Rebecca Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American pop singer who gained wor… Read Full Bio ↴Rebecca Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American pop singer who gained worldwide attention with her 2011 single "Friday". Her mother paid $4000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson of ARK Music Factory. After the video went viral on YouTube and other social media sites, "Friday" was derided by many music critics and viewers, who dubbed it "the worst song ever." The music video, uploaded to YouTube, has received more than 160 million views, causing Black to gain international attention as a "viral star". The song was released as a single and made the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts.

Rebecca Black was born on June 21, 1997, in Anaheim Hills, California. She is the daughter of John Jeffery Black and Georgina Marquez Kelly, both veterinarians, and is of Spanish, Italian, Polish, and English descent. An honor student, Black studied dance, auditioned for school shows, attended music summer camps, and began singing publicly in 2008 after joining the patriotic group Celebration USA.

In late 2010, a classmate of Black and music-video client of ARK Music Factory, a Los Angeles label, told her about the company. Black's mother paid $4,000 for Ark Music to produce her daughter's music video while the Blacks retained ownership of the master. The single, "Friday", written entirely by Ark, was released on YouTube and iTunes. The song's video was uploaded to YouTube on February 10, 2011, and received approximately 1,000 views in the first month. The video went viral on March 11, 2011, acquiring millions of views on YouTube in a matter of days, becoming the most-talked-about topic on social networking site Twitter, and garnering mostly negative media coverage. As of June 14, 2011, the video had received more than 3,190,000 "dislikes" on YouTube compared to more than 451,000 "likes". As of March 22, 2011, first-week sales of her digital single were estimated to be around 40,000 by Billboard. Black appeared on the March 22, 2011 episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, during which she performed the single and discussed the negative reaction to it. The song has peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 and the New Zealand Singles Chart at number 58 and 33, respectively. In the UK, the song debuted at number 61 on the UK Singles Chart.

In an interview with The Sun, Black said that she is recording a new song for possible release as a single. She is currently working without a record deal. She also said that she is preparing materials for her debut album at Flying Pig Productions studio in Los Angeles containing songs with themes similar to that of "Friday", as she wants it to be "appropriate and clean." Black teamed up with Funny or Die on April Fools Day (the site was renamed Friday or Die) for a series of videos, including one which addresses the controversy about the driving kids in her music video, stating "We so excited about safety." She has also stated that she is a fan of Justin Bieber, and expressed interest in performing a duet with him.

In response to the YouTube video of "Friday", Black began to receive death threats in late February 2011, specifically by phone and email. These threats are being investigated by the Anaheim Police Department.

As an homage to "Friday", Black appears in the music video for Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", in which Black plays along side Perry as her best friend.

In the years following her initial viral success, Rebecca Black has released a number of musical projects. These include multiple collaborative singles with other vocalists, notably Kurt Hugo Schneider and Dave Days.
After releasing the single "The Great Divide", Black put out the 2017 EP "RE / BL" via Teall Records.
Following this, Black continued to release music independently. These included "Sweetheart", "Anyway", and double-sided single "Self Sabotage / Closer".

In February 2021, Rebecca Black released a "maximalist" hyperpop remix of Friday, celebrating the ten-year anniversary of her original viral hit. This remix featured production from Dylan Brady, as well as additional vocals from Dorian Electra, 3OH!3, and Big Freedia.
Using the popularity of the remix as a springboard, Black self-released her second EP "Rebecca Black Was Here" in June 2021, supported by the singles "Girlfriend", "Worth It For The Feeling", and "Personal".

Self Sabotage
Rebecca Black Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got the devil chillin' on my shoulder
Telling me that soon it's gonna be over
'Cause why would anybody get closer to me?
So tell me, what am I waiting for?
Do I think that there must be something more?
One year in and I'm out the door, complete

If I'm honest

I've come to hate myself tonight
Do this every time

Why do I keep fucking good things up?
Runnin' from the ones I love the most
Show me how to let somebody in
Seven-hundred nights I've spent alone

I self-sabotage, I self-sabotage
I self-sabotage every little thing
Every little thing

I know that I'm hard to love
I understand that you've had enough
Round and round, the same cycle
Can make you feel like a psycho

If I'm honest
I've come to hate myself tonight
Do this every time

Why do I keep fucking good things up?
Runnin' from the ones I love the most
Show me how to let somebody in
Seven-hundred nights I've spent alone

I self-sabotage, I self-sabotage
I self-sabotage every little thing
Every little thing
I self-sabotage, I self-sabotage
I self-sabotage every little thing
Every little thing

Why do I keep fucking good things up?
Runnin' from the ones I love the most
Show me how to let somebody in
Seven-hundred nights I've spent alone

I self-sabotage, I self-sabotage

I self-sabotage every little thing
Every little thing

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Rebecca Black's song "Self Sabotage" delve into the emotional struggle of self-destruction in relationships. The devil on her shoulder represents the negative thoughts and self-doubt that often plague her mind, constantly reminding her that any potential connection with someone will inevitably end. The doubts consume her, leaving her questioning why she doesn't allow herself to get closer to others and whether there is something more meaningful out there. Despite being in a relationship for a year, she finds herself pushing away, feeling compelled to leave and start over.

The chorus reveals a self-deprecating confession, as she admits to hating herself for her actions and feeling remorseful for ruining good things in her life repeatedly. Running away from those she loves the most becomes a pattern, and she longs to break free from this destructive cycle. The loneliness she experiences is emphasized by the mention of the seven-hundred nights spent alone, further emphasizing the toll her self-sabotage has taken on her relationships and personal happiness.

Overall, "Self Sabotage" is a vulnerable exploration of the fear of intimacy, the struggle with self-worth, and the repetitive patterns that cause the destruction of meaningful connections.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got the devil chillin' on my shoulder
I constantly have negative thoughts and influences that discourage me

Telling me that soon it's gonna be over
These negative influences make me believe that my success will come to an end

'Cause why would anybody get closer to me?
I question why anyone would want to form a close relationship with me

So tell me, what am I waiting for?
I am unsure of what I am waiting for or why I am hesitant to change

Do I think that there must be something more?
I wonder if there is something missing or lacking in my life

One year in and I'm out the door, complete
After one year, I am ready to leave behind whatever situation I am in

If I'm honest
To be truthful

I've come to hate myself tonight
I have developed strong negative feelings towards myself tonight

Do this every time
I repeatedly engage in this self-destructive behavior

Why do I keep fucking good things up?
I question why I consistently ruin positive opportunities or experiences

Runnin' from the ones I love the most
I actively avoid and distance myself from the people I care about the most

Show me how to let somebody in
Please teach me how to trust and open up to someone emotionally

Seven-hundred nights I've spent alone
I have spent a significant amount of time feeling lonely and isolated

I self-sabotage, I self-sabotage
I engage in self-sabotaging behavior, causing harm to myself

I self-sabotage every little thing
I have a tendency to sabotage even the smallest aspects of my life

I know that I'm hard to love
I am aware that it can be difficult for others to love and accept me

I understand that you've had enough
I comprehend that others may reach a point where they have had their fill of dealing with me

Round and round, the same cycle
I am trapped in a repetitive pattern of behavior

Can make you feel like a psycho
This cycle of self-sabotage can make one feel crazy or unstable