Nessa Barrett

Janesa Jaida "Nessa" Barrett (born August 6, 2002) is an American singer and songwriter. She has released one studio album, Young Forever (2022), and two EPs, Pretty Poison (2021) and Hell Is a Teenage Girl (2023).

Early life

Barrett is of Puerto Rican descent and was born and grew up in Galloway Township, New Jersey, where she struggled as being the only Puerto Rican and, after her parents divorced, one of the few students living with a single mother. Her father, Drew Barrett (born 1980), is a rapper, actor, and motivational speaker, who had a music studio at home. She has a younger brother named Julian.

Barrett said she has been writing songs "since [she] could walk and talk".

Career

2019–2021: Career beginnings and Pretty Poison

In 2019, Barrett began posting videos on TikTok, which led to a recording contract from Warner Records. In July 2020, she released her piano-based ballad debut single "Pain".

In October 2020, she released her second single, "If U Love Me". In December 2020, Barrett released a dark interpretation of "Santa Baby". In February 2021, Barrett released the track "La Di Die", which explores the downfalls of fame with Jxdn, produced by Travis Barker. Barrett and Jxdn, along with Barker, performed the single live for the first time on the April 7, 2021 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and performed the song again on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 12, 2021.

On June 25, 2021, Barrett released "Counting Crimes", a song said by Barrett to be "about moving on from something toxic."

In August 2021, her song "I Hope Ur Miserable Until Ur Dead" debuted at number 88 on the Billboard Hot 100, Barrett's first entry on the list.

Her debut EP, Pretty Poison, containing seven new tracks, was released on September 10, 2021, coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day.

2022–present: Young Forever

Barrett released the single "Dying on the Inside" in February 2022.

In June 2022, Barrett released "Die First" as the lead single from her debut studio album. The song is dedicated to her best friend, Cooper Noriega, who had recently died of an accidental drug overdose. In the track, Barrett sings about hoping to never go through the pain of losing her mom, praying that she will be the first to die out of the two of them.

On September 9, 2022, she released "Madhouse", the second single on the album. The song addresses mental health problems along with slut-shaming and bullying.

In October 2022, she released both "Tired of California", the third single on the album, and the entire album, Young Forever (stylized in all lowercase).

In December 2022, she announced her Young Forever Tour featuring Isabel LaRosa, playing twenty shows starting in February 2023.

In February 2023, she released the single "BANG BANG!" followed by "American Jesus" (which was previously performed on the Young Forever Tour as an unreleased acoustic song) in April 2023 and "lie" in June 2023. All three singles ultimately became tracks on her EP titled "Hell is a Teenage Girl," (stylized in all lowercase) which was released on July 14, 2023. On September 8, 2023, she released the single "Sick of Myself" featuring Whethan. On October 6, 2023, she released another single dedicated to Cooper Noriega, titled "Club Heaven."

On 8 December, 2023, she released the single "Girl in New York", which she had performed before as an unreleased single. On 18 January, 2024, she released “club heaven (Live from Spotify Green Screen)”. Speculation about Barrett's next album project includes the unconfirmed album title Church Club for the Lonely.

Artistry

Barrett cites Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, Melanie Martinez, and the Neighbourhood as influences on both her sound and her aesthetic as a musician.

Personal life

Barrett has been open about her mental health issues, including depression, borderline personality disorder, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. She started therapy at age 6 and made her first suicide attempt at age 14 by overdosing on an analgesic, after which she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. When she was 17 years old, after her parents objected, she ran away from home to live in Los Angeles, where she expected more career opportunities. When she was 18, she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She attempted suicide again in 2022 following her best friend Cooper Noriega's death of an accidental drug overdose on June 9, 2022. Her manager then admitted her to a psychiatric hospital. Barrett has since written & released the singles "Die First" in 2022 and "Club Heaven" in 2023 about Noriega.

In an interview with Zach Sang, Barrett proclaimed that her Christian faith helped her through her mental health issues and the death of her friend.

Barrett is 4 feet, 11 inches tall.

Barrett identifies as bisexual. She began dating fellow TikTok star Josh Richards in November 2019; they broke up in March 2021. She then dated Jxdn and later confirmed engagement rumors before breaking up in May 2022.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Awards and nominations

Barrett was named to Billboard's "21 Under 21" and was featured on Ones to Watch's list of "25 Artists to Watch in 2022", Uproxx's "Next Hitmakers List" and People's Emerging Artist List.

References