Why Grown Women Hear Jill Scott’s “Pressha” Differently

Expired Anthems and the Sound of Grown Women

There’s a reason Jill Scott’s “Pressha” lands differently for grown women.

It’s not nostalgia.
It’s not sentimentality.
It’s recognition.

And to be clear — this isn’t music I can’t relate to because I never lived that life. I’m in my 40s. I’ve lived plenty. I’ve dated. I’ve loved. I’ve wanted. I’ve compromised. I’ve done the emotional gymnastics, the late-night conversations, the hopeful rewrites, the quiet disappointments. I’ve been desired. I’ve been chosen. I’ve been hidden. I’ve been tired.

I’ve already done that chapter.

I’ve Lived That Life. I’m Good.

So when I hear much of today’s music aimed at women, it doesn’t feel foreign — it feels expired. I’m not interested in fighting another woman over a man who doesn’t have the emotional range to choose either of us properly. I’m not hunting for a rich man to fund my plastic surgery, my rent, my wardrobe, my nails, or my self-worth. In my 40s, I’m not competing with women over beauty; my joints and my peace have already clocked out. And I don’t believe empowerment requires announcing that every man wants me and every woman wants…