- If your first thought when you hear Rebecca Black’s name is still her hit-for-all-the-wrong-reasons single Friday, produced by ARK Music Factory in 2011, her latest EP Rebecca Black was Here is here to remind you to get with the times! It seems impossible to shake her association that now-iconic music video, nor does she seem to want to if her tenth anniversary remix produced hyperpop legend Dylan Brady and featuring Dorian Electra and 3OH!3 is anything to go by. But even from the very first single, this album is a clear sign that Rebecca knows exactly what she’s doing.

The EP’s first single, Girlfriend, is a refreshing pop anthem, bursting at the seams with joy. It’s impossible not to smile listening to this tune. It brings back memories of Teenage Dream era Katy Perry, with its driving, synthpop beat and in-your-face vocals. Girlfriend, like a number of the songs on the EP, speaks openly about queer relationships with triumph and pride.

Personal definitely maintains that sense of sardonic madness found in the aforementioned Friday remix, but there’s also a level of sincerity here. “Possessive turned to passive in the middle of the night / Now in your vision I’m the villain / You can’t look me in the eyes.” Everything about this song’s aesthetics screams Dorian Electra, right down to the use of autotune, and even her outfits and mannerisms in the music video. The song is a really interesting take on the end of a relationship and one not often found in pop music; Rebecca’s come to terms with her ex’s hatred of her, despite her having done nothing to intentionally hurt that person.

Rebecca Black’s latest EP is a jubilant and intelligent comeback, with fantastic hyper pop-adjacent production and lyrics that balance every ounce of sentimentality with sharp wit and honesty. From Friday and internet bullies to LGBT pop icon, if there was ever an artist whose career is a testament to their resilience and strength of character, this EP solidifies in my mind that that artist is Rebecca Black.

- Alison Paris.