"AFTERCARE" by Nessa Barrett is invigoratingly seductive and empoweringly bold. Unlock the wonder of romance, pain, dependence, and independence in this captivating dark pop album.
TRACKLIST
AFTERCARE
PORNSTAR
HEARTBEAT
DISCO (FT. TOMMY GENESIS)
PASSENGER PRINCESS
MUSTANG BABY (FT. ARTEMAS)
RUSSIAN ROULETTE
S.L.U.T.
BABYDOLL
GIVEN ENOUGH
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
GLITTER AND VIOLENCE
PINS AND NEEDLES
STAY ALIVE
DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
Nessa Barrett is a dynamic presence in the entertainment industry, from gaining a following on social media platforms to putting out music in a lively pop style. With billions of global streams on her songs, a global tour, and festival appearances under her belt, Nessa's music has found a wide audience. Fans of electropop that isn't afraid to be edgy or honest will love the catchy sound of her music. On top of her exciting music career, Nessa has branched into fashion as the face of brands like SKIMS, Steve Madden, and Nasty Gal. Keep an eye out for upcoming shows near you as Nessa will take the stage in North America and Europe throughout 2025.
AFTERCARE
Sensual words of connection paint a touching picture of want and longing, starting the album off strong with a dive into sensation and emotion. With a truly unique sound, this track is a sonic experience, opening with a feeling of transcendence through whooshing, distortion, the lighting of a spark, a bell, and ambient instrumentals. Strings and whispers draw you into the tantalizing excitement of intimacy. The lyrics throughout the verse are barely audible, haunting the track with the essence of imagery like "wrapped in lace, your favorite sin." The physicality in the lyrics set the stage for vulnerability as the speaker of the song asks for their partner to remain by their side beyond the scope of physical gratification. In this delve into connection, a solid euphoric sound emerges with high vocals, intense percussion, electronic instrumentals, and strings. Intense and moving, "AFTERCARE" is a captivating dive into the atmosphere of craving connection that permeates the album.
PORNSTAR
Allow yourself to go wild with excitement with the second track on this album. Fast-paced electronic instrumentals, Nessa's entrancing, breathy vocals, and invigorating percussion infuse this song with a dance inspiring dark pop style. An unbridled exploration of craving, the words of this song take on what it feels like to have your mind entirely consumed with longing for one particular person. Framing the speaker's love interest as the star of her own personal show, the lyrics beg to be amazed with lyrics like "show me who you are." This song hits hard with freeing sensuality through powerful vocals and a touch of titillating moaning layered in the dark pop sound. Pulsing, high singing through the chorus will have your heart racing and body swaying with the lively beat and electric instrumentals. Allowing you to feel bold with your desires, "PORNSTAR" is an empowering journey into craving.
HEARTBEAT
The experiences of our pasts seep into our lives in the modern day, and the third track of this album expresses a need to feel alive after difficult experiences. The song opens with the line "sacrificed my innocence too young", before expressing the deadened numbness the speaker feels. Relying on the connection with a lover to lift her into a space of safety, the lyrics bask in the momentary escape of companionship. Percussion that feels like a slow, loud pulse, and Nessa's haunting singing works breathily through the verse. Then comes a bold leap into the chorus with a resonant beat drop with electronic instrumentals reminiscent of sirens, and vocal projection encapsulating the emotional weight of asking for help. Keyboard joins into the second verse, with high minor chords subtly ringing out in the background, adding to the comprehensive fanatical sound of need. Darkness and revival, intimacy and survival—these are the intense concepts that flow through the veins of this song.
DISCO (FT. TOMMY GENESIS)
Embrace the exhilaration of the moment with this invigorating track, blending groovy instrumentals with Nessa's alluring, gentle vocals for an overall lively sound of closeness. Taking on the energy of dance and upping the intensity through electric lyrics of connection, this song will uplift you. The way the excitement manifests through the lyrics is powerfully physical with words like "my blood boils hotter and I can feel you swim in my veins." Vocalizing brings a euphoric feeling to the chorus, showing off Nessa's range. Tommy Genesis brings a cool confidence to the track with a rap interlude that feels like a preposition. Assertive with its temptation and captivating with its sound, this track will make you feel self-assured in your pursuit of romance.
PASSENGER PRINCESS
It can be an immensely freeing feeling to let someone else take control, and this song explores the commitment and excitement of being by someone's side while they hold the wheel. With clear and honest expressions of devotion, the lyrics are titillatingly demanding and excitingly romantic. Phrases like "say you're all mine" permeate the possessive intensity into the song. Sensations of belonging unravel through the lyrics and the sound, beginning with a glowing introduction, entrancing and slow. A dark pop narrative feeling comes from an exciting, fast-paced dive into the verse. The pre-chorus holds an entrancing call and response sound with glowing high singing and whisper-singing echoes that let the words reverberate around your head. Intimate and catchy, the chorus will captivate you with its hypnotic sound and message of devotion.
MUSTANG BABY (FT. ARTEMAS)
Another track that takes the intensity of romance on the road, "Mustang Baby" envelops the thrill of connection with bold declarations of desire. Lyrics like "show me how bad you want it from sunset to sunrise" express the urgency and confidence the speaker feels, taking the precious luxury of a Mustang and making it the sacred setting of this invigorating encounter. Resonant percussion and piano sound simply behind Nessa's breathy vocals in the first verse, picking up an edgy electric guitar sound in the chorus. ARTEMAS joins in with throaty vocals in the second verse, and the voices blend in the next chorus with an exhilaratingly dynamic sound. Intense distorted dark rock-esque instrumentals and Nessa's singing through the bridge powerfully permeate a feeling of ferocity into the track. The perfect song to listen to with that special someone on a late night drive, this tune is sure to excite you.
RUSSIAN ROULETTE
Eternity and closeness, no matter the cost, will captivate you through this heartfelt track. Opening with soft piano and a message of ongoing need for the love the speaker has to last, this song hits hard for all the romantics. Even through trails, tribulations, and the way "love can turn a red heart black and blue", the speaker clings to her love like a lifeline. Gentle and low, Nessa's vocals work slowly through the verse. Strings and bells join into the chorus, infusing the sound with a morbid feeling that reminds me of ideas of heaven. Fans of Lana Del Rey's lyrics of devotion and romantically dark sound will love the entrancing style of this song.
S.L.U.T.
Repeating carnal need like a mantra, this open and free song motivates listeners to be genuine with their sexuality. The lyrics "I want sex, lies, ugly, truth" cycle through the song and work both simply and powerfully to encapsulate the wide span of closeness the speaker wants to feel. Sometimes we crave to experience pain and rage before revelation, and these lyrics can be interpreted in so many ways, but ultimately shower listeners with the message of wanting to go through every type of interaction with someone. Intense, distorted guitar opens the track along with energizing percussion. These invigorating instrumentals work through every chorus, and the passionate, dark guitar in the verse is replaced with Nessa's layered vocals of both singing and screaming. Allow yourself to lean into unfiltered, authentic desire with "S.L.U.T".
BABYDOLL
With a raw and emotional exploration of objectification, this song lays out the truths of being treated like a "BABYDOLL". Lyrics like "off the shelf for the night" take on the painful reality that sometimes people don't see you as a romantic partner, but a means to an end. Reflecting the hardship that comes from being treated as something superficial and separate from identity, the speaker asks, "collecting dust, what's my name?" Twangy electric guitar and soft vocals in the verse turn into a powerful projection through the chorus, full of expression. Moving through feelings of sadness and rage, this track motivates people to confront objectification and understand that they deserve to be treated with respect.
GIVEN ENOUGH
If love means having to sacrifice everything, then it's not the right relationship for you. Conveying the important message that romance should not be physically or emotionally draining, this track repeats the question "haven't I given enough?" Asking her partner to take a look at the unfair amount they take from the speaker, the lyrics delve into the difficulties of refusing anything to someone you love. Fast piano arpeggios and Nessa's high, electronically distorted vocals open the song before distorted guitar joins in. Strings and percussion add to the immersive style of this track, reflecting the all-consuming feeling of the lyrics. Cool and hazy, this song tackles how love can make you vulnerable with an energetic dark pop sound.
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
This next track shows the way hurt people hurt people, and when it comes to love, the carnage is all the greater. Resonant guitar fingerpicking and somber high vocals open the track as listeners are taken through lyrics of pain, harm, and fear. With singing rising high, the lyrics express, "I can't even blame you, it's just how God made you." Revealing the sad truth, this song expresses that when you love someone, you understand why they are the way they are, and it makes it so much harder to hold them accountable when they hurt you. When being needed feels like a trap, it's important to remove yourself from the situation, and the speaker of the song bares the difficulties to do just that.
GLITTER AND VIOLENCE
What does control really look like? This is the question that this song grapples with, taking on ideas of gender roles, age, and society with its bold reflection. It's true that society objectifies women, and this song makes fun of the people who overlook your power and wisdom because of your gender. Distorted guitar and haunting blends of whispers and shouts work throughout the track to create an immersive intensity, drawing out the nature of the song's meaning. Lyrics like "empty out your 401k for it" reveal how easily manipulated those who choose not to respect women truly are. Dark electronic instrumentals and bold percussion compliment Nessa's high and intense vocals, giving the lyrics a true feeling of power.
PINS AND NEEDLES
Glide into this song, straight from the last, with a seamless transition of an electronic pattern of notes that continues through the verse. This track embodies the post-breakup numbness you can feel when a relationship has left you remorselessly detached. Erasing the person from existence in their history, the speaker builds an impenetrable shield of words, allowing no thought of her ex to seep back in. Soft vocals repeat "who are you?" in the pre-chorus, offering a hazy feeling before the louder, bolder vocals and electronic instrumentals of the chorus offer an escape into its ambient sound.
STAY ALIVE
Material things can't solve the mental distress that holds you and "STAY ALIVE" is a heart-wrenching exploration of internal struggles. Taking listeners through difficulties related to mental illness, contemplating suicide, and balancing the weight of life and death, this track is a deeply emotional expression of distress. With a fast-paced electropop sound in the verse, vocals feel hushed, before raising in volume through the chorus. Repetition of the words "wait" and "pain" pulse feelings of hesitancy and fear into the beat, solidifying complex emotions into the sound of this song.
DIRTY LITTLE SECRET
Ending the album with a reach away from love, this track takes control and gratification out of an intimate situation. When you're exhausted by the games and emotional battles that romance can put you through, it can be such a relief to let go of those ties for a little while and just have fun. Exhilarating with the seductive idea of hidden explorations, the lyrics "my dirty little secret, that's how I want to keep it" will electrify you with their meaning of power and enjoyment. Soft and sensual vocals will have you hanging on every word through the verse along with gentle percussion before the tune switches to a euphoric mix of high singing and resonant electronic instrumentals. Unlock the wonder in secrets and taboo as you listen to this immersive track.
"AFTERCARE" by Nessa Barrett takes listeners on a journey of self-expression with reflections on individuality and relationships that evolve in their perspective throughout the tracks. Her expressive, high vocals work beautifully with the themes of sensuality, romance, and connection that weave their way through each of the songs in this collection. These songs help listeners experience the true range of emotions that come from romantic relationships from healing through them like in "HEARTBEAT" and healing from them, like in "PINS AND NEEDLES". Unafraid to explore thrilling feelings of sexuality through music, this album unlocks raw authenticity through its messages.
With a dark pop sound that uses both acoustic and electronic instrumentals, the album introduces an exciting mix of songs that listeners can dance as well as ones to take their time with, truly absorbing the power of the lyrics. Fans of music by Halsey will love the powerful sound of these tracks, while lovers of Billie Eilish can resonate with the high, breathy vocals that carry a dark emotional tune. Whether you are looking for a song to feel deeply, or one in which you can escape, this comprehensive album has you covered. Enjoy the musical journey through love, feeling, and self-discovery that this album has in store.
Written By Hanna Kowal
*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.