Those of you still rooting for the ex-child-star underdog eight years later will be thrilled to hear new single "Anyway" – an understated pop cut sure to get her back on the radar, this time for all the right reasons. Abstract samples drift in and out of swirling 1975-esque synths, with Black's voice unrecognisably mature when compared to the nasal tones of her breakout hit. "Anyway"'s chorus centres on a lilting, sunlit refrain – "I'm gonna love you anyway" – reminiscent of Anna of the North and other Nordic/Scandi pop merchants.
"Anyway" is the classy, grown-up change of direction we should always have seen coming from Rebecca Black. Scrolling the artists she follows on Instagram reveals how on-the-pulse her tastes are: big names such as MØ and Marina sit alongside breaking gems like BAUM and Chelsea Jade. Black – who for some time embodied the meme-ification of pop culture – has finally managed to capture the current pop zeitgeist on her own terms.
In all seriousness, this young woman might just be becoming a credible force to watch out for in pop music.
