FEATURE:
Too Good to Be Forgotten: Songs That Are Much More Than a Guilty Pleasure
Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
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I may have to bring in a bit of Wikipedia…
information, as I am not sure whether there are many articles specifically dedicated to Avril Lavigne’s 2002 hit, Sk8er Boi. The Pop-Punk gem was popular when it was released and reached number-eight here in the U.K. I was at university when the song came out and, having not heard of Lavigne before, I was intrigued. I feel the first few years of the twenty-first century saw a transformation in terms of Pop music. Some were quite harsh on Lavigne as they saw her as a bit lightweight or cheesy but, to me, she managed to combine clever and memorable Pop hooks with some Punk attitude and teenage angst. Before I go on, here is some information and critical reception for Sk8er Boi:
“Sk8er Boi" (pronounced "skater boy") is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the second single from her debut album, Let Go (2002). It was written by Lavigne and The Matrix (Scott Spock, Lauren Christy, and Graham Edwards), and produced by The Matrix. The song is a power pop and pop punk track, which lyrically tells a story told from the singer's viewpoint about her rocker boyfriend and a girl he knew in high school who rejected him because he was a skateboarder and she was a snob.
The song was well-received by critics, with most commending its hook, calling the song "funny" and "clever". It also received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance at the 2003 edition. Commercially, "Sk8er Boi" was a success, reaching the top-ten in more than ten countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States (becoming Lavigne's second top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart) and sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide. According to Spin, "Sk8er Boi" has the 5th best pop-punk chorus of the 21st century.
"Sk8er Boi" received critical acclaim for its production. In a review for the album Let Go, Christina Saraceno of Allmusic called "Sk8er Boi" a "terrific power pop bounce", highlighting the song as a "track pick". Brendan Schroer of Sputnikmusic praised the track, writing that Lavigne "brings another injection of infectious vocal work, peppy but not overbearing." Nick Reynolds of BBC Music called it "brilliant", considering the song "a classic high energy pop song with crunchy guitars and a great hook." He also praised its tale, calling it "as slick and clever as an episode of Buffy. It bowls you over with its energy and sticks in your mind."[14] Pat Blashill of Rolling Stone agreed, calling it "seventeen-year-old Lavigne's signature moment," further adding: "Over a rush of nouveau-punk guitar chords, she narrates a funny story line, but none of it would matter if Lavigne didn't have a voice, equal parts baby girl and husky siren, that seems capable of setting off car alarms several city blocks away”. Christina Saraceno of Allmusic wrote of Lavigne that in "Sk8er Boi" "she shows her lyrical shortcomings".
I think 2002’s Let Go is an album that deserves some new focus. It gained some mixed reviews when it was released and, nearly twenty years later, I think that it sounds pretty solid and impressive! I reckon the album suffers a bit because a few of its best and biggest songs are right near the top – Complicated, Sk8er Boi, and I’m with You are in the opening third. That said, there are some great tracks throughout the album - and I respect and really like the fact Lavigne co-wrote the tracks and puts her own stamp on things.
At the time, bands like Green Day and Blink-182 were bringing out these Pop/Post-Punk albums that were getting more critical respect. There is naivety and some lyrical shortfalls on Let Go but, in my view, there is a lot of fun, humour and emotion. Lavigne does wear her heart on her sleeve on some songs and, whilst some might criticise some weaker lyrics, I think that the songs are very honest and human. I feel Sk8er Boi is a song that came in for a lot of criticism because of its throwaway and slightly silly nature. Many see the song as a guilty pleasure or one of the less-than-impressive cuts from the Pop-Punk movement of the time. I know that a lot of people are listening to Avril Lavigne’s Let Go now and maybe seeing things that people didn’t back in 2002. One can definitely hear modern artists that are inspired by her sound. The Canadian songwriter’s most-recent album, Head Above Water, was released in 2019 and, whilst not her best work, is worth listening to. I am glad she is still making music. My personal favourite album from hers is the debut and, with a song like Sk8er Boi on it, one definitely need to have a listen and a deeper dive! This is what Pitchfork wrote about the song when they reviewed the Let It Go album in 2018:
“Second single “Sk8er Boi” is Lavigne at her most pugnacious, snarling the chorus in tight harmony with herself over power chords that sound like they’ve been popped in the microwave until sizzling. It’s also the album’s most developed example of storytelling, though that isn’t saying much: A high school beauty queen can’t appreciate her local diamond in the rough, and she’s left to watch him rock out on MTV with a triumphant Lavigne by his side while she nurses her baby in suburban hell. It sounds like Taylor Swift’s “You Belong With Me” as if written by a normal teenager instead of a precocious musical cyborg”.
If you have turned your nose up at Avril Lavigne or slated songs like Sk8er Boi in the past then I would encourage people to take another listen and give it a shot. It is much more than a guilty pleasure. It is a great song that has plenty of punch and humour that means, the minute you start to play it, you will…
FIND yourself singing along.