Music
The hidden gems of Ark Music Factory
We have Los Angeles-based Ark Music Factory to thank for the fact that Rebecca Black now has a manager and is in the studio working on her second single. Do any other Ark Music Factory phenomena deserve the type of fame that Black is experiencing? We took to YouTube to see if any of them do, and the answer is yes.
‘Ordinary Pop Star’ | CJ Fam
Her voice is the lovechild of Miley Cyrus and Alvin the chipmunk. To picture her, just imagine a baby drag queen competing on “Toddlers & Tiaras.” This is CJ Fam, who, according to what will hopefully be her hit single, just wants to be an ordinary pop star. And I hope she becomes an extraordinary pop star, because she has the most expressive voice of the Ark Music Factory “artists.” No Auto-Tune can be found on this song, although it would probably help. She has the stage presence and utter diva-hood that Rebecca Black is missing, so it’s only a matter of time before CJ Fam takes over the world.
‘My Jeans’ | Jenna Rose
Okay, so Jenna Rose isn’t a product of Ark Music Factory…yet. But seeing as the video is already at 3 million views on YouTube, it’s only a matter of time before “My Jeans” blows up to become bigger than “Friday.” In the video, 12-year-old Jenna Rose accuses celebrities like Ashley Tisdale and Keke Palmer of wearing her jeans. Please note that she never wears jeans in the actual music video. Musically, the song is an Auto-Tuned disaster, but the lyrics are pure gold. Highlights include, “It feels like Heelys are racing down my spine” and “Ha ha ha ha / Jack my swag.” Up-and-coming emcee Baby Triggy guests on the track, spitting out wicked lines like “Trig bought a new Blackberry / Just take the picture already.” Who cares if she can actually sing? If “Friday” is supposed to be so bad it’s good, “My Jeans” takes the cake.
‘Can’t Get You Out of My Mind’ | Kaya Rosenthal
This video is catchier than “Friday” and has two dance numbers to boot. However, it does absolutely nothing to put to rest the conspiracy theory that Ark Music Factory is just an outfit to make producer Patrice Wilson a famous rapper. Despite some questionable production decisions (manipulating Kaya’s voice to sound deeper than James Earl Jones’ or a dance-off with a boy who clearly cannot dance), this song deserves radio play. Kaya is a young version of Cascada. With the right training, she could become the next Britney Spears.
And of course, here is Rebecca Black’s hit video, Friday, shown here for your viewing pleasure.