Already a top three hit in the UK on digital sales alone, ‘Girlfriend’ is the new single from Avril Lavigne’s forthcoming third album The Best Damn Thing.
Its commercial success should come as no surprise to anyone. The self proclaimed “pop punk” icon’s 2002 debut album Let Go earned eight Grammy nominations and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide, thanks to its string of youth culture focused singles ‘Complicated’, ‘Sk8er Boi’ and ‘I’m With You’.
Her mascara stained follow up, 2004’s 'Under My Skin', was just as popular, entering the Canadian, UK and US charts at number one.
Produced by Dr. Luke (Kelly Clarkson, Pink), ‘Girlfriend’ is expected to be one of the biggest selling tracks of the year.
It’s a cruel world we live in…
They say:
About: “Avril Lavigne can, as she sings in the song, ‘do so much better.’”
M&C: “Will seduce the pop audience into unified submission.”
We say:
Lavigne is 22 years old and married. I mention this because listening to ‘Girlfriend’ you would be forgiven for thinking it was the brainchild of a callous, snotty nosed teenager looking to steal someone else’s fella.
Having shown signs of maturity on her second album and last year’s power ballad ‘Keep Holding On’, which was the theme song for the flaccid fantasy flick Eragon, Lavigne appears to have regressed to her adolescent years when schoolyard bullying was the order of the day.
The bubblegum pop beats and cheerleader style call and response chorus (“Hey! Hey! You! You!/I don’t like your girlfriend/No way! No way!/I think you need a new one/Hey! Hey! You! You!/I could be your girlfriend”) ensure the single will be a staple on mainstream radio for the next couple of months at least, but do little to conceal the venomous blood coursing through its veins. Best avoid.
Like this? Try these:
Toni Basil – Mickey
Pussycat Dolls – Don’t Cha
RELEASED
Out now
LABEL
Columbia
POSTED...
Wed 4 Apr 2007 at 4:44pm
