Nessa Barrett has been a crucial part of the darker, more alternative music scene since she burst out of her TikTok shell in 2020 with her debut single, “Pain.”
Her music has touched millions around the world, and she has many notable songs, such as “die first”, “I hope ur miserable until ur dead,” and “club heaven,” which is a tribute to her late best friend, Cooper Noriega.
Her newest album, Aftercare, departs from the sadder music that she is known for writing and sets a completely different tone for Barrett as an artist, bringing her to a higher plane and setting the scene for a new era. This was evident when she released the album cover and tracklist.
The first single of the album, “Passenger Princess,” was a statement in and of itself. The snippet alerted fans that Barrett was changing her style, just a bit, featuring her showing off a new look (pink hair). The music video featured Rob from Love Island, a reality show that went viral in the summer of 2024, as the main love interest. This, of course, led to much discourse on TikTok over what can be called quite a surprise for Barrett’s fanbase. The lyrics are quite catchy as well: “I’m your shotgun, baby for the long run / don’t you know I’d die for you, I’d ride for you?” The song is perfect for blasting with your windows down late at night on full volume, as are many of the songs on the album.
On Nov. 14, 2024, Barrett made an appearance on the Zach Sang show to speak about her album and the process of making it. She confirmed that she was working on a deluxe, which was subsequently released on Feb. 6, with six new songs. “I want to go in a new direction that’s more mature but also still in the same world and so I thought Aftercare was perfect because it’s emotional intimacy after sex and so I can have the songs about intimacy and the emotional songs in one album and so I felt like it was all a perfect blend and it all came together,” Barrett tells Sang when he asks about how the title came to life.
In the interview, she also speaks about how mental health is a big part of her brand and how she is dealing with the new changes in her life and writing style. She writes, “I’ve like always just been this sad girl that was always struggling um I love that I was able to be so vulnerable and honest, um, but I feel like it kind of like put me in a box…if I can listen to one of my songs and I hear that I don’t believe like my own lyrics when I’m singing it then other people will too and I just don’t want to be like a fraud.”
A fan favorite release from the deluxe, “Love Looks Pretty On You,” is a tribute to the fact that Barrett is more comfortable in her writing and showcases her growth as a person and an artist.
One of the highlights of Barrett’s career (and this new era) happened in 2024 when she was invited to perform with Lana del Rey in Alabama. “from listening to ur vinyls in my bedroom to singing with u on stage. my heart is so full i love u Lana<3,” Barrett wrote in an Instagram post after performing her single “american jesus” with del Rey, who is one of her idols. Since this performance, Barrett has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and she has announced a new headline tour: The Aftercare World Tour.
In terms of pulling up to tour, wear dark colors and just be prepared to have a good time in general. The tour spans 35 cities and nine countries and has 42 shows in total. As someone who went to the Orlando show, I think it’s worth your money (and the time spent, even if you are only in a standing room).
I got to the venue around 6 p.m., and in true Florida fashion, it had been raining all day, so when I went in, I just brought a backpack, grabbed some water, and found a good spot. The opener, Ari Abdul, is insanely talented and responsible for the TikTok hit “Babydoll”.
Nessa came on at around 9 p.m. and opened her set with “S.L.U.T” She left around 10:15 after closing the set with an encore, which included the recent TikTok hit, “PINS AND NEEDLES.” For me, hearing “EDWARD SCISSORHANDS” was something I will remember forever. There’s something about hearing the words “fixing you would just break me” screamed by an entire room of girls who also understand how Nessa’s music makes you feel. Nessa also played a little bit of “heartbreak in the hamptons,” one of the few songs from her last project that did not make the setlist the last time she went on tour. That was also a big win, considering my personal favorite from hell is a teenage girl.
The show is a 10/10, and if you can go alone or with friends, do it. You’re only young once.
Aftercare is available to stream everywhere you listen to music. Congratulations to Nessa on her new era!