By now, I’m sure you’ve heard Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’. I’m also sure you have an opinion on it and I’m fairly certain it’s a less than favourable one. Which is entirely understandable. Lyrically, musically, you name it, there’s not a lot to recommend if you’ve any semblance of taste or musical knowledge. What’s less easy to understand, however, is the level of vitriol that’s been aimed in her direction. I’m a bit taken aback by people making death threats – no matter how jokey – to a 13 year old guilty of nothing more than receiving an expensive birthday present.
Whenever any new pop tartlet surfaces, there’s always someone who feels duty bound to mention either the Monkees or (usually to get a rise) the Beatles – two bands you might have heard of – as it’s generally accepted that they (especially the Monkees) were ‘manufactured’. It’s a fair point but it’s usually just chucked out without much thought. As much as they were creations of managers and record labels, both of these bands could actually write, play [insert obligatory 'joke' about Ringo] and take much more of a controlling interest in the music they made as their careers went on. In the case of the Fabs influence on future generations, rather well it seems. I’m not sure that Rebecca Black or Justin Bieber will ever manage a ‘Rubber Soul’ or ‘White Album’. Although that does include ‘Revolution #9′. At least a video wasn’t made for that one.
Now, I’m not knocking these artists just for the sake of knocking them. I’ve no doubt anyone embarking on a pop career, no matter how trivial it appears, has their work cut out for them. Even if it’s not the long slog of learning your craft playing two or three shows a night in Hamburg for months on end, it probably entails an absurd amount of travel and PR appearances and, as is the way of anything popular these days, massive over-exposure before their star fades. What’s really changed is that technology has evolved to allow all this to happen much easier with little or no input from the ‘star’ themselves. Some might argue that you don’t even need the talent any more. After all, there are armies of writers, musicians, producers and engineers all there to do the work for them. And now there’s social media to do all the work of the publicity people too.
Because, let’s face it, that’s how you heard ‘Friday’ for the first time, isn’t it? You didn’t seek it out, you didn’t hear it on the radio. Someone sent you the YouTube link. And there’s nothing we love more than ‘car crash’ TV. Viral marketing worked so well in this instance, the parent’s investment has paid back in spades and made this girl an overnight sensation. If I was her, I’d be laughing all the way to the bank. Famous for fifteen minutes indeed.
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