Five days before being released as Dance Fever’s fourth single, Florence + the Machine debuted “Free,” along with “Girls Against God,” live during their intimate show at Newcastle’s O2 City Hall on April 15, 2022. It was their first live show since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following day, the band played “Free” again during a second intimate show at King George’s Hall in Blackburn. Before performing the uplifting track, Florence Welch commented:
This one’s about my anxiety.
The lyrical content of the song explores how dancing affects Florence Welch and her anxiety, as seen in the chorus. This directly relates to Dance Fever itself.
The music video of the song features English actor Bill Nighy playing Florence’s anxiety character. The music video is, as displayed on its final seconds,
Dedicated to the spirit, creativity and perseverance of our brave Ukrainian friends. Filmed in Kyiv on 18 November with Ukrainian filmmakers and artists, whose radiant freedom can never be extinguished.
The song’s title was officially revealed on 11th April when Dance Fever’s tracklist started being unveiled through the band’s website, although it had previously been found on Target’s website when the album became available to preorder on 10th March.
