On The Road Again: Avril Lavigne "Goodbye Lullaby (Japanese Digipak Edition)"

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