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If there’s one person who could give us all a lesson in believing in yourself and pushing forward, it’s Rebecca Black. More than a decade ago, the 27-year-old singer/songwriter achieved viral fame for releasing her single “Friday,” but with it came intense public scrutiny and bullying. Despite it all, Black continued to persevere and perform throughout the years and just released her fourth EP, Salvation.
“I just really care about making something that feels like it is adding to a movement that is forward,” Rebecca Black told Rolling Stone about the release. “I think pop is at its best when it looks itself in the eye and challenges itself, and I am always interested in being a part of that. That’s really what the ethos of this project Salvation I’m about to drop is about,” she continued. “It’s like taking the risk on yourself because you believe in it, rather than counting on whether other people will understand it or not.”
With this new project comes a world tour for Black, who is expected to visit countless cities across the country and Europe — but not before she makes a pit stop in Miami, Florida, with the help of Bombay Sapphire.
The “Sugar, Water, Cyanide” singer is teaming up with the best-selling gin brand (that also happens to be one of our favorites) to put on a DJ set in Miami this Thursday. The performance will feature Black playing top 40 tracks, as well as remixing the 2011 release, “Friday” with Charli XCX’s “360.” Bombay, known for their light, floral notes, and Black, known for her carefree, campy presence, seems like a match made in club classic heaven.
“It represents a stage in my life where I’m at now, and it represents the energy that I’ve put forth with everything I’m trying to do — from the way I approach my DJ career to the way I approach my music,” she said of the iconic partnership. It’s all about freedom, and lightness, and fucking freshness — it’s the way I go out and the way I relax and have a fun time with my friends,” she said.
This collab is in celebration of the alcohol brand’s “Tastes Like It’s Friday” campaign, which centers around that feel-good rush you get when you can finally log offline and start living authentically. Something that Black knows all too well. But besides a Sparkling Lemon Cocktail made with the fan-favorite gin, you need a couple of other things to become the best version of yourself. And with the help of Rebecca Black, you can find out what they are below.
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In her latest creative venture, Rebecca Black has officially partnered with Bombay Sapphire to host a two-hour DJ set in Miami on Thursday, February 27, in support of the brand’s “Tastes Like It’s Friday” campaign. The performance, which will feature the pop princess remixing a variety of tracks, including her viral hit, “Friday,” is a testament to how much she loves her fans, whom she referred to in our interview as “a bunch of down-ass bitches.” And speaking of what she loves, Bombay’s Sparkling Lemon Cocktail also makes the list. “I’m obsessed with Bombay Sapphire’s Sparkling Lemon — it’s easy, it’s fresh, and all you have to do is take some gin, take some Sanpellegrino Limonata, some ice, and it just delicious,” Black told Rolling Stone.
As for her partnership with Bombay Sapphire, Black said, “I think it just felt like such a natural fit for me, my taste, and how I approach going out. I think especially in my world of DJing, I love setting the tone of something that feels really positive, really fun, and really free. It’s always easy to promote something that you actually really like.”
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Rebecca Black’s latest album, Salvation, is her fourth EP and features dance-centric hits like “Sugar, Water, Cyanide,” and “American Doll.” Recently, the singer announced that she will be taking the album on tour, starting on March 7 in California. Black told Rolling Stone that Salvation is the first time (in a long time) that she was able to “just go there.”
“The creative process was a lot of fun. It was the least seriously I have ever approached myself and my music,” she said. “The biggest lesson I learned from my last tour is that my audience is just down to let myself go there. They’re like, ‘Give us more,’ and I am so grateful that’s who I get to play to. That really was the process of this project and the state of where I am in my life — allowing myself and everyone I work with the grace to explore.”
So, if you want to experience the magic of Salvation for yourself, we suggest grabbing this pair of over-the-ear cans to do it. Made by Bowers & Wilkins, they’re comfortable, boast impressive sound quality, and come in a variety of cool, campy colors.
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“Anyone. Hit me up.” This was Black’s first response to Rolling Stone when asked which artists she wanted to work with in the future — but after a few laughs and a couple of quick pauses, it came down to this.
“Obviously Doechii. I’ve been waiting for that moment for her for so long, and it’s so exciting that she’s doing it,” Black said. “I honestly love collaborating. I’ve had some of my favorite and most explorative days in the studio with other artists (and sometimes, the song just never even comes out). It’s just kind of like a learning moment for each person.”
‘Alligator Bites Never Heal,’ the third mixtape released by Grammy-Award winner Doechii (otherwise known as your “favorite artist’s favorite artist), is now available as an exclusive Vinyl LP. But act fast because it’s selling out quickly.
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But besides the American rapper, Rebecca Black also finds inspiration in the pop princesses (or Queens, should I say) that came before her.
“I’m so inspired by women in music, and the artists before me who have had the ability to constantly change from a stylistic standpoint and from a sonic standpoint — they’re able to evolve past the wits of any genre and do it in a way that feels authentic,” Black told Rolling Stone. “Madonna is definitely one of those; Gaga is obviously like ‘Mother,’ and Gwen (Stefani) has always been a big inspiration for me in the ways that she approaches her personality and her music. Being willing to take risks is something I’ll always be inspired by.”
If, like Black, you also consider yourself a “Little Monster” — the name given to those in Lady Gaga’s fanbase — then you need tickets to this year’s Coachella music festival. The multi-day event, which takes place from April 11-13 and then again from April 18-20, has Mother Monster as one of their three headliners.
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In 2011, Rebecca Black, then 13, went viral on the internet for the release of her song “Friday.” After its initial debut, the catchy tune (and a teenage Black) was subjected to ruthless scrutiny, online bullying, and incessant trolling from the World Wide Web’s worst corners. Over a decade later, Black reflected on this moment with Rolling Stone and what she learned from this pivotal point in her career.
“It was a long road of really just trying to grow up and become the person that I am now. No one hands you a rulebook about understanding the internet; I don’t think it existed back then. I feel like now more than ever, when it comes to the ways I approach creativity and freedom, I’m more like myself as I was as a child than I have ever been,” she said. “Trust your instincts because only you know at the end of the day. A lot of times, there is no actual wrong decision — it’s just yours to make.”
As Black said, there is no official rulebook for handling the internet and the backlash that can come with showing your authentic self online, but there are other helpful ways to deal with the constant pressures of the digital age. This wellness journal by stationary brand Papier helps you set goals, reflect on your past, present, and future, and keep check of your mental health.
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What’s the number one thing you need to dance on tour? According to Black, it’s a really good pair of boots.
“The last thing that I bought online was a pair of vintage Miu Miu boots,” she said. My stylist pulled them to wear in the Salvation music video and I just felt really good in them — I could dance in them, and I needed shoes for tour. Well, I have a specialty for finding things online, and I found the exact pair in only one size, and it was my size, so I was like, done.”
While these suede Steve Madden boots aren’t the same throwback Miu Miu’s that Black was talking about, they are just as comfortable. Whether you’re poppin’ it at a concert or just twirling around in the privacy of your own living room, they’ll be the kind of shoes that will let you dance until you drop.
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At her upcoming DJ set in Miami, Black will perform at a beautiful beach resort. While that’s certainly a far cry from being stranded on a deserted island, she knows exactly what items she would take with her if she ever found herself marooned.
“Definitely Got 2b Glue Brow and Edge Gel — it just locks everything down, and I have really curly brows,” she told Rolling Stone. I’m nothing without brows, and I’m nothing without lip liner (*editor’s note: she uses Mac’s Root for Me liner); I don’t go anywhere without it. And obviously a bottle of Bombay Sapphire. I need to disassociate and relax.”
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Rebecca Black’s upcoming Salvation tour will take place coast to coast (and across the pond). So if you find yourself at one of these synth-pop shows, then Black recommends you bring the following:
“Comfortable dancing shoes, some hand sanitizer (because the bathrooms are kind of gross), and maybe a mint or gum or deodorant,” she said. “I think that my audience would like if I asked people to do that because I hear it gets a little stinky.”
Concert venues nationwide have different rules and regulations for what you can (and can’t) bring into a show, but most will allow this Touchland Hydrating Hand Sanitizer. It fits in a small, clear bag and can double as a fragrance mist for when your dance partner gets a little too sweaty under the pits.
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When it comes to fashion literacy, Rebecca Black gets an A+. The “TRUST!” singer is known for her campy fits, oversized silhouettes, and club-era stage style. One thing she can’t get behind, though, is a pair of skinny jeans and a crop top.
“I’m really, really into the 2007, 2006, mid-aughts era of fashion right now. But I’m so grateful we aren’t doing crop tops anymore – no crop tops, please; I love a full-length,” she said. “I also love low-rise jeans, but I’ll pass on the skinny jeans; I have to be convinced. I did try and get back into them and it still isn’t quite for me. But I’m down for a straight leg.”
Interested in taking a page out of Black’s fashion rulebook? Snag this pair of low-rise jeans from Pistola. Available in sizes 23 through 33, they’re flattering, have a straight flare leg, and light denim wash.
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Irvine, California is home to countless parks, entertainment arenas, and, at one time, Rebecca Black. And if you’ve ever been to that area of Orange County, then you know that they’re home to another famous thing — the headquarters of In-N-Out Burger. A cult-favorite fast-food chain, In-N-Out is a staple of California culture. Just ask Black who has her order ready and “Hot To Go.”
“Flying Dutchman, either that or protein style if I’m trying to feel cute,” she said. I also love a chocolate milkshake or a Neapolitan. I honestly forget about it sometimes because I grew up there, and L.A. does have amazing smash burgers, but the Flying Dutchman does it.”
Unfortunately, if you live anywhere besides California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, or Idaho, you won’t be having a Flying Dutchman and In-N-Out shake anytime soon. However, you can always try your hand at making this combo with a Traeger Grill and a Ninja CREAMi at home.
