Justin Bieber may have a new antithesis in the form of Rebecca Black, a YouTube sensation whose amateur single, “Friday,” has received more than 90 million views within the last two months. But viewers are not raving about Black’s extraordinary talent, as in the case of Bieber, who also started his career at a young age on YouTube. Rather, viewers are ranting about Black’s incredible lack of talent. Already, her video has received close to 2 million dislikes and a mere 230,000 likes. That’s a disproportionate amount of hate directed at a 13-year-old amateur musician.
It seems to be a new trend to hate young, aspiring singers who appeal to the preteen population, aka the “teeny-boppers.” Up until two weeks ago, every time I walked past a “Never Say Never” movie poster at the theaters, I was reminded of how much I already disliked the film and the performer, Justin Bieber. But I had never given Bieber a chance. Not once had I actually listened to his music. I was merely allowing a popular stigma to influence my opinion. And the same stereotype is tarnishing poor Rebecca Black’s ratings. People are viewing her YouTube video already predetermined to hate it.
So, I decided to listen to some Justin Bieber the other day, and to my surprise, he’s very musically talented and has an excellent voice. Still, I’m not a fan of his genre of music, and I find his lyrics to be lacking creativity. But now I don’t hate him just because the media,and the public tell me to.
As for Rebecca Black, I watched her “Friday” music video. Yes, it’s almost as bad as people say. Her voice has a nasally, 13-year-old whine and the chorus is exceedingly obnoxious. Musically, though, Black can follow a tune, and she’s not tone deaf. When her voice matures, Black may have some kind of musical career in her future.
Don’t avoid or dislike a performer just because other people or the media tell you to. Be open-minded and experience them before you formulate your opinion. Think for yourself. There is nothing more annoying than someone who adamantly holds an opinion that is not based on logical reasoning. Rebecca Black may not be Justin Bieber, but the public shouldn’t treat her as though she’s a talentless hack. Give her a chance. I gave Bieber one.
