Nessa Barrett moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles in pursuit of who she always wanted to be, but never believed she could become. That is, until she arrived at the recording studio for the first time in May 2020, sat down at the piano, and walked out with her first song, “Pain,” a soft-but-strong pop ballad that also served as her reintroduction to the world—it was released by Warner Records as her debut single just two months later.

When Barrett began writing, she discovered that even when her songs focus on difficult emotions, the act of creating them was freeing. After a lifetime of holding back—facing down bullies, struggling with mental health, and wrestling with her dreams—she realized that music was the thing that made her feel right.

As an artist she flourishes as herself. She released her debut EP pretty poison last year in November, featuring the breakout hit “i hope ur miserable until ur dead” – which debuted at #88 on the Billboard Hot 100 – Nessa’s first Hot 100 track.

With her debut full length album due out later this year, Nessa has garnered recognition from Billboard as a member of their 21 Under 21 class last year and MTV as their November 2021 PUSH Artist of the Month. Pandora, People Magazine and UPROXX have listed her as an artist to watch in 2022.