News | Entertainment
16 Feb 2026 20:13
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Rebecca Black felt "crushed" when other celebrities made fun of her at the start of her career

    The 27-year-old singer became suddenly known around the world in 2011 with her track 'Friday' - which her mother had paid the now-defunct ARK Music Factory $4,000 to write and also film an accompanying music video - but struggled with the negative reaction from those in the industry that she looked up to, until Lady Gaga hailed her as a "genius" in an interview.


    Speaking on the YouTube series 'Mythical Kitchen', she said: "[Gaga's comment] was so special and it's only meant more to me, I think, as I've kind of gone throughout my career and have tried to navigate this entire process.

    "I was a huge Lady Gaga fan, I was a huge Katy Perry fan, I had Justin Bieber cutouts in my bedroom.

    "It was such crazy experience to go from, like, living in my bedroom and all of these people being so far away to, all of a sudden like, them mentioning your name somewhere or just acknowledging that you exist.

    "And a lot of those experiences were people who were obviously, like, poking fun and laughing. That can be like, slightly crushing as a kid to see all of your idols...you know... it was a bizarre one, two of 'Wait, this person knows I exist, that doesn't make any sense' to kind of immediately being the butt of a joke."

    The 'Sick to My Stomach' singer also noted that these days, she is appreciative of artist fandoms because they have learned to stick up for each other.

    She said: "I just was so appreciative, especially right now with the culture that we're in, of having all of these armies of people that you're kind of responsible for in pop culture. A lot of them are battling each other. To me, not to say that any one artist is 100 per cent responsible for their fans' behaviour, but you do kind of lead the way of guiding the messaging.

    "Ever since then, so many Gaga fans and Katy fans have been so kind to me and I've always appreciated that as someone who is just a girl who is trying to figure it out."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     16 Feb: Ashley Roberts wrongly announced Dick Van Dyke had died instead of James Van Der Beek
     16 Feb: Jesy Nelson's petition with Parliament, to demand all newborn babies born in the UK are tested for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), will receive a response from the UK government after it was signed more than 66,000 times
     16 Feb: The FBI has revealed "new identifying details" about a suspect in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance
     16 Feb: The Backstreet Boys would love to perform the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2027
     16 Feb: 'Signal sniffers' used in search for missing person Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker
     16 Feb: Reese Witherspoon feels "devastated" by James Van Der Beek's death
     16 Feb: Stephen Graham is reportedly set to front a rebrand of Stone Island
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    A Super Rugby referee clanger in round one More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Severe weather has impacted the housing market More...



     Today's News

    Entertainment:
    Ashley Roberts wrongly announced Dick Van Dyke had died instead of James Van Der Beek 19:57

    Entertainment:
    Jesy Nelson's petition with Parliament, to demand all newborn babies born in the UK are tested for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), will receive a response from the UK government after it was signed more than 66,000 times 19:27

    General:
    How cheating allegations have rocked the curling teams at the Olympics 19:07

    Business:
    Severe weather has impacted the housing market 18:57

    Entertainment:
    The FBI has revealed "new identifying details" about a suspect in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance 18:57

    Environment:
    Almost 5-thousand households across the Wellington region remain without power 18:37

    Entertainment:
    The Backstreet Boys would love to perform the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2027 18:27

    Entertainment:
    'Signal sniffers' used in search for missing person Nancy Guthrie's pacemaker 18:07

    Rugby:
    A Super Rugby referee clanger in round one 18:07

    Entertainment:
    Reese Witherspoon feels "devastated" by James Van Der Beek's death 17:57


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd