Why I'm praying Rebecca Black's "Moment" is over soon. And that Maria Aragon's starts immediately
If you're one of the lucky ones, your children have finally stopped nasally belting out "Friday! Friday!" every single week. If not, don't worry. Rebecca Black's new song, "My Moment" premiered last night online and there's a chance its lyrics could replace those old, droning words.
Set up with her own YouTube channel, the teen viral sensation has followed up "Friday" with a song that speaks to all the "haters" who clearly helped boost her status. Her first hit (and let's all agree that term is used loosely here) had 167 million clicks, not counting the parody videos that added roughly a gazillion more views to the overall tally.
Black told the "Early Show" that she's not letting negativity get to her but that she did feel pressure to have a follow-up that wowed.
"'Friday' was such a hit. And so, to get something, you have to find the perfect song that kind of tells off the haters a little bit, but still shows that you're a serious artist," she told the morning show. "...[L]uckily, the haters don't have to watch 'Friday' or 'My Moment.' So they can turn it off if they want. They don't have to hate. But it doesn't bother me anymore."
Black's second video, which has nearly 2 million views after being live less than 24 hours, is more highly produced than the $2,000 jobby the Ark Music Factory put together for the teen and her mother. Also, to the song's credit, the lyrics are far less grating and repetitive than what we heard (and heard and heard) on "Friday." But it's going to take more than fake eyelashes and professional back-up dancers to make Black appealing as (as she says) a "serious artist."
I love that she's obviously having fun and has a developed a healthy attitude about the haters. And I think that YouTube is the perfect place for Rebecca Black, along with the other hopeful kids crooning in bedrooms and attics across America. But if someone -- or people wandering around online or downloading music or producing records -- is going to help a teen singer develop into a serious artist, then I hope they have their eye on kids with talent spilling out of them.
I nominate the super-compelling ten-year-old Maria Aragon, also a YouTuber who also sings and plays keyboard on a commercial spoofing social media. And can we get some cash and clicks over to Xenia from "The Voice", who might be awesome if someone (other than the weirdly pawing Blake Shelton) gave her some encouragement and helped her develop more stage presence?
Maybe there's room for all of these girl singers in the big, wide viral spotlight. But as a mama, I know I will be very picky about which of these songs I download, watch, and pray won't infiltrate our home like I let "Friday."
What teens or tweens do you nominate to be the next big YouTube singing sensation?
Want to take a peek at Rebecca Black's "My Moment" or Maria Aragon's version of "Born This Way"? They're both below just waiting for you to hit play.
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