The internet star’s first full-length album is an emo-pop tug on heartstrings
The internet star’s first full-length album is an emo-pop tug on heartstrings
20-year-old singer/songwriter and internet phenomenon, Nessa Barrett, has released her debut album, young forever. The album largely deals with Barrett’s own mental health struggles, of which she’s been very public about in her young rise to stardom. Her first single from the album, “die first” was released in June, dedicated to Barrett’s best friend Cooper Noriega, who unfortunately passed away before the release—the track was Noriega’s favorite on the album.
Last week, single “tired of california” was released with an accompanying music video, a dreamy and moody visual that adds an eerie feeling to the artist’s thoughts on fame and the Hollywood scene with lyrics like, “I get sick of sunshine on my perfect skin / Vapid conversation, givin’ me the spins / Drivin’ down Mulholland, closin’ both my eyes / ‘Cause they say you get more famous when you die.” It’s clear that Barrett is disillusioned with the fake niceties and lack-of-depth she has experienced in Hollywood.
Accompanying the album release, a haunting visualizer for the song “dear god” was co-directed and self-edited by Barrett herself. The black and white visualizer features a ghostly church, where Barrett glows in the foreground, donning a pair of angel wings, as she sings about desperately trying to find her way in the world.
Barrett is settling comfortably into her own alternative emo-pop sound in young forever, with her strength found in her authenticity. The singer’s candid sharing of her own vulnerabilities is what makes the album feel so intimate, where Barrett reveals to her listeners that their own struggles are felt universally. With young forever, Barrett defines herself as much more than an internet personality—she is an artist with a heartfelt point of view that resonates deeply with Gen-Z.
