My review of Pink’s F**kin’ Perfect criticized her for putting in less-than-family-friendly lyrics in her song just for the sake of being shocking. The f-bomb didn’t seem to add anything, instead it just felt like Pink was trying too hard to say “I’m a rocker, not a pop star.” Avril Lavigne’s What the Hell initially feels like it is going down that same road but thankfully it uses it’s PG-13 vocabulary as it should be used.
I really don’t like Avril Lavigne. She just comes off as permanently unhappy, looks like a pale raccoon, and mixes pink and black far too often. Up until about a week ago I thought she had gone back to Canada and stopped putting out crappy “punk” songs. And then What the Hell crossed my path on YouTube and something told me to click play. I did and was pleasantly surprised. While it is far from perfect it is a definite improvement from the irritating Girlfriend or overly-emo My Happy Ending.
The beginning of the song isn’t anything special. In fact, even after a few listens I’m not a fan until the first chorus kicks in. The chorus is what makes this song. The lengthened “What” and the “Baby Baby” are pop bliss. It’s nice to see Avril without the pink skull and crossbones. She almost seems likable, until you see the video and her raccoon eyes that are still hanging around. Just listen to the song, turn off the video, and be thankful Avril isn’t telling us our girlfriends suck.
Judgmental Day 