Rebecca Black stopped by to share the story behind her second album, SALVATION, and how it’s all about letting loose and trying new things.
Mexican/American singer, songwriter, DJ Rebecca Black is back and shaking things up with her new second album, SALVATION. In our chat, she explained that this project was all about having fun and letting loose, a break from the past and a chance to enjoy herself on the dancefloor. She spent a long time finding the right sound, and everything clicked the day she wrote “Tears In My Pocket.” That moment set the vibe for what turned out to be what she considers her most daring work yet.
The look and feel of SALVATION match its sound. With a visual style full of bright colors and cinematic flair, the seven-track album influenced by iconic films and larger-than-life personalities. Rebecca Black described tracks like “Sugar Water Cyanide” as a burst of energy, capturing the feeling of a wild, unforgettable night out. The album feels like a perfect mix of risk and fun, inviting listeners to jump in and experience those moments of pure, unfiltered excitement. Each song is crafted to bring that club vibe to life while keeping it real and personal.
Whether Rebecca is behind the decks or rocking the Boiler Room stage, SALVATION is a fresh take on blending pop and club music. It’s a journey of creative independence and self-expression that feels casual and unapologetic. Read on for the full conversation, listen to the album on your favorite streaming service, and catch her on tour this spring in the US, with more dates planned later this year.
Stream Rebecca Black – SALVATION on Spotify:
Hey Rebecca, I appreciate you taking the time to meet with us today. Let’s jump into it! Your album, SALVATION, feels like your most club-focused work yet. What inspired this sound, and how did the creative process differ from your past projects?
I was really craving fun and freedom during the conception of what this project could be. And to be honest, I was going out for the first time in a long time, and was in the club a lot. I’d spent a good bit of time, like almost a year after finishing writing my first album, trying different directions out of where I could go next. It wasn’t until the day we wrote “Tears In My Pocket” that I felt like we’d landed on something that felt unlike anything I’d ever heard before. This process felt different than past writing spurts because I was really focused on creating a completely new, cohesive sound rather than just letting myself experiment all over the place. After almost every session I knew which songs I would take to the finish line almost immediately, which helped keep my focus.
What was your vision for “Sugar Water Cyanide,” and how do you want people to experience it?
“Sugar Water Cyanide” was absolutely me at my most unhinged and free in the studio. It was essentially my last writing session for this project and I knew that going in, so I just wanted to leave everything on the table. Jesse, Nick, and I, who wrote this with me just found this immediate synergy and we wanted to make something HARD and risky. We all come from different iterations of the same club kid backgrounds and are all definitely self-proclaimed pop music historians. We wanted the song to feel like the apex of a night out, like losing yourself to someone or in a room as if you took the best, most powerful drug of your life, even if you’re 100% sober.
You’ve talked about SALVATION being some of your most personal work. Are there any specific tracks that hold a deeper meaning for you?
I really hold this project so close to me. I allowed myself to experience some emotions I’d never really gone to before and let them live through the writing. My favorites from a writing perspective would be “Tears” and “Salvation” at the moment, but it’s constantly morphing as I do alongside the songs. There were honestly quite a few that didn’t make the final record that I hold extra close, and maybe one day they’ll find their time in the sun when they’re (and I’m) ready.
How are you crafting the visual world of SALVATION, and what aesthetic themes are you playing with?
It’s all brightness and color and delusions of grandeur babe! I was really inspired by my favorite Tarantino films, and other of my favorite movies like Chicago, Showgirls, Thelma and Louise… it was really about creating a persona for a side of myself I have always known to be true and never really let come to the surface other than not by choice. I can’t lie and say powerful women who have always had a deep sense of self-ownership and grandiosity like Trisha Paytas, Dolly Parton, and Anna Nicole were also big reference points for me.
You’ve now performed as a singer and a DJ with two very different energy dynamics. How do you approach DJing versus performing your own songs live?
DJing for me is just a night out. I’ll show up in jeans and some songs I just downloaded on SoundCloud that I thought were cute and queen out. I think it’s the closest form of Rebecca (RB as my friends call me) you’ll ever meet out. My show is a whole other monster that we spend months flushing out every piece and moment of.
Your Boiler Room set was a huge moment for you and had a major impact online. How did it feel stepping into that space, and do you see DJing becoming a bigger part of your career?
That still feels really surreal that it even happened and I was offered the chance to do it. I was definitely nervous walking in, but still to this day, whilst not being my most perfect set, it was one of my favorites in the sense that I only played my favorite favorite mixes, and the energy in the room was more palpable than cameras could ever pick up. It was loud and buzzy and the CDJs were shaking so hard on that table that it felt like I was holding them up while mixing at one point. I love to DJ, and it’s a really fun aspect of what I do right now. I have no idea where it’ll take me, and making my own music is definitely always my #1 priority. But there is totally a seamlessness between the two parts of what I do that I enjoy.
Do you feel like there’s a growing space for more crossover artists (in pop and electronic music) in dance music?
It feels like right now the two are really moving forward right next to each other to me, and there is absolute influence happening in both directions. What’s fascinating about it to me is that even whilst that confluence is happening, the worlds of pop and dance themselves feel like completely different standalone universes, and the same goes for the communities around them.
The collective consciousness of music sometimes moves in ways I don’t think we have as much control over as we think. Albums are made years sometimes before anyone hears them and even I have times, like with SALVATION where I finished it just before Brat and the rest of the year’s pop/dance came out, and I went… oh shit, we were all here doing this at the same time? Ok sick. That’s fun and fascinating to me!
You’ve played huge festivals and intimate club sets. What’s your ideal setting to perform in, and what do you love most about the energy of a live crowd?
They’re totally different. A club always has this literal heat and sweat beating through the room that I don’t think will ever not feel so bloodpumping. Those are my favorite shows to go to, too. There’s this feeling in the room: no one else knows what we know right now, and no one will ever get to experience this moment like we are. It’s also always an unreal experience to step foot on one of those giant festival stages, though. I love the room to run and move in a way a club stage just won’t let you at times. But the crowd feels more like an ocean wave than a party of people. I feel very lucky I get to have both right now.
With SALVATION marking a new chapter, what excites you most about what’s coming next in your career?
I am just so stoked to be living in the world of Salvation, which we have all been building for the last two years. There has been a lot of pushing, waiting, patience, and diligence in making all this happen as an independent artist, and seeing people enjoy it finally feels like the sweetest treat.
