Scene Queen's new track 18+ is a scathing takedown of misogyny and abuse in the rock scene - and it's long overdue

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Nu gen star Scene Queen has been making some incredible moves over the last 18 months, bringing her own unique brand of noise to the masses. Combining the sugary sweet, and explicit tones of late 00's crunkcore with the bold and brutal chaos of modern metalcore, every song is a statement in its own right. And her latest target is a very real problem that needs to be called out as loud as possible.

It's called 18+ and is all about the claims of sexual abuse, misconduct and grooming of fans that bands have placed against them so frustratingly often. From its hard-hitting words to its even harder riffs, it doesn't hold back and serves as a firm and fierce reminder, if you really needed one, that predatory behaviour isn't acceptable at any level in any corner of heavy music. Never has been, never will be.

She had this to say about it: "I wrote '18+' to be controversial, and I hope that’s what I’ve achieved. When I wrote the song I made it my mission to make something that sounds like an intense personal call out but also broad enough that it covers an entire epidemic within the scene. Having people arguing over which band I might be upset with, arguing over security measures taken place in the scene, or even arguing whether the lyrics are good or just borderline unsettling is the exact point of the song: to get people talking about what we’ve refused to talk about in the scene the last ten years.

"When I left the scene around 2015, because it no longer felt like a safe space for women, I swore that if I ever came back I would make it my mission to set fires until it was safe. I alluded to this heavily on Bimbocore Vol. 2 with my song 'The Rapture (but it’s Pink)' featuring Mothica, but '18+' is me finally making the first step into that. Predatory behaviour is something that has been happening in the scene for years and still happens now. If I waited for the perfect time and the easiest way to start the conversation, I would never get the chance."

The track is the first from Scene Queen since the release of her second EP Bimbocore VOL.2 last year. It featured the brilliant Pink Hotel, which you could call a manifesto of everything that Scene Queen represents, and that sounds like this.

Jack has yet to hear a breakdown that he hasn't fallen head over heels for. First putting pen to paper for Louder in 2023, he loves nothing more than diving straight into the feels with every band he gets to speak to. On top of bylines in Prog, Rock Sound and Revolver, you’ll also often find him losing his voice at a Lincoln City match or searching for London’s best vegan kebab.