Black to the future.
Internet sensation and sexually ambiguous singer Rebecca Black is celebrating the 11th anniversary of her song “Friday” in psychedelic style — with a hyper-pop remix of the smash-hit single featuring rapper Big Freedia and other giant stars. The viral music video topped 120,000 views after premiering Wednesday afternoon.
“I’d had the idea to do this remix of ‘Friday’ for years leading up to now, but honestly it was also mildly insane for me to think anyone else would want to be a part of it,” Black, 23, said in a statement.
In the somewhat melba toast party anthem from 10 years ago, the then-13-year-old Black espoused the virtues of partying it up on Friday night. The aggressively wholesome music video depicted her leaving class to go cruise with friends and dance at a club in plain clothes like your typical girl next door.
The reboot, produced by Dylan Brady of 100 Gecs fame, kicks the familiar format into overdrive by distorting Black’s voice until it’s unrecognizable and interweaving it with a scintillating synth-pop beat and pounding bass. Vocals from Big Freedia, electronic duo 3OH!3 and gender-fluid artist Dorian Electra enhance the musical makeover’s trippy effect.
The TGIF element is still there. However, the story is given a slight revamp with Electra singing about “driving on the highway” in lieu of the original’s premise of waiting for the bus and taking a friend’s car. Black wasn’t, after all, of legal driving age when “Friday” first came out.
The music video makeover is most apparent. Black has swapped out her preppy middle school wardrobe for fishnets, a shiny, black leather top, spiky dog collar and giant silver nails worthy of Wolverine from “X-Men.” And instead of classmates riding with her, she’s accompanied by raging animated cutouts.
Describing the collaboration, Black said: “As I started talking about it with other artists and producers, I couldn’t believe how stoked people were about it. I am thrilled to have some of my favorite artists (and people) as a part of this moment.”
Here’s hoping the “Friday” remix gives Black some much-needed closure after a tumultuous decade. While the 2011 song did springboard the then-unknown teen to internet fame — with the video garnering almost 150 million views — it also almost ruined her life. In an eye-opening tweet last year, Black recounted how the song caused her to be depressed in high school and even resulted in classmates throwing food at her and her friends.