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Friday (Rebecca Black song)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Stoopkitty (talk | contribs) at 23:41, 29 March 2011 (Deleted sentence about the takedown of the video being due to the takedown of the channel, this is just plain wrong. it was cited, but with a link to the dead video page. sorry, the reason is still unknown as to why it was removed). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Friday"
Song

"Friday" is a song written by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson, and performed by Rebecca Black, a 13-year-old American singer. It was released as a single on March 14, 2011.[1] "Friday" was produced by the ARK Music Factory, a company owned by Jey and Wilson.[2]

The music video for the song became a viral hit, mostly due to negative reaction towards the lyrics, visuals and use of Auto-Tune to Black's singing,[3][4] starting on Friday, March 11, 2011, when the video's view count on YouTube jumped from around 3,000 views to 18 million a week later.[5] As of March 29, 2011, the view count was over 64 million and the video had over 1 million comments.[6] The catalyst for the sudden surge was attributed to a Tosh.0 blog post titled "Songwriting Isn't for Everyone", posted on March 11.[7] Since the growth in popularity of the song and video, there have been numerous parody videos and remixes.[8][9] Forbes stated that the notoriety of the song is another sign of the power of social media – specifically Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, in this instance – in the ability to create "overnight sensations."[10][11] Despite the scathing reviews, celebrities such as Chris Brown and Simon Cowell have supported Black. [citation needed]

Background, writing, and recording

Thirteen-year-old Black, from Anaheim Hills, California, grew up as a fan of singers popular among tweens, such as Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber. An honor student, she has studied dance, auditioned for school shows, and attended music summer camps. She began singing publicly in 2008 after joining the patriotic group Celebration USA.[12][13]

In late 2010, a classmate of Black and music-video client of Ark Music Factory, a Los Angeles vanity record label, told her about the company.[12][14] Black's mother, Georgina Kelly, paid Ark Music $2,000 for a package that included a choice of two pre-written songs; according to Kelly, the payment covered one half or less of the production costs of the music video, and Black's family could have paid nothing in exchange for giving up all rights to the song.[12] Black chose "Friday", as "the other song was about adult love – I haven't experienced that yet. 'Friday' is about hanging out with friends, having fun. I felt like it was my personality in that song." Ark Music handled the song's recording, which used the pitch-correcting software Auto-Tune. Although Kelly had some doubts over the quality of the lyrics, Black assured her that "I sang it as they wrote it, Mom."[14]

Style

In a review for Rolling Stone, writer Matthew Perpetua described the vocals as having "a peculiar tonality that inadvertently highlights the absurdity of boilerplate pop lyrics," adding that the tone in the refrain "sounds unlike anything else in pop music." He noted the sound as being not entirely agreeable to listen to, but states that Black ultimately ends up "sounding like a distinct singer with an alluring sort of anti-charisma."[11]

Music video

The concept for the music video is based on the lyrics and presented as a typical Friday for Black.[15] She wakes up and goes to school, meeting her friends on the way. In the evening, after debating whether to sit in the front or back of a convertible, Black and her friends (Benni Cinkle[16] and another girl) ride the car to a party.[17] "Friday" co-writer Patrice Wilson appears near the end of the song to deliver a short rap.[18]

The video was shot in January 2011 at Black's father's house with friends and family as extras, and requiring multiple takes over 12 hours. Ark Music, according to Black's parents, cautioned them and her that they should not expect her to become famous. Black hoped that her friends and family would enjoy watching the video on YouTube and that it would perhaps help her to later begin a singing career. The video received 4,000 views, enough to please Black, before the Tosh.0 blog post drew attention to it.[12]

On March 29, 2011 the official music video was removed from YouTube for unspecified reasons. The channel where the official video could be found has since been closed by its owner.

Reception

Reviews

The song has received almost universally negative reviews, with some considering it to be the "worst song ever."[19] The co-writer and producer of "Friday", Clarence Jey said about the song that "the concept we feel seems to have crossed a lot of boundaries, for the better or worse."[14] Observers have called it "bizarre," "inept," and "hilariously dreadful."[3][20][21] The song and singer were "savaged" on social networks across the Internet,[22] while being seen as a "YouTube laughing stock."[9]

Kevin Rutherford, a columnist for Billboard magazine, wrote, "Black's video for 'Friday' is one of those rare occurrences where even the most seasoned critics of Internet culture don't know where to begin. From the singing straight out of Auto-Tuned hell to lyrics such as 'Tomorrow is Saturday / And Sunday comes afterwards / I don't want this weekend to end' and a hilariously bad rap about passing school buses, 'Friday' is something that simply must be seen and heard to be fully appreciated."[23] Many other reviewers also singled out the lyrics in particular for criticism,[24][25] which were described as "overly simple and repetitive" by TNT Magazine.[26] Jim Edwards of BNET and Doug Gross of CNN both noted that the rap break from the considerably older rapper was "creepy."[27][28]

Despite the overwhelmingly negative reviews, some reviewers had positive things to say about the song and video. Entertainment Weekly writer Joseph Lynch noted that there was "something sickeningly catchy about this tune that keeps you coming back for more."[20] Rolling Stone's Perpetua stated, "When you see this video, you immediately notice everything that it does 'wrong', but it actually gets a lot of things about pop music right, if just by accident."[11] OK! Magazine also noted that "some are calling the 13-year-old signed singer the next Justin Bieber."[29] After watching the video, pop star Chris Brown said: "Honest opinion? It was great. I'll be jammin' to it on Friday, Friday."[30][31]

Simon Cowell praised Black, saying "I love her [and] the fact that she's gotten so much publicity. People are so upset about the song, but I think it's hysterical...Anyone who can create this much controversy within a week, I want to meet. I love people like that."[32] He observed that "any song to do with the weekend annoys you. It reminds me of 'Saturday Night'...It’s what we call a 'hair-dryer song,' a song girls sing into their hair dryers as they’re getting ready to go out. But the fact that it’s making people so angry is brilliant.”[33] Cowell advised Black not to "listen to anyone over the age of 18. I'm being deadly serious. Whatever she's done has worked. Whether you like her or not, she's the most talked-about artist in America right now. Nobody over the age of 18 should understand her or like her. So she should just do it her way."[34]

Response

After reading the harsh reviews of "Friday", Black said that "those hurtful comments really shocked me." Ark Music offered to take the video down from YouTube, but Black refused the offer, saying that she did not wish "to give the haters the satisfaction that they got me so bad I gave up."[35]

In response to criticism over the song's significant use of Auto-Tune, Black performed an acoustic version during an interview with ABC News.[36] Later in the interview Black's mother, Kelly, stated that she was "angry and upset" after Black was brought to tears by comments such as "I hope you go cut [yourself] and die" and "'I hope you cut yourself, and I hope you'll get an eating disorder so you'll look pretty."[37][38] Black said, however, that she soon was able to ignore such comments,[39] and asked Justin Bieber, her idol, to perform a duet with her.[40] Although Bieber has not released an official announcement regarding the offer, he posted on Twitter "sunday comes after saturday? weird."[41]

Rolling Stone's Perpetua again praised Black after the interview, stating that "she is actually a pretty decent singer... she is a total sweetheart... [and] Black comes off as a well-adjusted, happy and grateful kid."[42] He also pointed out Black's intention to donate part of the profits from the song to school arts programs and relief efforts in Japan following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[42]

Commercial performance

As of 21 March 2011, the "Friday" music video has been viewed more than 30 million times on YouTube.[43] Forbes originally estimated that as of that date, Black and Ark Music had received "easily" more than $1 million from iTunes Store sales, and $20,000 more from YouTube's revenue-sharing program.[44] However, the iTunes Store sales estimate was shown to be incorrect, with Billboard estimating sales of approximately 43,000 copies, roughly equivalent to $26,700 in royalties.[45] "Friday" debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 33 on March 21, 2011.[46] With first-week sales of 37,000 copies in the US, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 72.[47] "Friday" received its first UK radio airplay on March 15 on Nerve Radio.[48] The song has also recieved airplay in Sweden.[49]

Charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Digital Track Chart[50] 40
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[51] 88
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[46] 33
UK (The Official Charts Company)[52] 61
UK (UK Indie Chart)[53] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[47] 72
US Billboard Heatseekers Songs[54] 2

References

  1. ^ "Friday - Single by Rebecca Black". iTunes Store. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  2. ^ Williams, Mary Elizabeth (2011-3-14). "What's behind the "worst music video ever"?". Salon.com. Retrieved 2011-03-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Rebecca Black's 'Friday' Becomes Internet Sensation (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. 2011-3-14. Retrieved 2011-03-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Sloame, Joanne. Rebecca Black 'Friday' YouTube viral video pales in comparison to Justin Bieber hits. New York Daily News. March 15, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  5. ^ "Rebecca Black adds Official Twitter with help from Ryan Seacrest". OK Magazine. 2011-3-19. Retrieved 2011-03-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". YouTube. February 10, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  7. ^ Shultz, Cara Lynn. Singer Rebecca Black Takes Back the Internet from Charlie Sheen. People. March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  8. ^ Gallo, Lee-Maree (2011-3-15). "Who is Rebecca Black? And is she really bigger than Japan?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2011-03-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b Parry, Chris. Rebecca Black's Black Friday: Vanity music project makes teen a YouTube laughing stock. Vancouver Sun. March 15, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  10. ^ Pasetsky, Mark. Rebecca Black: Why is She Trending on Twitter?. Forbes. March 14, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c Perpetua, Matthew. Why Rebecca Black's Much-Mocked Viral Hit 'Friday' Is Actually Good. Rolling Stone. March 15, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d Larsen, Peter (2011-03-17). "O.C.'s Rebecca Black talks about 'Friday'". Orange County Register. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  13. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42141670/ns/local_news-orange_county_ca/
  14. ^ a b c Lee, Chris (17 March 2011). "Rebecca Black: 'I'm Being Cyberbullied'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  15. ^ Smith, Russell (16 March 2011). "How to be an instant Internet superstar – for a fee". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  16. ^ Cohen, Cokey (24 March 2011). "Better than Rebecca Black". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  17. ^ "Teen girl's pop video mercilessly dissected by Internet masses". Reuters. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  18. ^ Hawks, Asa (17 March 2011). "Who is the rapper in the Rebecca Black "Friday" video? Meet 'Pato' Patrice Wilson". starcasm.net. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  19. ^ Parker, Lyndsey (2011-3-14). "Is YouTube Sensation Rebecca Black's "Friday" The Worst Song Ever?". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved 2011-03-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ a b Lynch, Joseph Brannigan (2011-3-14). "Rebecca Black's 'Friday': The Internet's latest bizarre music video obsession". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2011-03-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  21. ^ Gibson, Megan (2011-3-14). "Rebecca Black's Bizarrely Bad Video for 'Friday': Is This For Real?". Time. Retrieved 2011-03-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Lee, Ann. Rebecca Black savaged on Twitter over YouTube hit video Friday. Metro. March 15, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  23. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (2011-03-14). "Rebecca Black's 'Friday' a Viral Sensation for All the Wrong Reasons". Billboard.com. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  24. ^ Ribeiro, Ricky (16 March 2011). "Rebecca Black and the Art of Being Bad". b2cmarketinginsider.com. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  25. ^ "Rebecca Black: So Bad It's a Viral Hit; Rebecca Black's "Friday"". b2cmarketinginsider.com. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  26. ^ "Rebecca Black: 'worst song' Friday tops Japan earthquake + VIDEO". TNT. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  27. ^ Edwards, Jim (16 March 2011). "Worst Video Ever? How Rebecca Black's "Friday" Explains the Future of Pop Music". Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  28. ^ Gross, Doug (16 March 2011). "Rebecca Black's 'Friday' goes viral for all the wrong reasons". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  29. ^ Talarico, Brittany (16 March 2011). "Rebecca Black's "Friday": Best YouTube Cover Videos (And No, Bob Dylan Didn't Write It)". okmagazine.com. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  30. ^ "Watch Chris Brown Watch the Rebecca Black 'Friday' Music Video". New York Media. 17 March 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  31. ^ Oldenburg, Ann (18 March 2011). "Chris Brown explains nude photo, weighs in on Rebecca Black". USA Today. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  32. ^ Shira, Dahvi (18 March 2011). "Rebecca Black's Biggest Fan – Simon Cowell!". People. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  33. ^ Karger, Dave (2011-03-18). "Simon Cowell scoop: The 'X Factor' star talks L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul...and Rebecca Black". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  34. ^ Adalian, Josef (2011-03-25). "Simon Cowell on The X Factor and the Only Contestant He Knows From This Season's Idol". New York. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  35. ^ Lee, Ann (18 March 2011). "Rebecca Black lashes out at Friday 'haters' and refuses to quit as singer". Metro. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  36. ^ Rebecca Black Sings 'Friday' Acoustic on YouTube
  37. ^ "'I cried over all the nasty comments': How did an innocent wannabe like Rebecca Black become America's most reviled teenager?". Daily Mail. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  38. ^ Schwartz, Alison (2011-03-18). "CNN.com". CNN.com. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  39. ^ Serpe, Gina (18 March 2011). "Rebecca Black Defends "Friday" Lameness, Drags Justin Bieber Into It". eonline.com. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  40. ^ Carbone, Nick (18 March 2011). "It's Friiiiday: Let the Rebecca Black Media Blitz Begin". TIME. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  41. ^ Moses, Asher (21 March 2011). "'Cut and die': the web loves to hate Rebecca Black". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  42. ^ a b Perpetua, Matthew (18 March 2011). "What You Need to Know About Teen Viral Phenom Rebecca Black". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
  43. ^ Roberts, Soraya (2011-3-22). "Rebecca Black 'Friday' music video and song could earn her hundreds of thousands of dollars". NYDailyNews. Retrieved 2011-03-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  44. ^ Barth, Chris (2011-03-21). "Mock Rebecca Black All You Want, She's Laughing To The Bank". Forbes. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  45. ^ Peoples, Glenn (March 22, 2011). "Rebecca Black's First-Week Sales: Not Bad, But Not In The Millions ..." Billboard. Nashville: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  46. ^ a b "Rebecca Black – Friday". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  47. ^ a b Trust, Gary (2011-03-23). "Lady Gaga, 'Glee' Songs Dominate Hot 100". Billboard. New York: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  48. ^ "The Road Home with Harry and Liam". Nerve* Radio. Nerve* Media. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  49. ^ "Songlist Swedish P3". P3 Sverige. P3 Sverige. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
  50. ^ "Top 40 Digital Track Chart - Australian Recording Industry Association". ARIA. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  51. ^ "Canadian Hot 100 | Billboard.com". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  52. ^ "Official UK Singles Top 100 – 2nd April 2011". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  53. ^ UK Top 30 Indie Singles Chart. BBC.
  54. ^ "Friday on Heatseekers". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011-03-23. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
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