After a decade since Friday blew up, Rebecca Black bounces back with a colorful set of tunes that showcases her vocal chops and songwriting.
You know, going back to the times when Rebecca Black blew up because of that viral meme song ‘Friday’ is pretty sad. The result of that sad mess got her bullied miserably in her school to the point that she has to drop out. And even if she did release ‘Saturday’ and other songs to showcase her growth, that song really did a punch on her dreams and her life as a general, she just couldn’t escape it. And that really sucks because she was just a young teenager who just wanted to have a singing career.
But even past that dark part of her life, Rebecca Black released singles after those that showcased her growth as a vocalist. Then afterward she managed to contribute a feature verse on a song in Dorian Electra’s sophomore album, released a hyperpop remix of ‘Friday’ for its 10th-year celebration, and now she has this EP out in the open!
And you know what, it’s a good debut project from her. While there are enough production flubs that didn’t really sit well with me, it does show just how she’s willing to dip her toes in varying sounds that owe towards hyperpop and synthpop.
Focusing on the production here, it’s pretty much split into two: the hyperpop sound that has these trance touches on them, and synthpop that is more sweeter and laid back, which is a nice enough balance that shows how much she fits in these sounds. I love trance touches on ‘Better in My Memory’ and how it just keeps driving the song for its entirety, ‘Personal’ grew on me quite a lot where the autotune modulates down after each verse goes, paired with that stunning bouncy instrumental, ‘Worth It for the Feeling’ has the slow-burning tone with that bassline and good hook, and ‘Girlfriend’ is a great closer with the most driving beat and an infectious hook to the core too.
I also liked the lyrical sentiments of this project as well, the sour feelings and memories that still linger post-breakup that Rebecca wanted to suppress, then giving herself some time to heal and admit her weak points in the relationship, and ending it with finally going back to her girlfriend after having time to rethink and heal. Good solid arc here, even if it felt there could be more fleshing out in the details.
Though the production can be hit or miss as spots, with some songs feeling a bit overstuffed with the effects that make them gasp for space in the mix. ‘NGL’ is a prime example at least for me, that glitchy and vocoder tendencies on the vocals, the staccato and ringtone synths, and the saw synth bass that just felt clashing and stuffy. The reverb effects on ‘Worth It for the Feeling’ suffocated some of the instrumental palettes, especially on the hook. ‘Blue’ is a good enough ballad but felt a bit standard and closed in with those layers of reverb.
After a decade of Friday and taking small steps on her growth, this is an admirable start of what Rebecca’s able to do now as a singer and a songwriter and how she shows how comfy she is in these two sets of sounds. I’m pretty happy this is out, I cannot absolutely wait what else she’s going to release ahead in the future. And for those who still remember her as the ‘Friday’ girl, listen to this, it’s worth checking out.
Favorite Tracks: Personal, Girlfriend, Better in My Memory, Worth It for the Feeling Least Favorite Track: NGL