“I did not come to play with you hoes. I came to slay. I like cornbread and collard greens, bitch.” Most Beyoncé fans recognize those lines from her “Formation” video. But not as many were able to identify the deep voice that said them. Big Freedia, the Queen of Bounce, is a gay New Orleans native who has been in formation for a long time. Freedia has a music career that spans over a decade, supported mainly by the underground bounce and Black LGBT scenes.
But she (Big Freedia's website clarifies that "Freedia is a he but uses the feminine pronoun for her stage persona") has certainly made a name for herself in mainstream media as well. Long before her Beyoncé nod on “Formation,” Freedia orchestrated a group-twerk effort that broke a Guiness World Record. She has also been the star of her own reality show on Fuse, Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce, which chronicled her personal and professional life in the wake of her growing mainstream success. It’s the network’s highest-rated show.
Fuse just announced that Freedia’s show has been renewed for a sixth season, and it's making some big changes. First, the title: As of the sixth season, the show will officially be called Big Freedia Bounces Back. Deadline says the new title reflects Freedia's efforts to reinvent her newly sober self. The episodes have also been extended from half-hour slots and will now each be an hour long.
If you love twerking, thick Southern accents, and a little bit of drama, you’re in for a real treat. “You already knoooooooow!”
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