For years, both Big Freedia and the late SOPHIE stood as transformative forces within modern music, reshaping the boundaries of their respective genres through fearless experimentation and uncompromising artistic vision. Now, nearly a decade after the project was first created, a collaborative three-song EP from the two groundbreaking artists is finally set for release on June 19.
Leading the rollout is “Blaze That Ass,” the project’s first single, arriving May 22. The track offers the first official glimpse into a collaboration that merges Big Freedia’s unmistakable New Orleans bounce energy with SOPHIE’s futuristic, shape-shifting production style — a pairing that feels as innovative now as it likely did when the songs were first recorded in 2016.
Written by Big Freedia and SOPHIE, with production handled entirely by SOPHIE, the EP was born during a session at SOPHIE’s Los Angeles home studio. According to those involved, the three tracks were largely completed in a single afternoon, capturing an immediate creative chemistry between two artists who each approached music as a form of radical reinvention.
The collaboration places Big Freedia’s commanding vocal presence and bounce-driven performance style inside SOPHIE’s hyperreal sonic universe — a world built on metallic textures, elastic sound design, and avant-garde pop experimentation. The result is something that pushes beyond conventional genre definitions, creating a collision between club music, electronic futurism, and Southern hip-hop traditions.
“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!”
SOPHIE’s family also reflected on the collaboration, emphasizing how naturally the two artists connected creatively. “This collaboration was exciting to SOPHIE right from the start,” they shared. “Freedia’s energy and vocal power were 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 arrives during another major creative chapter for Big Freedia, following the acclaim surrounding her 2025 gospel album Pressing Onward, which Pitchfork described as “a vibrant and unabashedly queer take on worship music.” The album showcased another dimension of her artistry while reinforcing her long-standing role as one of music’s most culturally significant and boundary-pushing voices.
Shortly after the EP announcement, Big Freedia also confirmed dates for her upcoming BIG FREEDOM Tour, which launches in June and will bring her high-energy live performances across the United States. Stops include performances in Dallas, Austin, Houston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago, and St. Louis, alongside appearances at festivals including Nelsonville Music Festival, Red Wing Roots Festival, Green River Festival, and the Blue Note Jazz Festival.
In support of the tour, $1 from every ticket sold for headline dates will benefit the Center for Working Families Fund, extending the project’s impact beyond music itself.
Though created nearly ten years ago, the collaboration between Big Freedia and SOPHIE arrives with a sense of renewed relevance — not only as a celebration of two visionary artists, but also as a reminder of SOPHIE’s enduring influence on the future of electronic and pop music.