Live review from 21st Anniversary Festival Day 2:
1. screwed loose (do you feel it too?)
2. you’re not my destiny
3. shreds
4. spin and twirl (unreleased)
5. state of the art (unreleased)
6. warning
7. lovelocked (unreleased)
Jennifer Tee is 18 years old, but had the presence of a seasoned performer. What?!! I had to check my notes twice. She walked out alone with just an acoustic guitar, and within seconds, the room fell silent. No backing band, no effects—just her voice, her stories, and a calm control that many artists don’t find until much later. From the very first strum, she had us.
“Screwed Loose (Do You Feel It Too?)” felt like someone falling in love in slow motion. Gentle acoustic picking gave way to a soft but knowing vocal, full of expression without the need to oversing. Her sound instantly reminded me of Frente—there’s a purity to it, a clean emotional clarity. The lyrics captured that fluttery, unsettled feeling you get when emotions start to tangle. Her strumming felt like those same butterflies dispersing from each chord. A genuinely impressive first song.
“You’re Not My Destiny” came next, opening with a chunky guitar rhythm that set the song in motion. Her voice led the way, gradually rising as she built toward the chorus. There’s a moment where she hits this quirky note, and you can’t help but smile—partly from the sound, partly from how present she is in the performance. “You are… not my destiny.” The way she lands it feels like closure wrapped in charm.
“Shreds” was a slower number, again reminding me of Frente. Her music doesn’t need much backing—just simple chords and that captivating voice. As the song progresses, the intensity builds, not with volume, but with feeling. She provides the emotional element that connects with your soul, and for me, it did exactly that. The tempo shifts back down near the end as she delivers the line “She prefers the dark,” and it left the whole room in thoughtful silence.
“Spin and Twirl” followed—her first unreleased song of the night, and one that felt deeply personal. I actually wrote in my notes: I want to record this song and send it to the person who I loved, but took advantage. That should tell you how it hit. The song had that raw, honest energy that makes you reflect on your own past, even when you don’t want to.
Then came “State of the Art,” which opened with a few melodic chords before Jennifer sang about pushing against unnamed forces. The song dealt with a very specific kind of frustration—the kind that comes from trying to take back control in a situation you didn’t ask for. There was tension in her voice but also resilience. She sang about being broken but not defeated, and you could tell she meant every word. The verses held her ground, and the chorus gave just enough space for the fight to breathe. It felt like a step forward.
Finally, “Lovelocked” closed the set—no guitar this time. Jennifer moved to keyboard, and everything shifted. The song was about heading off to uni in the States, but more than that, it was about the emotional tug-of-war between what you dream of and what you’re afraid to leave behind. The real heart of the song wasn’t in the lyrics—it was in the feeling: her hopes vs her needs. You could sense that Jennifer wanted the screams, the recognition, the moment—and she earned it. The crowd was leaning into every word she sang, completely still, completely present. Her voice was so sweet it almost disguised the ache beneath it. A beautifully vulnerable way to close the set.
Jennifer Tee’s set wasn’t loud, but it was powerful. It was felt. Honest, lyrical, a little broken, and a lot hopeful—her songs were confessions turned into lullabies. She might be young, but she’s got stories. And I’ll be listening when she’s ready to tell more.
– Cain McInerney
