The fiery and uncompromising Montreal rapper and producer Backxwash won the Polaris Prize a few years ago — a rare feat for a DIY artist who makes challenging music — and she released her most recent album His Happiness Shall Come First Even Though We Are Suffering in 2022. Today, she’s back with the new single “Wake Up,” and it’s a total scorching epic.

“Wake Up” is not an Arcade Fire cover. Instead, it’s a dense and heavy eight-minute epic. Backxwash starts the track off in a psychedelic metal zone before eventually moving into gospel-influenced rap. The whole time, she roars about struggling against the forces that would deny her humanity. It’s a real tour de force. Below, check out the “Wake Up” video, directed by longtime Backxwash collaborator Méchant Vaporwave.

The self-released “Wake Up” single is out now, and you can get it at Bandcamp.