Julie Williams Aims to Initiate a Conversation Expanding the Understanding of Consent Beyond Simple “Yes” and “No” to Embrace Its Complexities in Her New Song
Julie Williams, on her own, wrote “The Prince,” drawing from a personal experience that left her feeling isolated, guilty, hurt, and ashamed. The song recounts a disrespectful intimate encounter in a new dating relationship, where she was wooed by a doctor, reluctantly went to his hotel room, and was then mistreated upon arrival.
Williams, a part of CMT’s Next Women of Country, intends for her song to spark a meaningful conversation about consent, shifting the focus from a simple “yes means yes” and “no means no” to embracing the intricate complexities surrounding consent. She emphasizes that consent is an ongoing process and agreement, involving boundary setting, self-awareness, and understanding one’s worth long before entering the bedroom. The aim is to raise awareness about the importance of recognizing and respecting personal boundaries to create more meaningful connections.
In “The Prince,” Julie Williams candidly shares her experience, revealing bruises and a bite mark as evidence of a harmful encounter with someone she thought highly of, only to realize he was not who he seemed. The metaphor of a prince turning into a pauper at midnight symbolizes the disappointment she felt. Desiring his approval, she questions herself, wondering what it says about her to allow her boundaries to be crossed.
The song’s genesis began shortly after the upsetting encounter with the doctor. Williams initially had the chorus, the prince and pauper metaphor, and part of the first verse directly inspired by her story. However, she struggled to complete the song, as she had not fully processed the incident.
A turning point came when a friend pointed out that the boundary-crossing occurred long before the hotel room encounter, validating Williams’ feelings and making her reflect on how she was pushed beyond her comfort zone. This realization unlocked the song’s true meaning for her.
During a visit to her aunt’s house in California, Williams finished the song in the early hours of the morning. As a storyteller, she believes in the power of narratives to connect with people on a deep level, allowing listeners to find echoes of their own experiences or gain empathy for others’ stories.
Williams acknowledges that each listener’s interpretation of “The Prince” will be personal, drawing from their own life experiences. Her hope is that the song and its accompanying video will encourage understanding, whether for oneself or for others.
The artist emphasizes that she sought to create a song that resonated with the feeling of deserving the hurt she experienced due to not being able to assert herself. However, upon reflection, she realizes it wasn’t her fault, and her partner’s lack of consent-seeking and respect was a significant issue. Williams aims to let others who have experienced similar situations know they are not alone, fostering a sense of solidarity and recognition of the wrongness of such experiences.
