“BANG BANG” by Nessa Barrett
Nessa Barrett is a singer from a somewhat-obscure part of New Jersey known as Galloway Township. She is 20 years old as of the dropping of “Bang Bang” on 17 February 2023.
The songstress actually traces her career origins back to TikTok. She is actually one of the chosen few who have actually landed record deals via the platform.
In fact, Nessa has been the signee of a major label, Warner Records, since 2020. So it was Warner who put out Barrett’s debut LP, “Young Forever”, in 2022 – a project which did okay for itself. And to note, her biggest hit to date is a 2021 single titled “La Di Die”. The said song features Jxdn, another TikToker who blew up concurrently.
“Bang Bang” is not a part of “Young Forever” though may be featured on a forthcoming Nessa Barrett album. The vocalist wrote this track with Solly, Madi Yanofsky and Evan Blair. And Blair, who has worked extensively with Barrett, also produced the track.
“BANG BANG!”, A ROMANCE-BASED REVENGE FANTASY
This song revolves around a sentiment we’ve seemingly been coming across regularly of late, that of a vocalist, instead of taking a more-diplomatic approach to having her heart broken, rather fantasizing about exacting decisive vengeance on her ex.
Actually, it is never stated forthrightly that Nessa’s heart is broken. But, presuming that the vocalist is her ex, that would be the most likely conclusion, that he did her dirty, considering that the lyrics are highlighted by the vocalist’s related “intrusive thoughts”.
Or more specifically, as such processes are manifested, she is thinking of different means by which to push the addressee off the mortal plane, as well as, for instance, the alibi she will tell his parents. And as implied in the second verse, this has all been brought about by him doing something along the lines of cheating on her.
Interestingly though, the way Barrett has described this song in her own words has nothing to do with being hurt by an ex. Instead, it has come to light that the young songstress suffers from a mental disease known as Borderline Personality Disorder of BPD.
According to Mayo Clinic, amongst other symptoms, this sickness causes its victims to engage in “a pattern of unstable, intense relationships”. It also makes patients display varying emotions, such as “inappropriate, intense anger”.
As for the former, we can’t really tell from these lyrics how stable the relationship ever was between the vocalist and addressee. But what can be gleaned is that the character Nessa is portraying is intensely angry in the present. And whether or not her being so is appropriate or not, well, in her mind obviously it is.
SONG’S TITLE
So the title/chorus would be an emulation of the sound a gun makes. And whom the singer is pointing that weapon at, theoretically, is her ex. But again, this reads more like a revenge fantasy than a criminal act Nessa would actually pull off, i.e. ‘sending’ both the addressee and his ‘new b*-ch to hell’.
We do know that Barrett has been in at least a couple of relationships in the past. But by the looks of things the more serious of those, the one she had with fellow TikToker Josh Richards, didn’t end acrimoniously.
“La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Bang, bang
La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Bang, bang”
BE CAREFUL WHO YOU DO DIRTY
So all things considered, rather than this being based on her real life, it seems what the vocalist is more specifically trying to put forth is that if someone really violates her, such as a cheating for example, given the BPD, Nessa’s thoughts can get really dark.
So perhaps the underlying message here is for us to be more mindful of how we treat our significant others. And why? This is because some of them, if you will, may take a broken heart a lot more seriously than others.
