“Escape Route” by Jordi is a single that was released by the young alternative artist in January of 2021. The breakdown of the lyrics in this particular song by the 17 year old don’t reveal too much in terms of gender identity and expression, but the opening lyrics to the song do relay an interesting setting.
“Can’t you see me, trying to run away, all these people, looking at me kind of weird?
Chasing after, friends left me, so dark out, can’t find my escape route.
All alone, driver’s gone, so I run, in the street light, in the clear sight, still dark out, can’t find my escape route.”
One way these lyrics could be interpreted in terms of gender identity and expression would be to look at them from the perspective of a female teenage alternative musician. All the “people looking at [her] kind of weird” could be Jordi expressing that she sees how people might see her as different, not only being a female musician in this particular genre, but also as someone so young. She is somewhat divided from her peers and friends by having a music career start to kick off at her age and femininity. The lyrics describe that the “driver’s gone” and Jordi is alone finding her escape route. Although it is a more abstract interpretation of the lyrics, Jordi could be expressing that she is finding her own way, forging her own path, as a female alternative rock musician. Given the traits associated with masculinity, many people probably subconsciously imagine a male “driver”, that is gone and left her alone to find her own way.
Between prom pictures and grad cap photos are images promoting Jordi’s music on her official Instagram page. Jordi doesn’t come off as hyper feminine or hyper masculine in her photos, she seems like a pretty typical teenage girl expressing herself creatively. I do think her age makes it harder to judge some of her traits according to the Bem Sex Model, because of her youth she appears to take on the “childish” trait that is typically associated with femininity. However, her Instagram highlights several photos of her enthusiastically playing the drums on a full drum set, and I see this as one of the biggest windows into her gender identity as a female rock artist. Seeing a female playing the drums is an oddity in and of itself, but to see such a young woman playing them in multiple photographs is a bigger shock. The instrument itself is often seen as an aggressive, forceful, and loud instrument: all masculine defined traits according to the Sex Role Theory. I think Jordi is working towards rewriting the female image in rock and alternative music by making this statement, and off-balancing her gender, dress, and age by proving she has power.
Shared by: Em von der Ruhr
Image Credit: https://www.instagram.com/jordiiimusic/?hl=en