Rebecca Black
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Rebecca Renee Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American singer and
YouTuber A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006. Influence Influent ...
. She gained extensive media coverage when the
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for her 2011 single "
Friday Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth d ...
" went viral on YouTube and other
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
sites. "Friday" was derided by many music critics and viewers, who dubbed it "the worst song ever". Black went on to release other songs including her
Dave Days David Joseph Colditz (born August 13, 1991), commonly known as Dave Days, is a musician, entertainer and YouTube personality from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, currently living in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his YouTube channel fe ...
collaboration "
Saturday Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. The day ...
". She currently uploads videos on her YouTube channel about various topics. She has released two independent extended plays, ''RE / BL'' (2017) and ''Rebecca Black Was Here'' (2021).


Early life

Black was born in
Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...
. She is the daughter of John Jeffery Black and Georgina Marquez Kelly, both
veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
s. Her mother is a Mexican emigrant, and her father, originally from
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
,(June 28, 2013)
DRAW MY LIFE – REBECCA BLACK
on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
is of English, Italian, and Polish descent. Black attended private school from kindergarten to 6th grade, and moved to a public school due to bullying. She joined the school's
musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
program, where she felt she was "meant to be". In April 2011, Black dropped out in favor of homeschooling, citing both a need to focus on her career and a desire to avoid taunts from her former classmates. Black has said that she was also failing English class due to her busy schedule.


Career


2010–2011: "Friday"

In late 2010, a classmate of Black and music-video client of Los Angeles record label
ARK Music Factory Ark Music Factory (formerly Ark Music Production) was a musical composition and production company based in Los Angeles, California. The company was co-founded in 2010 by Patrice Wilson, who partnered with producer/composer and multi-instrumental ...
told her about the company. Black's mother paid US$4,000 for ARK Music to produce the music video while the Blacks retained ownership of both the master and the video. The single, "
Friday Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth d ...
", written entirely by ARK, was released on YouTube and
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
. The song's video was uploaded to YouTube on February 10, 2011, and received approximately 1,000 views in the first month. The video went viral on March 11, acquiring millions of views on YouTube in a matter of days, becoming the most discussed topic on
social networking A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
site Twitter, and garnering mostly negative media coverage. The single was released on March 14, with first-week sales estimated to be around 40,000 by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
.'' On March 22, Black appeared on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
,'' during which she performed the song and discussed the negative reaction to it. The song peaked on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the
New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
at numbers 58 and 33, respectively. In the UK, the song debuted at number 61 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. In response to the YouTube video of "Friday", Black began to receive phone and email death threats, which were investigated by the Anaheim Police Department. Black teamed up with
Funny or Die Funny or Die is a comedy video website and film/television production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a reg ...
on
April Fool's Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which ma ...
2011 (when the comedy site was renamed Friday or Die) for a series of videos, including one about the underage teens driving a car in her "Friday" video. She signed to manager Debra Baum's DB Entertainment, reportedly with Ryan Seacrest's help. Black also stated that she is a fan of
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
, and expressed interest in performing a duet with him. MTV selected Black to host its first online awards show, the O Music Awards Fan Army Party, in April 2011. As an homage to "Friday", Black appeared in the music video for
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
's " Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", in which Black plays alongside Perry as the hostess of a party Perry attends. A cover of "Friday" was performed on ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' in the second-season episode, "
Prom Queen A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school ye ...
". When asked about why the song was covered on ''Glee'', show creator Ryan Murphy replied, "The show pays tribute to pop culture and, love it or hate it, that song is pop culture." Not long after the "Friday" video went viral on YouTube, Black and her mother, Georgina Kelly, got into legal issues with ARK Music over rights to the song. In a letter from Kelly's lawyer to ARK Music on March 29, 2011, it was alleged that ARK Music failed to fulfill the terms of their November 2010 agreement by not giving her the song and video's master recordings, by claiming Black as exclusively signed to the label, and by exploiting the song without permission – for example, selling a "Friday"
ringtone A ringtone, ring tone or ring is the sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming call. Originally referring to and made by the electromechanical striking of bells, the term now refers to any sound on any device alerting of a new incoming ...
. While Ark founder (and "Friday" co-writer) Patrice Wilson stated that Kelly "will get the masters and the song .. ey can have it all", and agreed that Black was not exclusive to Ark, his attorney claimed that Ark owns the copyright for the song and the November agreement is invalid. In June 2011, ARK Music Factory started charging to watch the music video on YouTube. Later that month, "Friday" was removed as a result of the legal dispute; it was restored to YouTube on September 16, 2011, on Black's official channel. "Friday" was revealed as YouTube's No. 1 video of 2011, with Black hosting a short video called "YouTube Rewind" in the year-end recap. The video received more than 167 million views and more than 3,190,000 "dislikes" during its first four months, prior to its temporary removal. After the fallout with
ARK Music Factory Ark Music Factory (formerly Ark Music Production) was a musical composition and production company based in Los Angeles, California. The company was co-founded in 2010 by Patrice Wilson, who partnered with producer/composer and multi-instrumental ...
, Black started an
independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...
named RB Records.


2011–2013: Early songs and covers

Black released a self-produced single titled " My Moment" on July 18, 2011, the first on her label, with an accompanying music video published to her YouTube channel the same day. In the video, director Morgan Lawley features real life footage of Black from both before and after the popularization of "Friday". In late October 2011, production began on the music video for Black's third single, "
Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...
". About the song, Black stated "The basis of it is that it's a love song but it's not a ''love'' song. It's about almost teenage crushes – when you're not in love yet but you really like a guy – which I'm really excited about because I don't think there are too many out like that. It's very much a dance type song. It will make you get up and dance and sing along in your car." The single and its accompanying music video were released on November 15, 2011. Black released two more singles in 2012: " Sing It" in May, and "
In Your Words "In Your Words" is a song by American singer Rebecca Black. The single was released on November 23, 2012, and the music video was released the same day. Composition "In Your Words" is an emotional midtempo acoustic guitar-driven country pop so ...
" in November. Black was planning to release her debut album in late 2011, which she said would include "a bunch of different kinds of stuff." The album was being recorded at a studio belonging to music producer Charlton Pettus. However, the album was never released. Black was featured in an
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
''Primetime Nightline: Celebrity Secrets'' special entitled ''Underage and Famous: Inside Child Stars' Lives''. In 2012, Black signed onto the
Maker Studios Maker(s) or The Maker(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''The Maker'' (film), a 1997 American drama film *'' Makers: Women Who Make America'', a 2013 American TV documentary, a 2014 TV series, and related media * Maker Studios, now part of ...
YouTube network. She was also brought to Australia by
Telstra Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets voice, mobile, internet access, pay television and other products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 ...
to promote the launch of their 4G service. Zeitgeist, which sorted billions of Google searches to capture the year's 10 fastest-rising global queries, listed Black as "#1 Most Searched – Google". The searches for the teen singer topped even those of pop icons
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
and
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...
. In late 2013, Black released the song "
Saturday Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. The day ...
". For her sequel to "Friday", she collaborated with
Dave Days David Joseph Colditz (born August 13, 1991), commonly known as Dave Days, is a musician, entertainer and YouTube personality from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, currently living in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his YouTube channel fe ...
. It became Black's second song to chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 55. While it reached a higher position than "Friday" (number 58), "Saturday" was on the chart only one week, compared to six for "Friday". Aside from her original music, Black has been posting videos regularly on her YouTube channel, which include blogs (sometimes with other people on YouTube), question-and-answer videos, and occasional covers of songs by other artists. This includes her versions of two
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
songs from 2013. That July, Black collaborated with fellow YouTube personality Jon D in an acoustic cover of "
We Can't Stop "We Can't Stop" is a song by American singer Miley Cyrus, from her fourth studio album ''Bangerz'' (2013). It was released on June 3, 2013, by RCA Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written and produced by Mike Will Made ...
", for which lyrical changes were made. Black followed with an acoustic version of "
Wrecking Ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball. An e ...
" in November. At
VidCon VidCon is an annual convention for fans, creators, executives, and online brands. The event primarily features prominent video stars from across the internet. In October 2020, VidCon Now relaunched as an ongoing, free digital offering. Vetera ...
2015, Black revealed that she had been working on an album which she hoped to release by the end of 2015. According to her, the album would not be anything like her previous songs. She had been working on the album since releasing her song ''Friday''; however, but it took her a while to be free from ARK Music Factory and find producers with whom she was comfortable. However, no album or new original songs were released. Towards the end of 2015, Black performed a cover of "
Wild Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wild animal * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...
" by
Troye Sivan Troye Sivan Mellet ( ; born 5 June 1995) is an Australian singer-songwriter, actor and YouTuber. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan signed with EMI Australia in 2013 and released his thi ...
. Black created a web video in January 2016 on
Go90 go90 was an American Internet television service and mobile app owned and operated by Verizon Communications. The service was positioned as a mobile-oriented "social entertainment platform" targeted primarily towards millennials, featuring a m ...
called "Life After Friday". In the show, Black graduates from high school, tells her parents she is not going to college and follows her adventures after moving to Los Angeles.


2016–2020: ''RE / BL''

On August 26, 2016, Black released a new single titled "The Great Divide", her first release of new material in almost three years. This single was the last of her songs to make the charts, which was achieved at No. 23 under the "
US Dance Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
" category. Black came out with two more singles in the following year, which included "Foolish" on April 21, 2017, and "Heart Full of Scars" on September 1, 2017. She then released an EP on September 15, 2017, titled ''RE / BL'', which included these two songs as well as "The Great Divide". In June 2018, she appeared on BBC Radio 5 talking about
cyberbullying Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital ...
, the adverse effects online attacks had on her and how cruel comments "stick with you forever". Black released the final single from ''RE / BL'', titled "Satellite", on June 4, 2018. On June 7, 2018, Black appeared as a contestant in
season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also

* {{disambig ...
of the reality television musical competition series '' The Four: Battle for Stardom'', broadcast on
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
. The series is hosted by Fergie and judged by
Sean Combs Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...
,
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
and
DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper. Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station WEDR, 99 Ja ...
. Black sang "
Bye Bye Bye "Bye Bye Bye" is a song by the American boy band NSYNC. It was released on January 17, 2000, as the lead single from their third studio album ''No Strings Attached (NSYNC album), No Strings Attached''. The song was written and produced by Kristi ...
" from
NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
for her audition, and received the go-ahead for the next round with "three blue rings" from all three judges. In the next round, she picked contestant James Graham from the boy band
Stereo Kicks Stereo Kicks were an English-Irish boy band who were formed and finished fifth place on the eleventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2014. Stereo Kicks consisted of; James Graham, Jake Sims, Chris Leonard, Charlie Jones, Casey Johnson, Barclay ...
as her opponent. Graham performed "
A Song for You "A Song for You" is a song written and originally recorded by rock singer and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album '' Leon Russell'', which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understandin ...
", followed by Black singing
Ednaswap Ednaswap was an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, that existed between 1993 and 1998. Over a span of five years, the band released four major label records on East West, Elektra Records and Island Records. The band is best know ...
's " Torn". The audience voted on the two performances, preferring to save Graham, with Black being eliminated from the show. After her appearance, she tweeted: "I am just blown away reading your comments and seeing so much support online,” she wrote. “Sending all of my love right back to you. Thank you for hearing me, for seeing me. This is just the beginning. Also I don't think I'm gonna sleep at all tonight I'm way too excited." On National French Fry Day 2018, YouTube personality
Miranda Sings Miranda may refer to: Law * ''Miranda v. Arizona'', an American legal case * ''Miranda'' warning, an American police warning given to suspects about their rights, before they are interrogated Places Australia * Miranda, New South Wales * Mirand ...
, in collaboration with Dunkin' Donuts, released an adapted version of "Friday" titled "Donut Fry Day featuring Rebecca Black", as part of the Donut Fries marketing strategy. Black continued to release singles throughout 2019 and 2020 with the singles "Anyway", "Do You?", "Sweetheart" and "Self Sabotage". In September 2020, Black featured on the
Dorian Electra Dorian Electra Fridkin Gomberg (born 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and performance artist. Their debut studio album, ''Flamboyant'', was released in 2019, followed by their second studio album, ''My Agenda,'' in 2020. Electra is know ...
track "Edgelord".


2021–present: ''Rebecca Black Was Here'' and ''Let Her Burn''

On January 29, 2021, Black released the song "Girlfriend". Shortly after, on February 10, 2021, she released a
hyperpop Hyperpop is a loosely-defined music movement and microgenre that predominantly originated in the United Kingdom during the early-to-mid 2010s. It is characterized by a maximalist or exaggerated take on popular music, and artists within the genr ...
remix of "Friday" produced by
Dylan Brady Dylan Marshall Brady (born November 27, 1993) is an American music producer and singer-songwriter best known for being one half of experimental electronic music duo 100 Gecs, alongside Laura Les. He also owns and operates his own record label, ...
of 100 Gecs and featuring 3OH!3,
Big Freedia Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by his stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper and performer known for his work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popu ...
and
Dorian Electra Dorian Electra Fridkin Gomberg (born 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and performance artist. Their debut studio album, ''Flamboyant'', was released in 2019, followed by their second studio album, ''My Agenda,'' in 2020. Electra is know ...
to commemorate the song's tenth anniversary. After releasing the singles "Personal" and "Worth It for the Feeling", Black announced her second EP, ''Rebecca Black Was Here'', which was released on June 16, 2021. On November 10, 2022, Black announced her first full-length album, ''
Let Her Burn ''Let Her Burn'' is the debut studio album by American singer/songwriter Rebecca Black, self-released on February 9, 2023. Although Black had become known over a decade earlier through her 2011 viral video single, "Friday", and had since released ...
'', which will be released sometime in early 2023.


Personal life

On April 3, 2020, Black came out as
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
during an episode of the ''Dating Straight''
podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
.


Discography


Studio albums


Extended plays


Selected singles


Music videos


Filmography


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Black, Rebecca 1997 births Living people 21st-century American women singers American child singers American dance musicians American women pop singers American musicians of Mexican descent American people of English descent American people of Italian descent American people of Polish descent American YouTubers American female YouTubers Hispanic and Latino American musicians ARK Music Factory Child pop musicians Musicians from Orange County, California People from Irvine, California RPM people Singers from California Victims of cyberbullying YouTube channels launched in 2005 American LGBT musicians LGBT singers from the United States LGBT people from California LGBT YouTubers Queer musicians Queer women 21st-century American singers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people