Home > News & Reviews > Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne - What The Hell (Single Review)
Thursday, 13 January 2011 Written by Heather McDaid
Avril Lavigne - What The Hell (Single Review)

At 26, Avril Lavigne has a new offering in the form of ‘What the Hell?’, her first single from her fourth studio release 'Goodbye Lullaby'. It’s become an accepted fact that Avril has moved on greatly from her debut 'Complicated', but you can’t deny the lyrics sound like that of a relatively hormonal teenager looking for a good time. 

“You say that I’m messing with your head all ‘cause I was making out with your friend” is the opening line to what is apparently a more mature Avril, and it’s hard to sense that maturity from this song alone. She has already spoken out claiming the rest of her album will be “more personal” and that this is seemingly a one off track in terms of subject. 
 
ImageSome even suggest that you can sense a deeper message from the song by looking at her personal life and recent split, but with such an upbeat song it’s hard to envisage divorce as the underlying subject matter as you listen. “All I want is to mess around” / “All my life I’ve been good and now I’m like ‘What the hell?’” If anything, to look for some meaning, it comes across as more of a fresh start and new, fun approach to life.  
 
What’s frustrating about this track is simple - it’s so damn catchy. It is a typical Avril Lavigne song of today – poppy, fun and will inevitably get stuck in your head within a few listens. In much likeness to 2007’s ‘Girlfriend’, this isn’t a revolutionary piece musically but it encompasses the pop-rock sound Avril has been creating over the years. It’s essentially designed to be a hit. 
 
In theory, it should reflect the success of 'Girlfriend' – commercially thriving, undeniably catchy and a song that perfectly fits the ‘Avril Lavigne sound’ that she has progressed to. It is definitely a track to watch out for and one you’ll get sick of simply because you can’t get the annoyingly addictive pop beats out of your head.
 
It’s a far cry from the more rebellious ‘Sk8er Boi’ era, but definitely a song that reflects the older, more fun loving Avril Lavigne.




Let Us Know What You Think - Leave A Comment!


More Reviews from Heather McDaid

Chuck Ragan

Chuck Ragan - Till Midnight
Black Lips

Black Lips - Underneath The Rainbow
Katy B

Katy B - Little Red
Augustines

Augustines - Augustines
Tom Brosseau

Tom Brosseau - Grass Punks
Decade

Decade - Good Luck
Roadrunner Records

XXX: Three Decades Of Roadrunner Records
Strange Names

Strange Names - Strange Names
Anathema

Anathema - Universal
Drones

Drones - Free Marked Kid
Tonight Alive

Tonight Alive - The Other Side
The Kev Walker Band

The Kev Walker Band - Biding My Time


Related News

Tomboy To Tear Jerker: Growing Up With Avril Lavigne
Thu 07 Nov 2019
Growing up is a process that everyone must endure, whether we like it or not. Some of us change radically, while others change in more subtle ways. Over 17 years since her debut release Avril Lavigne is back, and the one-time pop-punk icon has completed the latest in a long series of stylistic shifts with her new album, 'Head Above Water'.
Avril Lavigne Adds Third London Date To Head Above Water Tour
Fri 25 Oct 2019
Avril Lavigne has added a third London date to her Head Above Water Tour.
Avril Lavigne Adds Second O2 Academy Brixton Date To Head Above Water Tour
Wed 23 Oct 2019
Avril Lavigne has added a second London date to her Head Above Water Tour.
Morrissey Lines Up Spring Release For New Album 'I Am Not A Dog On A Chain'
Fri 29 Nov 2019
Morrissey has announced a new album.
Uncovered Roots: The Joy Formidable On The Welsh Language and Their Debut EP At 10
Mon 18 Nov 2019
Photo: Steve Reynolds Some musicians believe that they have cracked the mystery behind perpetual motion, and that the secret is to never stop inching into the future. There are times, though, when a brief pit stop is a welcome distraction; a chance to reframe and understand past achievements in the context of a body of work. 
The Flaming Lips And Deap Vally Announce Collaborative Album 'Deap Lips', Share New Song
Fri 06 Dec 2019
Deap Vally and the Flaming Lips will release a collaborative album next spring.
Cold War Kids - New Age Norms 1 (Album Review)
Wed 20 Nov 2019
With the economics of the music industry in a prolonged state of flux, bands have found new ways to get by. Cold War Kids, who burst onto the American indie scene with ‘Robbers and Cowards’ in 2006, have decided to release three short albums instead of one full LP. ‘New Age Norms 1’ is the first in that series and to longtime fans the results will be pleasing. 
Beck - Hyperspace (Album Review)
Fri 29 Nov 2019
Photo: Citizen Kane Wayne Beck’s 14th studio record follows hot on the heels of his 2017 offering, ‘Colors’, and in many ways acts as a musical response. Where that record was a raucous and bouncy romp through beats and synth riffs, ‘Hyperspace’ is more gloomy, with introspection accompanying retro chill-wave and washy dream pop...plus a lot of the same synths.
 
< Prev   Next >