The star has just released her second album Salvation
BY SHANNON MOYCE, IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Rebecca Black. A name that might conjure up a specific moment in internet history or perhaps, her now established queer hyperpop brilliance. She’s returned with Salvation, a powerful second album, and just wrapped her successful UK tour. But what do you know about Rebecca Black?
Lady Gaga’s Influence
Rebecca’s music pushes pop to its extremities, a blend of diverse pop subgenres. She draws inspiration from icons like Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, and Beyoncé, alongside contemporary influences such as Chappell Roan and Charli XCX. We can see these inspirations manifest, particularly with Lady Gaga. For instance, with the track Twist The Knife, a song off her new album, she told TikTok it was about killing a man to be with a “bad b*tch” echoing Lady Gaga’s theatricality, reminiscent of Poker Face. It’s a full circle moment, considering Lady Gaga’s early advocacy. Back in 2011, during the Friday era, Lady Gaga said, “I say Rebecca Black is a genius and anyone that’s telling her she’s cheesy is full of sh*t.”
Embracing Friday
For the mainstream, Friday remains Rebecca Black’s defining moment. Despite the immense hate it received, she’s moved beyond running from it, now embracing it as part of her journey. She acknowledges that her fans, having grown up alongside her, now treat Friday as a nostalgic hit, and she enjoys playing it live, recognising it ignites the crowd. As someone who attended Rebecca Black’s last Let Her Burn tour, I can vouch for the electric atmosphere when she closed her show with Friday. It was a truly incredible moment to be in that crowd.
DJing
Beyond her pop career, Rebecca Black is also a skilled DJ, famously achieving a dream with her Boiler Room set. Though initially reluctant to have it recorded, Boiler Room’s decision to record the performance anyway, ultimately gave her the choice post-set. And who does she credit for her DJ skills? The lesbians. Learning at her ex’s house, she came across her friend’s DJ equipment and asked them to teach her. Gradually, through more shows and practice, she honed her skills along the way.
Coming Out
Her DJing skills aren’t the only thing she thanked the lesbians for, but her own queer journey. Surrounded by fellow queer individuals for the first time, Rebecca began to fully embrace her own queerness. She publicly came out in 2020 on the podcast Dating Straight, where, while discussing a breakup, she revealed it was with a woman and affirmed her queer identity. Ever since then, she has been supported by the LGBTQIA community, and she has continued to create sapphic hits.
Finding Salvation
With this new album, Rebecca Black is finding Salvation. As she said in an interview with It Girl, “Salvation was born out of the first time I’ve really written about myself.” She’s writing about her own perception, confidence, and sexuality. The title track, also named Salvation, talks about not needing someone to save you, while still enjoying those moments together.
The video offers even more, with its use of religious imagery in finding salvation. As Rebecca described to NME, “The idea of making a song about celebrating your own queerness in a religious context felt like taking back power. It also felt really fun.” The video combined with the song makes for a complete sapphic hit, and we’re so excited for Rebecca Black to be known for so much more than just the Friday girl. She’s finally being seen for the artist she truly is.
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