When I saw Avril, I believed in "Rock and Roll Never Die"

◎Wang Jia

  Canadian rock singer Avril Lavigne recently released her long-lost seventh studio album "Love Sux", announcing the official return of "Punk Princess".

A few months before the album's debut, she has released the first single "Bite Me" and the second single "Love It When You Hate Me". These two new songs have lifted the spirits of all Avril Lavigne fans who have followed for many years. : The "Little Rock Devil" who grew up with the post-80s and accompanied us through the rebellious adolescence really came back.

  Twenty years after his debut, he is still "Little Rock Devil"

  2022 will be a year to remember for Avril Lavigne, as June will mark the full twentieth anniversary of the release of her world-swept debut album, "Let Go."

The punk girl with long straight hair, smoky makeup, and singing "Sk8er Boi" on a skateboard seems to be lingering in our memory, but ignores the rock and roll that accompanies us on the road of youth Xiao Moxian is actually a post-80s generation, and two years later, he is about to enter the year of no confusion.

  In a recent interview, she revealed the details of the signing and production of her debut album.

She said that at the time, almost no one cared about the idea of ​​a 15-year-old girl, all thinking about how to package her instead of letting her free to be a singer-songwriter.

After talking about several labels, she finally met "Bole" who respected her ideas, and finally became an instant hit despite all odds.

You must know that around the millennium, punk music was still classified as a niche "alternative" music category.

Being able to secure the throne of pop punk princess with her first studio album, and to have countless fans in the era of the record industry where there are no streaming media channels such as Douyin and YouTube, and only survive on TV broadcasts and record sales, it is obvious that she only relies on youthful vitality. music is not enough.

  The petite appearance and delicate and sweet appearance are also the natural advantages of Avril Lavigne to make the niche punk music popular.

I believe many of her music fans have seen this punk princess jumping on stage with an electric guitar on several tours in her country, singing "Hey! Hey! You! You! I don't like your girlfriend" cool typhoon.

  However, as she was afflicted by Lyme disease for a while and was forced to leave the stage, more life experience has also allowed her to change her energetic style over the past two albums, away from the stage and more lyrical even. Let music fans feel that this little rock fairy who was in the music world at that time is out of breath, and the tour of her sixth album "Head Above Water" postponed due to the epidemic makes her feel more and more distant from us.

Because of this, when she released the first single "Bite Me" of her seventh studio album at the end of last year, she watched the frozen-aged girl in the MV who seemed to have eaten preservatives, accompanied by the voice of the electric guitar "Ayo". ~" Immediately recalled the memory back to twenty years ago.

Yes, only Avril, who returned to her original heart to play punk, is the "Little Rock Devil" that we are familiar with.

  New label, new boyfriend, she still dares to love and hate

  Regarding the new album returning to the punk genre after a few years, in addition to Avril's own aspirations, several objective factors are also extremely critical.

First, on November 3, 2021, she announced her signing to a new label, DTA Records.

The owner of the new company is the drummer of the band Blink-182, Travis Buckle, who is recognized as the "drum god" in the rock industry. Avril's move undoubtedly heralds her determination to return to pop punk.

Second, Lavigne lost confidence in her marriage after her failed marriage to two-time rocker husband SUM 41's Derek Webber and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroger.

She mocked herself in a recent interview with Kelly Clarkson: "I walked into the studio thinking I was tired of being in love, and when I finished writing the album titled 'Love' Sux, a few days after setting the tone for this album, uh...I have a new boyfriend."

  Her new boyfriend, rock singer Derek Smith, stage name "Mod Sun", co-wrote 9 of the 12 new songs on Avril Lavigne's new album.

Although the new album does not include the duo's duet cooperation, but a few months before the release of the first single "Bite Me", Avril Lavigne made a cameo appearance in "Flames" for her boyfriend, and the chemistry they ignited in the song actually became "Preview" of the new album.

She said "Love is nonsense", but fell in love again in minutes. Although she was almost no longer confused, she was still the punk princess who dared to love and hate.

 "The most offbeat album I've made from start to finish"

  Since I got the new album "Love Sux", it has been playing on a loop in my ears for more than half a month.

I heard the most when I was doing weight lifting, because it was really exciting.

The 12 songs in the whole album only have a soothing love song "Dare To Love Me", and the other 11 songs all carry out the main theme of "punk to death".

  In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Avril Lavigne described Love Sux as "the most offbeat album I've ever made, from start to finish," stressing that the process of recording the album felt like "going back to high school, with all those guys who stayed with me. The people I grew up with were together, and it was effortless."

  From the first single "Bite Me" to the second single "Love It When You Hate Me", to the live performances on various platforms to promote the album, her "Drum God" boss Travis Buckle has been with her. Playing on the same stage also injected a bit of hard core into the already familiar and energetic pop-punk genre of "Punk Princess".

With the help of her boyfriend Derek Smith, Avril Lavigne can finally enjoy her beloved punk on the new album.

  In addition, "Love Sux" is also the one with the most duets with other artists since her debut 7 albums.

The "Bois Lie" duet with the popular "Machine Gun Brother" Machine Gun Kelly sings and complains that the boys and girls are wrong; "Love When You Hate Me" with the rapper Blackbear shows the deep love and hatred between lovers ; and "All I Wanted," featuring the lead singer of Blink-182, chanted vows of love amidst raucous drum beats.

The author's two favorite songs in the album, "Kiss Me Like The World Is Ending" and "Avalanche", completely made "Drum God" Buckle addicted. The original punk drum beats and Avril Lavigne's iconic high-pitched voice The line does make these two themes of love like the end of the world and an avalanche fit quite well.

In an interview with Nylon magazine, she emphasized: "This album is lighthearted and joyful, although some of the songs are about heartbreak and breakups, it's powerful, it sends a positive message to people, and it makes people stand up for themselves, have self-worth."

  Avril Lavigne considered Love Sux an album "that I wanted to make for my entire career".

After experiencing ups and downs in life such as marriage, illness, job-hopping, etc., she finally presented the music she most wanted to make through this album.

"Love Sux" is a boisterous, energetic, very personal album.

It contains Avril Lavigne's love, like-minded partners and her musical ideals that have never changed.

On the cover of the album, she still has straight blond hair, smoky makeup and black nail polish, a black navel suspender and a short leather skirt, and a pair of 10cm+ black patent leather muffin boots. Put the black balloons in front of the orange-red background.

Although he is no longer rebellious and has passed the age of skateboarding, he is still rock and roll.

Twenty years later, our "Punk Princess" seems to have stopped time.

The so-called "rock is not dead", maybe it's true.