What The Hell: Avril Lavigne
It’s sometimes hard to believe this is still the same Avril Lavigne who burst onto the music seen in 2003 with ‘Complicated’ and ‘Sk8r Boi’. Well, it’s hard when you hear the over-produced, mainstream pop style she’s adopted. Lyrically, she hasn’t matured much over the last few years, which is clear on new single ‘What The Hell’. The song is sure to do well in the charts, and it can’t be denied that it has a very catchy hook. Admittedly, as much as I try to fight it, it’s quite firmly stuck in my head. It’s definitely more ‘Girlfriend’ than ‘Don’t Tell Me’, but that’s what sells. To give Avril the credit she deserves, ‘What The Hell’ manages to be power pop-rock without having any prominent guitars. They come in for the chorus, but it’s mostly a keyboard-led pop track. Her vocals are great as usual, although the over-production harms it slightly. Lyrically, it’s quite safe, and Avril has described it as the least personal song from the upcoming album Goodbye Lullaby. Fans of her older material will be pleased to know that it’s apparently also the most pop song off the new album. It’ll be sure to give Avril some more mainstream success, and maybe deservedly so. 'What The Hell' is quite safe, by-the-numbers pop, but that’s what the buying public enjoy at the moment. Just us, this song will be lapped up and heard all over the radio. Female First - Alistair McGeorge
Tagged in Avril Lavigne