The album was partly produced by Dylan Brady and Laura Les, the iconic Hyper-Pop duo, 100 gecs. Though 100 gecs polarize music critics, they unquestionably compliment Nasty’s “sugar trap” sound. Most notable on ‘IPHONE’, the pounding kick drums and distorted vocals provide both a new direction for Nasty, and a throwback to her auto-tune heavy early releases.
Nightmare Vacation is beautifully incohesive and demented, but it suffers from a lack of Kenny Beats, or at least of a defining hard-hitting beat. Kenny produced the 808s behind ‘Smack a Bitch’ and ‘Countin’ Up’, which helped Nasty form her distinctive style. Nasty also worked with Kenny on the critically acclaimed Anger Management, her catchiest and most unapologetic album to date. The bonus re-release of the 2018 ‘Smack a Bitch’ at the end of Nightmare Vacation is now Nasty’s most streamed track on Spotify.
Take a Daytrip, hitmakers best known for Lil Nas X’s ‘Panini’ and Sheck Wes’ ‘Mo Bamba’ also guest produce on the album. The duo are behind the rockier distorted guitar sounds of ‘STFU’ and ‘Girl Scouts’. Once social distancing is over and we can once again punch each other to music, these songs are sure to kill in the mosh pits at Nasty’s shows.
Nightmare Vacation was made to make the listener feel unstoppable, Nasty's punk-rap almost industrial sound is sure to achieve her objective, to provide the “soundtrack to getting back on your sh*t”.
(4/5)