighted the "I'm still something if I don't got a man" line from the lyrics for being "bold".[32]

Stephen Daw of Billboard thought that the song "pales in comparison to the rest of the album's impressive track list", and said: "The beat is certainly fun, the melody is definitely catchy, but there's nothing in the fabric of the song that passes the Gaga test of grabbing you by your shirt collar and refusing to let you go."[33] Michael Cragg from The Guardian called it "generic" and "overworked".[13] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine also found it generic and wrote that it "sounds like a Cher outtake".[14] BuzzFeed News' Alessa Dominguez said that the track "adds nothing to the endless theme of letting loose on the dance floor."[34] Louise Bruton from The Irish Times named "Free Woman" one of "the rare lows" on the album.[35]

Commercial performance

On the Billboard issue dated June 13, 2020, "Free Woman" debuted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number 2,[36] and on the Hot Dance/Electronic Digital Songs at number eleven. Two weeks later the song peaked at number ten, becoming Gaga's ninth top 10 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Songs chart, extending her mark for the most top 10s among female acts.[37] In Canada, the song charted on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 80 on the issue dated June 13, 2020.[38] "Free Woman" also managed to debut at number 75 on the Australian Singles Chart.[39] In Europe the song entered the charts at number 143 in France,[40] number 28 in Hungary,[41] number 89 in Lithuania,[42] number 100 in Portugal[43] and number 93 in Sweden.[44]

Remixes

A Chicago house-inspired remix of "Free Woman" by Honey Dijon (pictured left) was released in August 2020, while a remix featuring Rina Sawayama (pictured right) appeared on the remix album, Dawn of Chromatica, in September 2021.

On August 28, 2020, a remix of "Free Woman" by Honey Dijon was released to celebrate the last episode of the singer's weekly podcast on Apple Music, called Gaga Radio.[45][46] Talking about their collaboration with the singer, Dijon said: "I approach most of the people that I work with more from a cultural perspective than a mainstream priority. Because I think for me, Gaga has always been about the club and been about the LGTBQI community, and she's been a staunch supporter of that, and most of her music has been influenced by the clubs."[47] Dijon was initially asked to remix Gaga and Ariana Grande's "Rain on Me", but felt that "Free Woman" was a better fit to her as she envisioned a multicultural club atmosphere for her version of the song. By choosing the title "Realness Remix", she wanted to pay tribute to the diverse club community. The Chicago-born DJ also saw her remix as an opportunity to showcase Chicago house for a mainstream audience.[47]

On April 4, 2021, BloodPop teased the possibility of a Chromatica remix album, asking his Twitter followers to suggest which artists they would like to see on such a project if it were to exist. He later replied to his tweet and tagged Japanese-British musician Rina Sawayama, who replied to it with a smirking emoji.[48][49] During an interview at the 2021 Brit Awards, Sawayama talked about the project, stating that "The wish is on the internet, and I've done my bit, let's just say that. So, it's in the works."[50] She also hinted that the song she was featured on was "Free Woman".[51] The remix album, titled Dawn of Chromatica, was released on September 3, 2021, and it featured a "metal-edged" remix of the song by Sawayama and British producer Clarence Clarity.[52] This version has influences of metal with wailing riffs and drum fills, which resembles Gaga's 2011 studio album Born This Way.[53][54] Robin Murray from Clash called this take on the song "arena-worthy".[55] Alex Rigotti at Gigwise thought that "it's hard to compete with Gaga’s legendary pipes," but "Rina Sawayama delivers a killer second verse with some of the best vocals she’s ever done. She sounds nearly indistinguishable from Gaga herself – her vibrato is so warm and beautiful, her delivery fluid and free."[56] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic named the remix one of the highlights of the Dawn of Chromatica album, opining that Rina Sawayama "liberates 'Free Woman' with buoyant and inspirational flair".[57] Sawayama performed this version of the song as part of the encore to The Dynasty Tour (2021–2022).[58]

Live performances and media appearances

In 2022, Gaga performed "Free Woman" at The Chromatica Ball stadium tour, while processing through the audience between her main stage and her second, smaller stage.[59] She was wearing a claw-like gold headpiece by Philip Treacy[60] and a poofy gold gown designed by her sister, Natali Germanotta.[61] Neil McCormick of The Telegraph thought that Gaga delivered an "exuberant gospel vocal" during "Free Woman".[62] Chicago Tribune's Bob Gendron opined that with her "Free Woman" performance Gaga "promptly brought intimacy to a stadium environment by slowly parading through the crowd".[63]

In April 2021, "Free Woman" was used in Champagne brand Dom Pérignon's commercial, titled "The Queendom", which was shot by Nick Knight and visualized by Nicola Formichetti. It shows Gaga holding a giant champagne bottle, making moves while blending with the background in swirling patterns of movement, before joining a group of others for a toast.[64] The following July, "Free Woman" was included in Apple's GarageBand app as a Remix Session sound pack, along with step-by-step remix instructions and an "inspirational video" by Lady Gaga, with the singer saying: "GarageBand is my idea bank and where I start my songwriting, so I'm excited to make my song 'Free Woman' available as a Remix Session. I want musicians and music lovers to be able to see how a song is produced and be able to hear all the individual parts, and then put their own creative color on it, doing whatever they want in GarageBand."[65]

Track listing

Digital download and streaming (Honey Dijon Realness Remix)[45]

1. "Free Woman" (Honey Dijon Realness Remix Edit) – 3:31
2. "Free Woman" (Honey Dijon Realness Remix) – 6:46

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[11]

• Lady Gaga – vocals, songwriter
• Axwell – producer, songwriter, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion
• BloodPop – producer, songwriter, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion
• Johannes Klahr – producer, songwriter, bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, percussion
• Burns – songwriter
• Scott Kelly – mix engineer
• Benjamin Rice – mixing
• Tom Norris – mixing

Charts

Release history

References

На других языках

[es] Free Woman