Hi y’all! Have you heard of Jessie J? She’s our next fearless femme on a mission! (Check out our other featured femmes here to catch up!)
Jessie J is a British pop singer and songwriter, who famously wrote Miley Cyrus’s number 1 single, “Party in the USA.” She has recently hit it big with her song “Price Tag” which features hip-hop artist B.O.B. The radio version is fantastic and can be heard here, but it was a live recording that first made me fall in love with her voice and talent. If you watch nothing else today, seriously, let this video be it:
Her other popular song right now is called “Do It Like a Dude.” A far cry from the heart-warming and uplifting tone of “Price Tag,” “Do It Like a Dude” is a hard-hitting club song with a lezzie vibe that I think you, dear reader, just might enjoy. The plethora of butch ladies in the video is enough to reach this femme’s heart!
In an interview with Mirror, Jessie J explains the message behind the song: “I was getting a bit fed up with the way women have to sell themselves to be noticed,” she says. “‘Do It Like A Dude’ was sticking my finger up at that. You’ve got to have balls and go for things, feel confident not just be girlie. I used to go to auditions and there’d be a thousand girls that looked like me. You had to stand out.” While I have a few issues with her suggestion that to feel powerful, women need to “have balls” and behave in traditionally masculine ways, I get what she is trying to say. She means well, and she is fighting back against the “video hoes” she talks about in “Price Tag.”
If you want to think about the video critically, I suggest this awesome Autostraddle article. It makes a very good point about how the strong representation of women of color and various gender presentations is contradicted by the fact that the only girl-on-girl kiss features two white, blonde, uber-femmes who barely look like they belong on the set. However, if you just want to appreciate the visual beauty (aka drool) then here, watch!
Jessie J has never hidden her sexuality. When questioned about it on British radio show “In Demand,” she responded, “I’ve never denied it. Whoopie doo guys, yes, I’ve dated girls and I’ve dated boys – get over it. It’s not a secret.”
Jessie J with (ex?) girlfriend, Kira
After the interview, she tweeted: “For all the people congratulating me on ‘coming out’ or confirming I’m ‘bi’ lol-I have NEVER hid my sexuality. I love who I love. I will never label my sexuality. If its a boy its a boy if its a girl its a girl. Whatever I do in life SOMEONE somewhere will HATE it. Be it my music, my face, my clothes, my hair, my bum lol. It Is what it is. Let the haters hate. Live for the moment.”
To have such a rising star begin her career out of the closet, rather than waiting until she has achieved success, is truly brave and unique. For that, Jessie J, I dub you a fearless femme on a mission.
Sexy, successful, AND out? Now that’s a woman worth rooting for.
femme on a mission 
Keep up the great work! I love reading your blog. I’m no “femme” but I am a sexual creature of homologous nature and your work is inspiring! Yay!
Ps- I love Jessie J’s bada**ness. I don’t care what the blogs say about the underlying messages of “Do It Like A Dude” … it’s so hardcore and dishes out what no other song in the market today does.
Oh Socksy, you so foxy!
I agree with you on “Do It Like a Dude” – it’s gutsy. Also I don’t know if I’ve told you this but the girl in the video with the long curly ponytail and the low hat reminds me of you. Did you fly to LA and record a video without telling any of us?
i love that she makes music with intention. we need more artists who are not afraid to do that! and those lip studs too, rawr. haha :)
Do it like a dude is a bold, bold PR move for an up-and-comer to make. Which is exactly what I loved about it.
Although she already knows her way around the music industry almost as well as Timbaland, so I’m sure she wouldn’t have released if she wasn’t sure she already had it all in the bag…
love this, go girl
I LOVE JESSIE J VERY MUCH! SHE IS BEST!!!!!!!!!!! <3