Rebecca Black - Saturday In 2011, a perplexing gem surfaced on the Internet. Featuring
an unknown pre-teen named Rebecca Black, lyrics transcending mere banality, and
vocals drenched in Auto-Tune reminiscent of a robot with a sinus infection,
"Friday"--along with its equally baffling video--turned Miss Black
into a "viral" sensation, for better or worse. While ultimately
humiliated, Black nonetheless tried to salvage her reputation and use her 15
seconds of fame to release more reputable follow-up singles and at least be
taken more seriously as an artist up through 2012. Unfortunately, songs like
"My Moment" and "Sing It"--while demonstrating Black at
least can carry a tune--were so bland; they failed to make an impression upon
release.
And then, fast forward to the last few weeks of 2013. "Friday" and it’s played-out parodies seemed like a trinket of the past (perhaps a footnote further demonstrating the Internet's capability to make or break a human being) until Rebecca Black's YouTube page uploaded a sequel to her infamous hit. It's called (you guessed it) "Saturday"...and it's not that bad? Okay, it's not going to receive any accolades for being a ground-breaking creative comeback. But Black's polished vocals and the bubbly, Europop-influenced beat give off a sun-kissed, joyful attitude expected of a typical, albeit safe pop song. A feature by fellow 'YouTube famous' musician Dave Days make the song into something like a younger sibling to "Good Time" by Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City. The song is mercifully brief and the (perhaps unintentionally) unmemorable hooks are at least not as gratingly ear-wormy as those in the predecessor.
And then, fast forward to the last few weeks of 2013. "Friday" and it’s played-out parodies seemed like a trinket of the past (perhaps a footnote further demonstrating the Internet's capability to make or break a human being) until Rebecca Black's YouTube page uploaded a sequel to her infamous hit. It's called (you guessed it) "Saturday"...and it's not that bad? Okay, it's not going to receive any accolades for being a ground-breaking creative comeback. But Black's polished vocals and the bubbly, Europop-influenced beat give off a sun-kissed, joyful attitude expected of a typical, albeit safe pop song. A feature by fellow 'YouTube famous' musician Dave Days make the song into something like a younger sibling to "Good Time" by Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City. The song is mercifully brief and the (perhaps unintentionally) unmemorable hooks are at least not as gratingly ear-wormy as those in the predecessor.
It's
unlikely "Saturday" will ever eclipse Black's unintended claim to
fame or dispel all the unwarranted hate she's received, but a sense of humour
and charm credited to self-aware lyrics ("trying to get Friday out of my
head" and a nod to the fact that Saturday does indeed come after Friday),
along with the video's reference rich montage, deliver a smattering of goofy charm
and cutesy cleverness that humanize the whole affair. While I think Rebecca
Black is better off exploring other options besides a music career, the
jubilant "Saturday" is a pleasantly adequate novelty and--I
hope--will usher in some sort of redeeming closure for her.
~Jonathan Hites
~Jonathan Hites
