Hi, everyone. 1thony 2tano here, the internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this Rebecca Black album, Salvation.

Pop artist, singer, and songwriter, Ms. Rebecca Black, returns with her second full-length LP following 2023's Let Her Burn, which the sales and reviews of really helped turn her into an artist that was worth taking seriously. I mean, for sure, the record was not a commercial smash. The coverage was not just widespread critical acclaim. She was not selling out stadiums behind this album either. But I still think Rebecca did what she set out to accomplish behind this album. And that's prove to us that she has artistic potential beyond just being the girl who went viral for singing "Friday! Friday!" over a decade ago at this point.

Now, with this new project here, I think in a lot of ways, she is still very much in development as an artist because Let Her Burn, while it did check a lot of those baseline pop album boxes quite effectively, as an overall experience and sound, it wasn't super definitive or distinct. So with Salvation here, what I went into this project wondering is whether or not Rebecca would gain an artistic sense of direction on these tracks.

From the sound of the influences and production on this record, I could tell she really went into this one wanting to do something different and also put more of her personal story into her songwriting, too. I got to say, I do think Rebecca is starting to come into her own as the pop artist who shouldn't have been, considering the very polarizing way in which she entered the industry.

The title track that the record opens up with is a very good tone setter for the whole thing. Lots of edgy dark verses, aggressive snarling bass, some very intense synth work overall, I would say, and driving dance beats that guide us into this glistening, soaring chorus with vocals that are very heavily touched up, but they work. I think the contrast of sweet and gnarly esthetics on this track is maybe a bit forced. But still, I do like the narrative that the track is trying to get across and that Rebecca doesn't need anyone to save her. She saved herself. And you will be the one coming away from this whole dynamic, stuck on her, not the other way around.

Following this is the track "Trust!", which was a big single from the record, and personally my favorite on the album. The whole thing opens up with these totally unhinged spaghetti western-style guitars, some stuttering synthesizers, and whip-cracking sound effects, too. We have more club friendly dance beats on the back end, and the whole thing thematically is pretty much a sex jam. It's about the act. It is very salacious, but going deeper into the concept of the song, it really is about what the title says it is – trust. Because in order to truly give up full control to somebody in that situation, there needs to be trust. While all the sex and temptation of the track is interesting and titillating, the real question of the song is, can you handle it? Can you handle that trust? Which for some who might not be trustworthy or might be a commitment avoidant, that could be scary.

But yeah, also a fun guitar solo on this track. A cute little ooh la la vocal refrain, a shouty bridge, too. There's just so many sharp and sticky passages throughout this entire track. Really a fun pop song that switches things up from start to finish.

The following track, "Sugar Water Cyanide", is more of a hyperpop nod with jittery synth sequences, very girly, shouted, chanted refrains on the chorus that are very Gwen Stefani-coded. Moments like this are really where the album is at its strongest, where we have an unlikely but memorable mash of a few different pop styles coming together pretty effectively. The track also gets especially groovy and chaotic as the song suddenly busts into this primal beat switch with some howling tones in the background and the same refrains too, but like chipmunk. It's like you're listening to a new pop banger and then getting transitioned into a banger remix of the banger.

On top of that, Rebecca really is being generous with the songwriting and structure of this track. It's like we have two or three pop songs worth of hooks and ideas in one single track.

After this, "American Doll" is another bass-heavy and message-heavy track. A moment of self-commentary as well, I would say, with Rebecca exploring this archetype of an American doll, a woman, a girl who is quiet and agreeable and pretty. And she's essentially rebelling against that because she doesn't personally find herself fitting into that mold so easily, even depicts this American doll or this girl fitting into this mold smashing her head against the wall. We have a similar mix of vibes as the intro where you have these sweeter passages to the track, the edgier passages to the track, which are okay. I mean, I enjoy the intent behind the song. I'll say that.

With "Tears in My Pocket", though, we have more versatile, edit-heavy dance pop that's just begging to be remixed a hundred different ways between the break beats and the glitchy synthesizers, the endlessly repeated suitable chorus as well. I can really tell Rebecca on tracks like these is really searching out for that perfect balance between – it's got to sound a little gritty, a little mean, but also have a sweet pop appeal as well. And I think she really nails it on this one.

Then we have "Do You Even Think About Me?" Just when I thought Rebecca was done defining her sound on this project, we get this one, where, yeah, at the start, we have more aggressive, darkened dance pop, but then it suddenly transitioned into these galloping synth topped grooves that are straight out of the '80s. I do think the tune of the track gets a bit lost in the frenzy of beats and synth layers and vocals, but still, what a visceral explosion on this track.

And then "Twist the Knife" also goes back into an '80s direction for at least some of its structure. And an ambitious finish for the album with some dramatic pre-choruses, string builds, as well as a very Michael Jackson-inspired vocal leads here and there, too. Thematically throughout this track, I think Rebecca thoughtfully explores these personal struggles that she has between her queer identity, but also growing up in a religious background, saying explicitly she doesn't personally feel like she's a victim of that in any way. Then she goes on to drop a bunch of self-affirming bars and confirms that she's living life on her own terms at this point and will continue dancing, continue existing as she is.

But yeah, overall, while I wish this album was longer and it does feel more like a compilation of tracks or an EP than it does a proper album, we still have a lot of highlights on this record, and creating in this mode for Rebecca Black right now at this point in her career, I feel like is the best move possible because she is still developing her sound as an artist on an individual song and single level. So focusing more on that than the bigger macro picture of a super lengthy massive album, I think makes sense.

I can't really deny in terms of lyricism, production choices, overall songwriting, variety of influences, aesthetic boldness, this project really is an improvement on all of those fronts and more when compared to Let Her Burn back in 2023, which for the most part to my ears, very much felt like a super standard pop album for its time. Meanwhile, this over here is making some bolder moves, most definitely.

So even if Salvation isn't the heftiest and most gratifying meal we will be served in the lane of pop music in 2025, it's still got some great tracks on it. And once again, Rebecca Black takes another step forward in showing us that she is a pop artist worth watching over the next several years, for sure, which is why I'm feeling a decent to strong 7 on this one.

Anthony Fantano, Rebecca Black, Forever.