Avril Lavigne -  “Luv Sux” Album Review

Story posted March 2, 2022 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Ethan Hetrick

Avril Lavigne is back and this time she’s done with a “Sk8ter Boi” or any type of boy for that matter.

One of the queens of pop rock is back. Lavigne captured fame in the early 2000s with noticeable songs like “Girlfriend” and “Complicated.” Since her debut, she has continued to release popular songs.

After a three-year hiatus, she's returned with “Luv Sux.” The album brings her back to her early 2000s roots after her previous, Slow-Pop album “Head Above Water”

“Luv Sux” deals with Lavigne being tired of love and the pain that comes with it. She also shows how love has affected her mental health.

The first song in the album, “Cannonball,” is a heavy rock song. It is arguably the worst song on the album. While it sets up the message of the album of how love hurts like a cannonball, the song felt too aggressive and more of a cash-grabbing pop song than a song with meaning. It did have a good transition to the next song, however, “Bois Lie.”

“Bois Lie” talks about how boys lie and are heartbreakers. Machine Gun Kelly is featured in the song and plays counter to Lavigne. At first his lyrics agree with Lavigne but as the song progresses, he talks how girls lie too and hurt men just as much. The tune is very similar to “Cannonball” but a slower and better version.

“Bite Me” shows off Lavigne’s pipes. She shows that she can still hit the high notes while singing about how her exes can bite her, and she doesn’t want them back.

“Love It When You Hate Me” leans heavily into a slow pop song rather than a fast-paced rock song like most songs in the album. Lavigne and Blackbear sing about a tale of love. The tale is that it is good when exes hate each other because it shows a growth in character.

“Luv Sux,” the song, asks why does love suck even as an adult. The sound is reminiscent of bands like Green Day or Blink-182.

“Kiss Me Just Like the World is Ending” is a reminder of how rock sounded in the early 2000s. It's one of the few songs where the listener goes into Lavigne's mind as it breaks down about how she still wants love even though she acts like she doesn’t.

“Avalanche” once again goes away from rock for a pop song. This time it is a faster pop song rather than a slow one. The message isn’t happy, though. She talks about how love is overwhelming her and her life. Lavigne metaphorically explains it by her running away from an avalanche.

“Déjà Vu” shows how quickly the benefits of love can turn sour. When she feels in love she feels like she’s on top of the world, but when it ends, she feels rock bottom. There is another message in the song as well. She explains that the older one gets all the reasons for dumping are the same. It feels like “Déjà vu.” On a different note, the sound is similar to a sound at a concert.

“F.U.” is more of a cannon fodder song in the album. The sound is relatively average and doesn’t stand out in the album. The lyrics are her saying she’s over exes.

“All I Wanted is You” features Mark Hoppus as a singer. The lyrics are more interesting this time. Lavigne sings about how she found out her taste in men has been wrong her whole life and the type of man she wants was right in front of her, but she lost that one. Hoppus' vocal pairing doesn’t match up with Lavigne, which leaves listeners wincing.

“Dare You to Love Me” has an early Coldplay sound to it. It also shows the baggage love has given Lavigne. Previous loves have closed her off from finding new love, and she can’t deal with fake promises of love anymore. The pain of love has changed her as a person.

“Break of Heartache” is the final song of the album and is an amazing closer to the album. It shows the journey and conclusion of the album. The message is that love can be overbearing and that it's okay for one to take a break from it to figure themselves out, which is the place Lavigne is at. The sound is great as well as it captures a good mixture of the sound of the album all while sticking out with its own tune.

Lavigne is back and better than ever.

The message of the album is great by showing all the negative effects of love and its effects on a person’s mental health. It portrayed that message in a story about her and managed to wrap it up beautifully at the end too.

The sound had a great mixture of the pop rock that Lavigne started with in the 2000s and managed to combine it with modern rock music. It was a great blend of past and new with its melody.

One thing that the album does well that will be overlooked is its flow. The entire album manages to flow one song right into the next perfectly. The album's story and tune just seamlessley enters the next and it’s sometimes hard to tell that you're onto the next song because of a perfect transition.

Overall, this album is unique and different from other pop and rock albums. It stands out in tune and its story of love. An even better part of the album is its ability to mix in a classic sound that made Lavigne's original albums a hit and add something new to it. Love may suck, but this album rocks.

Rating: 8/10

Favorite songs: ”Break of Heartache” and “Bois Lie”

Least Favorite Songs: “Cannonball” and “F.U.”

 

Ethan Hetrick is a first-year communications major. To contact him email, eth5186@psu.edu.