Nessa Barrett leans further into her dark-pop identity on Jesus Loves a Primadonna, an EP that sharpens her aesthetic while revealing both her strengths and limitations. Across its tracklist, the project highlights her unmistakable vocal tone—soft, breathy, and emotionally loaded—while navigating a more uneven songwriting landscape.
Built as a thematic exploration of “love’s beauty and its demise,” the EP expands on the sonic blueprint introduced with 2024’s AFTERCARE. Noir-leaning rock elements and subtle trip-hop textures frame her delivery, creating an atmosphere that feels immersive without ever becoming overwhelming. Production remains cohesive throughout, allowing her voice to sit at the center of each track. That consistency works in her favor, particularly on standout moments where the mood and writing align.
Tracks like “Stay With Me,” “High on Heaven,” and “Venom” emerge as the project’s strongest entries, each capturing the emotional immediacy that has defined Barrett’s best work. Her vocal performance carries these songs with precision, balancing fragility and control while maintaining the intimate tone that has become her signature. Melodically, these cuts feel fully realized, offering hooks that linger beyond the first listen.
Elsewhere, the EP struggles to maintain that level of impact. Several deeper cuts blend into the same sonic palette without introducing new ideas, making them less memorable despite the polished production. The issue is not a lack of cohesion but rather a lack of distinction—songs that feel structurally similar without the lyrical weight to elevate them.
That contrast becomes more apparent when measured against earlier highlights in her catalog. Barrett’s songwriting previously peaked with tracks like “Die First” and “Dying on the Inside,” where emotional specificity drove the narrative. On this EP, that depth surfaces most clearly on “Buffalo 66,” a standout that explores toxic attachment and emotional dependency with sharper focus. The track’s reference to Stockholm syndrome and its portrayal of destructive love adds a layer of complexity largely absent from the rest of the project.
Vocal delivery remains the defining constant. Barrett continues to prove she is one of the more distinctive voices in contemporary alt-pop, capable of conveying vulnerability without overstatement. Her tone carries even the weaker material, reinforcing her potential even when the writing falls short of her previous standards.
Check out the full ranking of every song on Jesus Loves a Primadonna below.
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