Big Freedia and the late SOPHIE have officially released their first collaborative single, “Blaze That Ass,” unveiling a long-awaited meeting between two of the most boundary-pushing artists in modern music culture.
The track arrives ahead of a forthcoming three-song EP set for release on June 19, a project that has already generated major anticipation following coverage from outlets including Pitchfork, Stereogum, The FADER, and SPIN.
“Blaze That Ass” feels like a collision between two musical worlds that were always destined to intersect. On one side is Big Freedia’s unmistakable New Orleans bounce energy — explosive, charismatic, and built for the club. On the other is SOPHIE’s futuristic sonic architecture, where distorted textures, avant-garde pop structures, and hyperreal electronic production continuously redefined the possibilities of dance music.
Together, the result is something both chaotic and meticulously crafted: a track that stretches club music into stranger, more exhilarating territory while remaining deeply rooted in movement, rhythm, and physical release.
“Recording with SOPHIE is something I hold even closer to my heart now, especially after her passing,” said Big Freedia. “She was an artist who showed the world that living boldly is your greatest power. With this EP, I want to show the world how loved she was and still is!”
The project originated during a recording session at SOPHIE’s home studio in Los Angeles in 2016, with much of the EP reportedly completed within a single afternoon. Though years have passed since those sessions, the material feels remarkably timeless — blending the raw physicality of bounce music with the surreal elasticity of SOPHIE’s production style in ways that still sound radically forward-thinking.
By transporting Big Freedia’s distinctly NOLA-born sound into SOPHIE’s hypersaturated electronic universe, the collaboration creates something genuinely singular within the broader landscape of dance music. It’s a meeting point between underground club traditions, queer nightlife culture, and experimental electronic innovation — a space both artists spent their careers helping shape.
“This collaboration was exciting to SOPHIE right from the start,” said SOPHIE’s family. “Freedia’s energy and vocal power, a perfect match for her production. Their connection gave us these songs, all of them SOPHIE loved to play out, and we can’t wait to hear them in the club again.”
The release also follows a creatively prolific period for Big Freedia, whose 2025 gospel album Pressing Onward earned critical acclaim for its deeply personal and genre-defying approach. Pitchfork described the album as “a vibrant and unabashedly queer take on worship music,” highlighting yet another example of Freedia’s ability to reshape musical traditions through joy, identity, and fearless self-expression.
Following the release of “Blaze That Ass,” Big Freedia will embark on the BIG FREEDOM tour this June. In addition to the performances, $1 from every headline ticket sold will support the Center for Working Families Fund, further extending the artist’s longstanding commitment to community advocacy and social impact.
With “Blaze That Ass,” Big Freedia and SOPHIE deliver more than a posthumous collaboration — they unveil a snapshot of two revolutionary artists meeting at the outer edges of club music and creating something that still feels wildly ahead of its time.