Rebecca Black – Age of the Exhibitionist (Album Review)

Rebecca Black delivers skipless dancefloor maximalism on “Age of the Exhibitionist.”

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TOP 5

5. Speakerphone

“Speakerphone” is the final track on Rebecca Black’s Age of the Exhibitionist, and was also released as a pre-album single. It’s expressive, clever, and unabashedly queer, much like the rest of the album. It makes you want to get up and dance.

She gets into her experience finding herself and growing up in the public eye, having been scrutinized since she was very young. Despite the difficulties of that, she is now in the age of the exhibitionist and proudly owning it. This closes the album very well, since that theme is explored in different ways on a lot of the tracks.

4. Corsetry

I liked every song before “Corsetry” and the pre-album singles, but “Corsetry” is the song where I knew how fantastic this album really is. It deals with feeling constrained and like she can’t breathe, causing distance from the people she loves and even herself. The metaphor of corsetry is clever—it used to be used as a garment that constrained women to make them look smaller, but it is now often used as lingerie, and this album deals a lot with sexual themes.

It has more minimal production than some of the other dance tracks on the album, based mostly on percussion, but it’s still definitely a good track to dance to, which contrasts with the constrained themes of the song. She does this contrast very well in general, but it particularly stood out on “Corsetry.”

3. Visions Again

“Visions Again” deals with internal skepticism, overthinking, and missed connections. This track is especially tied to the title of Age of the Exhibitionist. There’s a lack of being truly seen in the current age of digital exhibitionism, which leads to the spiraling she sings about in “Visions Again.”

Musically, it combines these negative themes with a wonderful dance track. It reminds me of Charli xcx’s BRAT in the best possible way. Despite the pain, Rebecca is dancing anyway. There’s also some very well-done repetition that feels like a spiral but fuels the dance beat.

2. Metamorphia

“Metamorphia” is a huge standout. It is maximalism at its finest. It’s about losing yourself in the sensory-heavy environment of the club. It is a place of change and metamorphosis where you can escape your fears and inhibitions. It is also a place of queer expression, according to Rebecca, where everyone there can be themselves without fear of the outside world ruining it.

“Metamorphia” is a masterclass in maximalist production. So much is going on at once, but there are sudden moments of quiet, all of which are followed by moments of a wall of sound in the best possible way. This would be an amazing track to dance to. I feel BRAT influence again here, but it is undeniably Rebecca Black, and there is nothing derivative about it. It is far more maximalist. This song is brilliantly conceptualized and produced.

1. Waschesalon

Talk about maximalism. “Waschesalon” is about the idea of an underground queer club operating inside a laundromat, which she conceptualized with her crew in Germany (why the song translates to “laundromat” in German). This is the perfect dance song. So much is going on, but it never feels like too much. I am obsessed with the unique concept and the fabulous production. She also talks about how she’s a successful musician despite having been called “mediocre” in the past, likely due to the infamy of her song “Friday.” She really used that song’s notoriety to her advantage—people were curious about what she’d do as an adult, and it’s sexy, maximalist dance pop in this case. I’m obsessed.

This song also matches the title Age of the Exhibitionist in a different way. She’s openly being intimate in the middle of this imaginary club. The age of the exhibitionist can be about people seeing others’ every move on social media (especially that of a pop star), but it can also be deliberate, sexual exhibition in the middle of a queer club. “Waschesalon” is absolutely fantastic conceptually, and the music matches.

SONG BY SONG RATING

Anaheim Star (4/5)

Hot Wet Delirious (4.5/5)

Exhibitionism (4.5/5)

Corsetry (4.5/5)

Miss Delicious (4.5/5)

Pistol (4.5/5)

Backstage Baby Interlude (4/5)

Michael. (4.5/5)

Visions Again (5/5)

Waschesalon (5/5)

Metamorphia (5/5)

Speakerphone (4.5/5)

RGM RATING

(A)

I am blown away by Age of the Exhibitionist. Rebecca Black is truly a force to be reckoned with. The idea that fans of artists like Charli XCX or FKA Twigs could discount this because it’s Rebecca Black is truly a terrible thought. Maximalist, brilliantly conceptualized dance pop and electropop are at their best here.

Every single song on this album is very good. If you’re a fan of electropop and interesting production, this album is for you. The way she celebrates queer identity on this record is fantastic, the production delivers something new every time, and there is never a dull moment. Rebecca Black deserves all the success in the world after this. The way that Rebecca has used a previous song’s notoriety to deliver some of the best dance-pop you’ve heard in years is so impressive, and everyone should drop what they’re doing, put on a good pair of headphones or turn on some good-quality speakers, and listen to this right now.