Avril Lavigne — famous for her post-grunge, alternative rock early 2000s style with hits like “Sk8er Boi” and “Girlfriend” — has brought back her original sound after a couple of pop ballad filled albums. “Love Sux” is 12 high energy, pop-punk songs crammed into 30 minutes of head banging angst.
The biggest hit from the album — at 41,063,103 plays on Spotify as of March 7 — is the third track “Bite Me.” Originally released as the album’s single last November, “Bite Me” opens with a stripped down chorus, Lavigne belting “And you, should have known better than to fuck with someone like me / And you, forever and ever you’re gonna wish I was your wifey.” A soft first verse sucks you in with dreamy guitar picking over a punk drum beat, picking up the energy half way through. Hitting the chorus, you will be head banging to the heavy drums and power chords leading up to Lavigne’s message to her ex in the song.
Immediately after “Bite Me” comes “Love It When You Hate Me,” the other single from the album featuring blackbear. With lyrics about a toxic relationship, this song uses a drum machine in the verses — successfully bringing a hip-hop style beat into a pop punk song, as it blends smoothly into the hard-hitting acoustic kit for the more punk-like choruses.
The album also contains the works of collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly on “Bois Lie” and Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus on “All I Wanted.”
“Bois Lie” feels straight out of the 2000s, with the upbeat pop punk sound of the era. The lyrics are cheesy, with the primary message of the song being that both boys and girls can lie in a relationship — each turning the other person into a villain. In a way, the cheesy lyrics add to the 2000s nostalgia.
Another notable song from the album is the opener, “Cannonball.” This track sets the tone and energy for the album, leaning more towards the punk side of pop punk. After a drum fill builds the energy, the verses feature fast vocals with an almost electronic filter, feeling almost like music from a dance club — if not for the punk twist.
Like “Bite Me,” this break up song isn’t about grieving a relationship — it’s about expressing anger and moving on.
“You did me dirty, now I’m gone, I’m living life without you,” Lavigne chants in the first verse. “I just wrote a song, it goes ‘I don’t give a f— about ya.’”
However, “Love Sux” doesn’t just have angsty break up songs — it has songs about positive romance too.
“Kiss Me Like The World is Ending” is about enjoying the perfect moments in a relationship, with a typical pop punk beat and dreamy guitar plucking over energetic power chords — giving the song a happy, up beat feel that matches the meaning of the lyrics.
Lavigne sings of a moment in the relationship, “the stars shine for the two of us / so sweet and mysterious.”
As a whole, the album is perfect for anyone that enjoys pop-punk, especially the sound of the early 2000s. Lavigne has delivered a new collection in her original style, ready to be rocked out to at a party — or alone in your bedroom after a breakup.
