Avril Lavigne - 'Girlfriend' - THE BIG DEBATE
Sometimes a song comes along which divides the nation neatly into two camps, people who love it and people who hate it. Such a song is Avril Lavigne's comeback anthem 'Girlfriend'.
So, rather than try and cover the full range of opinion with a wishy-washy review which attempts to see both sides and fails to truly engage with the debate, two reviews have been commissioned - one keen, one mean (or to put it into 'Avrilspeak', one for the r8-erz and one for the h8-erz). And none of that cute journalistic cack where people are forced to adopt an opinion just so they can write about it. These are REAL FEELINGS being aired, in all of their gory glory.
ONE FOR THE R8-ERZ
It's official - Avril Lavigne has seen the light, folks. Gone are all the pretensions of teenage angst and muso credibility (always a hotly-debated issue, that), and replacing them is full-on power pop sensibility. She has sold-in in the most extreme fashion possible. (Yes, sold in. You may say sell out, but that has negative connotations. I say sell in, because this is the smartest thing she's done in years.)
Imagine if Toni Basil's 'Mickey' had an evil twin. Got that? Good: you now know exactly what 'Girlfriend' sounds like: it's a cheerleader-dizzy, ridiculously catchy pop song that, instead of prettily pleading for a boy's attention, brashly demands that he dump that frumpy cow he's currently seeing and immediately pitch up with Avril instead.
Avril purists may pale (yes, even more than usual) at the sheer commerciality of the track (lest we forget, 'Sk8er Boi' was organically formed from potato mulch by Avril's own hands and made its way into the record stores through the power of good intentions alone, with no involvement from a marketing person or record company at any stage), but this is the most brilliantly brutal piece of spite-pop since the halcyon days of Daphne and Celeste.
And since the record-buying public completely failed to get the joke with those two, I implore you not to make the same mistake twice.
Released: April 2nd
(Steve Perkins)
ONE FOR THE H8-ERZ
Anyone who says Avril had no integrity in the first place is wrong. Let Go's introspective lyrics and her moody black eyes were the starting point for any emo worth their salt (even if they won't admit it today), and the songs had soul, albeit of the melodramatic, teenage variety.
She set the standard for any pop princess entering their "rawk chick" phase (looking at you, Kelly Clarkson), and whilst she might've been manufactured, her "don't mess with me" attitude made it quite clear that she wasn't wrapped around too many record exec's little fingers.
However, with this monstrosity of a song, Avril has disproved any credibility she might've once had - it has neither the lyrical sass of 'Complicated' nor the pop-punk fairytale goodness of 'Sk8er Boi'. For a 22-year old married woman to be dressed up like a 12-year old emo is bad enough, but when she's singing catty trash like "I don't like your girlfriend", no amount of "hey heys" is going to convince us that there's any kind of Ramones-esque credibility under this tosh.
Av's gone through some interesting image changes, from a baggy trousered teen to a chic young woman, then regressed back to a Primark 'punk', directly aimed at young teenage girls who aren't as picky as the 'Emous I'm-so-originalus' 16 year old.
Released: April 2nd
(Laura S)
There. That should cover it...If you're only of the tiny minority of people who just think it's alright, your opinions will not have been represented here, sadly. Why not write your OWN review and send it in? Comments, please!
Listen to Avril on the Radio 1 Chart Show...
The inside scoop on Avril's Radio 1 concert...
See the Radio 1 online gallery of Avril shots...
Avril Lavigne Lookalikes...
Comments
The lyrics to this song is a load of rubbish fair play, but its jus too much of a catchy song to hate :D.......lurv it!! hehe x.x.x
Reviews.
Just left 鈥淗uddersfield鈥, which is a big mess on our hands, had a dollop of candy, noticed that a neighbour of mine is named Godinho, (absolutely true), not Gaudino, and Ronson here does not seem to be the name of a shaver or a lead guitarist, slid down a venomous snake, ticked off the postman for delivering mail constantly to the wrong address, seems to be similar to being like a boy in a Charlie Chaplin film.
It was Mother鈥檚 Day last Chart Show, and Avril鈥檚 mother was said to be on the tour. The word 鈥渕other鈥 is too much like the word 鈥渕oth鈥, and either it or moth should be struck out of the dictionary to avoid this. 鈥淕irlfriend鈥 through the grill, if there is some controversy then perhaps it makes it more interesting. The golf and stuff video of the song appears to end up in the loo ( can be a.k.a. amongst other names the lav, WC, toilet or even bog ) where blegging might occur with requests to be taken to the capital of Blugaria.
Now I'll paint a wall while I think of the Yu Tu and how to start something up like Google, with Page & Brin, or a band such as Led Zep with Page & Plant.
er so let me get this striaght, to quote steve p above "brashly demands that he dump that frumpy cow he's currently seeing and immediately pitch up with Avril instead."
and you problem with this been? i think i could cope with this - yer its pop trash and catchy music that stickes in your head - but come on she looks nicer than britany in her school girl outfit - so i doubt any guy out there will wanna diss her - and only jealous girls will - those who think she's fly won't care!
Romeo
i think i liked it until EVERYONE started playing it
now it just gets on my nerves
and the video sets a bad example!
The vid says it all... let's all be original and ourselves as long as we're one of the hip crowd. Street-Kool sk8er scruff chick discovers the delight of being valley-girl goth-punk chick (whose mummy buys all her clothes) and bullying the kid who isn't as kool as she and her rawk-chick friends are. Yep, Avril shows being yourself is the way to be... but only when being yourself is being in with the in-crowd.
I don't mind the song so much but the video brought back bad memories of being bullied at high school. I wouldn't like my 10 year old daughter to watch it at all! Bit controversial from the girl who helped make Geekgirls cool in sk8er boi to come back with 'tough girl in gang beats up on defenseless nerd'.
The song is ok, but its annoying because everyone plays it. i think she looks nicer now, more fashionable and its not her new style I have a problem with.
I think she's changed alot and she used to be against this sorta stuff that she sings about. And the video isn't that nice, because girls do get bullied like that. Not as comically, but it happens. Its not her best song either compared to stuff on her other albums. Some of the songs she didn't release were amazing. So its kinda gutting really.
I looooooooooove this song. =D
i love your song u are very good at singer it is like a sing i would choose to sing to this boy
i love you song it is very good i love it!!!!!
mint sis keep up the good werk x
www.Avril2001.tk
The Best Damn Avril Site