Pink is the New Punk: The Best Damn Thing

AVRIL LAVIGNE: THE BEST DAMN THING

SCORE: 89/100 - 8.9

Girly, stomping pop-punk creates the basis for Avril Lavigne's third album, and 'The Best Damn Thing' might just live up to its title. 

Lavigne's style went through a major revamp for this album while still keeping her punky sound in tact, and the resulting album is something much brighter, more full of hooks and catchy choruses, and much more "girly" at its core. It isn't the emotionally troubled past that she once lingered on - instead it's something that shows a newfound joy for her, she isn't longing and weeping anymore; she's moved on, and this is the resulting triumph that came out of her newfound clarity. 

Although this album is still highly teenage, it's less of the melancholy that was present on her previous two albums - and these negative emotions are instead overshadowed by something much more playful. She rewrote her narrative and finally kicks up against the boys who hurt her in the past, and she's bolder, more powerful, and finally truly herself. This album marks a massive period of change for the Canadian rocker - and it's a welcomed change with the sheer amount of fun you can tell she had throughout the compositions of the entirety of the album.

Instead of feeling sorry she missed out on chances, she sees herself as the bigger, better, and bolder person - spawning songs like 'Girlfriend' and 'I Can Do Better' that show her giving a massive middle finger to any male who has ever tried to cross her. 

Despite this album being the most pink and girly project she's released (which is a huge contrast from her first two albums, which are both very dark in their aesthetics and woeful in their writing), this is one of her most fierce - and god honestly her most punk. This album has the fighting back that punk is built off of, and it truly feels like a triumph out of the rubble into a brand new person. She's stronger and more level-headed, growing older and letting it guide her instead of confusing her; this album is the result of loving life and living every moment to the absolute fullest potential that it brings. 

Avril herself described the album as "fast, fun, young, bratty, aggressive, confident, cocky in a playful way ... all the good stuff" [Wikipedia], and she hit the mark incredibly well. It's rare that an artist can change so cohesively with such an accurate description of their transformation; but she hit every single mark and then some. 

'The Best Damn Thing' may be her most commercial project at this point in her career after her new contract with RCA Records, but it managed to become one of her most consistent, fun, and truly enjoyable projects. It feels like a cheerleader stomping album while revolting against any issues along the way - and it has the same fire as P!nk's 'So What' when it comes to fighting back and living life as a carefree girl. It's truly all parts feminist while being equal parts punk - and Avril feels like her true, bubbly self on the entirety of the album. 

Some didn't understand Lavigne's new direction - it was either too radio or praised for the change in direction, and some even found her to be too brutal on this album. But that's truly what being female is about, you have to be brutal; and you certainly have to be tough to make it out victorious like Lavigne so clearly did. It was her reign - and it's clear that her direction was exactly where she needed to go. It provides a breath of fresh air into her discography, as it allows for change, paves the way for her projects that were to come, and caters to fans of her older work as well as a wider audience. There is a great mix of balladry and brutal pop-punk songs that protest against all of the wrongs in Lavigne's life, but it's clear that she still knows how and when to be introspective; especially when it's needed. 

Despite the fact this album seems personal on the surface, Lavigne went for more generally relatable, coming up with fictional experiences and scenarios, ordering takeout, and getting inebriated - with the first two tracks on the album both being penned while she was under the influence (of alcohol). 

"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" [Wikipedia/MTV].

'The Best Damn Thing' really does show the best damn things about growing up and living life - but it shows the hardships, too. Lavigne clearly shows that not even she could be upfront and bold at all times; and the vulnerability of this album shows a cracking façade that makes the entirety of the album even more relatable. 

She managed to be both strikingly girly and tomboyish all on the same album, and it mixes the roughness of her previous two albums with something much more playful - but it isn't lighthearted. Lavigne went for the punches on this album, and it's clear exactly who she wanted to hurt and why. It's sweet revenge packed in a glittery pink envelope - and it's clear that she was going through her hurt with even more fight. 

This is the best possible direction that Avril could've gone in. It's sweet, still has fragments of her past issues in a new way, and it's produced massively. It's bright and flashy but knows when to take a break while still remaining consistent, and everything goes together exceptionally well. It takes away some of the repetition with her past two albums by providing something fresh and completely unexpected, and it's something that feels like a complete transformation while still being clear that it's her artistic direction. 

Maybe pink truly is the new punk.