A few months ago I came across the unforgettable, gender-bending artist on the Fuse network, which was marathoning her unscripted show, Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce. Within minutes, I was hooked on her sound, style and scene.

Freedia is well-known in her hometown of New Orleans, but she’s poised to break into the mainstream, bolstered by a thunderous new album, Just Be Free, and a second season of her series, which premieres tomorrow. (Freedia is a gay man, but everyone uses female pronouns when talking about her.)

Today I’m thrilled to exclusively stream Just Be Free a week before its release. (Update: The exclusive stream has ended. The album will be available on iTunes June 17.) I also spoke to Freedia about the record and what she has in store:

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