Rebecca Black's 'SALVATION' isn't saving anyone.
The hyper pop starlet's new EP is more inspired than inspiring.
Following a decade of undeserved media scrutiny for her iconic debut single, “Friday” (2011), American singer-songwriter, Internet veteran, and DJ Rebecca Black hit a new stride when she released her wonderful debut album, Let Her Burn, in February 2023. The record ushered in a new era for Black as an indie darling on the underground pop music scene, and after teasing new music throughout 2024, she put out her third EP, SALVATION, this past February.
SALVATION consists of seven electro pop and dance tracks that comment on the idolization of female pop stars, who are expected to walk a thin line between constant reinvention while not straying too far from the mold assigned to them either by their label or based on their age and keeping a squeaky clean, family-friendly image while also objectifying themselves as much as possible as to appeal to the male gaze. These standards are almost always impossible to meet and are designed to set said female pop stars up to fail, leaving them at the mercy of the usually ruthless and unhinged general public. Notable examples from the past twenty years include Britney Spears in the 2000s, Miley Cyrus in the 2010s, and now Sabrina Carpenter in the 2020s.
On SALVATION, Rebecca Black — having been a victim of vicious public scrutiny since she was just 13 years old — rejects these unrealistic expectations, embracing imperfection and the joy of creating music for the pleasure of oneself and/or community as opposed to a mainstream audience or society at large. These sentiments are primarily explored by the triumphant title track — a bouncy electro pop anthem about accepting one’s Queerness in spite of religious doctrine — and the seductive “American Doll”, which directly addresses the plight of female pop stars and public figures in general with an air of satire.
Now, while this is a solid concept and a poignant subject to touch on, SALVATION (as a whole) suffers from weak lyricism and lackluster production. This is especially true for “TRUST!” — a rather unoriginal EDM dud that tries way too hard to be fiercer than it actually is — as well as the aforementioned title track and “American Doll”, whose otherwise noble messages fall flat among overdone lyrical clichés and boring techno pop production that sounds like a half-baked attempt at reheating American singer-songwriter and indie pop tastemaker Slayyyter’s nachos, specifically the sound of her most recent project, STARFUCKER (2023).
Perhaps the most frustrating song on the EP, though, is “Twist the Knife” — an epic electro pop odyssey with all the marks of a great pop song from rolling synths to thrilling melodies that would be a standout track if the verses didn’t sound exactly like those of German singer-songwriter and neo pop princess Kim Petras’ “King of Hearts” (2023). Whether or not this was intentional is unclear — I personally don’t think that Rebecca Black set out to “copy” Kim Petras — but coincidence or not, it damages the song’s credibility in addition to weakening it’s ability to stand on its own because one can’t help but think of “King of Hearts” when listening to it.
Thankfully, there are a handful of tracks that stand out for much more positive reasons like the super fun and slightly bratty “Sugar Water Cyanide” — a bubblegum bop that describes being addicted to a person, the emotional “Tears In My Pocket” — an avant pop number about supporting a partner through vulnerable moments, and the haunting “Do You Even Think About Me?” — a super cool synth pop banger that sees a heartbroken Black wondering if an ex partner is hurting as much as she is in the aftermath of their break-up. All three tracks demonstrate the thoughtful pop point-of-view that made Let Her Burn so remarkable and that I felt was notably absent from this project.
Rebecca Black has been put through the wringer, and my intention is not to contribute to the culture of being unnecessarily cruel to her, however, I do not believe that this EP is the best showcase of her creative capabilities nor do I feel that it’s a worthy follow-up to Let Her Burn. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that it’s a bit of a downgrade despite redeeming tracks like “Sugar Water Cyanide” or “Do You Even Think About Me?”. My hope is that whatever she puts out next will be better because I know she can do better, but until then, SALVATION is available now across all online and streaming platforms!
Watch the music video for “Salvation”: