"Freedun" | ||||
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Single by M.I.A. featuring Zayn | ||||
from the album AIM | ||||
Released | 2 September 2016 | |||
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Length | 4:42 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
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Producer(s) |
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M.I.A. singles chronology | ||||
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Zayn singles chronology | ||||
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"Freedun" is a song by British musician M.I.A., featuring English singer-songwriter Zayn, from her fifth studio album, AIM (2016). The song was produced by Polow da Don. Furthermore, Levi Lennox, who produced "Borders" from AIM, also produced Zayn's debut single "Pillowtalk".[1] Lyrically, "Freedun" is politically influenced and references refugees, an undercurrent theme on AIM.[2][3]
M.I.A. revealed she had been contacted by their mutual publisher to write a song for Zayn's debut solo album Mind of Mine.[4] The song, however, never got past the demo stage and M.I.A then asked Zayn to feature on her own song which she had written a long time ago but always thought it was "too mainstream".[5] The pair got in contact via WhatsApp, began working on the track during M.I.A.'s stay in India[6][7] and completed it in the first week of August 2016.[8] The song was originally called "Swagistan", as previewed on Periscope in May 2016.[9]
M.I.A. announced the release of the single on 31 August 2016.[10] It premiered on the Annie Mac BBC Radio One show on 1 September 2016,[11] and then released the next day. "Freedun" debuted at number one on the UK Asian Music Chart and remained at the top for one more week.[12]