Jenessa Williams
Jenessa is a freelance music journalist, fandom academic and the writer of Subtweets, our weekly column that dissects the trending topics setting Music Twitter alight. She likes millennial hip-hop, noughties emo and advocating for a new era of diversity and representation in both.
Lorde’s sexy cover art is a leap into a new age of visual empowerment
At this moment in time, is there anyone who hasn’t seen THAT shot? Here at The Forty-Five, we’ve made no secret of our longing...
00s Pop-Punk was a white monolith. The 20s will be better
For an artist who has made her name writing exclusively about heartbreak, it is no understatement to say that the world has fallen collectively...
45s of the week: Black Honey, Bombay Bicycle Club, Lime Garden and more!
Black Honey — 'Fire'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lTNgXlKtLg
Forever one of the most creative bands in the game (and always on an impressively tight budget), Black Honey have delivered...
Second Touch – How Sugababes got put back on the musical map
I haven’t always liked being Jenessa. The only brown girl in my primary school class, it marked me out as different; somehow more ‘exotic’...
The Biggest Winner of the 2021 Brits? Progress.
While the pandemic has been a serious obliterator of so much vital and vibrant entertainment culture, it’s also been a bit of a kick...
Little Simz has never just been “great for a girl”
When I saw Little Simz on the floor of the Natural History Museum, I knew that this was it. It was the same feeling...
45s of the week: Little Simz, LUMP, Solidarity Not Silence and more!
Solidarity Not Silence - 'This Is Sisterhood'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDHNlUY2V24
Having spoken out against their abuse at the hands of a male music industry figure in 2016, ‘Solidarity...
Live music is back, in a big way, on Sunday – but how are...
How much could we all just do with a really good gig? With most of us having not experienced IRL live music since well...
Behind the campaign to get Lady Gaga’s ‘Artpop’ the respect it deserves
Lady Gaga is climbing the charts, but it’s not because she has new music. Instead, seven years on from its release, fans have taken...
Has musical gatekeeping caused Cupcakke’s boredom with female rap?
Divisiveness over something that a celebrity said on Twitter? Surely not! Just like the rest of us, musicians are known for the odd foot-in-mouth...