Synopsis

Emiliana Torrini appears as a woman trying to regain her balance after an intense but damaging relationship. The video's fragmented, atmospheric presentation follows the emotional aftermath rather than a literal sequence of events, moving between Torrini's performance and images that suggest loneliness, memory, and uncertain freedom. Leaving the relationship has brought relief, but it has also left her unsure how to live on her own. The result is a bittersweet portrait of liberation that feels more confusing than triumphant.

Factoids & Trivia

• "To Be Free" was released in 1999 as part of Torrini's album *Love in the Time of Science*.

• The song was written by Torrini with Eg White, while the album version was produced by Roland Orzabal and Alan Griffiths.

• The track was issued in several different forms, including mixes by Futureshock, Dillon & Dickins, Raw Deal, Jadell, and Tore Johansson. The later Tore Johansson radio edit helped give the song a more streamlined, radio-oriented presentation.

• The single reached No. 44 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2001, more than a year after the song's original release.

• "To Be Free" was included on the soundtrack to the 2000 French film *The Dancer*, extending the song's exposure beyond the album and single campaigns.

• The song's central tension is unusual for a freedom anthem: Torrini celebrates independence while admitting that she does not know what to do with herself once the relationship is over.

• The track has remained one of the better-known songs from Torrini's early electronic and trip-hop period, before the more immediate pop sound of later releases such as "Jungle Drum."