My academic interests are primarily in the sociology of music and internet cultures; or rather, what the study of online music fan communities can tell us about race, gender, class, morality, feminism and the future of the creative industries. I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Communications department of Stanford University, California, and will be looking for a permanent lecturing/research position in Media, Communication, Music and/or Sociology departments as of Summer 2026.
Right now, my time is mostly spent editing my first book. Based off of my PhD data collection, Music Fandom After #MeToo is an examination of fan activity on social media, relating specifically to a selection of case study musical artists from both indie-rock and hip-hop that were publicly accused of sexual misconduct and/or gender-based violence between 2017-2019 . Focused on demonstrating the spectrum of fan reaction and the individual nature of the process of moral reconciliation, this study isn’t necessarily about labelling ‘good’ or ‘bad’ fan reaction, but rather shedding light on the pressures, responsibilities and personal priorities of articulating and practising fandom and responsible citizenship in the age of social media visibility, and the way in which this trickles down into feelings of cultural impasse when it comes to music industry reform.
I currently serve in a variety of academic service roles: as a conference committee organiser at The Fan Studies Network North America, as a co-editor of the Forum section of the Celebrity Studies Journal, and as a founding member of the Music and Online Cultures Research Network (MOCReN), which myself and colleagues established to help create a sense of collegiality, collaboration and community amongst early-career scholars. Elsewhere, I’m thinking a lot about fangirl culture, how female artists are marketed through online intimacy and the development of ‘lore’, the representation of race and gender in ‘nostalgic’ music trends, and the struggle for autonomy, expertise and taste consensus between stans and music journalists. You can read some of these ponderings-in-progress over on my Substack.
Please read below for an overview of my academic career, or get in touch for a full copy of my CV.
Education/Employment
2024-2026: Postdoctoral Fellow of Communication, Stanford University
2023-2024: MA Music Business Module Leader, Leeds Beckett University
2019- 2023: PhD Student in Media and Communication, University of Leeds
2017- 2019: Masters by Research in Media, Communication and Cultural Studies, University of Huddersfield
2011-2014: Undergraduate student in Music Journalism, Universty of Huddersfield
2009-now: Freelance Music Journalist and Cultural Critic
Published Works
Williams, J (2025). Bad Vibes, Forever? Intersectionality, Severity Hedging and Philanthropic Redemption in the XXXTentacion Fan Community. Celebrity Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/19392397.2025.2575684
Williams, J (2025). Book Review – Unsilenced: Women Musicians, Gender-Based Violence and the Popular Music Industry. Crime, Media & Culture, https://doi.org/10.1177/17416590251346610
Williams, J (2024). Book Review: Fandom & Polarisation in Online Political Discussion. Journal of Fan Studies. https://doi.org/10.1386/jfs_00102_5
Williams, J (2024). Screaming, Crying, Writing Up: Literary music journalism books as a legitimization of contemporary fangirl practices. Popular Music & Society, https://doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2024.2320597
Forthcoming Works
Williams J and Sobande F. (2025). Note To Scene: Race, Gender and Rose-Tinted Nostalgia in Emo. European Journal of Cultural Studies.
Narravo-Flores, I., Williams J and Mouraviev, I. (2025). Vibes, gender and musical affordance on the internet: A study of the Lofi Girl fandom and community, Journal of Popular Music Studies
Williams, J. (2025). The Youth Need To See Greatness: Beyoncé, Homecoming and the dualities of Black Excellence. In: Fairclough, K. Interrogating The Female Pop Star Documentary. London: Bloomsbury.
Williams, J (2026). Indie-Rock Redemptions: Decoding Penance, Punishment and Self-Pity in #MeToo Comeback Journalism. Social Semiotics
Williams, J. (2026). “Kasabian, #MeToo & Lad-Rock Loyalties”. In: Boyle, K. Routledge Companion to Gender, Violence and Popular Culture. London: Routledge.
Williams, J. (2026). Commodifying The ‘Sad Girl’: Fantagonism, Parasociality and Social Media Dehumanization of Female Singer-Songwriters. In: Kong-Perring, S., Raine, S., Strong, C., Gadir, T. Bloomsbury Handbook Of Gender in The Music Industries. London: Bloomsbury
Williams, J. and Bennett, R, eds. (2027). Music Fandom, Special Issue. Transformative Works & Cultures.
Teaching Experience:
Platforms, Inequalities and Participatory Cultures. Stanford University, USA. (course originator and co-lead, Jan 25-March 25)
Music Industries in Context/ Music Industries in Practice. Leeds Beckett University, UK (module leader, Oct 23 – June 24)
Popular Music & The Press. University of Leeds, UK (co-lead, Jan 2021-June 2021)
Popular Music & Society University of Leeds, UK (Teaching assistant, Jan 2023-June 2023)
Feminism, Identity & Media University of Leeds, UK (Teaching assistant, Jan 2022 -June 2022)
Introduction To Media & Communication Research University of Leeds, UK (Teaching assistant, Sept 2020-Jan 2021; Sept 2022-Jan 2023)
Media Disseminations of Academic Work
| Carpenter, N. (2025, 10 September). How Lofi Girl Became A Chill Beats Empire, 404 Media. Available at: https://www.404media.co/how-lofi-girl-became-a-chill-beats-empire/ Froio, N (2025, 30 Jan). What Do Celebrities Owe Their Fans? Dame Magazine. Available at: https://www.damemagazine.com/2025/01/30/what-do-celebrities-owe-their-fans/ Wong, C. S. (2025, 5 Jan) Chronically Online: Furries, fandom and fan fiction on the farm. The Stanford Daily. Available at https://stanforddaily.com/2025/01/05/chronically-online-furries-fandom-and-fanfiction Cavender, E. (2024, 30 Oct). Social media feeds toxic fandoms. Is there a solution? Mashable. Available at: https://mashable.com/article/chappell-roan-platforms-fandom Jenkins, H. (2021, 30 November). “Global Fan Studies Jamboree”, Henry Jenkins.org. Available at: http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2021/9/8/global-fandom-jenessa-williams-uk Elder, S. 2020 (14 August). “How Drake (almost) made being nice cool”, The Fader. Available at: https://www.thefader.com/2020/08/14/how-drake-almost-made-being-nice-cool Mistry, A. 2020. (16 June). “This Is Not A Drake Podcast Ep. 3: The Rise of The Nice Guy Rapper.” (Interviewed as an academic guest). Available at: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/423-this-is-not-a-drake-podcast. |