Rolling Stone has Rebecca Black’s back
Rebecca Black’s much maligned debut single has found an unlikely supporter in the form of Rolling Stone magazine.
The 13-year-old diva has become a pop culture phenomenon over the past couple of days, racking up over 7.5 million views of her song on YouTube and out-trending the likes of Gaga and Britney on Twitter.
Most of the coverage has been decidedly unpleasant, with critics declaring it the worst song ever recorded due to dubious lyrics like “gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal” and Bec’s distinct lack of vocal ability but we were kinder – praising the “addictive chorus” – and Rolling Stone agrees.
The music bible singled out Rebecca’s unusual voice, declaring “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.”
“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.”
Rolling Stone also points out that the 13-year-old shines a light on the formulaic nature of teen pop circa 2011, “from the sing-song melodies on down to a guest spot from an anonymous rapper who’s only tangentially related to the rest of the song”.
Can someone just hand Rebecca the Grammy for Best New Artist already?
Watch her (now) critically acclaimed masterpiece below and read the full Rolling Stone article here.
