My once guilty pleasure is finally getting her recognition. And honestly, she deserves to be a main pop girl one day.
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What’s good sex without proper aftercare? Kidding aside. Nessa Barrett has honed her craft of turning pain into pop at just 22. Her signature mix of haunting lyrics and moody electro beats sets her apart in a space overcrowded with fleeting trends. Going from posting short clips online to signing with Warner Records and then dropping her album Aftercare in 2024, she’s proved she’s in it for the long run.
I wasn’t fully sold until I heard the whole album—shoutout to Spotify’s algorithm for knowing my taste. She taps into the same hypnotic, otherworldly energy as Caroline Polachek and Rina Sawayama—artists who don’t just make music, but create an entire atmosphere you want to live in.
Baby Ain’t Made of China
Back in 2019, Nessa Barrett was just another teen posting lip-syncs and emotional captions. But then Pain dropped in 2020, and suddenly, she wasn’t just a girl with a ring light—she was an artist with something to say.
Let’s be real—jumping from TikTok to music doesn’t always work. Some feel manufactured, like a quick trend that fades as fast as it blows up. But Nessa? She’s different. Her music isn’t just a side project—it feels real, like she’s spilling pages from her journal and turning them into something you can scream in your car at 2 a.m.
Nessa has built a whole world around her sound—dark, dreamy, and completely her own. She’s just one of a handful of TikTok creators who can say their transition to being an artist didn’t leave people with a bad taste of cringe.
Nessa Barrett isn’t just the TikTok star who went viral with her content anymore—she’s a full-on artist, and Aftercare Deluxe is proof of that. What started as fun, viral moments has turned into bold, unapologetic music that definitely deserves a spot in pop. In case you aren’t convinced yet, we’re sharing some of our fave bops from the LP to give you a sense of why Nessa isn’t playing around.
Divine Melancholy
Does God Cry? is Nessa questioning if a higher power feels sorrow when we go through pain. The line “Does God cry when it rains?” really hits, linking divine sadness to the struggles we face. The rain in the song symbolizes both cleansing and the bittersweet side of life. The track mixes chill pop with an acoustic vibe, using reverb and echo to create a spacious, dreamy feel that lets the lyrics linger.
Bad Girl Winter
Lana Del Rey would totally eat this up—RUSSIAN ROULETTE feels like Born to Die and Ride had a chaotic love affair. Nessa’s got this way of making heartbreak feel poetic, and this track takes it to a whole new level. In “die first,” she’s terrified of losing her person, but here, she’s staring down a toxic love that might just destroy her—and she’s okay with it. It’s cinematic, in that dark, dramatic way where you can see the whole scene play out in your head.
Brat-Coded
I’ve been listening to this on repeat because it’s my anthem. S.L.U.T is an acronym for “sex, lies, ugly truth,” which brings me back to 90s supermodels and wavehouse rave. The song is about a relationship where she’s so deep in it that she’d let people believe ugly things just to make it work. And the violins at the end in the outro? Heaven.
PINS AND NEEDLES
Somewhere between the chaos and heartbreak, something shifts—she’s over it. No more sad girl moments, no more obsessing. Just a clean break, blocking his number and repeating “I feel nothing for you” like it’s a spell that’ll make it true.
Pins and needles aren’t just a feeling here; they’re a warning sign. The numbness has set in, and whatever was there before? Gone. She’s not reaching for him anymore, and honestly, she doesn’t even care if he reaches back.
Edward Scissorhands
From the track name itself, this is inspired by Edward Scissorhands, where Johnny Depp’s character struggles to connect because of his blade hands. Barrett compares her toxic partner to him, like she’s being torn apart by this guy every time he wants her—realizing he’s just a broken soul. She almost lets him off the hook with “it’s just how God made you.”
In Her Villain Era
I really love the meaning behind this moody pop song, where she exposes the darker side of the sex work industry, beyond the glitz and glam. It also touches on Barrett’s fear of losing value as she gets older. With lines like “empty out your 401k for it,” the song calls out how easily people can be manipulated. Intense vocals, distorted guitars, and dark beats bring the whole vibe together, giving it an empowering punch.
BABYDOLL
This song perfectly captures the feeling of being trapped in a toxic relationship where you’re only wanted when it’s convenient. It’s that painful cycle of being pulled in with sweet words and empty promises, only to be tossed aside just as easily. The idea of being a “BABYDOLL” says it all—pretty, fragile, and easily replaceable.
It’s a harsh reality a lot of people face, feeling like they have to shrink themselves just to be loved. But at some point, you have to ask yourself: If someone only wants you when it’s easy, do they really want you at all?
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