After news that The All-New Mickey Mouse Club would be filming its final season, Christina Aguilera sought out a record deal, and she spent time in Philadelphia recording demo tracks with various producers, hoping to have an album released by the time she had finished high school. She began recording with New Jersey-based producers Robert Allecca and Michael Brown, after the pair gave her the opportunity to use a recording studio, and presented her with demo music. According to biographer Pier Dominguez, they told her that the demo recordings they would produce would be their property, but also that they would never commercially release the material. The tapes were conceived as a way of introducing Aguilera to the music industry, described as a "foot in the door" attempt to build interest in her musical abilities. During the recording sessions, she experimented with different languages, recording songs such as the title track 'Just Be Free' in Spanish, and musically the album generally consists of dance tracks and ballads, the latter of which were created in an effort to showcase Aguilera's vocal talents. Nearly all of the songs on the album were co-written by Aguilera with Bob Allecca and Michael Brown, and they showed that even at the age of fourteen she was first and foremost a talented musician and artist.
However, the venture actually backfired after the recordings were not very well received among critics, and it was to be another two years before she started to attract the attention of the music industry. Six years after the completion of the album and Aguilera had achieved mainstream success, Brown and Allecca released the record, and after discovering this, Aguilera took steps to sue the pair in an effort to stop the release. She filed a suit against the label Warlock Records, and the affiliates Platinum Recordings and JFB Music for "improper use of her name and license on the upcoming album 'Just Be Free'". In response, Warlock Records filed their own lawsuit in an attempt to ensure the release of the record, and during the proceedings, Aguilera agreed to let Warlock Records release 'Just Be Free' after reaching a settlement with the company and its affiliates. She allowed the release under the condition that the label would have to include a letter written by Aguilera in each album released. The letter stated:
"'Just Be Free' was recorded when I was 14 and 15 years old. At that young age, I made the recordings as a possible stepping stone to a career in music, which is my ultimate passion. They were made just so that I could get my foot in the door of the music business. I did not intend that the recordings would be widely released, especially after I signed with a major record label. I have not updated or finished the versions recorded in my childhood, and they are being released "as is," although I tried to prevent the release for several years. The recordings do not in any way reflect my current musical taste and where I am as an artist. The growth and vocal development I experienced as I matured into young adulthood is not reflected in the recordings. The album of new recordings that I intend to release this fall will be the album that truly reflects my artistry, my vision, and my passion. The 'Just Be Free' recordings will hopefully be a footnote in a musical career that I dream will last for many years to come." She realised that they were going to put out the album one way or another, and this way she got to make a statement on it, and so she was happy about that. She also chose the photograph that was used on the album's cover, which depicts her at the age the album was recorded. When it was eventually released it received generally negative reviews from critics, with most of them understanding why she tried to stop it appearing, as they thought that it contained dated club tracks, overwhelmed by poor effects and mundane beats. However, it is a historic artefact in her career and so for any fans who can no longer find a copy and want to hear it, here it is for you to try.
Track listing
01 Just Be Free
02 By Your Side
03 Move It (dance mix)
04 Our Day Will Come
05 Believe Me
06 Make Me Happy
07 Dream A Dream
08 Move It
09 The Way You Talk to Me
10 Running Out Of Time
11 Believe Me (dance remix)
12 Just Be Free (Spanish version)
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