Avril Lavigne lyrics

Avril Lavigne biography

Before Avril Lavigne, teenage pop stars were expected to get tarted up and shake their pubescent booties to electro-dance tunes crafted by Swedish hitmakers such as Max Martin. Then along came this pint-size 16-year-old hellion from the tiny Canadian town of Napanee, Ontario, with her kohl-rimmed eyes, baggy skateboarder's pants, and a permanent scowl. Although she probably couldn't tell her Sex Pistols from her Ramones, Avril had the whiff of punk to distinguish her from the Britneys and Christinas. According to lore, she writes her own songs -- though the extent of her contribution is debatable. What is certain, however, is that the first three singles from Let Go -- all "cowritten" by Los Angeles-based production trio the Matrix -- were such perfect pieces of sour-apple bubblegum music that they made this teen pop star seem somehow less manufactured than the others. On top of how ridiculously catchy they were, the Matrix songs stood out thanks to the sassy wordplay in "Complicated" and the schoolyard narrative of star-crossed lovers in "Sk8er Boi." But within months of its release, the sound of the album was already dated. The Matrix had their hands on so many artists during late 2002 that their ultrasheen production became more immediately recognizable than the artists themselves.

Lavigne was smart to try new partners for Under My Skin, which lacks the immediacy of Let Go but makes up for that loss with mood and attitude. Whereas Let Go's aggro number "Losing My Grip" felt affected, the harder-edged songs on Under My Skin ("Take Me Away," "Together," and "Forgotten") have more genuine angst. "He Wasn't" is the punkest-sounding punk-pop song she's tackled yet, complete with Ramonesy "hey, hey, hey, hey"-ing. Avril cops some moves from Evanescence singer Amy Lee on a couple of tracks, but she seems to be growing into her own persona: the girl who flips the bird rather than curtsying, or lashes out at boys who didn't love her enough, rather than weeping about it. It's only a hair more authentic than before, but sometimes, a hair is all it takes. (JENNY ELISCU)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide

Avril Lavigne Lyrics

(Submit Avril Lavigne Lyrics)