1. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
  2. People
  3. Profile
Dr Jenessa Williams

Dr Jenessa Williams

  • Position: Associate Researcher/Module Assistant in Media and Communication
  • Areas of expertise: Popular Music, Fandom, Feminism, Digital Cultures, Online Communities, Race & Media, Celebrity Studies, Cancel Culture, Digital Activism, MeToo, Participatory Politics
  • Email: J.N.Williams@leeds.ac.uk
  • Website: LinkedIn | ORCID

Profile

I am a researcher of popular music cultures, with an emphasis on fandom, identity politics, digital activism and online participatory practices.

My PhD thesis, defended in November 2023, was awarded from the School of Media & Communication at the University of Leeds. Titled “Music Fandom In The Age of MeToo’, I explored the ways in which music fans use social media to discuss, mediate and respond to allegations of celebrity sexual abuse, complicated by the specificities of race, music genre, misogyny, respectability politics and ‘cancel culture’.

Prior to my PhD, I completed a Masters By Research degree on Hip-Hop Feminism at The University of Huddersfield, as well as a BA Honours degree in Music Journalism. I am a co-founding member of the Music and Online Cultures Research Network (MOCReN), and a member of the conference organising committee for Fan Studies Network North America (FSNNA). 

I also work as a freelance music journalist and critic, with work appearing in the Guardian, NME, the Forty-Five, Pitchfork, Alternative Press and various other online and print publications. I run the Yorkshire-based print zine Pennycress, which celebrates the multimedia works of local creatives of colour. 

Research interests

I am interested in exploring the praxis, influence, reputation and social responsibilities of the contemporary music fan, and how they interact with both their fan object and the wider media/music industry. My work contends with issues of online self-representation, race & gender politics, activism, cancel culture, parasocialism, meditisation, creativity, platformisation and more. 

I am particularly curious about investigating ‘fangirl’ and ‘stan’ identities, and instances where fandom becomes complicated as a result of transgressive or controversial behaviour from the fan object. I am also involved in projects that take a more holistic look at wellbeing, equality and diversity in the music industries, with a specific interest in the experience and engagements of fans and music journalists who identity as women and/or people of colour. My work explores music and fans through a wide range of genre contexts, but my personal expertise lies in Pop, Hip-Hop, Emo/Pop-Punk and K-Pop. 

Recently published works include:

Williams, J (2024). Screaming, Crying, Writing Up: Literary Music Journalism Books as a Legitimization of Contemporary Fangirl Practices. Popular Music and Society, 47(2), 248-266. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2024.2320597. 

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD, Media & Communication (University of Leeds)
  • Masters by Research, Media & Communication (University of Huddersfield)
  • BA Honours Music Journalism (University of Huddersfield)

Student education

I have taught at both the University Of Leeds and Leeds Beckett Universities, helping to deliver modules on Music Industries, Popular Music & The Press, Feminism, Identity and Media, and Media & Communication Research Skills.