Published in: ESSENCE, 7/11/2018
There are few things more signature to the city of New Orleans than that of the Bounce music genre.
One of the genre’s biggest artists, and the one who spearheaded its mainstream popularization, is Big Freedia. The hometown favorite delivered a solid performance as she took to the ESSENCE Festival stage for the very first time on Sunday night.
Setting the stage ablaze as only she can, the Queen Diva was the perfect act to close out the festival’s final night in the Superdome’s Hot Right Now superlounge. Freedia’s fan favorites like “Gin ‘N My System” and “Rock Around The Clock” had the NOLA audience going wild.
A music industry veteran with over 20 years in entertainment, Big Freedia’s career has only gotten better with time. Since 2010, she has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone and SXSW, just to name a few.
During the middle of the set, Freedia took things up a notch—and the crowd exploded yet again—as she performed Drake’s “Nice For What” and Beyonce’s “Formation,” two songs in which she has vocal credits. As the set neared its’ finale, Freedia took a moment to share gratitude for her hard work and consistency finally paying off, reminding all in attendance to always count their blessings, no matter the circumstance.
The highlight of the night was the “Twerk Off” section of her performance. In true Freedia form, she welcomed 10 fans to come on stage and participate in a high-energy dance session.
Big Freedia is a New Orleans original, and if you were unable to catch her show at this year’s ESSENCE Fest, you can see her regularly this upcoming fall on FUSE TV.
For more on everything you missed at the 2018 ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans, visit ESSENCE.com.