Avril Lavigne, struggling to find a place in music’s galaxy of pop princesses, released her latest album “Goodbye Lullaby,” today, Mar. 8, and calls it a “more emotional” and “more raw” record.
Lavigne, 26, who broke big in 2002 with her tough, “Sk8er Boi” brand of rock n roll, is seeking to redefine her sound now that she is older.
She must also contend with a change in the firmament to a more dance-driven pop sound by divas like Lady Gaga and Rihanna.
This is her fourth album and first since her divorce from Sum 41 husband, Deryck Whibley.
Whibley, however, worked on the album along with Evan Taubenfeld, Butch Walker and songwriter/producer Max Martin.
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The Sony Music RCA Records release “may be able to gain more of a mature audience, and I hope to keep the same kind of core younger group,” she told Reuters.
“It’s different this record for me, but it’s very me. It’s my personality, it’s my style. It’s not like I went and did something totally different or anything like that. It just showcases a different side to me and more of that,” she says.
But critics and fans alike may have a hard time adjusting to her new style.
Rolling Stone magazine gave the record three stars out of five in a mixed review.
“Avril Lavigne is a romantic,” wrote Jody Rosen. “That’s a hard concept to wrap your mind around.”
Check out Lavigne’s cover of Tik Tok by Ke$ha below.
Keith Girard four decades of experience as an award-winning reporter, editor-in-chief, and senior media executive. Keith’s career began in Washington, D.C., where he was a reporter for The Washington Post and a contributing editor for Regardie’s and Washingtonian magazines. He also worked as a writer/producer in CNN’s Washington Bureau and has written one book on the U.S. Marines in the Gulf War.