It may not be Friday, but Rebecca Black is ready to have some fun, fun, fun.
No, she's not hoping her 2011 viral single gets stuck in your head again. Rather, the 25-year-old is ready to show how far she has come with the Feb. 9 release of her debut album Let Her Burn.
"This is the album you want to hear," Rebecca shared with E! News in an exclusive interview. "It took 12 years of discovering myself after an accidental launch into this world to really figure out what I had to say and figure out who I am."
So, who exactly is the woman who first went viral for simply singing about her favorite day of the week? For starters, she's older, wiser and stronger than the young 13-year-old you first met on YouTube.
For many years, Rebecca says she suffered online abuse that took a toll on her mental health. The noise left her wondering if her dreams in the music industry could ever be accomplished.
"I feel like what I heard so much more than pressure to put something out is doubt and doubt that I'd ever be able to do it," she said. "That was probably the biggest hurdle to overcome in making this album was showing myself how to do it and telling myself and learning to believe myself that I had it in me."
But as she continued songwriting, Rebecca tuned out the noise and listened closely to what her pop music idols were sharing with the world.
"Listening to some of my favorite artists and albums was a level of being able to take you into a world and hear the things that you always wish you could have heard or say the things you wish you could have said," she explained. "And that feels really healing for me."
Rebecca says hits from Madonna, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry reminded her why she loved pop music so much. The female artists also inadvertently pushed her to be her most authentic self on her debut album.
"This is my stamp on pop, on my art, on what I have to say and I'm here to be here with the rest of the pop stars and pop girlies," Rebecca proclaimed. "If you're with it, you're with it and let's go but if not, we'll keep moving without you."
Instead of looking back at the past, Rebecca is focused on the present and celebrating all she has become.
In April 2020, the Orange County, Calif., native came out publicly as queer after discussing a breakup with a woman. She began taking more risks with fashion, describing her unique style as "chaotic" and "definitely unafraid." And no matter how confident Rebecca thought she was in those teenage years, she now realizes everything happens right on time.
"If I could go back and speak to my 15-year-old self, I think I would have thought at the time that I was ready to do it," she said when addressing her album and teasing her North America tour. "This has been literally years in the making for me. It feels very cathartic."
While Rebecca is still growing and learning more about herself, she hopes her journey will inspire others to follow their passions and stay true to themselves. And while there's always a lot to celebrate about Friday, Rebecca hopes to leave a mark that extends beyond any weekend.
"The only person that can ever define you and define who you are is you," she said. "Create exactly what you want to create, especially if someone tells you it's impossible. That means that it is more than possible. Fight for that essence in yourself because it's what you leave when you go."