You gotta get down to Rebecca Black’s new anthem

BY GEOFF WEISS

It’s only fitting that Rebecca Black would release her latest single— roughly five years after the debut of the song that turned her into a YouTube sensation and cultural curiosity—on a Friday.

Black’s new song, many years in the making, is titled “The Great Divide,” and is described by Entertainment Weekly as “a radio-ready, EDM-lite anthem that shows off her vocal talents.” A lyrical sampling includes: “Wash my hands/Turn my back/I don’t need the memories we had/I’m leaving you behind/Across the great divide”—which is a far cry from the nonsensical ramblings found in “Friday.”

Now 19, Black told EW that “The Great Divide” is about letting go of the unhealthy people in her life as she’s come into her own. “It’s definitely one of the most meaningful things I’ve written for myself,” she told the outlet. While the song started out as a ballad, which is also available, Black opted to release an electronic remix as her debut single. It’s available on iTunes, and is also streaming on Spotify.

Black has been in the recording studio since “Friday”—and even released a follow-up hit titled “Saturday” in 2013—though had yet to find any material she’d truly connected with until “The Great Divide.” She has kept most of the recording process offline, and even a secret from her closest friends, she says—only playing them songs when they were finished. Black told EW that she has recorded more than 30 songs for an EP or an album that she hopes to release independently in the fall. “We’ve got some stuff that’s a little more electronic,” she said, “but I love a lot of indie music, so we have stuff that’s in that vein too.”

In a video posted to her channel earlier this week, Black provided a glimpse behind the scenes of “The Great Divide” music video, as well as a window into her creative process. Check it out below: