Rebecca Black — Rebecca Black Was Here EP (Review)
Rebecca Black is the poster child for perseverance in the YouTube era. Her calling card for years was the song she recorded at 15, “Friday”. When it comes to hate and bullying, this girl got it. The song would be one of the most disliked songs on YouTube back in 2011. I’m sure this took a toll on her mentally and emotionally at the time, but she stood strong and continued to do what she loves, singing. She continued to polish her vocals over the years and create quite a following on YouTube with her vlogs and covers. She would revisit the track in 2014 with Dave Days, now a day later “Saturday”. Her vocals had matured and she was completely in her own. From here, she feel off my radar until I heard her work with hyperpop artist Dorian Electra. Their inclusion of her on “Edgelord” got me curious about what she’s been doing since I last heard her work. She’s blossomed into a powerful woman with a swagger I can only admire and a flair for hyperpop that makes her shine. Also, the woman can sing! Her previous singles, “Sweetheart” and “Anyways” really put on display her talents, while giving a nice middle finger to the haters of the past. After following Black on Twitter, I noticed her teasing the release of her next EP, Rebecca Black Was Here, and I had to hear it. I gave it a listen the day after its release and was immediately obsessed. Come with me and let’s read the writing on the wall where Rebecca Black was here.
“Better in My Memory” is the opener on the EP. Black is looking back on a relationship that she once had and wishing she could rewrite history to omit the bad things. She hates all the memories that they made and wants to change them all: from the good things that they never got to do, to them never leaving in the first place, and up to changing would they were all together. Through all these thoughts, Rebecca states that they really were just better in her mind, “Better in my memory/ One place that you’ll never leave/ Turn you into what I need, what I need/ You’re better in my memory, memory, memory”.
“Personal” is the second off this project. You can hear some of the influence that working with Dorian Electra has imparted onto Black. The vocals are a blend of autotune and Black’s polished vocals. It’s a glorious manic mix of hip-hop beats, wuppy bass synths, and sleek production. The girl Rebecca had been messing around with has caught feelings, and after finding out this was not serious to Black has turned her into the enemy. In Rebecca’s eyes, even though she’s lashing out over what she feels like is betrayal, she isn’t taking it personal. Black tries to take an understanding point of view even though she’s hurt too, “I know you have to hate me/ Wont blame you, if you blame me/ I promise, even though it hurts, I wont take it personal/ You’ve got some harbored feelings/ Like I left you for no reason/ I promise, even though it hurts, I wont take it personal”. The music video blends the glamour of the song into parody along with this nearly psychotic clingy ex persona (complete with diamond encrusted chainsaw and call back to American Psycho in Black’s outfit). It’s a jam.
“NGL” is an acronym for Not Gonna Lie. Rebecca comes off as kind of a player in this track. There’s an strong swagger to her that works for the song. She goes over how her ex is probably thinking of her, bad mouthing her, telling half truths about how things ended, and dating someone that could/could not be just as bad for them. In the end, Black confesses, “I’m not gonna lie/ I was the bad guy/ I was the bad guy/ I’m not gonna lie/ You can tell me a hundred times”. You really get this aggressive energy from lines like, “I would never live here for you / I told you that I wanted to/ I wonder if you’d get déjà vu/ When your new girl is mean to you” and “Am I standing in your ex’s house?/ Wonder what she’d think about us now/ In your bed listening to Sky Ferreira/ Know you’re gonna cry mess up your mascara”.
“Blue” is the slow jam on the EP. Rebecca is mourning the end of her relationship. She’s devastated over the end of they’re two year long relationship, “Two years down the drain/ A whole life we had made/ It was ours for the taking”. She’s going through denial and trying to pretend it’s not ending, but finally gives into to the heartbreak, “The last forty days/ They have been so painful/ I guess we won’t make it”. In the end, Black is beginning to come to terms with the fact that the only way for the both of them to be truly happy, is for them split up.
“Worth It for the Feeling” is the last single released prior to the full release of this EP. The song is a smooth, sexy pop number. The production gives the track more of a warm wash over you compared to some of the more upbeat tracks on the EP. The song is a sort of continuation on the theme of getting back with someone you have broken up with. Rebecca is shutting out all the drama from the end of their prior relationship and taking the chance on it again. She’s willing to endure the potential heartache for the pleasure of being with this person, “Here we go again/ Now I’m not looking back ’cause that pain is dead/ If history’s repeating/ It’s worth it for the feeling”. The smooth nature of track compliments this devil may care attitude she has. The music video goes all in with the context of gambling with this relationship. You see Black superimposed onto the face cards of the deck while they gamble on a table. Rebecca has also recently released a set of “nudie” playing cards which go alone with the single and music video release.
“Girlfriend” was the first single released off the project. Black’s vocals shine on this track. The song is a impeccably produced summery pop tune. The glitzy guitars, shimmery synths, and thick bass synth tone give this euphoric feel to Black’s announcement that she’s getting back with her girlfriend. She has tried many things to get over her ex, “Told you I needed time, a little space/ I packed up everything, all the stuff you left at my place/ Moved back in with my mom, just had to get away/ Tried to get used to it, waking up not seeing your face/ I went out/ Trying to forget about/ Killed some time on the rebound/ Where are you now?/ ’Cause nothing really feels like you”, but nothing gets her over the hole she has in her heart from missing her ex-girlfriend. Rebecca sounds ecstatic about getting back together with her ex on the chorus, “I’m getting back with my girlfriend/ Ready to dive in the deep end/ This time it’s gonna be different/ I’m getting back with my girlfriend/ I’m gonna call her, drive on over/ Wanna see her, wanna hold her/ It hit me all of a sudden/ I’m getting back with my girlfriend”. The song is a total bop. It only highlights the strength in Black’s vocal skills and songwriting. The music video also has this cute feels with Rebecca and her girlfriend sharing time together juxtaposed against Rebecca singing in a full prom get up in an empty party space.
This collection of songs is some of Rebecca’s best to date. Again, I can tell her influences and collaborations with artists like Dorian Electra have only added to the sweet pop flavor of these tunes. She’s still very much active on her YouTube channel, posting videos fairly regularly. She also revisited her widely dislike debut track “Friday” as a remix with fellow artists Dorian Electra, Big Freeda, and 3Oh!3. It’s a hyperpop manic jam. I love the since of humor and casual fuck you nature of revisiting the track. Rebecca has also recently come out as queer. It’s nice to see both queer representation and queer themes explored in her music. I highly recommend giving her music a listen. If you’ve been sleeping on her cause she’s the “Friday” girl, she’s here to wake up with hard shake. My highlights off the EP:
- “Girlfriend”
- “Personal”
- “Worth It For the Feeling”
- “NGL”
My overall rating: 8 out of 10 writings on the wall that say “Rebecca Black Was Here”…
