Shannon – “Do You Wanna Get Away”:
Freestyle’s Next-Level Escape Plan
Released in May 1985 as the lead single from her second album of the same name, “Do You Wanna Get Away” cemented Shannon’s position as more than a flash-in-the-pan hitmaker. Following the success of her 1983 breakthrough “Let the Music Play,” the track took freestyle into a sleeker, more emotionally urgent space, fusing electro-pop beats with soulful clarity.
It wasn’t just a club banger — it was a neon-lit call to motion.
The Queen of Freestyle Evolves
Shannon (born Brenda Shannon Greene) helped define freestyle, a genre that emerged from post-disco and Latin club scenes, characterized by syncopated rhythms, layered synths, and confessional vocals. Produced again by Chris Barbosa and Mark Liggett, “Do You Wanna Get Away” pushed her sound forward — retaining the robotic-funk precision of her debut while adding a more dramatic melodic arc.
Freestyle didn’t just get slicker — it got bigger.
Lyrics with a Pulse
“Do you wanna get away? / Do you wanna get away?” It’s the question at the heart of the track — but it sounds more like a plea, or maybe a dare. Shannon’s vocals are confident yet yearning, anchored in real emotional gravity. She’s not just inviting a dance partner — she’s proposing an exit route from routine, stress, maybe even a stagnant relationship.
The song pulses forward, musically and emotionally, offering momentum as the antidote to inertia.
Chart Performance and Dancefloor Dominance
“Do You Wanna Get Away” became Shannon’s second No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, holding the top spot for two weeks. It reached No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 13 on the Hot Black Singles chart (now R&B/Hip-Hop Songs), and climbed to No. 2 on the Dance Maxi-Singles Sales chart.
Internationally, it found success in club-heavy markets like Germany (No. 57) and Canada, further proving Shannon’s cross-genre appeal and freestyle’s growing global footprint.
Still Ready to Run
While “Let the Music Play” remains her most iconic hit, “Do You Wanna Get Away” is often cited as Shannon’s artistic high point — a track that blended freestyle’s street-smart production with mature, emotionally aware songwriting. It didn’t just ask for escape. It embodied it.
And nearly four decades later, it still sounds like a midnight opportunity too good to pass up — fast beats, flashing lights, and freedom just one chorus away.