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Background

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In November 2001, after a brief period of hiatus following the release of his fourth studio album Songs from the Last Century (1999), it was announced that Michael had signed an unprecedented one-single record deal with Universal Music Group; the singer had decided to judge the record company's performance promoting the single before signing a full album deal. The track, taken from his then-upcoming fifth studio album funded by himself, was expected to be released in May 2002;[1] however, it was announced that "Freeek!" would be released on 18 March 2002, under label Polydor Records, being serviced to radio and clubs on 5 February.[2] Polydor's head of radio promotions Neil Hughes shared his thoughts on the song at the time of its release to radio, "Freeek is the most contemporary and boundary-pushing record he's made and, if anything, it's possibly scared a couple of stations that you would normally assume would be core stations for George Michael. But what this record is going to do is not just hit the fanbase but appeal to a much younger audience as well."[3]

Composition and lyrics

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Critical reception

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"Freeek!" was met with mixed reviews from music critics. According to Girl website, the song was "destined to be a dancefloor smash as well as a sure-fire chart success".[4] Wales on Sunday newspaper said it was "a hi-tech, stomping, in-your-face comeback for George with a hi-tech and even more in-your-face video to boot", as well as "sexy and slick" and "George at his best".[5] Ben Gilbert from Dotmusic called the track "another breathless visitation to the swinging, incoherent orgasmotronic paradise Michael seems to have been trying to conjure since the heady days of 'Club Tropicana'", and "typically red-hot, sassy and riotously addictive".[6] For Kitty Empire of The Observer, "Freeek!" was one of the "pumping, club-friendly singles" on Patience.[7] Michael Osborn from the BBC News commented that "reminders of the infamous restroom incident come flooding back with the raunchy, sexually provocative Freeek".[8] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani called it "oddly appealing", noting that "it's obvious that Michael knows the comfort and connection the love machine (much like that other glowing box, the television set) can often bring."[9] Whilst reviewing Patience, Arion Berger of The Washington Post stated, "Only "Freeek!" brings a little something-something to the party, namely cold, menacing, industrial-rock percussion and a tricky shouted chorus, and when Michael edges close to the mike, his silky voice is so rich and powerful, it could make a grown Gen X-er cry."[10]

Joe Glass from Bleeding Cool deemed it lyrics "tongue-in-cheek, playful, but deeply meaningful".[11] Independent.ie website observed that "strutting R'n'B funked-up with a giant Rick James bassline and destined for top of the charts, this orgasmotronic classic shows the world that the bearded British pop star has decided against retirement. Mercifully good news, it transpires, for music lovers."[12] According to Malay Mail's Yushaimi Yahaya, "it still won't get you hooked after three listens", but it was "one of those that will likely take some time but will, somehow or rather, grow on you", and hoped that Michael's then-upcoming album would not "sound as lame as this".[13] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian commented that it "is a song bemoaning internet pornography, but it is hard to detect any satirical intent in its bump-and-grind rhythm and panting vocals; it sounds as if he thinks internet pornography is a splendid idea."[14] Andy Gill of The Independent called the track "a techno paean to cybersex so clichéd it employs the modem dial-up tone as part of the groove."[15] Ad Age's Terry Kattleman noted that "the song itself sounds like a parody along the lines of "I'm Too Sexy (For My Crustacean Suit).""[16] Stylus Magazine's Scott McKeating called it "an excuse for web porn puns",[17] whilst John Mulvey of Yahoo! Music commented that the song "sound[s] like rather lumpen g-funk pastiche".[18]

Accolades

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Commercial performance

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In the United Kingdom, "Freeek!" faced competition from Gareth Gates's debut single "Unchained Melody";[19][20][21][22] however, it entered at number seven on the UK Singles Chart, selling 60,000 units on its first week, whilst Gates's single debuted at the summit.[23] The song spent 10 weeks inside the chart.[24] Across Europe,

Music video

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Development and synopsis

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The accompanying music video for "Freeek!" was filmed in January 2002 in Los Angeles, being directed by Joseph Kahn.[25][26] It had a total budget of £1 million (£2.05 million in 2023[27]), becoming the most expensive music video Universal Records had ever made at the time, as well as one of the most expensive music videos in history.[26][28]

Release and reception

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The music video had its world premiere on Channel 4 on 27 February 2002.[29] The airing was watched by 1,5 million people across the United Kingdom.[30] Due to its "raunchy" scenes, it was decided that only the first two minuted of the video would be broadcast on BBC One's Top of the Pops; a spokeswoman for the show stated: "George Michael is always pushing the boundaries of what is and is not acceptable. We admire him for that", and declared that the version broadcast at 7:30pm would be "suitable for a family audience", but an unedited version would be aired at the late night reprise.[31] In the following months, it was reported that the Broadcasting Standards Commission received 68 complaints after its broadcast on Top of the Pops; according to them, the video contained sexual images that should not have been shown before the 9pm watershed without a warning. Representants for the BBC said they recognised the video was "pushing at the boundaries, but believed the artist's reputation as one of Britain's most original song-writers was a strong argument for showing it."[32] The video was censored by ATV in Hong Kong, which edited it according to the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority's code of practice, and was also "heavily censored" in Singapore and Malaysia.[33]

For The Observer's Colin Paterson "nothing in the Freeek! clip is remotely shocking"; he wrote how its "semi-naked writhing and bondage themes" give the impression his "I Want Your Sex" (1987) video "has been re-shot after seeing The Matrix". Paterson also pointed out that "the futuristic supposed-pervorama" were diluted by its similarities to Britney Spears' "I'm a Slave 4 U" (2001).

According to Ad Age's Terry Kattleman, "we don't know quite what's going on here either, but it's very futuristically busy and the erotic eye candy rules".[16]

John Dingwall from the Daily Record panned it a "pathetically lurid video".[34]

Michael defended the video, saying, "It's meant to be tongue in cheek and fun. I'm not advocating that kids go out and become perverts or anything. I do think that people are very suspicious of the sexual opinions of anyone who is openly gay and the flak I've received conceals a certain amount of homophobia in the press".[35]

  1. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20030928204149/http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/GeorgeMichael/news/November2001/news23010.asp
  2. ^ https://www.girl.com.au/georgemichaelsingle.htm
  3. ^ https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/2002/Music-Week-2002-02-09.pdf#page=3
  4. ^ Girl https://www.girl.com.au/georgemichaelsingle.htm. Retrieved 26 December 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |titulo= ignored (help)
  5. ^ "Hit Miss or What?". Wales on Sunday. 17 March 2002. Retrieved 26 December 2024 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20020615163730/http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/GeorgeMichael/reviews/March2002/reviews24293.asp
  7. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20140913004655/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/14/popandrock.georgemichael
  8. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3501604.stm
  9. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (15 March 2004). "Review: George Michael, Patience". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  10. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2004/05/26/sorry-george-michael-patience-is-no-virtue/c2c4b535-1c18-4e22-b53e-5cf2d5a63fd5/
  11. ^ https://bleedingcool.com/tv/george-michael-superhero-drawn-stephen-platt/
  12. ^ https://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/george-freeeks-us-out-26240053.html
  13. ^ https://www.proquest.com/docview/326244937/47C9101FFDD94FC4PQ/8
  14. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20140913004642/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/12/popandrock.shopping4
  15. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20170202021414/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-george-michael-63911.html
  16. ^ a b https://adage.com/article/special-report-digital-report/george-michael-freeek/92153
  17. ^ McKeating, Scott (18 March 2004). "George Michael – Patience Review". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  18. ^ Mulvey, John (16 March 2004). "George Michael – 'Patience'". Yahoo! Music UK. Archived from the original on 16 August 2004. Retrieved 16 August 2004.
  19. ^ https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/arid-30040116.html
  20. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20030928234335/http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/GeorgeMichael/news/February2002/news23877.asp
  21. ^ https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a6218/pop-idol-gareth-to-take-on-george-michael/
  22. ^ https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/pats-way-to-top-hit-parade-gareth-28118388.html
  23. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20020606234037/http://www.undercover.com.au/20020326_georgemichael.html
  24. ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/3/george-michael/
  25. ^ Cite error: The named reference girl was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  26. ^ a b https://www.hellomagazine.com/music/2002/02/28/georgemichael/
  27. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  28. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20020606225636/http://www.undercover.com.au/20020207_georgemichael.html
  29. ^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/753135701/
  30. ^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/260773871/
  31. ^ https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/two-minute-bbc-limit-on-george-michael-film/28141792.html
  32. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2068795.stm
  33. ^ https://www.scmp.com/article/373911/atv-cuts-stars-raunchy-video
  34. ^ https://www.proquest.com/docview/327805285/5021BBDBC42A4788PQ/1
  35. ^ https://www.pop-music.com/george-michael-slams-oasis-and-pop-idol
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