The 1997 freedom anthem has been re-sung by its own author: HUGEL and Ultra Naté have made ‘Free’ for the dancefloors of 2025

HUGEL and the American singer Ultra Naté have released ‘Free (You Got To Live)’ — a reimagining of her classic.

The magazine Sweet n Sour wrote about it.

The original ‘Free’ came out in 1997: Ultra Naté wrote it with the production duo Mood II Swing — John Ciafone and Lem Springsteen. Built on soul, house, disco and sheer spirit, it reached number four in the UK and number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, and belongs to the songs clubs never let go of.

What ‘Free’ means to Ultra Naté herself

The singer spoke about what the song became a few years before this release, when ‘Free’ turned twenty-five.

“We just wanted something that would speak to everyone’s heart and soul. Because there’s something every person wants to be emancipated from in their lives, whether it’s out loud or on a personal level,” she said about the idea.

“It is a tremendous honour to have a song that is significant in that way. But also, there is the underlying feel-good party anthem that continues to make people want to sing and dance through the generations!” Ultra Naté added.

“All of that equates to a sense of liberation, which has made ‘Free’ part of Ibiza’s history.”

The new version reopens the doors on that classic and invites a different, younger crowd to the party: HUGEL laid his signature Afro house pulse underneath it.

Not a sample, but the author herself

The key point is that this is not a remix at second hand: Ultra Naté, who made the original, sings on the track herself rather than being sampled.

The release came out on Cr2 Records — the same label that had put out his joint track with Kurd Maverick two months earlier.

We reported earlier on that release, ‘PYHU (Put Your Hands Up)’.