The iconic queen of New Orleans Bounce, Big Freedia, is back with a new upbeat dance single, “Central City Freestyle.” Listen to the track and watch its delightfully uninhibited video below.
Built around a lively beat with escalating layers of bass goodness — and a few classic build-ups and drops — “Central City Freestyle” is a vehicle for Freedia’s irresistible charm. Between her commanding presence as an MC, the message of empowerment, and the literal dancing that this track will surely inspire, the grand sum embodies the best of what a booty-shaking party anthem can be.
For her part, Freedia attributes her performance to her hometown and community. “This song and video is one for the people of my city,” she said in a statement. “It was recorded in one take and it’s a Bounce Freestyle — raw and off the cuff — celebration of everything New Orleans!”
The release comes as the 45-year-old rapper is busy on a couple different fronts. Her new TV show, Big Freedia Means Business, is coming to Fuse TV this summer, and she’s planning on opening her own hotel in New Orleans, Hotel Freedia, by next year’s Mardi Gras. Last summer, Beyoncé sampled Freedia’s “Explode” for her dance-pop track “Break My Soul,” which won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording last month. Freedia’s even working on new music, according to her Instagram story.
Freedia will also be embarking on an international tour, which will include numerous New Orleans dates, sets with LCD Soundsystem for the Re:SET concert series, and more. Check out the full list of dates below. Tickets are available to purchase via StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
“Central City Freestyle” Artwork:
Big Freedia 2023 Tour Dates:
04/13 – New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum Theater +
04/14 – New Orleans, LA @ French Quarter Festival *
04/21 – San Antonio, TX @ Sunken Garden Theatre
04/28 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz Festival 2023
04/29 – Houston, TX @ Houston Botanical Gardens *
05/04 – New Orleans, LA @ The Metropolitan Night Club
05/05 – New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre
05/06 – New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre
06/02 – Stanford, CA @ Re:SET Bay Area
06/03 – San Diego, CA @ Re:SET San Diego
06/04 – Pasadena, CA @ Re:SET Los Angeles
06/09 – New Orleans, LA @ Re:SET New Orleans
06/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Re:SET Atlanta
06/11 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Re:SET Dallas
06/15 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
06/17 – Kansas City, MO @ Boulevardia
06/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival *
06/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Pink Block Party
07/01 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/07 – Vienne, FR @ Jazz a Vienne Festival
07/15 – Detroit, MI @ Motorcity Casino Hotel
07/23 – Little Rock, AR @ Little Rock Black Pride 2023
08/04 – Newport, RI @ Newport Jazz Festival
08/25 – Columbus, OH @ Wonderbus Music and Arts Festival
+ = w/ Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
* = w/ Soul Rebels