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Nightmare Vacation

by Rico Nasty

Released December 4, 2020 via APG / Atlantic Records / Sugar Trap

Reviewed December 13, 2020

Top tracks (based on community voting)
IPHONE (60%), STFU (53%), OHFR? (40%)

Rico Nasty's major label debut is a frightening, freaky, and free-minded success. It could appear mismatched and overly eccentric, but Nightmare Vacation’s speed and sound are deceivingly well under control. At the end of the day, Rico's job is to bring her relentless energy into transmutable space, and with the right guidelines, she'll make hits. Ears were perking at the multiple inclusions of Gecs’ production, and it made for the album's most limitless moments. Additionally, a variety of talented producers delivered the spaces for Rico to morph and explore. Going from freaky to funky to fantasy with relative ease, this feels like a proper debut for Rico. – DeVán (7/10)

Rico’s major label debut features some of her most compelling work, but also some of her most underwhelming. Tracks like “OHFR?” and “Girl Scouts” capture everything fans love about Rico’s aggressive side, while tracks like “Don’t Like Me” and “Own It” showcase her more braggadocious pop rap side, both of which she executes well. Then you have “IPHONE,” which comes completely out of left field, combining her sugar-trap style with Dylan Brady’s masterful production to create one of the flashiest, most unique tracks of her career. Unfortunately, this all comes alongside tracks like “Pussy Poppin” and “Loser,” which serve as nothing but filler. Many songs also seem to imitate her own older work (“Let It Out” sounds like a less exciting “Rage”), and although still fun to listen to, the formula is getting a bit stale. This is far from Rico Nasty’s best work, but it certainly remains an enjoyable listen, even if it is a fairly inconsistent one. – Hadley (7/10)

Too often, upcoming artists make the jump to higher budget handling and we see their most innate characteristics fall by the wayside. On Nightmare Vacation, that is thankfully not the case as Rico Nasty’s punk attitude and lightning-rod mannerisms lead the charge amidst an array of attention-grabbing collaborations. Fans should be grateful that Rico is still in fact “Nasty” on her proper debut, but likely wonder what's next, and rightfully so, as her next move will be her most important yet. – Enth (6.5/10)


Dominick: 7.5/10 | Cam: 7/10 | DeVán: 7/10 | Hadley: 7/10

Alan: 6.8/10 | Pax: 6.6/10 | Enth: 6.5/10

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