Rebecca Black is ready to re-introduce herself
A decade after “Friday,” Black has reinvented herself as one of pop's most exciting artists
Image: Graphic: Karl Gustafson
It’s been a decade since Rebecca Black became an instant viral meme at just 13 years old with her video for “Friday.” After teasing a new era of her music in 2020 with singles like “Self Sabotage/Closer” and her collaboration with Dorian Electra, “Edgelord,” Black released Rebecca Black Was Here this past June. It’s a collection of tracks unlike anything the singer had released before, exploring hyperpop territory, among other genres. The artist we meet in Rebecca Black Was Here is confident and witty; she fully sheds her former persona as “the ‘Friday’ girl.” Black, who came out as queer last year, takes listeners through the ups and downs of a past relationship, culminating with “Girlfriend,” an extremely catchy song about wanting to get back together with her former partner. The album has turned the singer into a queer icon of sorts—a career path on which her campy beginnings can be embraced. During Pride weekend, we caught up with Black over ice cream to talk about being in control of her narrative, the emergence of this new era, and her upcoming tour.
The A.V. Club: Rebecca Black Was Here marks a big shift in your music. What was the catalyst for entering the hyperpop realm?
Rebecca Black: It was kind of natural. I’ve been continuously writing music for the last—I don’t even know—four or five years, just trying to keep figuring out what felt right, and what I liked, and what made sense. When I listened back, I felt like it was really my sound and my song and all of that. I’ve been really inspired always by artists like Grimes, Robyn, Madonna, SOPHIE, just really amazing artists for me… that will always kind of find its way through. I don’t know if I would say I’m a hyperpop artist. But I definitely love pop and I want to keep trying to make pop that fucking pushes boundaries, and lives outside of what someone would think pop would be.
AVC: You’d been very adamant about Rebecca Black Was Here not being an EP; it’s a project. Why’s that?
RB: It was always what it was called, and from the get-go I had no idea whether it would be an album, whether it would be an EP, whether it would be anything. It was always an ever-evolving project considering how much more I have planned for this year. That’s just what made sense. It was this collection of six songs that I really wanted to be together on its own in order to put out, to have its moment. And make room also for more stuff. I definitely want to make a full-length album and I’m going to be doing that now.
AVC: How long was the writing process for the project?
RB: I started writing it in March of 2020, essentially. The last time I had released more than just a single was in 2017. So it’s been really ever since then that I’ve been trying to do something. I just was waiting until the time was right.
AVC: It felt like you had disappeared for a few years before emerging now with a new era.
RB: Well, I’ve been here. I guess that’s part of the name of the project. It just takes time. Especially, I think in my case, I really had to work backwards after “Friday,” whereas normally people that have something that reaches that caliber of attention, they would be working for years. And I was a kid who did one thing that was not supposed to be “it.” So, I’ve been continuously trying to work and do the work to figure out the artist that I want to be. And sometimes that takes time. I definitely spent a lot of time during these past few years trying to find that.