Underrated Female Pop Artists – Avril Lavigne
Share:
This is the second part of my series on underrated female artists; artists who are unfairly dismissed because of their pop background or stereotypically ‘teenage girl’ appeal, who I’m tackling assumptions about by highlighting their best ‘not so popular’ songs. This time it’s Avril Lavigne. Not all that complicated!
1. ‘Fall to Pieces’ – I love Avril because she makes me feel rock and roll, and listening to this song angrily in a leather jacket will always pretty much do the trick. People all too often forget she was only 18 when her first album was released, and that’s quite an achievement no matter what you think of her as an artist. This song was from her second album (released in 2004, when she was 20), and I think it’s a statement to how talented she was at such a young age. Favourite lyric: ‘And I don’t want to fall to pieces // I just want to sit and stare at you // I don’t want to talk about it’.
2. ‘Things I Never Say’ – From that first album I mentioned before, it’s almost impossible to dislike. Her age shows, and it does feel quite young, but why is that a bad thing? Favourite lyric: ‘What’s wrong with my tongue // These words keep slipping away // I stutter, I stumble // Like I’ve got nothing to say’.
3. ‘I can do better’ – I love, love, love this attitude to life in general, so don’t forget your self-worth, guys! Avril’s got you for a little bit of post break-up/dealing with haters self-love. Favourite lyric: ‘I couldn’t give a damn what you say to me // I don’t really care what you think of me // ‘Cause either way you’re gonna think what you believe’.
4. ‘The Scientist’ – This is perhaps a bit of a cheat on my part, since this isn’t actually her song. However I prefer her cover to the Coldplay original and I think it is a testament to how lovely her voice is. So shoot me! Favourite lyric: ‘Nobody said it was easy // It’s such a shame for us to part // Nobody said it was easy // No one ever said it would be this hard’.
5. ‘Unwanted’ – This really reminds me of early Alanis Morissette, so it’s certainly doing something right. It is distinctly different to many of her other songs, and there’s something about it that makes it really stand out. Listen to this song and tell me Avril Lavigne has no talent. Favourite lyric: ‘ You don’t know me // Don’t ignore me // You don’t want me there // You just shut me out’.