February 10, 2011, was a day that went down in Internet history as the day the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black was released to the public. Almost instantly, this song and its singer became laughingstocks due to a poorly produced music video, amateur lyrics, and a high-pitched, auto-tuned voice.
The backlash of negative comments, record-breaking amounts of dislikes, and an overwhelming cry of public criticism seemed enough to ruin the career of 14-year-old Black, who even dropped out of school the same year due to the amount of bullying she had received.
At that point it seemed like Black’s 15 minutes of fame had run its course, and she’d only be remembered as the singer of the worst song ever written. Fortunately for the music industry, Black wasn't about to give up so easily.
On Friday, September 3, Black released a new song titled “The Great Divide.” A special message proceeds the music video where a now 19-year-old Black faces the camera and while holding back tears exclaims: “It took me long enough, but I am so excited to finally share this music video with you guys. I have spent so long trying to perfect this and make it absolutely amazing. I just wanted to prove everyone wrong, but at the same time, I have that within myself. I don’t need that anymore.”
Although not the most elegant speechmaker, Black’s song is surprisingly good. A definite step up from the childishness of “Friday,” her new song starts in an abandoned warehouse filled with colorful fog as Black sings: “Wash my hands / turn my back / I don't need the memories we had/ I'm leaving you behind.” Her voice has matured beautifully and any old auto-tune residue has washed away. “The Great Divide” is not the most original song ever written, nor the best, but it is certainly something you would expect to hear on the radio.
So if this song is so good, why hasn’t Black exploded back into the public’s good graces?
Perhaps because this isn’t Black’s first comeback song. In the same year as “Friday,” Black released the song “My Moment,” which got little to no recognition. In 2013 the song “Saturday,” which reached number 55 on the top 100 chart, was the sequel to her first song. The song tried to show how Black had moved on, and it even poked fun at the singer with the lyrics, “2 pm getting out of my bed, trying to get Friday out of my head”.
All of these new songs will never help Black because does no matter what she produces, she will always be remembered for her humiliating first song. Every other song, no matter how good, will never release her from that $4,000 contract called “Friday.”
It appears that Rebecca Black might be doomed to be living in an eternal weekend because the career she really wants is on the other side of a great divide.
