On December 30, the singer posted an emotional message to her Instagram Stories, describing 2025 as “one of the hardest but most magical years.” In June, Jessie revealed she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. She later underwent surgery, and in August was forced to cancel several UK, European and North American tour dates as she prepared for a second operation.
In her post, Jessie explained that stepping away from work and public life for the first time in months allowed buried emotions to surface.
“This is an honest story post that will get blown up I’m sure. But who cares,” she wrote, before acknowledging how difficult the end of the year can be for many people. She pushed back against the pressure to appear happy all the time, saying grief, pain and sadness often exist alongside the good moments — or sometimes on their own.
Jessie said that although the year brought professional and personal highs, it also carried heavy emotional weight. Taking a break gave her space to feel everything she had been holding in.
“I’m crying a lot. Writing stuff down. Feeling really low, to be honest,” she shared, adding that it was the lowest she’d felt in some time. She described it as an accumulation of emotions finally coming to the surface — and said she was choosing to let them out.
Her message ended with a reminder to others not to bottle things up. “We are not superhuman or meant to be happy and positive all the time,” she wrote. “It’s healthy and normal to cry.” She closed by sending love to anyone struggling, saying simply, “I’m with you. It’s shit sometimes.”
Despite the challenges, Jessie has continued to move forward. In September, she made an emotional return to the stage at BBC Radio 2 in the Park, appearing alongside her two-year-old son just 11 weeks after surgery. At the time, she told the crowd she was still very much in recovery but grateful to be performing again.
In November, she released her sixth studio album, Don’t Tease Me With A Good Time, featuring singles including “No Secrets,” “Living My Best Life,” “H.A.P.P.Y.” and “I’ll Never Know Why.”
Looking ahead, Jessie is set to perform at Victorious Festival in 2026 and will appear alongside Lily Allen and Scissor Sisters at Mighty Hoopla in May.
Before the year ends, she’ll close out 2025 with a high-profile TV appearance, performing on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny on BBC Two on New Year’s Eve. The lineup also includes Ronnie Wood, Olivia Dean, Lulu, Craig David, Heather Small, The Kooks, Imelda May, Joe Webb, David Hermlin and Ruby Turner.
For Jessie J, 2025 has been a year of survival, honesty and resilience — one that she’s choosing to face with openness, even when it hurts.
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