Central City (album)

Central City is the second studio album by American rapper Big Freedia, released through Queen Diva Music on June 23, 2023. It follows nine years after his previous album, Just Be Free (2014). The album features guest appearances from Kamaiyah, Kelly Price, Lil Wayne, Boyfriend, Ciara, Sonyae, Faith Evans, and the Soul Rebels. Big Freedia will tour North America in support of the record across mid-2023.

Background
The album features Big Freedia "infusing" his bounce style of music with "an invigorated, hip-hop-inspired energy" that he has called "bigga bounce". In a statement, Big Freedia said: "Welcome to Central City, y'all, where I pay homage to my city, my roots, hip-hop, and to the art of creating a new sound".

Singles
Central City was preceded by three singles: "Central City Freestyle" in March 2023, "$100 Bill" featuring Ciara at the end of April 2023, and "Bigfoot" alongside the album's announcement on May 26, 2023.

Critical reception
AllMusic's Neil Z., Yeung wrote that "although noticeably more polished than other contemporary bounce releases, these cleaned-up anthems aim to draw a larger audience into the scene, both with their radio-friendly approach and marquee guests", also adding that "altogether, Central City is a total riot and fun as hell, the culmination of years of grinding and fighting to place New Orleans bounce on an even larger stage". Kitty Empire of The Observer described it as "an album of bass-laden beasts, star guests and surprisingly musical moments", also finding that it contains "high production values and songcraft". Eric Torres of Pitchfork opined that "Freedia branches out more than ever, switching between classic bounce and the occasional hard-nosed, industrial grind, often within the same song" and that the album "reaffirms Freedia's easy rapport with disparate artists", which "speaks to her expansive curatorial vision and towering charisma".