OSSE’s Haunted Hollywood has become an annual celebration of the glamour, history, and icons of Los Angeles’ past. And if there’s anyone who embodies the spirit of Hollywood today, it’s Nessa Barrett. Fresh off the release of her latest album, Tough Love, Nessa sat down with POSSE co-founder Jadon Medina at The POSSE House ahead of her night as this year’s honoree at the legendary Formosa Cafe.

JM: Hi, Nessa. I'm so happy that we are at The POSSE House doing glam before Haunted Hollywood together. I feel like you literally have Fritzi and Marilyn on either shoulder helping you. Do you feel them?

NB: I feel them.

JM: Well, Tough Love has been getting me in the vibe and the feeling for Haunted Hollywood tonight. The album is so good. It's definitely my favorite so far from you.

NB: Thank you. It's my favorite.

JM: Fetish is everything.

NB: That’s my favorite song! That makes me so happy.

JM: Okay, I'm going to jump into a couple questions. Hollywood has always been fascinated by its tragic heroines from Judy Garland to Marilyn Monroe. You reference Marilyn in Fetish, “Suicide Girl 7 years ago, came back now I’m Marilyn Monroe”, and Tough Love seems to draw from that same intersection of glamour and darkness. What is it about these women and their stories that you find so compelling?

NB: Oh, God. I feel like Marilyn especially, she's just a representation of a beautiful tragedy in Hollywood and how the world just adores her for her beauty and her talent, but also too, I feel like a lot of people forget that she was a human. And I feel like there's so many raw human qualities about her. I feel like sometimes they forget it, and it's a little sad. But she's an icon. She’s everything.

JM: Something I've noticed about both you and Marilyn is the vulnerability. You know, it's the beautiful exterior, but also being able to be vulnerable to your fans and your followers that love and adore you, but also feel a sense of closeness to you because of how vulnerable you can be.

NB: Yeah, hmm.

JM: We’ve talked a lot about Fritzi, the former resident of The POSSE House, and your connection to her story as well. What is it about Old Hollywood that feels personal to you and do you ever feel nostalgic for an era that you never lived through?

NB: Oh, I feel so nostalgic for the 1900s, Old Hollywood, I think simply because it reminds me of the vision that I had of Hollywood when I was a little girl. I dreamt of living here and being here one day. And I'm just so obsessed with the glamour. I feel like there's a part of me that also wonders what really happened, when the curtains closed and the cameras were off.

JM: Me too. It's the type of thing where you see these beautiful film photographs and it all feels so glamorized, but what was it really like?

NB: It makes you almost forget that they were real people. The human experience is the same throughout time. They were still experiencing pain. Heartbreaks.

NB: Can I have my vape?

JM: That's just the modern cigarette, and the same thing that Marilyn would have too, while she's getting ready. You know?

NB: *laughs*

NB: Isn’t it crazy to think that people would smoke cigarettes on planes?

JM: You could smoke literally anywhere. Well, should we pop this bottle of champagne?

*pops champagne bottle, cork flies across the room*

JM: There's something about champagne. Fritzi loves champagne bottles. They'll pop randomly before even the metal’s off or anything.

Manager: Fritzi is ready to party with us.

NB: She’s ready to party! I love her.

JM: Have you ever been to The Formosa?

NB: No, I haven't.

JM: Oh, girl. You're going to be obsessed. It’s like you walked into the 1930s, but a 1930s Chinese food restaurant. Everything's red, glowing, dark, moody lighting. All of the original Hollywood stars would go there because it was across from the movie studios. Marilyn has a booth there, Elvis too. When we came up with the idea of Haunted Hollywood a few years ago, Formosa Cafe was the first place that came to mind.

NB: Oh, this is going to be so fun. I think I’m going to let myself have a glass of champagne. I went sober about 6 months ago.

JM: Oh, shit. Breaking sobriety here at The POSSE House.

NB: It genuinely wasn’t for any reason. I was just having a break. I was talking to my therapist and felt like a tortured artist. “I don’t like any of my music, blah, blah, blah,” and then she was like, “Are you taking care of yourself, do you feel good about yourself?” and I was like, “Hmm I’ve been out drinking a lot. I’ve been going home at like 3am, out partying.” I told her, “Actually, I don’t feel good about myself” and she said, “Well, if you don’t feel good about yourself, how are you going to feel about your art?

JM: Sometimes, it’s good to have a reset. It’s about checking-in with yourself and making sure you have balance.

NB: I'm also so sensitive to energies and stuff. I needed to find my baseline again and come back to me, almost. It taught me that I can go out, I can socialize without drinking. I think a celebratory glass of champagne–

JM: I mean, it is Marilyn Monroe’s 100th birthday champagne.

NB: I know. Fritzi is telling me I have to.

JM: Well you know what, she’s probably not the best influence, but… Cheers!

NB: Cheers! I love you guys. I’m so excited.

JM: Okay, so we were talking about Marilyn and fame a little bit, you rose to fame during the height of TikTok when the internet could turn you into a star overnight. Now that you've established yourself as an artist, how has your relationship with social media evolved? And do you think there's a disconnect between the person people think they know online and who you actually are?

NB: Oh, yeah, of course there's a disconnect, because a lot of people found me at such a young age. They still associate me as a 17 year old. I'm 24 now and a really different woman. My relationship with social media has changed so much. I currently don't have it on my phone, because I just released my album. As an artist, it's so hard to love a project so much. But then, see comments and opinions about it, and even though people say, “Oh, don’t listen to them,” it’s really impossible. When it’s your baby, your creation. I had to step back, because I started on TikTok and it was everything that I was. Now I’m fully prioritizing my artistry and my music. I also have to find a healthy balance because social media nowadays is also so important for music.

JM: A necessary evil.

NB: Yeah, so I’m trying to figure it out.

JM: Starting on TikTok, it’s almost like you were putting yourself out there in a completely different way. Whereas now, you’re moving forward with your artistry.

NB: Yeah, I agree. I just want to be intentional too, with my social media. I want to respect my brand, my music, and not, treat it how I used to. Which is difficult. And sometimes it makes it really hard.

JM: Well, you’re doing an amazing job. I love your artistry. I think that your fans definitely respond to it as well too. You’re making the bridge and people are crossing it.

NB: Thank you.

JM: When we first met, we bonded immediately over Lana Del Rey and our matching tattoos. Since then, you've developed a relationship with her and you guys have even shared the stage. What has it been like to go from admiring someone so deeply to actually knowing them? And has that changed the way that you think of your own artistry?

NB: Oh my God. I mean, she's incredible. She's one of the most ethereal women I've ever met. Sometimes it's really scary to admire someone so much and then to meet them in person because you never know if there's going to be... A disconnect or–

JM: Well, they say never meet your idols.

NB: Exactly! I couldn’t have been more shocked and proud. She is someone that I admire so much because of who she is as a person. How kind her soul is. It’s really beautiful; and that’s inspired me. If people admire my music and they meet me, I’m going to show up. I want to be that person that’s not going to disappoint them.

JM: If you know Lana, you know that as a person she’s very giving and loving and gives so much to the interactions with her fans. It seems like you've also been able to foster that same sort of relationship.

NB: Yeah. I think too, as a fan, and how kind she was to me and supportive and everything. It just taught me how much it really matters. When my fans meet me, I want them to feel that same way. It means so much to them. I really try and give them my all when I'm with them. I mean, we just did album signings. I want to give every single person the time to actually talk to me.

JM: Is there any encounter that stands out to you the most or anything that feels very poignant.

NB: I think something that really sticks with me... Is when their moms or their parents come up to me after their child has met me. They tell me how much I have positively affected them and how much I mean to them. That they've seen my music change their lives and when the parents thank me, I think it's so hard for me not to get emotional and to cry, because it’s what I do it for. It’s such a surreal feeling for a mom and a dad to feel so, um... Appreciative of what you've been able to do for their kids.

JM: Yeah. I'm sure it also feels almost full circle in a way, too, that you're able to help so many of your fans and their families. That's amazing that you can do that for them.

NB: Thank you.

JM: There's a certain darkness that's running through Tough Love particularly on tracks like Fetish, Bunny and Candy, where desire and obsession seem to blur together. Do you find yourself more creatively drawn to the beautiful parts of love or the destructive ones?

NB: Oh, I think that, to me, I feel like they come hand in hand. Love is just such a dangerous thing. When you’re in it and it feels beautiful, I feel like that’s almost more dangerous. It just means that there’s a risk.

JM: Something to lose.

NB: Yeah, but also too like, I find darkness in everything. I'm always compelled to write a dark twist in some sort of way, especially when it comes to love and heartbreak. Heartbreak is the one thing that really proves that the love was real to begin with. I think in a weird way, I sometimes romanticize that because of what it represents, rather than, I'm not, craving the feeling, and I'm not in love with... The pain that comes with it, but I think it's honestly just a really romantic thing.

JM: If you could spend one night in Hollywood at any point in history, where would you go? Who would you meet and what would you wear?

NB: I would go to The Formosa. Meet Marilyn Monroe. I’d wear this Faye look.

JM: We're catching you in the middle of getting ready for Haunted Hollywood, is getting dressed a form of self-expression for you, or is it more about stepping into a different version of yourself for the night?

NB: It's definitely both. Depending on the color you wear, and even down to the fabric, whether it's a lace or latex. How you do your makeup, if I have dark eyes and stuff. All the things that you put on your body is a mask in a way, and I feel like sometimes I use mine as protection. Simply because I want to feel super confident. When I feel confident and I put things on with intention and I do my makeup with intention, I feel like it gives me some sort of power.

JM: Dracula feels made for Halloween, and you've always embraced a certain gothic romanticism in your work. If you could star in or soundtrack any classic horror film, which one would you choose?

NB: If I could make a soundtrack for any classic horror film, I would do the original 1900s Nosferatu, because it’s a silent film. I feel like it would be so cool to make music for it that conveys the romance and emotions. I think that’s so powerful and that’s what music’s for.

JM: Okay, last one. You were at Haunted Hollywood last year, which is where we really got to know each other. Now that you're returning as this year's honoree, looking back on this past year, what do you think has changed the most about yourself?

NB: I honestly feel like it's been a really long year. I've just really found myself as a person, and an artist. I think moving back to LA and really focusing on my music. Coming back home. I feel very free and peaceful and confident. I’m able to walk through life with a different energy. I’m making music that I love. I’m touring with my favorite band. I get to hang out with so many beautiful people. So many changes. It sounds so simple when you think about it, but I feel like my life has done a complete 180.

JM: Well, it sounds like, everything on the inside is feeling good, and it feels like you're in a place of groundedness and stability, where now everything externally too is going to come into that. Hopefully this award in this next chapter is the first of many that is cementing you as an Hollywood icon. I'm so excited for everything to come for you.

NB: Thank you so much. So am I.

JM: Well, let's have a kick ass party now. Cheers!

NB: Cheers! It’s just so easy to talk to you.

Nessa Barrett talks Marilyn Monroe, Ghosts, and Tough Love while getting ready for POSSE’s Haunted Hollywood