Her song hasn’t been out for 24 hours and people are already coming for Jesy Nelson. The former Little Mix singer is forging a new path in her career as a solo artist, and she made her debut today. The London-bred artist delivered “Boyz,” a track that sampled Diddy’s “Bad Boys for Life” and in the music video, the mogul even made a cameo appearance.
The single also hosted a feature from Nicki Minaj, adding another assist to the Queen rapper’s list. Minaj’s features on Doja Cat’s “Say So” and Bia’s “Whole Lotta Money” helped them reach new heights, and she just may have the same effect for Jesy. However, many people continue to accuse Jesy of “blackfishing,” and they’ve returned with more complaints after the “Boyz” music video was released.
Neil Mockford / Contributor / Getty Images
While fans are eating up the “Boyz” collaboration, others have been giving Jesy Nelson a hard time. In an interview with Vulture, Jesy addressed the ongoing controversy and claimed that she was never accused of such a thing prior to her going solo, adding she is only emulating what she “grew up on.”
“I mean, like, I love Black culture. I love Black music. That’s all I know; it’s what I grew up on. I’m very aware that I’m a white British woman; I’ve never said that I wasn’t,” she said. When asked about complaints from the public about being blocked or having their comments deleted, she said it was most likely a member of her team.
“I’m just 100 percent being myself. If you look at me on X-Factor with my big curly hair, I was wearing trainers and combats — that’s who I am as an artist and as Jesy,” said the singer.
“Now I’m out of Little Mix, I’ve gone back to being who I am. Like I said, I don’t ever want to be an artist who’s being told what to wear or what music to make. I want to be authentic and true to myself, and if people don’t like that, don’t be my fan. Don’t be a part of my journey.”
Watch the music video for “Boyz” below.
[via]