







I briefly touched on the ‘dark weight’ I feel behind this album. ‘Free’ fits as a new mood to the discography of feelings Iggy has put out over the years. Iggy Pop has wanted to be your entertainer among many other things throughout his life, but this time, he wants to be free - as stated in the introductory track. ‘Loves Missing’ brings the pop, not genre-wise, but feeling wise. With a drumbeat in time with the steps you take at a strut pace, this track touches you and really brings the intensity. You can tell from this track, something’s changed. We’re getting a peek at the matured Iggy Pop. There’s a gloomed sensation behind this song, an aura that is carried on through the whole album.





We still get the promiscuity and sexiness in the track ‘James Bond’, detailing the lust for a licentious female. But the smell of sex doesn’t stop there. The vulgar and plosive language Iggy uses in ‘Dirty Sanchez’ Spins the luring we felt before on its head. To me, this song is Iggy looking at society in disgust. He’s watched it all deteriorate into a senseless empty place. He slates the world and the insinuated modern music industry. This very track feels as though the purpose behind ‘Free’ is to strive for change. Almost to be ‘Free’ from these ways. This is further emphasised in ‘Glow in The Dark’. The lyric “Your sense of community is going to kill you” stood out to me because of its ambiguity. Should we focus on just ourselves? Is it now every man for themselves? Is this a reflection of our modern-day or a reflection on Iggy’s opinion? The immensity is supported with the stand-alone saxophone, it’s jazzy - but there’s no shimmer.





Lou Reed gets a place on ‘free’ as he co-writes ‘We Are the People Without Land”. A spoken word track, alongside brass instruments. Lou Reed is a fitting feature for the overall aesthetic of the album. The final two tracks are ones I also consider as spoken-word; ‘Do Not Go Gentle into That Night’ & ‘The Dawn’. In both of these tracks, there are very interpretative verses, perfectly coupled with aligning instruments - all orchestrated to give off this atmosphere. I don’t want to spoil all, but I urge you to listen to ‘Free’ and it’s menacing messages.





What do you think? Do you want to be ‘Free’?

Written by Holly Dolan

Nothing could prepare you for this light of Iggy Pop. ‘Free’ carries a dark weight as an album. His once lively ‘pop’ has matured into a solid sound. We are delivered a due message by this Icon, who has been on the high profile music scene for half a century now, all whilst maintaining the attraction and pizzazz that defines Iggy Pop. A melody maker article in 1972 headlined “ Lock up your daughters, Iggy’s here” And this still stands. Though now the legend stands at 72 years old and not looking a day older than 32. There is simply no place in the industry Iggy perfectly slips in to, he is Iggy Pop, and that’s why we love him.And so he brings us ‘Free’...