Nightmare Vacation (album)

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Nightmare Vacation
Studio album by
Rico Nasty
ReleasedDecember 4, 2020
Recorded2018–2019
Genre
Length39:30
Label
Producer
Rico Nasty chronology
Anger Management
(2019) 		Nightmare Vacation
(2020) 		Las Ruinas
(2022)
Singles from Nightmare Vacation
  1. "iPhone"
    Released: August 13, 2020
  2. "Own It"
    Released: September 17, 2020
  3. "Don't Like Me"
    Released: October 22, 2020
  4. "OHFR?"
    Released: November 10, 2020
  5. "STFU"
    Released: December 4, 2020

Nightmare Vacation is the debut studio album by American rapper Rico Nasty, released on December 4, 2020, through Artist Partner Group (APG), Atlantic Records and her own Sugar Trap label. The album features guest appearances from rappers Trippie Redd, Aminé, Gucci Mane and Don Toliver, among others. Frequent producers on the record also include 100 gecs, Take a Daytrip and Avedon, with additional work from producers such as Tay Keith, Buddah Bless and CashMoneyAP.

The album earned positive reviews, with many of the music critics complimenting its ferocity, fun and genre integration, including trap metal as well as Rico Nasty's delivery and empowering lyrics. It was supported by the singles "iPhone", "Own It", "Don't Like Me", "OHFR?" and "STFU" and also features her breakout 2018 single "Smack a Bitch" which had been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America earlier that year.

Background and recording[edit]

Rico Nasty first revealed the title Nightmare Vacation to Coveteur in September 2019, without distinguishing whether it would be a mixtape or an album.[1] In October 2019, she told Complex that the album was supposed to be released in that year but she held it off "because of factors that she doesn't explicitly divulge."[2] Instead, she released the collaborative mixtape Anger Management (2019) with Kenny Beats, as well as a string of several non-album singles to "hold fans over".[2] Talking to NME about the time spent during her creative process and the self-doubt it causes, Rico Nasty said, "I made Anger Management in a week. I made Nasty (2018) and Sugar Trap (2017) in around three months. I made Tales of Tacobella (2017) in a month [...] I made this album [Nightmare Vacation] in a year. I hope that I'm not one of the people that overperfected it and took away what [the fans] enjoyed."[3]

External videos
video icon Nightmare Vacation (Official Trailer), via YouTube

Rico Nasty formally announced the album on August 13, 2020, alongside the release of its lead single, "iPhone".[4] She subsequently released a makeup palette as a collaboration with Il Makiage,[5] and later confirmed that names of the shades will be titles of the tracks in the album.[6] In a letter directed to her fans, Rico Nasty explained that the project's title is a metaphorical oxymoron: "[...] understand that anything you want you can achieve! But know that there will be good and bad with everything. That's why this album is called Nightmare Vacation. Sometimes the things you want aren't the things you need."[7] In September 2020, Rico Nasty revealed that the album was prepared for imminent release.[3] She told Complex that it would be released in the Halloween season,[6] which Los Angeles Times later confirmed as October 30, 2020, in a write-up.[8] However, in early November 2020, Rico Nasty only formally announced the official release date of December 4, 2020.[9][10][11] The album cover was also revealed with this announcement.[12] Rico Nasty would also later release a visual cinematic trailer to build hype for the album,[13] before revealing the album's tracklist in early December.[14]

Composition[edit]

Nightmare Vacation is a hip hop album influenced by a variety of musical elements such as trap,[15][16] nu-metal,[17][18][19][16] punk and punk rap,[15][16][20][17] emo,[19] bubblegum pop,[19] hyperpop,[21][20] R&B,[22][15][23] and electronic.[23] Musically, Kyann-Sian Williams of NME described the album simply as "sugar trap [genre] on steroids".[3]

Rico Nasty herself described the album as "a more evolved version of Sugar Trap [2016 mixtape], because it's good and bad", and noted that unlike most of her existing repertoire, "there are no rock cadences on it. It's a vibe. It makes you feel good, makes you feel happy." On the concept behind the album and its musical presence, she said: "Nightmare Vacation is your best and worst experience. In my case, it's music. [...] Nightmare Vacation is playing on those super aggressive sounds, along with these super melodic shapes."[2] Rico Nasty told Dazed that the album "is not based on one aesthetic" and that the album features "another voice" she has developed which is neither rap or rock. She continued: "it sounds natural. It's really fire. I'm happy that I locked myself in the studio and didn't give up on life."[24]

Release and promotion[edit]

Singles[edit]

On August 13, 2020, Rico Nasty released "iPhone" as the album's lead single, alongside its own music video.[25][26] The second single "Own It" was also paired with a music video, released September 17, 2020.[27] The third single "Don't Like Me" was released October 22, 2020.[28] The fourth single "OHFR?" was released November 11, 2020, alongside a music video.[29][30] The release of the music video for the fifth single "STFU" coincided with the release of the album on December 4, 2020.[31][32]

Other songs[edit]

The song "Smack a Bitch" was released on January 13, 2018,[33] and became Rico Nasty's "breakout single",[34] before featuring as a bonus track on Nightmare Vacation two years later. A remix of the song featuring American rappers ppcocaine, Rubi Rose and Sukihana serves as the last track on the album.[14]

Live performances[edit]

Rico Nasty made her television debut when she performed "OHFR?" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2021.[35][36]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[38]
Metacritic80/100[37]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8.0/10[16]
DIY[15]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[39]
The Guardian[21]
The Line of Best Fit8.5/10[40]
NME[41]
The Observer[17]
Paste8.4/10[42]
Pitchfork7.4/10[43]
Slate[44]

Nightmare Vacation received acclaim from music critics upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 80 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[37] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[38]

Dominic Haley of Loud and Quiet described Nightmare Vacation as "short, aggressive and about as in-your-face as a Slipknot record" which "leaves you with the feeling that it could be the record that will finally cement Nasty as one of the most essential, vital voices in rap's current pantheon."[45] Candace McDuffie of Paste wrote that Rico Nasty "juggles ferocity and fun" on the record, and wrote that her "inaugural efforts are cathartic, ballsy and just plain fun. Nightmare Vacation solidifies the emcee as quite the furious force to be reckoned with."[42] Writing for Clash, Robert Kazandjian also described the album as "combative, empowering and unashamedly fun".[16] Critics from both The Guardian and The Line of Best Fit agreed that the album was her "most raging" and "nastiest" release yet.[21][40] Kyann-Sian Williams of NME wrote that as Rico Nasty channels "nostalgic noughties culture and sound while exuding turbulent modern production", her debut studio album "solidifies her status as a singular talent".[3] Elly Watson of DIY concluded with the statement: "Biting and abrasive in the best kind of ways, Nightmare Vacation finds an artist stepping up into the hype that's been surrounding her for years, and delivering on it tenfold. It will chew you up and spit you out, and you'll love every minute of it."

Critics from The Observer and The Guardian wrote slightly less positive reviews, both expressing how Rico Nasty's music, despite its uniqueness and freshness, had not stylistically experienced any progression from her existing repertoire but rather "stagnation".[17][21]

Year-end lists[edit]

Select year-end rankings of Nightmare Vacation
Publication List Rank Ref.
Uproxx The Best Albums Of 2021 —
[46]

Commercial performance[edit]

On Spotify in the first two days after its release, Nightmare Vacation was the second most streamed album debut in the United States,[47] and the tenth most streamed album debut worldwide.[48] Due to its moderate success, it topped the Heatseekers Albums chart.[49]

Track listing[edit]

Nightmare Vacation track listing[50][51]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Candy"
B. Lewis2:38
2."Don't Like Me" (featuring Gucci Mane and Don Toliver)
Buddah Bless2:45
3."Check Me Out"
  • Kelly
  • Malachi-Phree Jasiah Pate
  • Parker
Jasiah1:43
4."iPhone"
Brady2:38
5."STFU"
Take a Daytrip2:16
6."Back and Forth" (featuring Aminé)
3:01
7."Girl Scouts"
  • Kelly
  • Biral
  • Baptiste
Take a Daytrip2:41
8."Let It Out"
100 gecs2:28
9."Loser" (featuring Trippie Redd)
  • Kelly
  • Nick Seeley
  • Brandon Veal
  • Parker
  • Brandon Finnesin
  • Seeley
2:25
10."No Debate"
  • Kelly
  • Jason Fleming
  • Parker
Bunx Dadda2:13
11."Pussy Poppin"
  • Kelly
  • Brady
  • Les
  • Parker
100 gecs1:56
12."OHFR?"
  • Kelly
  • Brady
Brady2:00
13."10Fo"
  • Kelly
  • Alec Tolkin
  • Richard Ortiz
  • Parker
  • F1LTHY
  • Al B. Smoove
2:42
14."Own It"
2:09
15."Smack a Bitch (Remix)" (featuring ppcocaine, Sukihana and Rubi Rose)
Kenny Beats3:37
16."Smack a Bitch" (bonus)
  • Kelly
  • Blume
Kenny Beats2:18
Total length:39:30

Personnel[edit]

Musicians

Technical

  • Chris Athens – mastering
  • Joe Fitz – mixing (1, 3–5, 7–11, 13–16)
  • Jaycen Joshua – mixing (2)
  • David Nakaji – mixing (6)
  • Joshua "Jay Que" Queen – engineering (1, 10)
  • Dylan Brady – engineering (4)
  • Take a Daytrip – engineering (5)
  • Paul Bailey – engineering (8, 11–13)
  • Juan Fleischer – engineering (9), engineering assistance (4, 15, 16)
  • Alex Toval – engineering (15, 16)
  • Samantha Kossoff – mixing assistance (1, 3–5, 7–11, 13, 14)
  • DJ Riggins – mixing assistance (2)
  • Jacob Richards – mixing assistance (2)
  • Mike Seaberg – mixing assistance (2)

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Nightmare Vacation
Chart (2020) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[49] 1

References[edit]

  1. ^ Taylor, Jodi (September 3, 2019). "Rico Nasty Talks Her Music, Being a Mom, and More". Coveteur. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c McKinney, Jessica (October 24, 2019). "Rico Nasty Previews New Album, Talks Racist Incident, Favorite Rappers, and ComplexCon". Complex. ISSN 1538-6848. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Williams, Kyann-Sian (September 11, 2020). "On the cover – Rico Nasty: "I definitely resonate with being a pop-punk princess"". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved September 11, 2020. "...the new album, due for release this month..."{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. ^ Langford, Jackson (August 13, 2020). "Rico Nasty officially announces debut album 'Nightmare Vacation'". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  5. ^ Nesvig, Kara (August 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty Is Launching Eyeshadow Palettes With Il Makiage". Teen Vogue. ISSN 1540-2215. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Martinez, Natasha (September 12, 2020). "Rico Nasty Beats Her Face and Teases Nightmare Vacation Date". Complex. Retrieved September 14, 2020 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ TACOBELLA [@Rico_nastyy] (August 13, 2020). "A Letter To My Fans I Love You All. Stream IPhone and Gear Up For Nightmare Vacation" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ^ Brown, August; Roberts, Randall; Wood, Mikael (September 24, 2020). "The 20 albums we can't wait to hear this fall". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  9. ^ Strauss, Matthew (November 9, 2020). "Rico Nasty Announces Release Date for New Album Nightmare Vacation". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  10. ^ Moore, Sam (November 10, 2020). "Rico Nasty confirms release date for her debut album 'Nightmare Vacation'". NME. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  11. ^ Shaffer, Claire (November 9, 2020). "Rico Nasty Plots Release Date for New Album 'Nightmare Vacation'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  12. ^ Maicki, Salvatore (November 9, 2020). "Rico Nasty's debut album, Nightmare Vacation, is out December 4". The Fader. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  13. ^ Jones, Damian (November 26, 2020). "Rico Nasty shares trailer for her debut album 'Nightmare Vacation'". NME. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Lavin, Will (December 1, 2020). "Rico Nasty shares tracklist for debut album 'Nightmare Vacation'". NME. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d Watson, Elly (December 3, 2020). "Rico Nasty – Nightmare Vacation". DIY. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  16. ^ a b c d e Kazandjian, Robert (December 4, 2020). "Rico Nasty – Nightmare Vacation". Clash. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  17. ^ a b c d Hutchinson, Kate (December 6, 2020). "Rico Nasty: Nightmare Vacation review – a pummelling debut". The Observer. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  18. ^ Gomez, Jade (December 7, 2020). "Rico Nasty Expands Her Repertoire on Debut Nightmare Vacation: Review". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  19. ^ a b c Rettig, James (December 1, 2020). "Album Of The Week: Rico Nasty's 'Nightmare Vacation'". Stereogum. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Brooks, Clarissa (December 8, 2020). ""This ain't every man for themselves": Rico Nasty calls for Black sisterhood". The Face. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d Sotire, Timi (December 4, 2020). "Rico Nasty: Nightmare Vacation review – offbeat rapper is impossible to ignore". The Guardian. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  22. ^ Ochoa, John (September 29, 2020). "Rico Nasty Talks Debut Album, 'Nightmare Vacation'". The Recording Academy. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  23. ^ a b Wehner, Cyclone (December 4, 2020). "REVIEW: On Her Cacophonous Debut 'Nightmare Vacation' Rico Nasty Lives Up To Her Hype". Music Feeds. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  24. ^ Trammell, Matthew (March 12, 2020). "Rico Nasty: rap-rooted, emo-adjacent, young as fuck". Dazed. ISSN 0961-9704. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  25. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (August 14, 2020). "Rico Nasty reveals debut album title and drops new track "iPhone"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  26. ^ Gregory, Allie (August 13, 2020). "Rico Nasty Gets 100 gecs for New Single "iPhone"". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  27. ^ Brereton, Greta (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty drops new song 'Own It' with accompanying music video". NME. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  28. ^ Blistein, Jon (October 22, 2020). "Rico Nasty Taps Gucci Mane, Don Toliver for New Song 'Don't Like Me'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  29. ^ Mahadevan, Tara (November 10, 2020). "Rico Nasty Releases New Song and Video "Oh Fr?"". Complex. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  30. ^ Minsker, Evan (November 10, 2020). "Rico Nasty and 100 gecs' Dylan Brady Share New Song "OHFR?"". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  31. ^ Okon, Wongo (December 4, 2020). "Rico Nasty Takes Over A Fight Club In Her Hot-Tempered 'STFU' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  32. ^ Langford, Jackson (December 4, 2020). "Watch Rico Nasty start a fight in new music video for 'STFU'". NME. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  33. ^ "Rico Nasty Released The Visual To "Smack A Bitch"". Snobette. January 13, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  34. ^ "Rico Nasty". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  35. ^ Gallagher, Alex (January 15, 2021). "Watch Rico Nasty make her television debut performing 'OHFR?' on 'Fallon'". NME. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  36. ^ Hussey, Allison (January 15, 2021). "Watch Rico Nasty Perform "OHFR?" on Fallon". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  37. ^ a b "Nightmare Vacation by Rico Nasty". Metacritic. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  38. ^ a b "Nightmare Vacation by Rico Nasty reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  39. ^ Greenblatt, Leah (December 2020). "Rico Nasty: Nightmare Vacation". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1600–1601. p. 101.
  40. ^ a b Gayler, Max (December 4, 2020). "Unfiltered, demented and cut-throat: Nightmare Vacation is Rico at her nastiest". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  41. ^ Kasambala, Natty (December 3, 2020). "Rico Nasty – Nightmare Vacation review: energetic rap anthems for the club and the moshpit". NME. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  42. ^ a b McDuffie, Candace (December 3, 2020). "Rico Nasty Shines on the Mercurial Nightmare Vacation". Paste. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  43. ^ Kariisa, Jessica (December 9, 2020). "Rico Nasty: Nightmare Vacation Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  44. ^ Ordaz, Sophia (December 7, 2020). "MUSIC Review: Rico Nasty's Nightmare Vacation Flaunts Both the Rapper's Rage and Range". Slate. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  45. ^ Haley, Dominic (December 3, 2020). "Rico Nasty – Nightmare Vacation". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  46. ^ Williams, Aaron (November 29, 2021). "Best Albums of 2021". Uproxx. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  47. ^ Spotify Charts [verified account] [@spotifycharts] (December 7, 2020). ".@shawnmendes, @Rico_nastyy, and @yungblud earned the top three spots with their latest releases Here are the Top 10 USA Album Debuts over the past weekend #SpotifyCharts" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  48. ^ Spotify Charts [verified account] [@spotifycharts] (December 7, 2020). ".@shawnmendes's fourth studio album #Wonder debuted at #1 this weekend Here are the Top 10 Global Album Debuts #SpotifyCharts" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  49. ^ a b "{{{artist}}} Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  50. ^ "Nightmare Vacation – Album by Rico Nasty [Pre-Release]". Apple Music. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  51. ^ Nightmare Vacation (booklet). Sugar Trap and Atlantic Records. 2020.
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