Beyonce’s surprise single “Formation” is a burst of peak Blackness and political rebellion, but there was also a familiar voice who brought an extra dose of slayage–Big Freedia.
Along with the late Messy Mya, the artists bring their own flare to track, a move Freddie was happy to discuss this week with The Fader. Their collaboration came out after the NOLA native received a call from Bey’s camp who explained the message behind the song.
“She gave me a little history of the song and I just lost it,” she said. “I dropped dead in my own skin when she called. I was just literally at home losing it, not knowing exactly what I’m going to do when I got to the studio. I was just excited for the call and I was very gracious and appreciative that the queen called the other queen to come do something on her track. It was just a blessing and I was just overwhelmed and still am.”
Freedia also paid a visit to CNN where she echoed her statements on working with the artist. She also touched on themes of self-confidence and Black pride. “It makes me feel good that she gets to get her message delivered and just be free and do what she wants to do on her track,” she said. “[Beyonce] is so phenomenal in anything that she does so when she puts out a song, you get the message and you feel it.”
“I literally just died in my own skin” – @bigfreedia to @BrookeBCNN on receiving a call from @Beyonce re “Formation” https://t.co/G5CNzPlzfD
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) February 8, 2016
Reactions to the Bey’s single have been mixed, from Red Lobster taking advantage of their shout out, to the former Mayor of New York calling her visuals an “attack” on law enforcement.
Either way, the conversation continues…