13-year-old Rebecca Black has become an internet sensation with her song “Friday” which she posted on YouTube last week.
With over 22 million views (and counting) as of this writing, the viral video has catapulted the teen to instant fame, even capturing the attention of Simon Cowell.
“I love her the fact that she’s gotten so much publicity,” Cowell told People magazine on Friday. “People are so upset about the song, but I think it’s hysterical.”
“I want to meet her,” says the X-Factor executive producer. “Anyone who can create this much controversy within a week, I want to meet. I love people like that.”
The “controversy” surrounds the onslaught of nasty comments the teen has received about the song, which, she clarified in a recent interview, she didn’t write.
Black answered a casting-call with Los Angeles-based vanity record label, Ark Music Factory. She was invited back to record her choice of one of two songs the label had written for her, and as part of a $2000 package her mother paid for, a video of the song would be produced and released on YouTube. She picked “Friday.”
The song, which has already become one of iTunes’ top 100 downloaded this week, has been blasted as “the worst song ever” with lyrics such as, “Yesterday was Thursday, Today is Friday, We so excited, We gonna have a ball today, Tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday comes afterward.’
“I didn’t write it at all,” Black said, “The other song was about adult love–I haven’t experienced that yet. ‘Friday’ is about hanging out with friends, having fun. I felt like it was my personality in that song.”
Rebecca says she has become a target for cyberbullying, with comments from “haters” ridiculing her.
The eighth grader says she cried when she read some of the comments, but chose not to remove the video from YouTube. “I decided not to give the haters the satisfaction that they got me so bad I gave up.”
Watch Rebecca Black’s Friday video and Good Morning America interview video below.