Freak of Nature
2001 studio album by Anastacia
Freak of Nature is the second studio album by American singer Anastacia, released on November 23, 2001, by Epic Records and Daylight Records. The making of the album saw Anastacia refine the pop, R&B, soul, rock, and dance influences on Not That Kind, adopting a more focused and personal approach as she co-wrote the album’s songs, with lyrics exploring themes of self-confidence, resilience, relationships, and her experiences within the music industry. As with her debut, she collaborated with producers Ric Wake, Sam Watters, and Louis Biancaniello, with additional production from Richie Jones.
The album received mixed reviews, with critics praising Anastacia's powerful vocals, while some criticised its songwriting and production for being overly polished. Commercially, Freak of Nature became another major success, reaching number one in numerous European countries including Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Benelux, and Scandinavia, as well as number 27 on the US Billboard 200. The album earned extensive multi-platinum certifications across Europe, including 3× Platinum status in both Germany and the United Kingdom, and 5× Platinum in Switzerland.
The release of Freak of Nature was supported by several successful singles, including "Paid My Dues", "One Day in Your Life", "Why'd You Lie to Me", and "You'll Never Be Alone", with the first two becoming major international hits and reaching the top ten across multiple European markets. During the same era, Anastacia also released "Boom", the official song of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which became a notable international success and later appeared on several reissues of the album. In further promotion, Anastacia also embarked on promotional album tour also titled Freak of Nature.
Background
In March 1999, disappointed after years of bad luck in the music industry, Anastacia finally signed a contract with Daylight Records, a custom label of Sony Music Entertainment's Epic Records and began work on her debut album Not That Kind.
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Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1003704. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2001, 2002 and 1999.
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