Deniece Williams, “Free” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 85^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “Free” by Deniece Williams. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! In the 85^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2022), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Free”, performed by 🎙 Deniece Williams.

Theme & Lyrics ✍ 

“But I want to be free, free, free / And I just got to be me, yeah, me, me.” On her 1976 debut album, 💿 This Is Niecy, 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B/soul/gospel musician 🎙 Deniece Williams desired freedom on 🎵 “Free”. “Free” ranks among Williams’ biggest hits, earning success on the pop charts (no. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100).  While the single itself isn’t certified by the RIAA, its parent album, This Is Niecy, was certified gold, likely thanks to this independence-driven smash. “Free” was written by Williams, 🎼 ✍ Susaye Greene, 🎼 ✍ Hank Redd, and 🎼 ✍ Nathan Watts.

Something that stands out about this soul classic is how chill it is.  Deniece Williams sings with incredible ease, never breaking a sweat.  Her upper register is especially potent – angelic! Likewise, the groovy backdrop is lush and relaxed – a surefire vibe.  Why exactly does Williams seek freedom?  She wants to be true to herself (“And I just got to be me”), and perhaps most of all, not controlled or tied down by anybody, including a man she clearly enjoys.  Early on, she asserts, “Whispering in his ear / My magic potion / Telling him I’m sincere / And that there’s nothing too good for us.” Still, she goes on to tout being free despite telling him what he wants to hear. There’s no doubt that “Free” is the ultimate women’s empowerment anthem.  Of course, as Williams has attested, its message can mean different things for numerous folks, men included.

Final Thoughts 💭 

Niecy has had more successful hits on the pop charts than “Free” – looking at you “Let’s Hear It For the Boy” –  but “Free” is awesome to the n^th degree. Notably, it’s been covered by many other musicians including 🎙 Seal on his 2008 covers album, 💿 Soul.  All told, “Free” is one of the elite classics of the 1970s.

🎙 Deniece Williams • 💿 This Is Niecy • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 1976

Deniece Williams, “Free”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 85 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Columbia, Gerhard G., JL G via Pixabay,  Karl Hörnfeldt via Unsplash,  The Musical Hype]