Singer-songwriter Nessa Barrett's Warner Records debut album, young forever, features edgy, gothic pop grounded in stories about heartache, mental health, and accountability. Writing and singing have always been the saving grace that helped Barrett feel less alone in the world and less alone with her thoughts as she battled demons from her past and mental health struggles, including borderline personality disorder and an eating disorder.
With young forever, Barrett embraces her internal and external conflicts and takes bleak thoughts and expresses them bravely. "I like the darkness in things," she says. "I talk about a lot of things my generation is struggling with on this album." From the moody single "tired of california," where Barrett muses on the lack of authenticity in the City of Angels, to the psychological thriller-themed "madhouse," which deliciously weaves synth with Barrett's manic melody, to the acoustic "lovebomb," which finds Barrett singing about her struggles with BPD, young forever, is a dynamic debut rooted in reflection and raw emotions.
Punctuated by her grit-glam marvel, Barrett's music has intrinsically always been about empowering people who feel isolated. "Growing up, I was very ashamed of my struggles, so the second I got a platform, I knew what I had to do with it because I didn't want anyone to feel the way I felt - alone." With young forever, Barrett has crafted something truly special.