by Chelsea Ives

Queen Lavigne is here. No longer the pop-punk princess we once knew, Avril Lavigne reveals just how much she’s matured with her newest album, Head Above Water released this past February. In her sixth studio album, Lavigne shows a depth that contrasts strikingly with her old music. When I say “depth” I mean she has literally been stranded at the bottom of the ocean – but she’s back – with her head above water and her heart feverishly in her music.

Lavigne has been startlingly absent from the music scene since 2014. After contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite, Lavigne was on bedrest for almost two years – but now she’s finally back. After years of antibiotics and physical therapy for her dystrophic muscles, Lavigne traded in her bed sheets for music sheets. Now, propelled by her experiences, she’s making up for lost time. Lavigne has made a Ke$ha – come back: using her past experiences not only with her illness but also with toxic masculinity to bolster her voice, trading in her usual flippant attitude (“see ya later boi”) for a more serious, adult perspective. The album consists of a series of ballads, with a break in the middle with the more upbeat song, “Dumb Blonde” featuring Nicki Minaj.

“Head Above Water” the title track opens the album, starting with elegant piano and Lavigne’s strong vocals. The spiritual gospel works like a prayer, when she sings, “God keep my head above water …” Lavigne revealed on her website that the song came from what she thought was going to be her deathbed – truly the bottom of the ocean. The album’s set-up effectively moves from where Lavigne’s been, to where she’s going. From the bottom of the ocean, to the highest clouds in “Goddess,” Lavigne’s album is the story of her past, present, and future.

Her songs, which resonate spiritually, touch places deeper than her old music, even her 2007 “When You’re Gone,” which used to be my go-to sad song when I was an angsty teenager. Come to think of it, so was her 2004 song “Happy Ending”. Oh, and then there was her 2002 song, “Complicated” … Lavigne clearly hadn’t stretched her musical abilities as far as they could go. Her 2013 single “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” easily represented how Lavigne went about her music career until now. All her pop-punk songs were catchy, but they were all the same. Now, Lavigne shows us exactly how much she’s grown up in Head Above Water, which has a different perspective, tone, and intention. No longer pumping out tunes for the masses of angsty teenagers – Lavigne gets real by describing her struggles and how she’s overcome them.

 “Tell Me It’s Over,” the fourth song on the album, opens with a gospel/jazzy/soul sound and Lavigne’s amazing vocals, which only strengthened during her years off. The classic piano, and the introduction of trombone and horns gives this song a smooth, strong feeling. The sound of the song reminds me of the new song from Fall Out Boy, “Heaven’s Gate”. It is clear Lavigne is done taking shit from any men. The lyrics, “I’m so tired of certain emotions / That leave me dizzy and confused” are relatable to anyone who has ever been in a relationship.

“Dumb Blonde” is the fifth song on the album, and musically the weakest in my opinion. Lyrically, and thematically I can see the feminist agenda that Lavigne is trying to push, but the “Hey Mickey” sounds pairs awkwardly with the introduction of Nicki Minaj rapping three quarters of the way through the song. The transition is chunky and jarring, which takes away from the “all-hail strong women” vibe Lavigne sets up in the rest of the song. The song was originally supposed to be a solo piece (you can see Lavigne perform the original here) but two weeks before the album’s release, Minaj’s verse was added to the song. However, the original version is stronger and more effective in getting Lavigne’s point across. In the original she sings, “(…) don’t take no shit / … don’t ever shut up / You gotta stand up and fight for it.”, which I think is closer to the old pop-punk Lavigne that we know, and lyrically does a better job of keeping the theme of the song. The saving grace for this song is that it reminds me of her 2007 song, “Girlfriend” in the beat of the song – to the point where “Dumb Blonde” could be a re-make, showing how Lavigne has grown from the “I want to be your girlfriend” to the “get outta my way” of 2019 Lavigne who isn’t taking shit from men anymore.

 “Souvenir”, “Crush”, “Goddess”, and “Bigger Wow” Tell us there is still hope for Lavigne’s love life! Even referencing a possible new beau? The songs which come just before the close of the album bring a positive spin back to love and relationships. After the disheartening image you experience from “Birdie”, “I Fell in Love with the Devil”, and “Tell Me It’s Over” which all reference un-reciprocated love, compassion, and understanding in relationships, Lavigne switches from her toxic relationships of the past to her new, reinvented self. Nothing says “moving on” like picking yourself up and shocking the world with new music which is so drastically different from her old sound.

The song “Warrior” concludes the album perfectly. After she’s revealed her darkest days to us, Lavigne tells us she’s not here for our pity – she’s doing it to show her strength, and to encourage others to have faith in themselves as well. The song features dramatic piano, and Lavigne asserting herself, “I will not break / I will survive / I’m a warrior”.

How many of us would read a book where the protagonist doesn’t develop at all through the plot? So why should we expect Avril Lavigne to produce another cookie-cutter pop-punk album after all she’s gone through? For me, this album represents real struggle, growth, strength, and most of all hope in a future that will be better. Truer to reality than most of what comes on the radio today, I think Head Above Water is the most authentic Lavigne we’ve had yet. To those who think that the album is “boring”, I say: you’ll understand when you’re older.