REBECCA BLACK: SALVATION

SCORE: 83/100

REBECCA BLACK: SALVATION

Released February 27, 2025.

Electropop, Dance-Pop, Hyperpop, Electro House

Personal descriptors: airy, bubbly, fresh, bassy, eclectic, energized, bright, summery, electrifying, dance-worthy, flip-floppy (shifts between genres, almost a little too much at times), sassy, spunky, club-orientated, colorful, surprising, carefree

It's an unexpected truth to think about the fact that the infamous Rebecca Black self-released one of the most bold and impressive electropop albums to come out so far this year, but she's holding that honour up high. Rebecca's album is instantly captivating, her vocals mixed and the instrumentals feeling like ear candy from the very first thumps of 'Salvation'. 

Black's album sounds similar to artists like Charli XCX while also sharing vocal similarities to singers like Katy Perry and Billie Eilish depending on what side of her range she is using. Her mixed vocal performances are enjoyable - but her voice isn't the best part of this project by any means. The album does feel somewhat top-heavy, with the production being the sole component of making the sound enjoyable, with Rebecca's vocals being more of a sideline element that don't bring very much to the table. 

The project follows the generalized sound of 2020's electropop while blending elements of similar genres to make a project that feels fresh and stands out from the crowd. The instrumentals almost feel like they would be more enjoyable on their own - but Rebecca's vocals feel suited to the music in most cases, with her high, breathy tone suiting the breakdown on 'TRUST!' exceptionally well.

It's strikingly clear to see how Rebecca has catered her image, perfectly fine-tuning the popstar she wanted to be before launching herself back into music. Despite how she was ridiculed for 'Friday', she has risen above it and made herself more than just that track. She may not be able to escape her past, but she can certainly make something bigger of it. Her image and aesthetics feel very suited to the genres she is diving into, and her sound is clearly very established.

'Sugar Water Cyanide' in particular is a deeply enjoyable track, with rumbly bass and a chorus that is perfect for the clubs, Rebecca crafts perfectly Boiler Room-suited tracks on her 21 minute album. The albums' runtime allows the sound to be established and brought through without overstaying its welcome, and the overall composition of the album was very well thought out. The songs aren't too long - leaving them at ideal lengths for pop songs; this in turn makes the album easier to digest and come back to, the songs ranging from sweaty club anthems to silky, shimmery summer jams with those oh so familiar hints of the dark club scene seeping their way through the cracks of each track.

For this only being her second album - it's clear that she knows what she is doing. Her sound is clear and established; the compositions of each track feeling fully thought out and refreshing with some slight tinges of moments that don't quite fit into everything else. There's a good amount of experimentation on the album as a whole, but some of the more straight-laced pop vocal moments take away from the atmosphere of the album. The sound is established, but there are two sides to Rebecca that are clearly fighting for dominance throughout the entirety of the album.

There is a bit too much shifting and hopping between tones to keep the albums' sound consistent as a whole, but it doesn't stop the project from being highly enjoyable. Every song is of high quality and the production style steals the show by a wide margin here. There is some room for more cohesion in her later projects to come, but this sets a good base and a very high bar for the seemingly brand-new popstar.