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Rebecca Black Turns Chicago Into Her Cabaret
Rebecca Black, with BAYLI, at a sold-out House of Blues Chicago
By Ernesto Raul Aguilar
Rebecca Black had a sold-out House of Blues Chicago dancing Friday night. With BAYLI on the bill, the evening had the feel of a night out built around pop music and performance. Black’s act was reminiscent of a cabaret or burlesque show, with choreography woven throughout. It was theatrical, playful and clearly planned.
Long Past “Friday”
“Friday” is still the starting point for plenty of people when they hear her name. The song went viral, became a meme and left Black growing up with an internet reputation already attached to her. Anyone who stopped paying attention there has quite a bit to catch up on. She has spent the years since developing her music, and that growth was clearly on display in Chicago.
BAYLI was a fitting artist to share the bill. Her music moves through pop, R&B and club sounds, giving the pairing some common ground. She has spoken about drawing from a wide range of influences, and that willingness to move between styles suits the direction Black has taken herself.
Being Seen, on Her Terms
The name Exhibitionism on Tour suited Black’s three-act show. With its cabaret and burlesque feel, the choreography made being watched part of the fun, and the crowd answered by dancing along. There was something satisfying about that, considering how she first became famous. “Friday” exposed a young Black to an internet audience ready to pick her apart. In Chicago, that attention surrounded a carefully built performance, giving her room to be playful and provocative. The title took on a little extra meaning in that context: being seen could be something to enjoy.
The material supported that approach. Songs such as “TRUST!” and “Sugar Water Cyanide” belong to the more adventurous dance-pop direction she has pursued, with electronic production and an openness about desire that put considerable distance between this music and her early viral fame. Her newer work gives her room to be funny, provocative and direct. Those qualities also run through her own account of making SALVATION.
The Room Joins In
Just as much of the night’s character came from the people watching. Black had everyone dancing, the choreography onstage gave people something to watch, but there was plenty happening out in the audience, too. People were participating in the night, and that made the carefully arranged performance feel connected to the room.
What stayed with me was how fully Black had built an act around the artist she is now. Her musical growth was there in the songs, and her development as a performer came through in the staging and choreography. She had a whole evening to hold people’s attention, and a sold-out Chicago crowd dancing along with her. That’s a much more interesting place to leave her story than some old meme.
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