Avril Lavigne - Avril Lavigne Track By Track Album Review

8. Hello Kitty

The second of the album's experimental tracks, Hello Kitty experiments with dubstep and electronica, while serving as a nod to Avril's huge Asian fanbase. Shaking synths lead the instrumental along with a handclap. Vocally, Avril reverts back to her cheerleader form, from the Best Damn Thing era, describing a stereotypical "slumber party". The link to the chorus builds and builds to a massive drop, which doesn't disappoint and hypnotically zaps before falling back to the slamming synths. The second verse and chorus are musically identical, before a stomping bridge of drums and an electronic buildup. This grows to a sensual "meow" from Avril, before the same dubstep kicks in. Although the song is good and actually works, unlike the Bad Girl experiment, it would have benefited from more variation.

9. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

Avril returns to pop after two wildcards, slipping into a safe track. The song follows a young romance, but the lyrics are sometimes shockingly bad, as Avril sings "A first taste, like honey you were so yum". Her chorus is led by a fiery guitar, which seems a little muffled in the verses. The bridge is dull as her voice is shaken and pulled apart but quickly bursts into a passionate chorus. Avril's vocals are the centrepiece on the track, as she switches between near-screaming and the mid-pitched voice that we have loved for so long. There is a sense of urgency as she urges her lover to "hold on tight to this rollercoaster ride". Avril's dominance and feistiness shine through as she takes the lead in both the relationship and the vocals, leading the song to pop-highs.

10. Sippin' on Sunshine

Another radio-friendly track, Avril seems to have lost her bad girl image, sipping on sunshine and light rather than being a "bad girl". Synths open the track, leading into a computer beat removing any doubts as to whether this is a complete pop track. A bass quickly joins, with a smooth riff that captures the atmosphere of summer days. Lyrically, Avril struggles. "Boy you're looking so fly, hotter than July" really doesn't seem like a lyric written by Avril and external influences have clearly played a major role in the track's production. Whispering voices hide behind Avril's melody which gradually get louder before exploding into "yeah"s and "woah"s through an anthemic chorus that is sure to be a massive summer hit. Curiously, violins enter for the bridge, before falling into a synth slide into the final chorus. The song is generic and doesn't really stand out, but is fun to listen to and will work excellently in the summer sun.
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