✍️BEARTOOTH - 'FREE' : A FEARLESS ANTHEM OF SELF-ACCEPTENCE

When Beartooth released Free on February 27th, it felt like the next step in a journey that fans have been watching unfold for years. Originally formed in 2012 as a personal outlet for frontman Caleb Shomo after his time in Attack Attack! — has always worn its heart on its sleeve. From the raw honesty of Disgusting to the more hopeful outlook of The Surface, Shomo’s music has always mirrored where he’s at in life.   In “Free”, he sounds more comfortable and confident than ever.  

Co-written and co-produced with former Bring Me The Horizon member Jordan Fish, “Free” is a blistering anthem that sees Shomo take a brutally honest look at what it really means to feel comfortable in your own skin.   

Musically, it leans into Shomo’s pop influences more than we’ve seen before, particularly in the verses but it never loses that unmistakable Beartooth bite. When the chorus hits, the pounding bass and crunching guitars kick in and it explodes into something huge. It honestly feels like a perfect middle ground between Disgusting and The Surface. The chorus soars in that way you just know is going to sound massive live, while the breakdown is pure Beartooth — the kind that will keep a pit moving for the entire set.  

The video doubles down on the message of the song. Shomo appears with eye makeup and painted nails, wearing a series of bold outfits — including a glittery crop top and an ornate fur coat that’s already drawn comparisons to Yungblud. He dances freely throughout, and honestly it just feels like another extension of what Beartooth has always been about: expression, honesty and not being afraid to show who you are.  

If you’ve followed Caleb’s journey over the last twenty years, it’s genuinely inspiring to see him and his art in a place where they can be this bold and unapologetic. It’s exciting, it’s refreshing and it’s a joy to watch.  

Which is why the backlash he’s received since the song’s release has been so disappointing to see. The negative comments directed at him online feel completely at odds with what this community is supposed to stand for. Heavy music has always been a place for people who feel like outsiders, and there should be absolutely no space here for hate or homophobia.  

“Free” is about being comfortable in your own skin and about embracing who you are - something Caleb Shomo has clearly fought hard for. Watching him finally reach that place should be something worth celebrating.  

And personally? I can already picture myself on my friend’s shoulders the next time Beartooth come back to the UK, screaming that chorus at the top of my lungs.