As we head into a new decade, Ampersand music writer Haley Bosselman zeroes in on pop music’s rising artists.
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Rebecca Black, for a long time, has been equated with “Friday,” the 2011 viral video that set off a firestorm of trolls and memes. “Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday.” Sound familiar?
Just last month, Black made waves across the internet again, but this time for an Instagram post.
“To my 15-year-old self who felt like she had nobody to talk to about the depression she faced… I’m trying to remind myself more and more that every day is a new opportunity to shift your reality and lift your spirit,” the post says.
The photo commemorated the nine-year anniversary of “Friday” and celebrated where she is now. And for those part of the hatestorm in 2011, it was a moment of realization that hurtful online comments actually have repercussions.
Now at 22, Black thinks a single song can’t represent a musician’s artistry.
“So many people defined me by just one thing,” Black says.
Over a morning phone call, Black explains that it took time to find her scene in “a crowded city of so many personalities.” She moved from Orange County Los to Angeles, and eventually discovered Candipop. “Unironically and unashamedly,” as Black describes, the bubblegum pop dance party would play “Friday.”
Black has since DJ’d Candipop events, where she feels at home. She describes the monthly event as capturing the genre’s true instinct— that it plays tried and true favorites like Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, but also incorporates forward-pushing artists, like Kim Petras.
The monthly event at The Satellite in Silver Lake is a haze of girly early aughts aesthetic, with a punch. They serve cotton candy and baby pink balloons that have sassy phrases like “So Fetch” (to quote Mean Girls), “That’s Hot” (to quote Paris Hilton) or “Fuck”. During my first Candipop experience, the DJ played “Crazy” by Britney Spears. There was no gradual lead in, but somehow, like a psychic choir, everyone threw up their hands and shouted “Crazy!,” the first word of the song. It’s a sweaty haven to revel in pop’s sweetest beats. I can only hope for it’s return when the COVID-19 pandemic is under control and we are safe to dance en masse.
“What I love about Candipop is that it celebrates pop,” Black says. “Pop is honest and unafraid to be whatever it is.”
As for “Friday,” the video is an ode to the tween excitement of looking forward to the weekend. The song, like puberty itself, was never intended to be shameful. It’s taken time, but Black sees “Friday” as a cute, innocent attempt at exploring the possibility of doing music.
“I think I’ll always have a soft spot for that song,” she says. “What ‘Friday’ was before any of that was a chance for me to try something out.”
For her own sound, Black says it’s “definitely pop.” She used to feel she had to distance herself from the genre, but realized there is a way to create beautiful and inventive pop music. Black aims to embrace any emotion, good or bad, and still make a song that feels empowering (without being too preachy).
She released “Sweetheart” in October 2019. It found a new life in Dance Yourself Clean, another dance party at The Satellite for indie music, who put out its remix of the song on Valentine’s Day. Black’s track is about ditching politeness for honesty in standing up against a man’s patronizing flirtation. With the Dance Yourself Clean flare, the song blossoms from provocative honesty to a lighthearted, looping bop.
In the ‘50s-inspired music video, Black and her friends kill a lover before he can kill her. The video’s narrative development began by aiming to create something she hadn’t done before. The intent was not to be extreme, but to create an entire world (while staying in budget). Black honeypots the man by playing housewife. There’s pie, polka dots, a suspicious powder and perjury. The video is sweet, messy revenge.
“‘Sweetheart’ was a song I knew I wanted to write about for so long, but I never fully found the right way to put it,” she says.
“Sweetheart” feels like Black’s final stage of a metamorphosis, from teen Youtube sensation to pop artist. RE/BL, her 2017, was a step. “Foolish” and “Satellite” could have easily fit on Spotify’s “Pop Rising” playlist. With her 2019 releases and the “Sweetheart” remix, Black indicates more of a conceptual control. “Anyway” revels in synthy sweetness and “Do You?” finds an optimal point between heavy and delicate. In the accompanying videos, whether dancing for joy or in anguish, Black is clearly past the bright-eyed adolescence of “Friday.”
New music is coming, Black assures. Until this year, she never felt ready to do an album. However, Black is unsure she’ll actually put out one — though says enough music will be released to comprise an album. True to promise, she put out a double release on March 13: “Self Sabotage” and “Closer.”
The songs compliment one another. Each soft, but “Self-Sabotage” is moody, while “Closer” picks up the pace. They each reference one another in the first verse, maintaining a storyline that gives purpose to the duo release. As we stay stuck inside, “Self-Sabotage” soundtracks our darker moments, but “Closer” will keep pushing you into the light.
You can follow Rebecca here. The Satellite is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can support their staff by donating here.