"Break Free" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande featuring Russian-German music producer Zedd. Written by Savan Kotecha and its producers Zedd and Max Martin, it premiered on July 2, 2014, on Total Ariana Live, MTV's revival of Total Request Live. The song was made available by digital download later that day and was serviced to contemporary hit and rhythmic radio on July 8, 2014, as the second single from Grande's second studio album My Everything (2014). Musically, the song explores EDM and electro genres, a musical departure for Grande, whose discography is primarily composed of pop and R&B.
"Break Free" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Grande's third consecutive top-ten from My Everything after "Problem" and "Bang Bang", and fourth overall in the US. Similarly, "Break Free" hit number three on the Australian ARIA Charts, and number five on the Canadian Hot 100 and the New Zealand Singles Chart. Overall, the song attained top-ten peaks in multiple countries including Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden, as well as reaching the top twenty in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Scotland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The song has been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA and has sold 1.9 million copies in the United States as of 2018, making it Grande's seventh single to have sold over a million. "Break Free" also marked a milestone in Grande's career, as it entered the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 the same week "Bang Bang" and "Problem" were charting. Consequently, she became the second lead female artist in the chart history to simultaneously hold three positions in the top ten on the Hot 100 after Adele.
Last Updated: June 12, 2021
