Erupting into pop culture stardom with her 2011 viral hit ‘Friday’, Rebecca Black is back with her second studio album, Age of the Exhibitionist. Described by the artist as “made by gay people for gay people”, the album sees Black fully embrace her queerness while exploring themes of sexuality and exhibitionism. 

The album has been received enthusiastically by fans, being lauded for its production and queer elements, with some calling it one of the year’s best pop albums.

RGM’s album review describes it as “expressive, clever, and unabashedly queer, much like the rest of the album. It makes you want to get up and dance.”

Black came out in 2020 on the Dating Straight podcast and later told NME during an interview, “If you want to get down to specifics, I am queer, I am bi, I am pan. I am all of those. But I am also gay.” The artist has never shied away from her sexuality, instead choosing to celebrate her queer identity and making it a part of her music.

Having never signed with a label, Black independently funded and released Age of the Exhibitionist and intends to make the most of the freedom, staing: “I am actually not going to ask for permission this time, and I am just going to do it.” This decision has allowed her to take full creative control over the project and the related visuals.

Accompanying its release are three self-produced NSFW music videos for the tracks ‘Speakerphone’, ‘Michael’ and ‘Hot Wet Delirious’, as well as track visualisers with steamy, queer imagery and aesthetics taking centre stage.

Speaking with OUT, Black had this to say, “I think that there’s the pushback that every artist who makes unapologetically queer stuff gets pushback that they’re being pigeonholed. No! You need color to create your own. That’s what this album means to me. I hope people enjoy it. I hope they sweat, I hope they f***, I hope they do everything they need to do. There really is a song for everything on this record.”

The track list includes songs such as ‘Anaheim Star’, ‘Hot Wet Delirious’, ‘Exhibitionism’, ‘Backstage Baby Interlude’ and ‘Metamorphia’.

People will get to see Black perform Age of the Exhibitionist live as part of her upcoming North American Exhibitionism on Tour – Rebecca Black as: Miss Delicious. Black hopes it creates a welcoming queer environment for audience members. “I want people to walk into a show and feel like I have opened the doors for them. That is why I do what I do. I would never want somebody to walk in and feel out of place,” she said.

Age of the Exhibitionist is available to stream now.