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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA- I feel like Rebecca Black is one of those artists where you can tell a lot about a person by how they feel about her. If you know her name, I know that you are tuned in to online culture to some degree. If you say you love her, you’re one of my people. If you don’t, then allow me to persuade you and possibly reintroduce you to the icon that is Ms. Rebecca Black.
Many people know and became aware of Rebecca Black by way of her accidental viral video for “Friday” back in 2011 when she was just 13. I was very active on Tumblr at the time, and you couldn’t escape the edits and discourse surrounding the song if you tried. Even HBO shows like The Newsroom referenced the catchy track. Little did we know that this would be just the beginning and a small taste of the iconic work Black was capable of.
Since then, she has released a number of singles and EPs, her debut full-length album Let Her Burn, and her most recent project Salvation. With every new release and every killer DJ set she does, she carves her lane in the hyperpop world deeper and deeper and slowly cements her icon status. Salvation in particular feels so raw and authentic, and is my favorite release of hers to date. It explores both the empowerment and vulnerability of fully embracing your sexuality, and also breaking through people’s perceptions of how you should look and behave while on that journey. After following Rebecca Black’s career for over a decade, I was so excited to finally see her perform live.
The wait was well worth it, and her performance was stunning. It was the perfect combination of what you expect from a straightforward killer pop powerhouse and just the right amount of perfectly executed camp. My favorite detail of the performance was the dancers coming out with satirical evangelical protest signs with slogans like “Repent: Turn to Rebecca or Burn” and “Time to Repent, Salvation Is Coming.” As an ex-evangelical who grew up in the Southern Baptist church, this imagery is all too familiar to me. I would see groups like that at least once a week on my college campus. They would scream at any queer-presenting students or any woman who was dressed the slightest bit revealing. I adore using subversion like this in art, and the way she turned that on its head to tie in with the message of her new album was absolutely pitch-perfect.
She blew me away with how strong her voice sounded, and her personality beamed off the stage. She looked utterly flawless, and her costume was edgy, shiny, glittery perfection. I know I’ve never met her, but she’s one of those artists that I’ve been rooting for from the sidelines for years. With this set at Outloud and the fact that she just opened for Katy Perry at The Forum, I absolutely cannot wait to see how far up she goes from here.
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