Freestyler (song)

"Freestyler"
Single by Bomfunk MC's
from the album In Stereo
Released
  • October 1999 (Finland)
  • 14 February 2000 (worldwide)
Format
Recorded 1999
Genre
Length 5:06
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s) JS16
Bomfunk MC's singles chronology
"B-Boys & Flygirls"
(1999)		 "Freestyler"
(2000)		 "Other Emcee's"
(2000)
file info · help
Music video
"Freestyler" on YouTube

"Freestyler" is a single by Finnish hip hop group Bomfunk MC's. It was released in October 1999 in Finland as the third single from their debut studio album In Stereo (2000). It was released in February 2000 internationally and was a worldwide success, topping the charts in Sweden, Germany, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. It also peaked at number two in Denmark and the United Kingdom and number three in Ireland.

Composition

"Freestyler" is primarily a drum and bass song, with strong influences of UK dance culture and electronic dance music, as well as some influences from hip hop.[1]

Music video

The music video was mainly filmed at the Hakaniemi metro station,[2] an underground station on the Helsinki Metro line in Finland and with platforms 21 metres below sea level. The principal “home boy” featured in the video is Marlo Snellman, a Finnish model and musician who later released his own single entitled "Dust" and today is working as producer for his own projects such as 'Hipsters'[3] and 'Okta'.[4] The actor was only fifteen at the time of shooting and got the part through his mother, Finnish modelling magnate Laila Snellman.[5] Marlo Snellman appears briefly in another Bomfunk MC's music video, "B-Boys & Flygirls".

The video begins with Snellman catching a train while listening to “Freestyler” on his MiniDisc (Sony MZ-R55 Hummm) player. A character sits across him in the train, who is played by Raymond Ebanks (B.O. Dubb), the lead singer of the Bomfunk MC's, and who imbues Snellman with the power to control the flow of time for one or a group of individuals. Realising this ability, Snellman spends the duration of the video pausing, rewinding and fast-forwarding dancers and people on his journey until coming across the Bomfunk MC's, upon whom the remote control does not work; the whole video is then sent into a rapid rewind back to the beginning. The music video may be inspired by and seems to use similar themes from the music video of Ferry Corsten’s 1999 song "Out of the Blue".[6] The music video is a play on themes of empowerment, with the power of the music being transferred to and in the end taken from Snellman by Ebanks. There is a continuity error in the video with the number on the train carriage changing throughout the sequence.

The music video was later parodied by hip hop group Raptori for their song "Hiphopmusiikkia".[7] In 2011, the beginning scene was also remade in the music video of DJ RZY's "Tervetuloo Helsinkiin".[8]

Track listing

CD maxi – Europe (2000)
  1. "Freestyler" (radio edit) – 2:52
  2. "Freestyler" (Alternative Radio Edit) – 4:07
  3. "Freestyler" (Happy Mickey Mouse Mix) – 4:48
  4. "Freestyler" (Missing Link Remix) – 5:40

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1999-2000) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[9] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[12] 1
Denmark (IFPI)[13] 2
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[14] 4
France (SNEP)[15] 8
Germany (Official German Charts)[16] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[17] 3
Italy (FIMI)[18] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[19] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[21] 1
Romania (Romanian Top 100)[22] 1
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[23] 4
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[24] 7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[25] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[27] 2
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 47

Decade-end charts

Chart (2000–2009) Position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[28] 56
Germany (Media Control Charts)[29] 31

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[30] Gold 400,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Ashare, Matt (April 2001). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network (91): 67. ISSN 1074-6978. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  2. ↑ Dr. Giacomo Bottà – University of Helsinki, Popular Culture and Urban Creativity in Helsinki and Berlin, 2006–08.
  3. ↑ Marlo Snellman's band Hipster on Myspace, .
  4. ↑ Marlo Snellman as Okta on Myspace, .
  5. ↑ Website, Marlo Snellman.
  6. ↑ Ferry Corsten (2 February 2009). "System F - Out Of The Blue (Official Video)" – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ "Raptori – Hiphopmusiikkia". Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  8. ↑ "DJ RZY feat. VA - Tervetuloo Helsinkiin". Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  9. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  10. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  13. ↑ "Hits of the World: Denmark (IFPI/Nielsen Marketing Research) 03/04/2000". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 112 (10): 65. 4 March 2000. ISSN 0006-2510.
  14. ↑ "Bomfunk MCs: Freestyler" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  15. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler" (in French). Les classement single.
  16. ↑ "Musicline.de – Bomfunk MCs Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  17. ↑ Jaclyn Ward. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  18. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler". Top Digital Download.
  19. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Bomfunk MCs search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  20. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler". Top 40 Singles.
  21. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler". VG-lista.
  22. ↑ "Romanian Top 100 - Topul anului 2000". 17 April 2005.
  23. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2000-07-30". Scottish Singles Top 40.
  24. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler" Canciones Top 50.
  25. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler". Singles Top 100.
  26. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Bomfunk MCs – Freestyler". Swiss Singles Chart.
  27. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2000-08-05" UK Singles Chart.
  28. ↑ "ARIA Chart Sales - ARIA End of Decade Singles/Top 100" (PDF). ARIA.com.au. Retrieved 2015-03-23.
  29. ↑ "Die ultimative Chart Show | Hits des neuen Jahrtausends | Download". RTL.de. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  30. ↑ "British single certifications – Freestyler – Bomfunk MC's". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Bomfunk MC's in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
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