Rebecca Black is Music’s ‘Salvation’

With guns blazing, Rebecca Black tears down haters and raises the roof on the energetic, never-dull, “Salvation.” 

Musician and ex-internet star Rebecca Black released her fourth EP “Salvation” Feb. 28. Originally slated for release Jan. 17, the album was delayed a week for extra time to work on the project, and then a month due to the Los Angeles fires.

Best known — and overwhelmingly criticized — for her 2010 song “Friday,” released when she was just 13, Black made the sonic shift toward increasingly experimental genres in 2020. Since then, she’s gained immense support from online communities and critics alike.

On “Salvation,” Black continues the hyperpop and dance-pop aesthetics of her recent projects, with a focus on creative liberation and being true to herself.

The title track, a fierce statement against religious bigotry, christens the EP and is underscored by a driving dance beat topped with a gradient of synths. 

Black rejects the notion she needs religion to save her from being queer, instead exclaiming any guidance she would need comes from herself. 

“I’ll stay hot and you stay judgy,” Black retorts. “You think I’m on fire, but the fire feels like paradise.” 

The verses of “TRUST!” feature braggadocious quips from Black, reminiscent of the outro of Beyoncé’s “Heated.” A cocky guitar riff, various beats of different BPMs and whip cracks add to the already conceited track.

There are so many manipulated and varied versions of Black’s voice on “Sugar Water Cyanide” it’s hard to believe they all came from the same person. An ensemble of high-pitched, shrieking voices sing the nonsensical chorus, while a single, more ethereal voice reverbs in ghostly bliss on the verses. A blunt, knocking beat provides a rigid background for the similarly ever-changing melody.

“‘Sugar Water Cyanide’ is like if my drug of choice were a person,” Black said in an interview with Dork. “I wanted to make THAT song you could only really hear on 100% volume in your car or busting through the bass in the club.”

“American Doll” begins with blossoming drums, transitioning to a transcendent pre-chorus before descending into a scrapyard of metallic and dissonant sounds. Robotic and repetitive vocals populate the outro before the song abruptly ends.

Compared to other songs on the EP, “Tears In My Pocket” is a mellower track, but it’s by no means tame. At the beginning of the chorus, the music vacates, leaving Black’s voice on full display before the electronic instrumentation gradually accompanies her voice once again. The song ends with a breakdown of the beat, dicing up Black’s vocals and reworking them back into the drums.

“Do You Even Think About Me?” features ghostly vocals on the chorus, underscored by punchy fast-paced drums. On the bridge, Black’s incessant shouts are muffled by a wall of pulsating beats that crescendo in mechanical screeches. The wall of sound is broken by a triumphant wail from Black before the frantic beat returns. 

The song’s lyrics examine the emotional toll inflicted by the barrage of hateful criticism launched at Black during her youth, matching the liberating nature of the instrumentation.

“But we etch the words in our own minds / And they hurt less, but got worse with time,” Black sings.

The theatrical dance track “Twist The Knife” begins with orchestral violins that erupt into a dance-worthy, synth-heavy beat. Maintaining the vibe of the EP, Black reasserts her autonomy by living on her own terms.

Each song on “Salvation” is its own sonic evolution, ending with drastically different sounds and aesthetics than it began with. While the EP is an amalgamation of various strains of electronic music, the instrumentals seemingly never sound muddied or sonically confused. 

Paired with a clear theme about living with a self-deterministic attitude, “Salvation” is sophisticated enough to reflect deeply upon, but catchy enough to draw one onto the dance floor.

“Salvation” is available to stream on all major platforms.