A teen phenom tries to hang on to the moment

Most teenagers want to escape childhood, to fast-forward to adulthood and skip the tedium of puberty and high school, not to mention driving tests. Not Nettspend: When the Virginia sensation released his debut album, BAD ASS F*CKING KID, in 2024 at the age of 17, he was wishing that it would all slow down a bit. On album opener “Growing Up”, Nettspend showcases his signature warbling vocals, using Auto-Tune to coat his voice in lament and desperation. He sings, “It get weird, it get weird growing up.” Later, the club is going up, but Nettspend wants it all to stop. “I wish I could just not grow up,” he adds. Much of the album deals with Nettspend’s relationship to adulthood, like on “Tyla”, where he wants a girlfriend but knows anyone his age can’t relate to the world he’s seen, the responsibilities he has. Older ladies aren’t an option either, he explains, rapping, “I'm 17/Kinda weird she like me, but I ain't no child.”