Freak (Sub Urban song)
| "Freak" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Sub Urban featuring Rei Ami | ||||
| from the EP Thrill Seeker | ||||
| Released | March 13, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2019 | |||
| Genre | Alt-rock | |||
| Length | 3:14 | |||
| Label | Warner | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Composer | Sub Urban | |||
| Sub Urban singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Rei Ami singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Freak" on YouTube | ||||
"Freak" is a song by American singer-songwriter and record producer Sub Urban featuring South Korean rapper Rei Ami. It was released on March 13, 2020 through Warner Records as the second single from the former's extended play (EP) Thrill Seeker (2020). The song would later rise to prominence following its newfound popularity on social-media platform TikTok. "Freak" peaked at number 28 on both the Billboard Alternative Airplay and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts.
Background and composition
Following the surge of popularity of his 2019 single "Cradles", Maisonneuve started working on material for his debut extended play (EP) Thrill Seeker (2020).[1] Later, "Freak" would be released through Warner as the second single from the EP on March 13, 2020.[1][2] Maisonneuve and Lee wrote "Freak" while the production was handled by the latter.[3] "Freak" is 3 minutes and 14 seconds long.[4] In an interview with NME, Sub Urban stated: "I definitely do want to move away from it finally because my EP just dropped and ["Freak"]'s going strong."[5] Elias Leight writing for Rolling Stone described it as a "haunted-house pop cut".[6] Sub Urban would later perform the song at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco as part of Aurora’s national eponymous tour.[7]
Release and promotion
Warner ran a TikTok campaign with digital marketing company Songfluencer. In an interview, co-founder Johnny Cloherty stated: “One choreography was actually the top trending post for the song, but another choreography was experiencing much more user-generated-content.”[6] He would also discuss the increasing popularity of the song: “In mid-August, the dominoes started to fall, a number of TikTok’s biggest names used “Freak” in videos, and the track is currently on its way to becoming Sub Urban’s second hit, with more than 3.5 million TikTok videos."[6]
Music video
Andrew Donoho directed the music video for "Freak", which premiered on the same day as the song's release. It has a circus-themed background. Rei Ami is depicted as a snake-human hybrid, while Sub Urban is the ringleader, the one who controls the circus. On YouTube, the video had over 292 million views and the song had been used in over 3.5 million videos on TikTok.[2][6]
Credits and personnel
Credits from music platforms.[3][4]
- Sub Urban – vocals, songwriting, mixing, production, mastering
- Rei Ami – vocals, songwriting
- Bijou – additional vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[8] | 28 |
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[9] | 28 |
References
- ^ a b Johnson, John (March 3, 2021). "Sub Urban brings tentacles to a gunfight in new video for "Cirque"". South Central Illinois. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
- ^ a b Forrest, Jo (March 4, 2021). "Bella Poarch stars in Sub Urban's video for 'Cirque'". TotalNtertainment. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "Sub Urban - Thrill Seeker". Tidal. March 13, 2020. Archived from the original on April 8, 2025. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ a b Maisonneuve, Daniel; Lee, Sarah (February 28, 2020). "Freak (feat. REI AMI) by Sub Urban". Apple Music. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- ^ Daly, Rhian (April 15, 2020). "Sub Urban is the TikTok-conquering star making horror-infused, macabre pop". NME. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Leight, Elias (October 12, 2020). "How Do You Predict the Next TikTok Music Hit? With a Ton of Data". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
- ^ Schultz, Jaime (May 20, 2022). "Aurora and Sub Urban in San Francisco". Stage Right Secrets. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ^ "Sub Urban Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
- ^ "Sub Urban Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 31, 2025.