Post by Jimmyzz on Feb 24, 2022 22:05:50 GMT
Happy Anniversary
“I’ve Always Had This Vibe”: Avril Lavigne on 20 Years Since Let Go
“I feel like the songs are deep and capture a lot of emotions,” says Lavigne. “I can still relate today.”
By Daniela Tijerina
February 24, 2022
By Daniela Tijerina
February 24, 2022
By Scott Gries/ImageDirect.
Growing up, Avril Lavigne recalls being described as an old soul. But ahead of the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Let Go, the 37-year-old Canadian pop-punk princess appears on Zoom as youthful as ever. She beams though the screen with her blonde locks tucked under a trucker hat, her blue eyes piercing through her signature thick smudged eyeliner, and black nail polish. It’s a look that’ll transport you back to 2002, when Lavigne first exploded onto the scene. It is almost as if she’s a Y2K artifact, frozen in time, ready to trek down memory lane. “I’ve always had this vibe and style,” says Lavigne. “And I’ve always stayed true to myself.”
Even Lavigne, who I’ve reached during a day off in Malibu, finds it “trippy” to look back at her career and be considered an influence. “I still feel young,” she says, as she takes a sip of green juice. But 20 years ago Lavigne grew up fast.
At just 17 years old, her brand of pop punk, with genre-defining anthems like “Sk8er Boi” and emotionally charged ballads like “Complicated” and “I’m With You,” changed the music industry. Dubbed the “Anti-Britney,” she raged onto the charts, originally signed by L.A. Reid, in juxtaposition to the bubblegum pop that dominated the airwaves in 2002, shattering the mold. She helped write her own songs, played guitar, wore her own clothes (a trademark uniform of undershirts, cargo pants, and neckties), and didn’t subscribe to mainstream ideas of femininity. If you didn’t see yourself in Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera, here was Avril. She became the poster child for alternative girls everywhere.
“I had to be strong. I had to fight,” Lavigne says of making her name in music. “I had to very quickly know who I was and what I wanted.”
Even Lavigne, who I’ve reached during a day off in Malibu, finds it “trippy” to look back at her career and be considered an influence. “I still feel young,” she says, as she takes a sip of green juice. But 20 years ago Lavigne grew up fast.
At just 17 years old, her brand of pop punk, with genre-defining anthems like “Sk8er Boi” and emotionally charged ballads like “Complicated” and “I’m With You,” changed the music industry. Dubbed the “Anti-Britney,” she raged onto the charts, originally signed by L.A. Reid, in juxtaposition to the bubblegum pop that dominated the airwaves in 2002, shattering the mold. She helped write her own songs, played guitar, wore her own clothes (a trademark uniform of undershirts, cargo pants, and neckties), and didn’t subscribe to mainstream ideas of femininity. If you didn’t see yourself in Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera, here was Avril. She became the poster child for alternative girls everywhere.
“I had to be strong. I had to fight,” Lavigne says of making her name in music. “I had to very quickly know who I was and what I wanted.”
A skater girl grown from her church choir in a small town in Ontario, Lavigne rose to fame writing songs about what she knew best: being a teenager. Lavigne’s own high school experience, observing cliques, inspired her megahit “Sk8er Boi.” To put it simply: “I liked skater boys,” says Lavigne. “Those were the guys I was hanging out with.” But her debut was about more than who she was crushing on, it also showcased her range as a songwriter. “I feel like the songs are deep and capture a lot of emotions,” says Lavigne. “I can still relate today.”
Her alternative style and persistence paid off, earning her five Grammy nominations, a coveted Moon Man for best new artist in a video at the MTV Video Music Awards (“That’s when it hit me that I had made it,” she says), a Rolling Stone cover story titled “On the Hunt With the Britney Slayer,” a Saturday Night Live performance, a world tour, and Let Go becoming the best-selling record by a Canadian artist in the 21st-century. “I was kind of a kid and the workload was literally insane,” says Lavigne. “But I did it.”
She looks back fondly at that time in her life. Labeled the rebel of the pop scene, Lavigne still considered herself to be “normal crazy,” excited to be out of the house, partying on tour but never doing drugs. “I did all my work,” she reminisces. “If I pulled an all-nighter and showed up in the lobby with a bottle of Jack in my hand from the night before, I still made it on the flight to the next city.” Today, she maintains a similar work ethic, “I’ll drink beer at night and green juice the next day. That’s me in a nutshell,” Lavigne says with a laugh. “I’m a well-rounded bitch!… And I’m a Libra.”
Two decades and seven albums later, some things never change. Lavigne’s still making music, love still sucks. Or at least it did when she started writing her new album, Love Sux, at home. “I know who I am now. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve gone through heartbreak,” says Lavigne. “Now I’m writing songs from a woman’s perspective.” The pop-punk stars aligned when Lavigne, who is signed to collaborator Travis Barker’s record label, DTA, got to work in the studio with producers John Feldmann and Mod Sun. She was ready to write “some cool fun rock shit,” she explains, penning head-banging anthems that glitter with Lavigne’s trademark sense of humor like “Bite Me,” and “Bois Lie (Ft. Machine Gun Kelly).” There’s even a throwback treat featuring Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus that had Lavigne fangirling. The album is as pure to the genre as it gets, yearning to be performed live.
But then, unexpectedly, Lavigne fell in love with Mod, inspiring more tender, vulnerable moments on the album like “Dare to Love Me.” “I’m in a good place and it’s very lighthearted, fun, and sassy,” says Lavigne. “And it’s strong and empowering.”
Now, she’s influenced a whole new crop of young artists like Willow Smith and Olivia Rodrigo who channel her signature brand of sing-along angst in their own music. “When I started out I had no idea that my music would mean that much to people,” says Lavigne. “To hear that these incredible artists listened to me growing up, it’s crazy.”
She’s also at the center of an exciting pop-punk revival. “It’s been really great to see the younger generation discover the OG bands and see the collaborations,” says Lavigne.
Really leaning into the pop-punk sound on her new record just felt natural, though she understands why people are popularizing the genre and appreciating the music again. “I think people had a lot of pent-up energy from being locked up inside in the pandemic,” says Lavigne. “This music is super fun and angsty, and I think people can really relate to that right now.”
And fans are eager to experience pop punk live. So much so that when Live Nation announced the When We Were Young festival lineup, people thought it was too good to be true. A nostalgia fest in Las Vegas that brings together some of the biggest bands in alt-rock like Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Bring Me the Horizon, and Lavigne among others. The bill reads like a Tumblr fantasy created by an emo-loving millennial. “Everyone is freaking out,” says Lavigne of the lineup. “I’m gonna party. I’m gonna have so much fun. I’m gonna get up onstage, do my thing. Do cartwheels and come off and hang out with everybody backstage and get lit.” She pauses, “I’ll have to pace myself though. I’m in my 30s.”
In an interview from 2002, a teenage Lavigne tells a reporter that she wants to have a long career and be known around the world. When Lavigne is reminded of this she flashes a big smile. Now, reflecting on that version of herself, as she’s about to release her seventh studio album, embark on yet another tour, receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and adapt “Sk8er Boi” into a feature film, she feels a sense of pride. “That’s so cool. I really wanted that,” says Lavigne. “I want to be doing this. It feels good to write songs. It makes me happy. This is me. This is when I feel my best.”
Her alternative style and persistence paid off, earning her five Grammy nominations, a coveted Moon Man for best new artist in a video at the MTV Video Music Awards (“That’s when it hit me that I had made it,” she says), a Rolling Stone cover story titled “On the Hunt With the Britney Slayer,” a Saturday Night Live performance, a world tour, and Let Go becoming the best-selling record by a Canadian artist in the 21st-century. “I was kind of a kid and the workload was literally insane,” says Lavigne. “But I did it.”
She looks back fondly at that time in her life. Labeled the rebel of the pop scene, Lavigne still considered herself to be “normal crazy,” excited to be out of the house, partying on tour but never doing drugs. “I did all my work,” she reminisces. “If I pulled an all-nighter and showed up in the lobby with a bottle of Jack in my hand from the night before, I still made it on the flight to the next city.” Today, she maintains a similar work ethic, “I’ll drink beer at night and green juice the next day. That’s me in a nutshell,” Lavigne says with a laugh. “I’m a well-rounded bitch!… And I’m a Libra.”
Two decades and seven albums later, some things never change. Lavigne’s still making music, love still sucks. Or at least it did when she started writing her new album, Love Sux, at home. “I know who I am now. I’ve loved, I’ve lost, I’ve gone through heartbreak,” says Lavigne. “Now I’m writing songs from a woman’s perspective.” The pop-punk stars aligned when Lavigne, who is signed to collaborator Travis Barker’s record label, DTA, got to work in the studio with producers John Feldmann and Mod Sun. She was ready to write “some cool fun rock shit,” she explains, penning head-banging anthems that glitter with Lavigne’s trademark sense of humor like “Bite Me,” and “Bois Lie (Ft. Machine Gun Kelly).” There’s even a throwback treat featuring Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus that had Lavigne fangirling. The album is as pure to the genre as it gets, yearning to be performed live.
But then, unexpectedly, Lavigne fell in love with Mod, inspiring more tender, vulnerable moments on the album like “Dare to Love Me.” “I’m in a good place and it’s very lighthearted, fun, and sassy,” says Lavigne. “And it’s strong and empowering.”
Now, she’s influenced a whole new crop of young artists like Willow Smith and Olivia Rodrigo who channel her signature brand of sing-along angst in their own music. “When I started out I had no idea that my music would mean that much to people,” says Lavigne. “To hear that these incredible artists listened to me growing up, it’s crazy.”
She’s also at the center of an exciting pop-punk revival. “It’s been really great to see the younger generation discover the OG bands and see the collaborations,” says Lavigne.
Really leaning into the pop-punk sound on her new record just felt natural, though she understands why people are popularizing the genre and appreciating the music again. “I think people had a lot of pent-up energy from being locked up inside in the pandemic,” says Lavigne. “This music is super fun and angsty, and I think people can really relate to that right now.”
And fans are eager to experience pop punk live. So much so that when Live Nation announced the When We Were Young festival lineup, people thought it was too good to be true. A nostalgia fest in Las Vegas that brings together some of the biggest bands in alt-rock like Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Bring Me the Horizon, and Lavigne among others. The bill reads like a Tumblr fantasy created by an emo-loving millennial. “Everyone is freaking out,” says Lavigne of the lineup. “I’m gonna party. I’m gonna have so much fun. I’m gonna get up onstage, do my thing. Do cartwheels and come off and hang out with everybody backstage and get lit.” She pauses, “I’ll have to pace myself though. I’m in my 30s.”
In an interview from 2002, a teenage Lavigne tells a reporter that she wants to have a long career and be known around the world. When Lavigne is reminded of this she flashes a big smile. Now, reflecting on that version of herself, as she’s about to release her seventh studio album, embark on yet another tour, receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and adapt “Sk8er Boi” into a feature film, she feels a sense of pride. “That’s so cool. I really wanted that,” says Lavigne. “I want to be doing this. It feels good to write songs. It makes me happy. This is me. This is when I feel my best.”
