Jax: The Power of a Song

In her breakout single titled “Victoria’s Secret,” TikTok star Jax has found a way to voice her struggles with societal beauty standards. This rebellious track has resonated across social media, putting words to the frustrations of a generation. 

Throughout the song, Jax reflects on her personal struggles with her body image as a result of unrealistic beauty standards pushed onto her by society. The song itself was inspired by a young girl that Jax babysits. The young girl had gone shopping for a bathing suit at Victoria’s Secret and returned to Jax crying because another girl told her that a suit made her look “too flat and fat.”  

Unfortunately, this mindset is not uncommon among teenage girls. According to the National Organization for Women (NOW), 53% of girls feel “unhappy with their bodies” by age 13, and that number increases to 78% by age 17. In our media saturated world, it’s nearly impossible to escape the societal image of beauty. According to Break Binge Eating, 50% of teenage girls who have reported feeling unsatisfied with their body image attribute it to models in the media- making “Victoria’s Secret” a near-perfect anthem for these issues. 

To date, the body-positive anthem has over 15 million streams on Spotify and is even charting on the Billboard Hot 100. In one viral TikTok with over 30 million views, Jax is seen leading a flash mob in front of a Victoria’s Secret store while the song plays in the background. More recently, “Victoria’s Secret” has gotten the attention of the CEO of Victoria’s Secret, who reached out to her through a letter, thanking her for sharing her truth. 

If you’re looking for more information about the body positive movement, here is just a short list of organizations that can help.

The Body Positive: Founded in 1996, The Body Positive is a non-profit that focuses on body positive education to help people overcome negative societal standards.

National Eating Disorders Association: The largest non-profit to support survivors & families of eating disorder, NEDA has a massive network of resources to support those struggling with eating disorders.

Break Binge Eating: Break Binge Eating is an organization dedicated to the science of eating disorders and provides strategies to cope with disordered eating

National Organization for Women: NOW provides a wide variety of resources related to women’s rights, included body positivity.