Sugababes' new single 'Freedom': First listen

For those not in the pop know, the Sugababes are on the cusp of releasing their new single, called 'Freedom'. After teasing us with a preview of the track earlier this week, we sat down with the mastermind behind the band, Mark Hargreaves, to listen to the track a full two times over, and at a more than respectable volume. Here are some of the notes we made:

The track clocks in at 3 minutes at 22 seconds, and was produced by Parker & James and The Invisible Men, who helmed Jessie J's 'Do It Like a Dude'.

The first verse is divvied up between Jade and Amelle. "I like the lights when they hit your face," Jade sings on the intro over a dark 'n' stormy mid-tempo melody.

"So raise your hand/ One fist in the air/ For freedom/ For being alive/ Not having a care/ For freedom," they chant on the anthemic, lighters-in-the-air pre-chorus - which, incidentally, we thought was the actual chorus on first listen.

The real chorus immediately follows, where alongside a stew of sledgehammering beats and thick basslines they belt: "'Cause tonight is the night that we break the speed of light/ So stand up, come alive/ Liberate yourself 'cause freedom starts tonight," all in wonderfully harmonised fashion.

Heidi takes the reins on the second verse. "I love the night/ The way it covers us/ You're acting shy/ But you're curious," she purrs.

When the second pre-chorus/chorus kicks in you'll realise that you have already learnt the words.

A dubsteppy middle eight breakdown follows, which you will have already heard from the Nokia ad. While nothing can replace Heidi's classic middle eights from yesteryear, it's a head-spinning moment that forces you to sit up and take notice.

Jade shouts "Put your hands in the air!" before the final chorus plays out, which features her most impressive ad-libbing to date.

By marrying a live band sound with au-courant wobbly basslines, the Sugababes have neatly side-stepped the trend-following sound of last year's Sweet 7 and have instead played to their strengths. Pinning down the Sugababes' sound has always proved a pointless exercise, but the common threads that run throughout the band's career - impressive vocals, intriguing production and slick harmonies - can all be found on 'Freedom'.

Listen to a preview of 'Freedom' below:



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