Set Me Free (Twice song)
"Set Me Free" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Twice. It was released as the lead single of their twelfth extended play Ready to Be on March 10, 2023.[4] It is a disco song characterized by a groovy, synth, bass line, with lyrics revolving around the protagonists finding their own courage to confess their love to a crush.[3] It was written by Melanie Fontana, Marty Maro, Star Wars, Jvde and Lindgren who also handled the production.
"Set Me Free" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Remixes artwork | ||||
Single by Twice | ||||
from the EP Ready to Be | ||||
Language | Korean | |||
Released | March 10, 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2022[1] | |||
Studio | JYP Studios | |||
Genre | Disco[2][3] | |||
Length | 3:02 | |||
Label | ||||
Composer(s) |
| |||
Lyricist(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Lindgren | |||
Twice singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Set Me Free" on YouTube |
Background
On February 3, 2023, the group officially announced the single release for March 10.[5] Individuals concept photos, as well as the group's concept photos for the song, were released on their official YouTube account.[6] In an interview with KBS News, Jeongyeon revealed that they had been working on the song since the previous year.[1] Nayeon noted that the new song shows a different side of Twice, saying "Since this is our first comeback in 7 months and our first comeback in 2023, we prepared hard to show our fans a new side of us…I am excited because I think I will be able to show a different concept and performance from my previous work."[7]
Composition
"Set Me Free" is a disco track that takes a retro-futuristic approach, characterized by groovy, synth, bass line, "simple yet powerful sound", and liberating lyrics.[2][6][8] The lyrics revolve around the protagonists finding the courage to confess their love to a crush, with lines such as "I've been hiding how I feel for you forever" and "Now that it's off my chest there's room for you and me".[3] Member Jihyo explained that "Set Me Free" holds the meaning of "Let's break away from everything that binds us and love freely, to our heart's content."[9] The song was composed in the key of F minor with a tempo of 113 beats per minutes.[10]
Music video
The music video alternates between two sets, a lonely planet in outer space where they perform the song's choreography and a soundstage designed to look like a small town.[4] After the rap, a false ending is implemented, where the Twice's end screen (consisting of the logos of the group and their entertainment company JYP) is revealed to be shown on a cinema screen that the members watch.
![](../I/TWICE_-_Set_Me_Free_(music_video_screenshot).png.webp)
Mina explained the meaning behind the music video, saying "it captures the image of Twice becoming more free". She also explained that each member expressed a different kind of freedom.[7]
Promotion
On February 20, a snippet of "Set Me Free" was revealed on TikTok before the song's official release.[11] On March 4 and 5, Twice opened "Twice Pop-up Experience" in Los Angeles to communicate and celebrate the release of "Set Me Free" with their fans, where they teased part of the song's choreography.[12] Twice performed the song for the first time on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on the same day of its release.[13] The group also performed the song on the South Korean music programs M Countdown, Music Bank, Show! Music Core, and Inkigayo.[14]
Accolades
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | The Fact Music Awards | Best Music – Spring | Nominated | [15] |
Program | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|
Music Bank | March 17, 2023 | [16] |
Show Champion | March 22, 2023 | [17] |
Track listing
- Remixes[18]
- "Set Me Free" (English version) – 3:01
- "Set Me Free" – 3:01
- "Set Me Free" (Lindgren remix) [English version] – 3:31
- "Set Me Free" (Lindgren remix) – 3:31
- "Set Me Free" (Tommy "TBHits" Brown remix) [English version] – 2:50
- "Set Me Free" (Tommy "TBHits" Brown remix) – 2:50
- "Set Me Free" (ARMNHMR remix) [English version] – 2:58
Credits and personnel
Credits adopted from Melon.[19]
- Twice – vocals
- Stars Wars (Galactika) – lyricist
- Jvde (Galactika) – lyricist, vocals director
- Melanie Fontana – composer, background vocals
- Marty Maro – composer
- Lindgren – composer, arranger, producer
- Friday (Galactika) – vocals director
- Nicole Neely – strings
- Lee Kyung-won – digital editing
- Gu Hye-jin – recording
- Im Chan-mi – recording
- Curtis Douglas – mixing
- Kwon Nam-woo – mastering
- Haneul Lee – immersive mix engineer
- Jung-hoon Choi – immersive mix engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Monthly charts
|
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | March 10, 2023 | Original | [2] | ||
United States | March 14, 2023 | Digital download | Lindgren remix (Korean and English) | [38][39] | |
March 15, 2023 | Tommy "TBHits" Brown remix (Korean and English) | [40][41] | |||
March 16, 2023 | ARMNHMR remix (English) | [42] | |||
Various | March 17, 2023 |
|
Remixes | [18] | |
References
- Park, Jae-hwan (March 10, 2023). "[일문일답] 트와이스 컴백 'READY TO BE' 오늘 발매... "Queen is back!!"" [[Q&A] Twice comeback 'READY TO BE' released today... "Queen is back!!"]. KBS News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Naver.
- Guy, Zoe (March 10, 2023). "Cheer Up, Baby, Twice Just Dropped Ready to Be". Vulture. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- Chan, Tim (March 10, 2023). "On 'Ready to Be,' TWICE Prove They're Ready to Win". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- Yeo, Gladys (March 10, 2023). "TWICE take over the world in 'Set Me Free' music video". NME. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- Kwak, Hyun-soo (February 17, 2023). "'3월 10일 컴백' 트와이스, 신곡 타이틀은 'SET ME FREE'" ['Comeback on March 10th' Twice, the title of the new song is 'SET ME FREE']. YTN News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Naver.
- Yoo, Jung-min (March 3, 2023). "트와이스, 원스 마음 저격 눈부신 '레디 투 비' 단체 티저". MBC News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- Song, Soo-min (March 10, 2023). "트와이스, 컴백 기념 일문일답…"레디 투 비, 진짜 '나'를 맞이"" [Twice, Q&A to commemorate the comeback... "Ready to be, greet the real 'me'"]. Dispatch (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- Daly, Rhian (March 13, 2023). "TWICE – 'Ready To Be' review: unabashedly upfront and direct with K-pop's stadium-filling girl group". NME. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- "K-pop band Twice talk about Billboard award and new comeback". The News International. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- "Twice - Set Me Free". Tunebat. March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- Noeul, Kim (February 20, 2023). ""내 모든 걸 걸어" 트와이스, 저돌적인 'SET ME FREE' 일부 공개" ["I put my all on it" TWICE, reckless 'SET ME FREE' partial release]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- An, Ha-na (March 9, 2023). "트와이스, 새 앨범 'READY TO BE' 발매 기념 글로벌 프로모션 전개 중" [Twice, global promotion to commemorate the release of the new album 'READY TO BE' is underway]. MBN Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via Naver.
- Paul, Larisha (March 10, 2023). "TWICE Transform 'Fallon' Stage With Stadium-Ready 'Set Me Free' Performance". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- Jeong, Ga-young (March 18, 2023). "힙하고 쿨하게…'셋 미 프리' 트와이스, 넓어진 스펙트럼" [Hip and cool..."Set Me Free" Twice has a wider spectrum]. Sports World (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- "TMA Best Music (Spring)". The Fact Music Awards. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- "[종합]'컴백' 트와이스, '뮤직뱅크' 1위 "열심히 준비, 원스 너무 고마워"". n.news.naver.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- "프로그램 게시판 상세 | MBC PLUS". www.mbcplus.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "SET ME FREE (Remixes) by TWICE on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- "READY TO BE - TWICE (트와이스)". 멜론 (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Hong Kong Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Billboard Japan Hot 100: 2023/03/22 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Oricon Top 50 Combined Singles: 2023-03-27" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Malaysia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 20, 2023. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Philippines Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "RIAS Top Charts Week 11 (10 - 16 Mar 2023)". RIAS. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- "Digital Chart – Week 11 of 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Taiwan Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (World Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- "Twice Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- "Digital Chart – March 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- "SET ME FREE (Lindgren Remix) Digital Single". Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- "SET ME FREE (Lindgren Remix) (ENG) Digital Single". Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- "SET ME FREE (TOMMY "TBHITS" BROWN REMIX) DIGITAL SINGLE". Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- "SET ME FREE (TOMMY "TBHITS" BROWN REMIX) (ENG) DIGITAL SINGLE". Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- "Set Me Free (ARMNHMR Remix) Digital Single". Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.