Rebecca Black says 'delusional' JoJo Siwa inspired her to be more free on new album

Rebecca Black is breaking free with her new music, and she’s got JoJo Siwa to thank for the inspiration.

The forever iconic viral star recently spoke with People about the goals and fears she had surrounding her latest EP. Released Thursday, Salvation marks Black’s third studio EP since she first swerved onto the music scene with "Friday" in 2011. She also released a full studio album in 2023.

Continuing to explore and evolve her sound over the years, Black noted that she "wanted to really focus on creating something that felt really distinct and aligned within itself" with Salvation.

"Every piece of this project has been inspired by a woman going her own way — a way that is really loud and obnoxious and unafraid," she toldPeople. "I was looking at people like JoJo f—ing Siwa who are, and I mean this as a compliment, so outwardly delusional. I was so envious of that and of the freedom of saying what was on your mind and being a version of yourself that maybe people don't understand… I found that so inspiring, honestly."

Black and Siwa have both been in the public eye from a young age, and certainly can relate to one another on the basis of undergoing scrutiny for their music. Black was just 14 when "Friday" went viral and was relentlessly mocked online. Now, 14 years later, the song endures as a crowd-pleasing classic — not in spite of how silly it is, but because of it.

Black herself has spent that time navigating internet fame and pursuing a career in music that’s authentic to who she is, rather than the teenager who can’t make her mind up about which seat she could take. Finding inspiration in how Siwa has approached that hurdle between childhood stardom and seeking out identity as an adult is also in line with how embracing her own queerness and her queer fans has influenced her.

"The queer community has taught me so much about the person that I want to be, even regardless of my own sexuality," Black recently toldPRIDE. "The fact that queer people have always been at the front of the gambit to take somebody and make them theirs when it may not be the popular or easy thing to do is something that I’ve tried to really take on myself."