How a triumphant anthem for 'The Woman King' brought Jessy Wilson back to music
The Woman King — director Gina Prince-Blythewood's historical epic starring Viola Davis about a mighty army of West African warrior women protecting their kingdom — is only the second film with a Black woman director to open at number one at the box office. The film's renown means that millions have had a chance to hear the song that plays over its closing credits, but what's received considerably less attention is the story of life-altering triumph tied to that undaunted pop anthem, "Keep Rising."
wrote and recorded it with producer Jeremy Lutito in the studio behind his East Nashville, Tenn. home during the summer of 2020. She barely touched a microphone after that, soon stepping away from songwriting altogether. What drew her back one day in early October to that same, small studio space — and to music — was the chance to truly embrace the song's role in a powerful piece of filmmaking. Without a label budget behind her, she'd decided
