Nessa Barrett has got us all in tears.
Taking her debut album, Young Forever, on the road, Nessa is in the midst of her first-ever headline tour. Last week, the 20-year-old singer performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and honoured TikTok creator Cooper Noriega.
Cooper and Nessa were close friends until he tragically passed away in June 2022. The 19-year-old had amassed over 1.7 million followers before his death and was renowned for sharing funny skits and lip-syncing videos.
During her performance of “die first,” Nessa changed the original lyrics of the chorus from “I hope I die first” to “I wish I died first.”
Before singing the song, an interlude plays where Nessa talks about her friendship with Cooper in an interview with Zach Sang. That said, many fans believe that her decision to switch the lyrics is in reference to the late TikTok star.
“He [Cooper] changed my life. I mean, he did when he was here, but … I just never thought that there would ever be a moment that I wouldn’t have him,” Nessa says in the audio. “I mean, we would talk about this all the time… like if one of us were going, we were going with each other, and so when he left, I died too.”
There is no denying that this song holds a special place in Nessa’s heart. On the day of its release, Nessa dedicated “die first” to Cooper.
“coop said this was his favorite song off the album and im so happy i got to tell him that this song was for him and my mom before he passed,” Nessa wrote in an Instagram caption. “i can’t believe this is my first release without u. this is ur song cooper. i feel u with me every time i listen.”
Here’s to hoping that this tour will bring Nessa some sort of peace as she continues to grieve Cooper’s passing.
For mental health resources, visit Coop’s Advice.