Review Summary: SALVATION: Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.
For anyone who hasn’t been devotedly following Rebecca Black since she first released “Friday” back in 2011(/absolutely hate that it’s almost been 15 years since then btw), you might be surprised to hear that she’s still around putting out music. Being only a child at the time of “Friday”’s release, no one could blame her if she strayed as far away as possible from the spotlight after all of the criticism and vitriol that was directed towards her. While I cannot in good faith say that “Friday” is a great or even good song, it is a fun song in the right contexts. And definitely not something that warranted all of the harassment that was directed toward a young kid who didn’t know any better.
Rather than let that hold her back, though, Rebecca Black has slowly been working on her craft over the years and improving as an artist. This includes a long trail of stand-alone singles, EPs, and one full-length album released two years ago. Speaking personally, it was the single “Crumbs” off her somewhat recent full-length album that first caught my attention and recognition of how far she’d come since “Friday”. All of that leads her to the release of her newest EP, “Salvation”.
With the release of “Salvation” came three separate singles. Those being “TRUST!”, “Sugar Water Cyanide”, and self-titled track “Salvation”. While all songs lie on the pop spectrum, they each stand apart from each other in terms of tone and style. “TRUST!” boasts a catchy electronic beat with Rebecca Black demonstrating multiple types of vocal styles throughout the track. “Sugar Water Cyanide”, on the other side of things, delves into hyperpop influences, and “Salvation” embodies anthemic pop vibes.
Already a fan of each of the singles for different reasons, I was really excited to see how the rest of the album would shake out. Would it be more of the same or would it find her expanding her sound sonically? Thankfully, the rest of the EP finds her continuing to expand her sound and even getting a little weird with it at times. While she could have easily filled out the rest of the track list with more straightforward pop songs, it was a pleasant surprise to hear how the rest of the songs contain unique vocal melodies and interesting production choices scattered throughout.
In particular, the vocal melodies on the chorus of “American Doll”, the electronic elements on “Tears in My Pocket”, and the progression of “Do You Even Think About Me” are all immediate stand-outs. “Twist the Knife” also does a great job at the EP’s last chance to inject even more catchy melodies into your brain to keep you coming back for more. Overall, the limited seven songs cover a lot of ground.
The only criticism I can make about the EP as a whole is how it only lasts for a brief 21 minutes. But, in that short time span, it’s apparent that Rebecca Black clearly accomplished everything she wanted to with this release. It’s diverse, unique, fun, and most importantly, a great packaged experience of who she is as an artist. I can only hope with all of the positivity that I’ve seen directed toward this release, that it helps boost Rebecca Black into higher levels of acclaim as she so clearly deserves after all of the hard work she’s put in over the last 15 years.
