LOS ANGELES – Rebecca Black is making headlines for all the wrong reasons with her "Friday" music video, which she released via YouTube.
Black, a 13-year-old singer from Orange County, Calif., has been widely criticized for her song-making ability, causing her "Black" video to go viral as fans flock to judge for themselves.
Rolling Stone and Billboard are among the music outlets who have bashed Black's debut, with Rolling Stone calling the single an "unintentional parody of modern pop." Gawker.com, meanwhile, dubbed it the "worst music video ever."
"Black's voice is totally bizarre," says Rolling Stone writer Matthew Perpetua. "It's not just the processing on her vocals – she has a peculiar tonality that inadvertently highlights the absurdity of boilerplate pop lyrics that may not seem as ridiculous if, say, Katy Perry was singing instead. When she sings the "Friday, Friday" hook or the "fun fun fun fun" refrain, she sounds unlike anything else in pop music. Perhaps the closest comparison is Laraine Newman in Saturday Night Live's Coneheads sketches – pinched and stilted, like an alien attempting to pass an average American girl. Obviously, this isn't the most pleasant sound in the world, but Black comes out sounding like a distinct singer with an alluring sort of anti-charisma."
Black's song is the product of Ark Music Factory, an independent record label based in Los Angeles.
Watch Rebecca Black's "Friday" music video below:
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