Freed from Desire
"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" (1997). "Freed from Desire" was a hit in many European countries, reaching number-one in France and Belgium. The track was released in the UK in July 1997 and peaked at number two and spent 8 weeks inside the top 10 and 14 weeks in total in the top 75. Gala achieved a diamond recording certification in France, a double-platinum certification in Belgium  and the United Kingdom, and a gold certification in Italy. The song was written and composed by Gala, and produced by Filippo Andrea Carmeni and Maurizio Molella, two Italian producers. Other versions. In 2016, Gala recorded an acoustic version of "Freed from Desire" at Les Studios Saint Germain in Paris, for the movie "Un homme à la hauteur" directed by Laurent Tirard with Jean Dujardin. Usage in association football. The chorus was used for a football chant in 2012 by Stevenage F.C. fans for winger Luke Freeman as: "Freeman's on fire, your right back is terrified!" 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. However, Mitrović suffered poor form; the chant went viral 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. This version was recorded by dance producers Blonde under the alias DJ Kenno, and it reached No . 76 on the UK single chart. Fans from Northern Ireland also sang "Will Grigg's on Fire", notably during UEFA Euro 2016, as he played for Northern Ireland. 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". It was later seen as the unofficial song of UEFA Euro 2016. "Freed from Desire" itself was used as the unofficial anthem for the Belgian team during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. From January 2022, Freed from Desire was chosen via a fan poll  as the post-match victory song of Melbourne Victory FC; the song will be played over AAMI Park's loudspeakers after every Melbourne Victory home win. 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. "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". 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." 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 (in both Flanders and Wallonia) and France, and made it to the top 10 in Denmark, Iceland, Ireland (number two), Italy (number two), the Netherlands, Scotland and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart on August 3, 1997. 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 four. Additionally, it was a top 20 hit in Austria, Finland, Germany and Switzerland. The single was awarded a diamond recording certification in France, a double-platinum certification in Belgium and the United Kingdom, and a gold certification in Italy. Drenchill and Indiiana version. In 2018, Drenchill released a cover of "Freed from Desire". It reached number 1 in Poland and number 4 in the  Commonwealth of Independent States.