Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ Turns 14: Where is She Now?

Monday, February 10, is a momentous day in the history of pop music, as Rebecca Black‘s earworm “Friday” celebrates its 14th anniversary.

It may seem like only yesterday that the world was metaphorically kickin’ it in the front seat or sittin’ in the backseat (your choice, obviously!), but the music video for “Friday” originally landed on YouTube on February 10, 2011. For a little perspective, Barack Obama was still in the middle of his first term as U.S. president and Taylor Swift had just released her now-classic third studio album, Speak Now. The response to “Friday” remains an important touchstone of virality that eventually taught many valuable lessons about the impact and responsibility of social media.

Why did “Friday” cause so much controversy, and where is Rebecca Black now? Keep scrolling to find out:

Success and Backlash

In the month following the premiere of “Friday,” the music video was viewed more than 30 million times on YouTube and became a pop culture phenomenon. It would go on to amass a staggering 167 million views before it was taken down in a legal dispute a few months later (we’ll get to that).

On the flipside, “Friday” became one of the most “disliked” YouTube videos of all time, ranking alongside the “Baby Shark Dance” and Justin Bieber‘s “Baby” music video (which, in another time-bender, had only been out for a year when “Friday” was released). The track’s simplistic lyrics were roundly mocked as frivolous on Comedy Central show Tosh.0, and some notable critics labeled “Friday” as one of the worst music videos ever made.

Amidst the harsh reviews, “Friday” was suddenly pulled from YouTube on June 16, 2011, due to a legal dispute between Black and her record label, ARK Music Factory. Black’s mother, Georgina Kelly, had originally paid ARK Music $4,000 for the creation of a song and subsequent video but later sent the label a legal letter claiming ARK had sold a “Friday” ringtone without permission and failed to give her the song’s master recordings despite their contractual agreement. ARK denied any wrongdoing and insisted it had complied with the terms of its contract with Kelly and Black.

Anyone clicking on “Friday” on YouTube beginning on June 16 was suddenly met with a message reading: “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Rebecca Black. Sorry about that.” The legal dispute would rage on throughout the summer, until “Friday” was officially put back on YouTube on September 16, 2011.

By that time, “Friday” had hit No.1 on Billboard‘s U.S. Heatseekers Songs chart (as well as reaching No. 58 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart) and was even covered by the cast of Glee in a season 2 episode. The song was ultimately certified as a gold record by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Rebecca Black’s Response

It appeared at first that 13-year-old Black was rolling with the controversial response to “Friday,” especially as she was championed by pop queen Katy Perry and even got to cameo in the music video for Perry’s 2011 single “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).”

However, Black acknowledged in later years that the trolling and mean-spirited reviews for “Friday” took a tremendous toll on her mental health.

In a 2017 essay on bullying, Black wrote that she initially “wasn’t sure [she] would survive” being forced out of her school due to the onslaught of cruel comments.

“I will never fully understand how I became one of the first people to experience online bullying in an extremely intense way, but I do know now that what happened to me is truly just a global extension of something that goes on in every school, on every computer screen, and in every neighborhood,” she wrote in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month. “Social platforms can really dehumanize the targets of online abuse.”

Black reflected on the whiplash of feeling like “a normal girl” one day and then suddenly “millions of people [knew] who [she] was and they were ruthless in hurling the most vile words” at her.

“People were writing things all over the internet, on social media and they were laughing at me on TV shows, and making fun of me in YouTube videos. It was open season and I was the target. The fact that there was a human, a person — a 13-year-old girl — on the other side of the screen seemingly escaped so many people’s attention,” she recalled.

Where Is Rebecca Black Now?

Despite the backlash to “Friday,” Black has continued to pursue a music career over the past 14 years. She teamed up with fellow YouTube personality Dave Days to release a sequel of sorts to “Friday,” naturally titled “Saturday,” in December 2013, this time to a much more positive reception from critics who cited her maturity as an artist.

Black released three EPs throughout the next seven years, before her debut solo album, Let Her Burn, arrived in February 2023. Let Her Burn featured Black experimenting with electropop and hyperpop, while its three singles – “Crumbs,” “Look at You” and “Sick to My Stomach” – received yet more praise for her evolving artistry.

In 2023, Black appeared alongside Sabrina Carpenter, The Rose and Caity Baser as support acts for Blackpink’s set at London’s Hyde Park as part of the British Summer Time festival on July 2. Black’s Let Her Burn Tour saw her headlining shows at the historic El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, in addition to playing in the U.K., Ireland and Canada as part of an international trek.

Black will be back on the road this spring to promote her new EP, Salvation, which is due out February 27, 2025. The project was originally supposed to be released in January but was delayed following the Los Angeles wildfires.

“While I am bursting at the seams to give you this music, I am deeply focused on how to best divide my time and resources in helping my city – and those I love who have lost it all – heal in this critical moment,” she wrote via Instagram. “The bravery of our city’s first responders working to save the livelihoods of these historical neighborhoods is an unmistakable blessing.”

Black reflected on the legacy of “Friday” for the song’s 10th anniversary in 2021, writing via Twitter (now X) that she didn’t want the song to define her career.

“You are not defined by any one choice or thing,” she wrote to fans. “Time heals and nothing is finite. It’s a process that’s never too late to begin. And so, here we go!”

Black also spoke about her queer identity on a 2020 episode of the podcast “Dating Straight,” where she said she’d made a “conscious decision” not to come out.

“Every day is different, it’s something that over the past few years I’ve obviously been having a lot of conversations with myself about,” she said at the time, adding: “To me, the word ‘queer’ feels really nice. I have dated a lot of different types of people, and I just don’t really know what the future holds. Some days, I feel a little more on the ‘gay’ side than others.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.