Rebecca Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American pop singer who gained worldwide notoriety with her 2011 single “Friday”. Her mother reportedly paid $4000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson of ARK Music Factory. After the video went viral on YouTube and other social media sites, “Friday” was derided by many music critics and viewers, who dubbed it “the worst song ever”. The music video, uploaded to YouTube, has received more than 160 million views causing Black to gain international attention as a “viral star”. The song was released as a single and made the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts.