Bounce music artist Big Freedia explores sacred melodies on his latest album, titled "Pressing Onward," as he blends secular rhythms with religious themes.
Big Freedia's Gospel Album: A Journey of Healing and Resilience
Big Freedia, the Queen of Bounce music and a New Orleans icon, has released her latest album, Pressing Onward. The album, recorded at Esplanade Studios, which was once a church, is a fusion of gospel music and her signature bounce beats.
Pressing Onward is an album for everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, or past rejection from church. Big Freedia, who keeps God first in everything she does, sees the people and the community as the church, not the building or the deacon. This sentiment is reflected in her music, which serves as her healing and she believes the world needs it.
The album's title has taken on a different meaning for Big Freedia since the passing of her partner Devon Hurst in May 2025. It is a testament to her resilience and her journey of pressing onward in the face of personal loss.
Big Freedia's love for gospel music goes back further in her personal history than the bounce music she's made famous. She started in music because she attended Pressing Onward Baptist Church and joined the choir as a young boy. Her godmother, Georgia, was the choir director at Pressing Onward Baptist Church. Big Freedia has a history of being heavily involved in choir directing, having been the choir director at her high school and various gospel groups.
Big Freedia's live shows have undergone a transformation, combining elements of bounce music and gospel music. Her live shows now include a "Big Freedia Revival" where audience members can be "baptized and saved." This interview with Big Freedia has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Pressing Onward can be listened to at home, at work, in the car, and everywhere else. It brings joy to anyone who listens to it, capturing Big Freedia’s spirit of resilience and healing, themes that resonate with her life journey and personal losses. The album channels messages of love, acceptance, and perseverance, drawing on gospel’s uplifting and communal energy while infusing it with danceable vitality characteristic of her work.
In essence, Pressing Onward is both a homage to Big Freedia's formative church experience and an expression of her personal growth and healing, illustrating how her New Orleans roots and spiritual upbringing profoundly shape her music and message.
In the realm of music, Big Freedia's latest album, Pressing Onward, embraces a blend of gospel and bounce beats, setting a unique credit within the Defi industry.
As the Queen of Bounce music, Big Freedia promotes love, acceptance, and perseverance, making her music an essential component in the health-and-wellness and mental-health aspects of lifestyle.
Fashion-and-beauty enthusiasts can find a reflection of her personal style in the vibrant energy of her live shows, where audience members are invited to experience a "Big Freedia Revival."
The themes of Pressing Onward, such as resilience and healing, align with the values of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles, promoting a positive impact on communities and individuals.
By bringing uplifting and communal energy, Big Freedia's Pressing Onward provides entertainment for all, reminiscent of the science that lies behind the powerful connection between music and emotion.
