Avril Lavigne, Love Sux | Album Review 💿

Overall, Canadian standout Avril Lavigne delivers a respectable return to form with her seventh studio album, Love Sux.  

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ometimes, you can get away from what made you famous and notable initially. For 🎙 Avril Lavigne, it was an edgier brand of pop – emo and punk-infused.  Then, the 🏆 Grammy-nominated Canadian musician ‘grew up’, and moved away from her brand.  Now, 37 as opposed to 17 (when 💿 Let Go arrived in 2002), she returns to form on her seventh studio album, 💿 Love Sux. Characterizing Love Sux as a ‘tour de force’ would be an overstatement but album number seven is consistent, enjoyable, and respectable from start to finish.

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“Cannonball”

🤩 🎵 “Cannonball” commences Love Sux aggressively and unapologetic – we’d expect no less with a title like “Cannonball.” Indeed, Avril Lavigne comes into Love Sux “like a cannonball” as the chorus asserts.  She keeps things short but potent to the n^th degree. The track comprises driving rhythms, heavy guitars, and of course, those commanding Lavigne vocals.  All in all, it is a great start to an album that finds the Canadian returning to form.

On 🎵 “Bois Lie,” Lavigne collaborates with rapper turned punk-pop star 🎙 Machine Gun Kelly.  In the spirit of punk, it’s a relatively short record, clocking in well under three minutes.  Avril takes first blood, establishing that angst-filled persona in the first verse and following chorus.  MGK enters the picture in the second verse, collaborating with Avril throughout the remainder of the record.  Is the song deep? Nope – it’s tongue-in-cheek – but sure to please many.

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“Bite Me”

“Eh-oh, you should’ve known better, better to fuck with someone like me / Eh-oh, forever and ever you’re gonna wish I was your wifey.” Woo! 🤩 🎵 “Bite Me,” an early, advanced Love Sux single, doesn’t miss a beat.  It commences with those beloved (or polarizing) whiny Avril vocals. Like the two preceding tracks, it’s assertive, melodic, and clearly, a throwback to the aughts.  Perhaps most of all, “Bite Me” is incredibly catchy, including the perfectly placed f-bomb, something aughts Avril didn’t do – different time, of course.  “Eh-oh, and we’ll be together never, so baby, you can bite me.”

She manages to muster some bite and angst on another advanced single, 🤩 🎵 “Love it When You Hate Me”.  Lavigne gets help from the versatile 🎙 blackbear.  They co-write alongside 🎼✍ Derek “MOD SUN” Smith and 🎼✍ John Feldmann. Early on, Lavigne is locked in and true to self.  The song begins abruptly with Lavigne proclaiming, “I’m a lush / And I’m drunk again off another crush, don’t rush.” Oh snap!  After setting things up during the first verse, the sing-along, energetic chorus confirms this is vintage (or near-vintage) Avril with its quick tempo, rhythmic guitars, and those surefire punk vibes:

“Don’t call me baby, I love it when you hate me

I know it’s crazy, I love it when you hate me

The highs, the lows, the yes, the no’s

You’re so hot when you get cold

Don’t call me baby, I love it when you hate me.”

Blackbear arrives for the first time in the second verse, providing clear contrast with his melodic rap vibe (“Running out of fucks that I could give to you / But you could still be pretty on the inside too / … Should’ve seen the red flags, but for you, I’m fucking blind”). Lavigne / blackbear join forces following his verse – two distinctly different voices. All in all, it marks another enjoyable post-prime Avril record.  She still has the bite that made her a force ‘back in the day.’ 

Appears in 🔽:

• Awesome Songs: January 2022

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“Love Sux”

Five tracks in, title track 🤩 🎵 “Love Sux” finally arrives in all its glory.  Honestly, it’s all one expects it to be prior to hearing it.  Essentially, Lavigne turns the worst aspects of love into our listening pleasure.  “Love Sux” is quick, catchy as albeit, and a surefire bop.  Again, gotta heart the melody (quite tuneful) and another perfectly placed f-bomb.  The chorus is pop-ready ready for sure, or should I say, punk-pop ready!  Keeping things energetic AF, 🤩 🎵 “Kiss Me Like the World is Ending” doesn’t back off the quick tempo or proactive, assertive approach taken by the singer.  The melody remains a pro, with agile, rhythmic lines.  Furthermore, the backdrop is sweet, perfectly combining the punk-pop aesthetic with some pop trickery (the synths).  One of my favorite parts is the bridge, which is smoother, contrasting the other sections of the songs.

🤩 🎵 “Avalanche” marks the first song that extends beyond three minutes – say it ain’t so! The record still maintains a rhythmic identity, even without percussion playing a role early on.  The guitar is the key accompaniment instrument initially, with the warmness of strings (cello) entering the mix later. Eventually, the punk-pop aesthetic reveals itself once more, but I like how Lavigne and company show more range and additional contrast on this one. It’s not quite a ballad but the closest thing Love Sux has to a ballad for sure.  For a second consecutive track, the duration expands beyond three minutes.  Again, it’s well worth it on 🎵 “Déjà vu,” where Lavigne asks herself in the chorus, “Am I insane expecting you to change? It’s the same thing over and over / Déjà vu.” Woo! Gotta love the mammoth, pummeling drums, and heavy-handed guitars on the chorus, not to mention those signature pipes! Once again, I love the contrast of the bridge – #ROCK ON.

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“F.U.” 

Did the previous two cuts run too long? No worries – 🎵 “F.U.” is back on that less-than-three-minute sugar honey iced tea! Obviously, the title reveals Avril’s cards; there’s no element of surprise.  Still, in punk-pop music, is an element of surprise a requirement? Nope.  It’s a brutally honest style, and Lavigne continues to be honest about her previous relationship, asserting, “I try to tell you about it / I yell, scream and shout it / Hate it, but it’s true / I’m fucking over you.”  Need some surefire late 90s/early 00s nostalgia? Look no further than 🤩 🎵 “All I Wanted,” a duet with 🎙 blink-182 standout, 🎙 Mark Hoppus.  “All I Wanted” possesses everything you’d ‘want’ in a punk-pop song: a bright major key, athletic, pummeling drum runs, high-flying vocals, a sing-along chorus, and commanding vocals.  Yes, Lavigne and Hoppus have chemistry!

“All I wanted was you, let’s do whatever it takes

Me and you, we can’t lose, I’ll take you away from here

From the city that never loved you, from the town I always hated

Me and you, we can’t lose.”

Ah – one final three-minute-plus number! Remember how I said much of the album Love Sux lacks a true ballad? Well, perhaps even more than 🎵 “Avalanche,” 🎵 “Dare to Love Me” gives Lavigne that moment.  Here, she’s honest about how hard it is to love somebody and open herself up.  “So don’t tell me that you love me if you don’t mean it,” she sings in the chorus, continuing, “Don’t say another damn word if you don’t believe it / Only tell me if you care /… tell me if you dare / If you dare to love me.” She’s got a point.  Of course, she doesn’t close with a slow song! Instead, she’s unapologetic as albeit on the under-two-minutes-long 🎵 “Break of a Heartache.”  Here, Lavigne shares her love for – wait for it – the m-f bomb! Boom!

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Final Thoughts 💭

So, how does Love Sux stack up? Does the album totally suck? Nope! Overall, Avril Lavigne delivers a respectable return to form with more f-bombs than she’s previously dropped. Love Sux isn’t the second coming mind you, but it is an enjoyable, fun return of the punk-pop style that was popular in the 90s and 00s.  All in all, I’m onboard!

🤩 Gems 💎: “Cannonball,” “Bite Me,” “Love it When You Hate Me,” “Love Sux,” “Kiss Me Like the World is Ending,” “Avalanche” & “All I Wanted”

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🎙 Avril Lavigne • 💿 Love Sux • 🏷 DTA / Elektra • 🗓 2.25.22

[📷: DTA / Elektra]

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