On The Road Again: Avril Lavigne

Mostrando las entradas con la etiqueta Avril Lavigne. Mostrar todas las entradas

miércoles, 15 de marzo de 2023

Avril Lavigne "Goodbye Lullaby (Japanese Digipak Edition)"

Goodbye Lullaby is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on March 2, 2011 through RCA Records. Recording sessions for the album began in November 2008 and continued over a period of nearly two years, concluding in October 2010. Goodbye Lullaby is a primarily a pop rock album and is considered a more introspective record from Lavigne in comparison to her previous material, consisting mainly of stripped down instruments such as the piano and acoustic guitar. Lavigne assumed an integral role in the album's production and co-wrote every original track on Goodbye Lullaby, as well as collaborating with several producers including Max Martin, Shellback, Butch Walker, and her ex-husband Deryck Whibley. Goodbye Lullaby is Lavigne's third and final studio album released by RCA, following The Best Damn Thing (2007).

Upon its release, Goodbye Lullaby received generally mixed reviews from music critics, with some naming it her most personal and introspective album while others took issue with its subdued sound and Lavigne's lyrical content. The album debuted inside the top five in over 15 countries such as the United States and Canada (where it has since been certified gold) and topping the charts in over eight countries, such as Australia, Greece, Hong Kong and Japan.

Goodbye Lullaby had sold 1.5 million copies worldwide as of 2013. Three singles were released from Goodbye Lullaby. "What the Hell" was released as the lead single in January 2011 and achieved worldwide chart success, reaching the top 20 in the United States and United Kingdom, the top ten in Europe and Australia and the top five in Asia. The following singles, "Smile" and "Wish You Were Here", had moderate chart success worldwide. The album also includes an extended version of the soundtrack single for Alice in Wonderland (2010), titled "Alice". Lavigne promoted the album with a series of live performances and later embarked on the Black Star Tour (2011).

Lavigne's third studio album, The Best Damn Thing (2007), was a great commercial success, mainly due to its lead-single, "Girlfriend" (a number-one hit in over six countries) and its successful worldwide tour, the Best Damn World Tour (2008). In September 2009, it was reported that Lavigne and husband Deryck Whibley were separating. The same day, MTV News reported that he was working with her on the follow-up album to The Best Damn Thing. They used their home studio to produce eight of the nine tracks she initially recorded for the album. "I think this is taking the spirit of what she's done on previous records so much further," he said. "It's way more meaningful, has more of an impact, more emotional. It makes me feel something more than the other stuff. And I wanted to match that musically with the track."

The album and lead single's release dates had been pushed back several times. The album was originally scheduled for release on November 17, 2009. Later, in January 2010, Lavigne stated that the album cover had been photographed and the first single would be released in April followed by the album in June. In May, Lavigne said that she considered the album too serious and "mellow" and would return to the studio to balance the album out, "With an album, I don't want to rush it out.... I have a very serious record, so I think I need to put a couple upbeat, fun songs on it." In August 2010, Lavigne returned to Henson Recording Studios with producer Alex da Kid. During these sessions, Lavigne had strep throat, and the people involved were required to wear surgical masks. Despite her doctor's warning, Lavigne recorded vocals, "I wasn't able to sing for the last forty-eight hours because I could do permanent damage to the vocal cords." She revealed that she had been "trying new stuff" and that she was "exploring". Lavigne added that she had enough material for two records.

In October 2010, Lavigne was featured in Maxim for the November issue. During the interview she revealed that she had finished Goodbye Lullaby after two and a half years. However, in November, Lavigne announced that her album had been completed for a year, citing her record company as the reason for the album's delays. Lavigne stated that her record company wanted something more upbeat to keep up with mainstream radio, "Radio's very rhythmic and urban and dance today. I think they wanted me to do something more like that, but that's not what my vision was for this album". The entire track listing for the album was revealed on December 21, 2010, after some were announced in early December.

Track listing

"Black Star" 1:34
"What the Hell" 3:40
"Push" (Lavigne, Evan Taubenfeld) 3:01
"Wish You Were Here" 3:45
"Smile" 3:29
"Stop Standing There" 3:27
"I Love You" 4:01
"Everybody Hurts" 3:41
"Not Enough" 4:18
"4 Real" 3:28
"Darlin" 3:50
"Remember When" 3:29
"Goodbye" 4:32
"Alice" (extended version; hidden track) 5:00

Total length: 51:15

Japanese edition

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan) 2:52

Avril Lavigne "The Best Damn Thing (Japanese Edition)"

The Best Damn Thing is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on 11 April 2007, by RCA Records. The album represents a musical departure from her earlier studio album Under My Skin (2004), which incorporates more elements of post-grunge music. The Best Damn Thing is seen by critics as Lavigne's most commercial effort. The album was noted as her first effort to feature a wide range of producers, including Matt Beckley, Rob Cavallo, Dr. Luke and Lavigne herself, who was credited as the executive producer.

Upon its release, The Best Damn Thing received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Lavigne's transition from grungey alternative rock music to more pop-punk and bubblegum music, with it being catchy and very radio-friendly. However, the main criticism of the album was the lyrical content, which some found too rough or brutal. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 289,000 copies. The album also debuted atop the charts in Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom and many other countries. Alternative Press listed it as one of the albums that best represented the pop-punk scene in 2007.

The Best Damn Thing had sold over 6 million copies worldwide and it is Lavigne's third best-selling album. Four singles were released from the album. Its lead single "Girlfriend" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it Lavigne's most successful chart single to date. The single also reached number one in twelve other countries across the world including Australia, Canada and Japan, making it one of the best-selling singles of 2007 worldwide. The second and third single of the album, "When You're Gone" and "Hot" were moderate hits worldwide, with the former reaching number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Last single "The Best Damn Thing" reached the lower end of the charts. To promote the album, Lavigne performed at many TV shows and award ceremonies, including the 2007 Teen Choice Awards and the 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards, as well as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Furthermore, Lavigne embarked on a concert tour, entitled The Best Damn World Tour, starting on 8 March 2008, and ending on 6 October 2008. Footage from the concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto were recorded and released on a DVD titled The Best Damn Tour: Live in Toronto.

Following the release of her second album Under My Skin (2004) and a world tour, Lavigne began recording material for her third album. While writing material, Lavigne was approached by Fox Entertainment Group to write a song for the soundtrack to the 2006 fantasy-adventure film Eragon. Lavigne wrote the power ballad "Keep Holding On" for the film and stated her intentions to include it on her own album, although she maintained that the song was not indicative of the sound of her next album. In late 2006, Lavigne declared in a blog post that she wanted to record more upbeat music, citing the material on her upcoming album as "fast, fun, young, bratty, aggressive, confident, cocky in a playful way ... all the good stuff".

In an interview with MTV, Lavigne discussed how the writing process for The Best Damn Thing was straightforward, as she opted to write about fictional experiences that she felt were more widely relatable. She intended to have fun when recording the album, commenting, "Some of the songs I wrote didn't even mean that much to me. It's not like some personal thing I'm going through. They're just songs". Many of the sessions involved ordering take-out and drinking alcohol, with songs such as "Girlfriend" and "I Can Do Better" being written while inebriated.

Track listing

"Girlfriend" 3:37
"I Can Do Better" 3:17
"Runaway" 3:48
"The Best Damn Thing" 3:10
"When You're Gone" 4:00
"Everything Back but You" 3:03
"Hot" 3:23
"Innocence" 3:53
"I Don't Have to Try" 3:17
"One of Those Girls" 2:56
"Contagious" 2:10
"Keep Holding On" 4:00

Japanese bonus track

"Alone" 3:14

Total length: 43:48

Special limited edition, iTunes Store expanded edition and Spotify bonus tracks

"I Will Be" 4:00
"I Can Do Better" (acoustic) 3:39
"Girlfriend" (the Submarines' time warp '66 mix) 3:11
"Girlfriend" (Dr. Luke remix; featuring Lil Mama) 3:25

Total length: 58:03

Avril Lavigne "My Happy Ending (Single & Video)"

"My Happy Ending" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, written by herself and Butch Walker for her second studio album, Under My Skin (2004). Structurally, the song is written in 4/4 style and has a repeated hook in both the chorus and in the intro and outro.

"My Happy Ending" was released as the album's second single in June 2004, becoming a top-five hit in Canada, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom while reaching the top 10 in seven other countries, including the United States, where it peaked at number nine for four weeks. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single gold in November 2004.

"My Happy Ending" has generally received favorable reviews from critics. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly magazine commented "Lavigne herself sounds more burdened; ... the sk8erboi of the first album has turned out to be a selfish, nasty creep who ... treats her like crap". Allmusic highlighted the song as a "track pick" in a review of the album, Under My Skin. Blender also did the same. PopMatters thought "The second single, "My Happy Ending", suffers from a marked similarity to a few recent hits, notably Michelle Branch's "Everywhere" and Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" (...) The ticklish good humor of "Sk8er Boi" has been subsumed by the sardonic regret of "My Happy Ending".

In an AOL Radio listener's poll, "My Happy Ending" was voted Lavigne's third best song.

As of September 2015, "My Happy Ending" had sold 1.2 million digital copies in the US.

The music video for "My Happy Ending" was written and directed by MTV and Grammy winner Meiert Avis. It was shot on location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Harlem, New York City. The video begins with Lavigne running down Broadway and entering a cinema (the Commodore Cinemas), where she finds the film playing is a montage of her memories concerning a specific relationship she had. At first, the memories (shown in full color) are happy, depicting Lavigne at the park with her boyfriend, as he hands her a flower and they laugh together. They are also shown goofing off inside a laundromat. However, as Lavigne sings "so much for my happy ending," the memories start losing color. Lavigne and her boyfriend lie in bed together, as she looks at him and he (obviously reeling from a disagreement) stares blankly away.

The relationship culminates during the song's bridge inside a grocery store, where her boyfriend antagonizes her, insisting that he talk to her. He grabs her and tries to pull her into his embrace. Fed up, she turns and pushes him away. She proceeds to run out of the grocery store and down the street (from the beginning of the video), and to a guitar shop where she grabs a guitar and walks to the roof of the building, where she is seen performing with her band. There, she walks past her unapologetic boyfriend without looking at him. Three other girls witness an altercation between Lavigne and her boyfriend in the restaurant and leave with Lavigne as they befriend each other. The theater film tears and the memories end, leaving the final seconds of the video as a close-up on Lavigne in the theater as she tries to decide if the break-up is happy after all.

Lavigne said of the video: "It's about a relationship that doesn't work out, and having to say goodbye to all of the memories and... all that stuff." When asked if the video for "My Happy Ending" actually contains a happy ending, Lavigne said: "I don't know if the video has a happy ending. It kind of depends on how you look at it? In one way, it is because me and 'the guy' in the video aren't together anymore, and I think that's a better thing."

Avril Lavigne "Under My Skin (Japanese Edition)"

Under My Skin is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on May 19, 2004, by Arista Records and RCA Records. Lavigne wrote most of the album with singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, who invited her to a Malibu in-house recording studio shared by Kreviazuk and her husband Raine Maida, where Lavigne recorded many of the songs. The album was produced by Maida, Don Gilmore, and Butch Walker. It is Lavigne's final album to be released on Arista, as she departed the label after its release.

Under My Skin debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart and on the US Billboard 200. It sold three million copies in the United States, ranking the album number 149 on the Billboard 200 decade-end chart. Because of the album's darker, heavier, more aggressive vibe reminiscent of post-grunge and more melodic rockier songs, it received generally positive reception from critics at the point of considering it as one of the classic albums that defined pop punk music in the early 00's, and also one of the works that anticipated the emotional intensity and theatrical aesthetics of emo pop music in the mainstream. On March 18, 2013, Under My Skin was re-released as a double-disc set paired with her debut studio album, Let Go, which was released under Arista Records. To promote the album, Lavigne went on a promotional tour for malls in the United States and Canada. Furthermore, Lavigne embarked on a concert tour, entitled the Bonez Tour, starting on September 26, 2004, and ending one year later on September 26, 2005. The concert at the Budokan Stadium in Japan was filmed and released on a DVD only available in Japan, entitled Bonez Tour 2005: Live at Budokan. Under My Skin had sold 10 million copies worldwide and is the fifth best selling album of the 21st century by a Canadian artist.

Critics described Under My Skin as post-grunge,alternative rock, and nu metal containing some gothic rock, grunge, folk rock, and hard rock influences.

Having no plans of working with producers or professional writers, Lavigne wrote much of the album with Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk, with whom she had developed a friendship in the summer of 2003. Kreviazuk, whose husband Raine Maida's band Our Lady Peace opened for Lavigne's concert in Europe, introduced herself at an after-party for the SARS benefit concerts held in Toronto in June 2003. The following day, Lavigne and Kreviazuk ate lunch together, during which Lavigne shared how she wanted the development of the album to be. They wrote songs for almost three weeks at Maida's warehouse in Toronto. Kreviazuk invited Lavigne to continue working in a Malibu, California house she shared with Maida, which contained a recording studio. Many of the tracks on the album were recorded in Malibu.

Kreviazuk suggested Maida produce songs for the album, an ability Lavigne did not possess. Maida produced five songs, including "Fall to Pieces", which he co-wrote with Lavigne. Lavigne also invited two other producers: Don Gilmore, who produced three songs, two of which were written by Lavigne and Kreviazuk, and Butch Walker who also produced three songs in three days. Lavigne also co-wrote one track, "Nobody's Home", with Ben Moody, formerly of Evanescence, and the rest with her guitarist Evan Taubenfeld.

On her website, Lavigne states that she had learned a lot since her first record, Let Go: "I was involved in every aspect of making this record. I'm very hands-on. I knew how I wanted the drums, the guitar tones, and the structures to be. I understand the whole process so much better this time because I've been through it. I'm really picky with my sound." Regarding the album's theme, Lavigne stated, "I've gone through so much, so that's what I talk about....Like boys, like dating or relationships".

Track listing