By now you’ve heard the madness. The never-ending, catchy but gross song called “Friday” by newcomer Rebecca Black. I’m not even sure why I called it a song; it’s actually an embarrassment to pop music in my humble opinion. However, before I begin my tirade I will confess a few things:
First of all, I like the concept. It’s no mystery that tweens and teens love Fridays — we adults do, too. There’s a reason the phrase “TGIF” exists. The weekend is a time to kick back and have some fun, which is what “Friday” talks about. Kids Black’s age (13) go to skating parties, laser tag and bowling, but the general idea remains the same; enjoying oneself on Friday night because you don’t have to wake up early the next morning.
Second of all, it’s relatively catchy and the beat is decent. The two biggest problems are Black’s voice and the atrocious lyrics. Some referred to Rebecca Black as the next Justin Bieber — that’s almost an insult to him. Bieber can sing and dance (he’s no Usher but he’s decent). Bieber also has guitar and drum skills, along with other instruments. Bieber has genuine talent. You could look at him as a seven-year-old kid strumming his guitar and say to yourself — “wow, this kid has a gift. We need to share it with the world.”
Whoever told Rebecca Black and her parents she had talent must have been on something funny. Her voice is nasally and she can’t work the camera or a crowd to save her life. ARK Music Factory, the record label responsible for all of this, apparently doesn’t require much of their young stars. A pretty face, $2,000 and you’re ready to become a pop star!
Not only does Rebecca Black lack talent, but the ignoramus who wrote her lyrics should be back-handed…hard. Apparently his name is Patrice Wilson — the rapper who came out of nowhere at the end of Black’s video. He founded ARK Music Factory as well. “Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday / Today it is Friday, Friday.” Seriously? Wilson couldn’t think of anything better to say than that? He claims pop songs are meant to say things in a simple way and he wanted “Friday” to be kind of sweet.
Pop songs don’t tell stories in a simple way, they tell them in a censored and tame way. It’s music that your 12-year-old daughter should be able to listen to without thinking she’s grown. “Friday” pretty much accomplishes that, at the expense of kids’ valuable brain cells. The video’s views on YouTube are climbing, giving Black and her family a hefty sum off of advertisements. I guess for them, “Friday” isn’t all that bad — at least the money is music to their ears.
The LG Blog 