Keynote lecture: Billie Eilish, Princess Nokia, Girlhood and Race in the Musical Vernacular of Depression

Women’s and Gender Studies Symposium Keynote Lecture

In Partnership with Georgia College & State University Research Day

Billie Eilish, Princess Nokia, Girlhood, and Race in the Musical Vernacular of Depression

Jessica A. Holmes, Ph.D. 

Associate Professor of Musicology 

University of Copenhagen

This keynote lecture examines how contemporary pop artists Billie Eilish and Princess Nokia transform experiences of sadness, anxiety, and loneliness into a shared musical language for Gen Z. Exploring what the author calls a “musical vernacular of depression,” the talk explores how young people express—and understand—mental health through popular music.

Dr. Jessica Holmes is Associate Professor of Musicology at the University of Copenhagen. Her research addresses the relationship between music and disability in popular music, with emphasis on embodiment, vocality, and identity formation. 

Wed. April 15, 2026, 11 a.m.

Peabody Auditorium

Sponsored by: 

The Women’s and Gender Studies Program

GCSU Student Life (Bobcats FIRST)

Trax on the Trail

MURACE