Avril Lavigne - The Embodiment of the Music Industry Today

So I am putting together a press release on an Upcomming Avril Lavigne concert my company is broadcasting and I had to do some reaserch one her. I came across this article that really summed up why I can' t stand her so much and basically paints her has the personification of the state of affairs in the music industry. It' s a bit lengthy but good stuff...

...and check this out. She is nominated for 5 Grammy awards this year. I am going to working at the GRAMMYs this year (which I' m pretty psyched about - epecially cus I' m gonna get to meet Robert Plant and Kylie Minogue ) but I have been feeling more and more disgusted by all the event every day. I am in meetings with people form NARRIS and the RIAA and its just really sick what goes on and how its all about the $$$. Anyway this article really sums it up... (I think we should start the REAL Save the Music foundation..save it form these corporate whores)..

Avril Lavigne: Rising Star or Rising Asshole?

Written by Jessica Zietz

Disclaimer: This is NOT an anti Avril Lavigne site. This is a music magazine...I do not devote my life to hating Avril Lavigne. I spent a few hours writing this article in July. How that constitutes obsession or having nothing better to do is beyond me.

Avril Lavigne. Just seeing the name sends a trickle of pure disgust down my spine. Why, you ask? I mean, her songs are so deep! Her clothes are so cute! She doesn' t care what anyone thinks of her! She' s like, totally punk rawk! Well, my little brainwashed ones, I' m afraid I' m going to have to disagree. Let' s see...where shall we start?

Avril Lavigne is a pop singer feeding off of the new punk trend. Apparently, she (along with all her fans) missed the bulletin notifying those of us whose minds aren' t quite as impressionable that dressing in every article of clothing ever put out by Hot Topic does not make you punk. Clothing should not define a musician' s style. Rather (and here' s a real challenging idea for you), their MUSIC should. Yet, the brainless youth of America continues to eat it up, as they do with anything and everything they' re spoon-fed by the media, top 40 radio, and the sadistic, brainwashing, greedy trend whores better known as MTV executives.

In a recent magazine article, Avril proclaimed, " I don' t write ' Oh-baby-baby' songs. I' m a skater punk who writes guitar driven rock." Yet one listen of the record proves otherwise. It is an album of mostly slower, pop-rock tunes that would have felt at home on Mandy Moore' s latest record. Avril can' t seem to understand that, as much as she tries to give off a different image with what she wears, she is a POP singer. Uh-oh, here comes the retort from angry Avril worshippers.

" She' s not pop! She' s rock! And she writes songs and plays guitar!"

Calm yourselves, kiddies. This attack has only just begun. Stay with me as I dissect Avril' s music, image, fakeness, and hypocrisy.

Annoyance #One: Avril the Songwriter

In J-14' s August issue, Avril explained her songwriting process. " Once I sit down with the guitar, I write about what I' m feeling that day." However, in the July 1st edition of Time Magazine, Ms. Lavigne admitted, " I sit down with a guitar player usually."

A guitar player. As in someone who is not her playing the guitar. Which is it, Avril? Furthermore, a look at the songwriting credits on her CD will reveal that each song was cowritten with a multitude of professional songwriters. Anyone can spit out a couple rhyming sentences, maybe even a melody here or there, when they' re being guided by experts. (Britney Spears did it- is it necessary for me to say much more?) One can' t help but wonder just how much of those songs was written by Avril. Yet, in that same J-14 article, she claimed, " I wrote all those songs when I was sixteen." The credits tell otherwise, and somehow I' m not buying the Avril-did-it-all version of the story.

Don' t get too angry just yet. There' s nothing wrong with receiving some help writing songs. However, Avril is being touted as some guitar-playing, songwriting prodigy when, in reality, she' s not the only force behind those tracks. But that' s what sells, so I guess that makes it alright to lie, exaggerate, and present yourself as some virtuoso.

Annoyance #Two: Avril the Guitar Player

It' s pretty impossible to read an article on Avril Lavigne that doesn' t mention Michelle Branch. In fact, a recent article in YM stated, " She rocks harder on the guitar than Michelle Branch." Remember that trickle of disgust flowing down my spine? There it is again. You see, Michelle Branch got her big break when she opened up for Hanson- just her, a guitar, and some undeniable raw talent. When performing, be it for TV, a live concert, a radio show, whatever- she always plays her guitar.

That' s not the case with Lavigne. In numerous pictures of the singer (and I stress singer, not musician) performing, as well as the television appearances I' ve seen, Avril merely sings. In her acoustic sessions with AOL, she sang while a member of her band strummed along on acoustic guitar. Any half-decent musician who constantly states that she plays guitar would have proven herself then and there. A CDNow.com article reviewing a recent Avril performance mentioned that she strapped on the guitar for one song, claiming, " I suck." If someone like Britney Spears or Mandy Moore, who call themselves singers/entertainers and not musicians, played guitar for one song during a concert, I' d be impressed. Yet Avril constantly talks about how she plays guitar...why wouldn' t she play it live? There' s simply no excuse. And playing the few chords that she does know does not constitute a true musician. Furthermore, a look at the album credits show that Avril played guitar for only ONE song. Now that' s a real guitar player.

Annoyance #Three: Avril the Lyricist

" I never spend less than an hour
Washin' my hair in the shower
It always takes five hours to make it straight

So I' ll braid it in a zillion braids
Though it may take a friggin' day
There' s nothin' else better to do anyway."

- " My World"

That' s uh...deep.

" He was a boy, she was a girl
Can I make it any more obvious?"

Well, you sure as hell couldn' t make it any more juvenile.

Oh, and here' s a bright idea for Avril to prove how punk she is. Let' s have her RAP in a song. Because, ya know, most punk bands always include a rap bit or two in their songs. Here' s an excerpt from " Nobody' s Fool," also known as Avril' s audition for Cash Money Millionaires.

" I' m not the milk and Cheerios in your spoon,
It' s not a simple here we go not so soon,
I might have fallen for that when I was 14
And a little more green."

That inconceivably ridiculous first line speaks for itself. The second makes no sense whatsoever, I' ve no qualms with the third, and the fourth...Avril, the writing is lacking. Perhaps you shouldn' t have been so quick to drop out.

Annoyance #Four: Avril the Wannabe Punk Rocker

" When it is suggested that even then her tastes were kind of pop-oriented, her head snaps up as though she' s been slapped. ' New country,' she says, as though pop music is somehow less cool than new country. Then again, it seems any music is better than pop music in Lavigne' s eyes. Later, when it is mentioned that she seems poised for pop stardom, she is quick to correct. ' No, no, no. Rock stardom,' she says forcefully. ' I don' t like using the term pop star because that' s not my personality. My personality is like a rock star. I' m hardcore.' " (Taken from Nationalpost.com.)

Rock star? Hardcore? Anything but pop? Keep dreaming, Avril. Take one listen to that CD- it' s pure pop with a tinge of rock here and there. A song doesn' t need slick Neptunes production for it to be radio-friendly pop song that appeals to bubblegum music lovers. And the upbeat track " Naked" is undeniably, well, poppy.

And don' t think I' m too evil. I can admit when a song of hers is good. In researching for this article, I downloaded them all. I think " Too Much To Ask" is a pretty good song and " Complicated" consistently gets stuck in my head. However, they' re being sung by someone who' s always claiming to be one thing, then singing music that' s all the opposite. And isn' t that what she vents about in " Complicated" anyway? Which leads me to...

Annoyance #Five: Avril the Hypocrite

" You' re trying to be cool/You look like a fool to me."

The single making Avril famous, " Complicated," is a song about someone who changes their looks and personality to impress other people. Yet, in the video, Avril and crew are trashing the mall and causing all kinds of problems. Avril the rebel even smashes her guitar at the end of the video. (What a shame, it was just like new, seeing as how she strums it maybe three times throughout the entire song.) She tries to come off as this too-cool-for-school bitch with an attitude while she whines about someone who' s doing the same thing to her. There' s a word for that. I believe it' s called hypocrisy.

She' s a constant contradiction. She skateboards in the video, poses for publicity shots with the board, tells YM magazine that she' s good at it...Yet, in an interview with MTV, she discussed how the director of the " Complicated" video wanted her to skate in it. Ms. Tony Hawk protested, " No, dude, I suck!" Make up your mind, Avril.

Moreover, she recently told Elle Girl, " Today, I rejected some gorgeous publicity shots because they just didn' t look like me. I won' t wear skanky clothes that show off my booty, my belly, or boobs. I have a great body. I could be Britney. I could be better than Britney."

No one could be Britney. I' m not a huge fan of hers, but her popularity and success are mind-blowing. For Avril to arrogantly declare that she could do even better than one of the most successful teen pop artists ever is ludicrous (and a bit too cocky for my liking). And if she' s so against posing in slutty clothes, why didn' t she throw in some of that bitchy attitude she seems so proud of and refuse to wear the outfits to begin with? The story simply isn' t adding up.

Annoyance #Six: Avril the Packaged Product

Unless you' re living in Tanzania, you' ve probably noticed that punk music is edging back into the mainstream. The demand for Britney and NSYNC is down and this means less money for the music execs who buy their Porsches and mansions with money made from teen stars. Time for a new plan. It amazes me that so few people see through this. Avril is dressed in Dickies, ties, studded jewelery, Chuck Taylors- most of which isn' t usually worn by the pop fans. Furthermore, she' s being hyped up as the songwriter/guitarist that I attacked earlier. She calls herself a skater punk, categorizes her music as rock and punk, poses in pictures with a skateboard...yet her music is anything but what such fashion would suggest. Being punk does not come from wearing the right thing. However the image is helping her to sell more records because it' s what' s popular now. One look through any teen magazine will reveal models dressed in clothing just like hers.

And let' s not forget the fake tattoos she wears on her arms. Cause that' s like, ya know, sooo totally hardcore. Let me go draw a big skull and crossbones on my arm so that I can be punk too. Please.

Yet another thing adding to her image that sells so well- upon visit to her official website, " Sk8er Boi," the only remotely faster rock song on the album, begins blaring. Obviously, they want the visitors to form an impression of Avril' s music based on that song, when in reality, the rest of the album simply doesn' t sound like that.

Avril Lavigne just seems fake, plain and simple. She tries to pull off this tormented, wounded puppy look in the " Complicated" video. She emphasizes her songwriting and guitar playing, yet had numerous songwriters work on her album, while the guitar is rarely strapped around her body when the music is live.

A member of an Anti-Avril community on Live Journal pointed out, " And if she takes all this time trying to label all of her music, she probably isn' t what she says she is, cause she has to prove everything through her clothes. Your personality should come from the music you create, and if you are that pathetic to keep on classifying it, might as well forget it." Well done. I couldn' t have said it better myself.

she probably has as much musical input as I do on Jenna Jameson' s porn videos

just another pop marketed tool, ill admitt the songs are very well crafted and structured(pretty decent harmonies and chord proggresions especially on that " Im With You" track)ive seen sum live performances and her voice cracks non-stop and to date i haven' t seen her *play*(tho most of her music consists of triads and bare chord shapes which isn' t out of newbie range)

and on top of that she came out of nowhere(no previous club playing etc)how peculiar

as for the pre-inforced image its quite evident

I like a couple of her tunes, but I guess that' s only because I' m spoon fed them. I couldn' t possibly enjoy them as a simple pleasure.

ORIGINAL: Rane

I like a couple of her tunes, but I guess that' s only because I' m spoon fed them. I couldn' t possibly enjoy them as a simple pleasure.

That was so not the piont of that article.

Avril Who??????

I don' t claim to know of this freak.

This is OFN.

My thoughts are simply that critics carry themselves off the talent or assumed lack of talent by those who' ve achieved greater then themselves. I couldn' t care less if she was taking advantage of a trend, starting one, or putting on a show, after all ALL musicians put on a show, and ALL musicians have an act, it is entertainment after all.

Just my .02, I did enjoy the writing and the read just not the topic or the point.

ORIGINAL: Lomox
That was so not the piont of that article.

I know. It just gets old hearing about how horrible the industry is and how much pop music sucks. How it is manufactured. The thing is, there are alternatives out there and people are finding them . . .

Oh, it' s a long argument. I haven' t the inclination to care enough to pursue it at this time.

the person who wrote this artice, Jessica Zietz is obviously jealous of avril' s success, and really, really, needs to get a life.

avril may or may not be everything that jessica accuses her of being (fake, untalented, product, etc...) but so what?!?!?

the industry is the way it is. take it or leave it.
because nothing is going to change. the music industry is, and has always been, about making money.

does it suck? absolutely! for musician' s, definitly.

but when you' re a teenage girl, who can' t wait to get home, turn on TRL, and find out what' s hot (according to MTV) nothing else matters. and THEY are the industry' s key demographic. because THEY will buy Avril' s CD' s no matter what Jessica Zietz thinks of her.

get over it jessica. making money is the american way.

I hear that Skater Boy song at the gym daily. Yes, it is silly, catchy pop music, I didn' t need to read a 3 page report to have to figure that one out.

Actually, I would like to write a similar article on how bad Linkin Park sucks. However, to go into the level of detail this writer did, I' d probably have to do some serious research into Linkin Park' s image, and *gasp* listen to their whole album. No thanks, I would rather just say " They suck" .

Wow some people are awfully cynical. Music dosent always have to be about money and its that kinda ignorant attitude that will let it continue to be about money forever.

More than anything I am saddend by the comments thus far. If you people have given up, then all hope may as well be lost. Exploitation of art and of the American public shouldnt be taken lightly. Seriously, I have a sinking feeling in my chest - where is good music going to come from if there is no insentive to be a musician. I guess my only hope is countries like Sweeden and the Netherlands where music still resembles art somewhat. God help mankind if it destroys art, for it is trully a window unto the soul of the universe.

Also...

If you bothered to read the precursor to the article, you will find that its this persons job to crituqe artists. So unless you consider earning a living a waste of time, kill the cheap shots.

ORIGINAL: Lomox
where is good music going to come from if there is no insentive to be a musician.

The same place that it has always come from. From folks who are not driven by the finacial aspect of it and just do it because they love it. You will never kill music. It' s a part of what people love to do. And there will always be enough people doing it out there that everyone will find something they enjoy.

I' m not cynical about the industry being about money. Actually, that' s a simple fact. The music INDUSTRY is exactly about money. Just like any other business. However, the art of playing, performing, and creating music, for some, has nothing to do with business. They do it for the love of doing it. It may not be their job, but they can do it as a hobby. Just because it may not pay the bills for them, and they can' t call themselves a musician in the terms of that being their occupation does not mean that there will be an end to music.

Quite simply, some people love to play music and that is all the incentive they need.

Avril Lavigne: Rising Star or Rising Asshole?

Written by Jessica Zietz

Lomox... which cheap shot are we talking about?

Rane... DITTO! Applause!!! we should get together and jam!

where is good music going to come from if there is no insentive to be a musician.

I' m in agreeance with what Rane said regarding this. I' d just like to add that bands such as Dream Theater tour enough to make up for the lack of big music deal, and the musicians in bands like Meshuggah and Symphony X have other jobs and make the music when it' s possible to.

everything' s manufactured to some extent. every artist.....every person is hypocritical to some extent. how do you draw a line between " just enough" professional posturing and " too much?" i like Avril' s songs. i like her voice. i even think she deserves a grammy nomination. a friend of mine is singing at the grammys, by the way. backup vocals for Ashanti.

jon

' I don' t like using the term pop star because that' s not my personality. My personality is like a rock star. I' m hardcore.' "

Yeah, she' s a real hardcore chick.

Okay, let' s do a Litmus test. Go listen to some Meshuggah. Hmmm...how bout that Mayhem Remix of Future Breed Machine? Can you kick ass to that without being a poser? When you can do shit like that, then you can talk about your hardcore self...a little bit. Now the big step comes in when you introduce punk into your music.

Thanks for that article. It was beautiful.

What if I know all that shit this person wrote about and still like their songs? Does that mean that the music industry has force-fed me her music?

I don' t know, man, sometimes people like the music for what it is, it' s not always because it' s played non-stop on the radio or because their friends like it. In my case, I can' t admit to liking her music, because I' ll never hear the end of it.

The same place that it has always come from. From folks who are not driven by the finacial aspect of it and just do it because they love it. You will never kill music. It' s a part of what people love to do. And there will always be enough people doing it out there that everyone will find something they enjoy.

I' m not cynical about the industry being about money. Actually, that' s a simple fact. The music INDUSTRY is exactly about money. Just like any other business. However, the art of playing, performing, and creating music, for some, has nothing to do with business. They do it for the love of doing it. It may not be their job, but they can do it as a hobby. Just because it may not pay the bills for them, and they can' t call themselves a musician in the terms of that being their occupation does not mean that there will be an end to music.

Quite simply, some people love to play music and that is all the incentive they need.

I trully hope so. That made me feel a little better. But its not the money incentive I was refering to, in a sense that people want to make millions in music. I was speaking of just making a living off of it. Unless you work in a recording studio or write for a music magazine or something...it' s really hard to fully pursue music while trying to hold down a day job and support a family (in more ways than financially).

We need more federal funding for musicans...how cool would that be. But then everyone would want to play. Would that be good or bad?? I dunno...anyways, I find myself more and more these days giving a shit less if my music is popular and just wanting to play all day every day. I needto win the lotto.

Lomox... which cheap shot are we talking about?

Whitebelly: the person who wrote this artice, Jessica Zietz is obviously jealous of avril' s success, and really, really, needs to get a life.

What if I know all that shit this person wrote about and still like their songs? Does that mean that the music industry has force-fed me her music?

No it has nothing to do with the music. Thats the point. Seriously, listen to the maturity level in those songs. Does anyone really think a 16 year old kid worte that stuff? Her whole image is a lie and fabricated to sell records. But in her defense...he amusingly juvenile lyrics probably appeal to most 13-year-old girls.

you don' t have to read/write a 3-page essay to know that Avril is manufactured.

ORIGINAL: Lomox
But in her defense...he amusingly juvenile lyrics probably appeal to most 13-year-old girls.

Yikes! Where did my vagina go?

df

Don' t hate the player, hate the game, man.

Without players ther' d be no game.

I think Avril Lavigne totaly sucks, just look at here videos. She doesnt play the gitar! She thinks she are a rock girl, she`s just a pop-music girl. Can it get any worster?!

ORIGINAL: Lomox

We need more federal funding for musicans...how cool would that be.

It' s bad enough we got Record Execs calling the shots, now you want to add Govt. Beauracrats too! [:' (]

Here' s the deal guys.

Of course she' s manufactured, everything in the top 40 is. But I' m pleased that someone created Avril. I have a 9 year old daughter who listens to pop music, and her current fave is Avril. When I look at the alternatives (mindless boy bands, or Britney telling her that it' s cool to lap dance, face it - that' s all she does in her videos), I' m pleased that she chooses to come home from school and listen to well written pop songs with a rock edge to them.

More power to Avril - I hope she makes her management a load of money.

I' m gonna get to meet.... and Kylie Minogue

I hate you!!!!!



But don´t forget to give me the details about how she is [down to earth or cocky etc...] in person and everithing else

Take pics if you can!!!!!

ORIGINAL: Velocity

I think Avril Lavigne totaly sucks, just look at here videos. She doesnt play the gitar! She thinks she are a rock girl, she`s just a pop-music girl. Can it get any worster?!

...than your spelling and grammar?

No!

Rane: The same place that it has always come from. From folks who are not driven by the finacial aspect of it and just do it because they love it.

Booya. Right on man. It doesn' t matter how much crap is out on the " main stage" of music, the majority of the music buying commmunity are a bunch of yuppies anyhow who want the new Avril, Blink 182, Christina cd' s or still think bands like U2 are still relevent. There' s always real music out there for people, you just have to look. Go back to the classics and work your out from there. People in here dig prog rock and metal, that' s cool, but it too falls prey to the cliches of the music, even if it never becomes popular. I say go back in time on a trip with people like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Johnny Cash, The Clash, The Velvet Underground, and a host of others. I think people know by now that the current pop culture of music is shit, we can just not watch eMpTyV or listen to the radio and just go from our hearts. We' ll find good music no matter what, someone is making it!

Just wanted to throw in that I found it amusig the article writer was criticized for the ' depth' of her article, obviously being ' jealous' and having ' no life' to get that in detail.

And yet if she had made broad blanket statements about Ms Lavigne, she would have been attacked for not fully researching her topic and trying to make a point without fully knowing what she was talking about or taking the time to know.

Ouch....[:' (]

You' re criticising Avril, and yet you' re practically giggling like a schoolgirl about meeting Kylie Minogue?!

Do you know anything about her musical background? Back when she was " Kylie the girl next door, Aussie pop sensation" she was as manufactured as it got, and every bit as " bad" as Miss Lavigne is right now.

There' s a reason Australia branded her " the Singing Budgie"

I think someone else may have said this too. If you think of Avril as aimed at young girls, it' s seems more alright. What I mean is that kids need these kinds of people to admire and have fun listening to their music (as Dave52 mentioned -- and yes Britney as of late is way too slutty). While I think her music is okay, what I didn' t like about Avril was her image (since she definitely is pop and manufactured, though they have her looking as if she' s rebelling against it). If I think about how the image is just for kids, then I don' t need to take it seriously and thus it makes more sense to me. The fad will pass, and the kids will grow up and learn to think for themselves. Btw, if you like her music that' s fine. I' m just saying I didn' t like her hypocritical image, but I realize it' s not aimed at me anyway so why should I bother with it?

ORIGINAL: Nick

You' re criticising Avril, and yet you' re practically giggling like a schoolgirl about meeting Kylie Minogue?!

Do you know anything about her musical background? Back when she was " Kylie the girl next door, Aussie pop sensation" she was as manufactured as it got, and every bit as " bad" as Miss Lavigne is right now.

There' s a reason Australia branded her " the Singing Budgie"

Kylie has a musical backround?

Dude! Seriously are you kidding? Who cares what Kylie sounds like!

ORIGINAL: LomoxDude! Seriously are you kidding? Who cares what Kylie sounds like!

Just pointing out that your argument is inherently hypocritical. I' m cool with it if you are, but it looks pretty lame when you lambaste one manufactured pop sensation whilst idolising another one simply because you' d like to put your penis inside her.

Kylie isn' t claiming to be something she' s not. She' s a silly dance pop chick. She looks incredible for her age and I like it. I have nothing against pop or dance music. In fact I listen to WKTU-FM New York (freestyle and dance) most of the time. Just when the people doing it claim to be that which they are not, it bothers me. And for the record, when she' s legal, I' d give Avril the old pickle tickle too.

Idolizing is a bit strong of a word donchathink? She' s one of those hotties you remember from being a kid which makes her that much hotter.

ORIGINAL: Lomox
Idolizing is a bit strong of a word donchathink? She' s one of those hotties you remember from being a kid which makes her that much hotter.

Yeah it is a strong word, but it made my argument sound much better so I used it hehe

Nah I see what you' re saying, but I don' t think that the marketing facade is necessarily an evil force. Virtually EVERY band in the public eye uses marketing tactics, and has a manufacured image, at least to some extent.

I just wanted to say...

FUCK THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Thanx.

ORIGINAL: Strato

The fad will pass, and the kids will grow up and learn to think for themselves.

I remember when I was a kid, I listened to pop music. I was in love with Debbie Gibson. She did write her own music, but the image was all manufactured. She was made to look all innocent, but if you remember the Motley Crue BTM, she is backstage with the band. Now that' s hardcore. My taste has grown and matured over time, and I listen to music that moves me. I could care less about what the industry wants me to listen to. That comes with age and experiece.

In the last few days, I found my real problem with the " industry" : I honestly don' t care if the music sucks. If I like it, I' ll listen. What pisses me off is when looking good makes you talented. I once asked a girl buying a Blink 182 cd (she was about 16 or 17 I think) why she liked their music. Her reply was " beacuse Mark Hoppis (sp?) is so hot!" I almost threw my sandwich at her.

Kylie isn' t claiming to be something she' s not. She' s a silly dance pop chick.

And she embraces her career and muzik for what it is. She doesn´t make out her way and go saying things like " Oh look at me, i´m a great musician, i write very soulful and deep lyrics, i´m the next best thing!! yada, yada yada...." In fact, when her latest album was released, she said something like " this is just a pop album to have fun with, nothing more" ; you don´t have your average pop star saying things like that.



I´m outta here like Avril´s guitar pick.