Rebecca Black's Let Her Burn is a mythological tale. It's the biblical version of "putting off the old man", it's a snake shedding its skin, it's opening up space for newness. In Let Her Burn, Rebecca Black takes control of the narrative around her name and re-introduces herself to the world through intricate and emotion-filled soundscapes. Though, it's not all that. Let Her Burn is more than a statement of shredding some old skin. It's not her "Reputation era". She isn't looking for a redemption circle jerk. It's a layered album that showcases her left-leaning vision of what pop music could be.
Back in the day, the people who weren't aware of the name Rebecca Black were aware of her hit song Friday. For a long time, her reputation of being "a teenage girl who shouldn't be taken seriously" preceded her name and her artistic vision. "To see people criticise the child, when they’re just at the mercy of being a kid and being told they’re not smart enough to make their own decisions, they don’t know what they’re talking about. They have no say in what’s going on." she explains. How do you go about putting yourself out there and continuing to create while having an ancient image that chases you wherever you go? In Black's case, you release an album like Let Her Burn, pour your creativity into it and send it out into the world.
Following a diet of hyper-pop sounds and glitch synths, Black wears her influences on her sleeve and blends them into the sound of her own style effortlessly. She seems more confident in her own power to create something that truly reflects her personality. Kudos to that. The industry and the public haven't been easy on Black and her not giving a fuck about how she is perceived anymore and doing what's true to her is Ted Talk level inspirational.
The album opener Erase You starts on an atmospheric note before turning into a cathartic break up song. Destroy Me is a personal favorite. "Cut a little deeper, there's no reaching the end." she sings, almost portraying herself as a robot-like unbreakable shiny object, giving a middle finger to those who criticize her. Misery Loves Company is quite catchy while the next track Crumbs is an amazing vocal performance and perhaps one of the songs that stand out the most. Doe Eyes is reminiscent of Charli XCX's Claws, just as catchy and just as peculiar.
The 30 minute listening time of Let Her Burn wraps up the album in just the right time. It's short and sweet. It's vulnerable while being fun. It's filled with colorful and textured production quirks and it's terribly enjoyable. It's simply impossible not having the best time ever listening to this record while thinking how along Black have come.
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