Rebecca Black says she still gets paid from hit song ‘Friday’.
It’s 2011, you’re on the school yard, in the car, in the park, out at the shops and all that’s on your mind is ‘Friday, Friday, Gotta get down on Friday’.
You can’t get to the end of the week without singing ‘everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend’.
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It was a song we couldn’t escape but we all secretly loved it – or at least loved to hate it.
And the then 13-year-old singer had her life changed by it totally overnight.
Twelve years later, Black has revealed she still makes money from the pop song today - today (21 June) actually being her birthday, with Black having just turned 25.
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In case you somehow can’t remember the hit, it was released on YouTube, as well as iTunes, where the teen went absolutely viral, with millions of views in just a few days.
It got so iconic she even featured in the music video for Katy Perry’s ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)’.
The California-born ‘Friday’ singer opened up about her earnings from the song in an interview with The H3 Podcast.
Host Ethan Klein asked her: “Were you guys ever actually able to make any money?”
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And Black responded: “Yeah, I own the master of the song. I didn’t write it, so I don’t own the publishing, but I own the master.”
‘Friday’ was written by record label ARK Music Factory, who went on to have a few legal issues with Black surrounding copyright.
The video ended up temporarily removed from YouTube and the ARK founder (and co-writer of ‘Friday’) did agree for her to have the masters.
Klein said on the podcast recorded earlier this year: “So you own the recording. So anytime anybody used the song, you get paid. And also does ARK get paid for the writing? How does that work.”
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Black couldn’t answer this so the host continued: “So that’s nice though, that at least you made a little bit of money from it. And are you still getting paid if people use it?”
The singer said: “Yeah, sometimes. I mean I have a lot of other stuff going on now luckily that it’s not my main source of revenue.
“But the way that it works in the entertainment industry when you’re underage – the way that it’s supposed to work at least – you get a Coogan Account (a special trust fund)] set up, so when you turn 18, 20 percent of everything you’ve ever made gets opened up to you and only you.”
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After the dividing hit of ‘Friday’, Black continued to release music and other videos to YouTube.
In 2021, she celebrated the song’s tenth anniversary with a hyperpop remix featuring 3OH!3, Big Freedia and Dorian Electra.
She's also had her debut solo album, Let Her Burn, and released dates for a UK and US tour. Black will also take to the stage in London next month as one of the opening acts for Blackpink at British Summer Time in Hyde Park.
Topics: Entertainment, Music, Money
Jess Battison