Rant: Avril Lavigne's Career Problems Towards Label Changes And Bratty Music After 2002

Hey guys, I hope you all been waiting patiently for Avril Lavigne's upcoming 2016 album as well as her 2016 single later this year.

14 years ago, in 2002, Avril Lavigne was one of the top-selling artists of the year and people even dressed like her. Let Go sold 5 million copies in the US and Complicated, Sk8er Boi and I'm With You were HUGE hits. Then, in 2004, Avril Lavigne started to go downhill in the US.

So far, Under My Skin, which sold 2 million copies in the US in 2004, is where Avril Lavigne's album sales started declining in the US as people have moved on from Avril Lavigne after 2003 and by 2006, Under My Skin sold around 3 million copies in the US in comparison as My Happy Ending was just a one-time hit single. By fall 2004, people moved on to other 2000s pop music from 2000-2004 like Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson.

Then in 2007, The Best Damn Thing album sold only 1.7 million copies in comparison and Girlfriend was just a one-time hit single despite Girlfriend is a definitive hit as 2007 music hated Girlfriend and stick with other 2007 music like Umbrella and No One. Since 2007, Girlfriend's success has damaged Avril Lavigne's career, Avril Lavigne's popularity and pop music playing Avril Lavigne at the same time. What happened? I'll tell you why Avril Lavigne is slipping after 2002, Avril Lavigne was just a fad. What the fart? Why Avril Lavigne was just a fad? Why? Why Avril Lavigne is only a fad killed Avril Lavigne's pop career since 2003? I guess pop music weren't interested in 2003-2015 Avril Lavigne like bratty songs and the only way is 2002. That's not the way Avril Lavigne was treated. It looks like Avril Lavigne is not very well managed because management is not interested in managing Avril Lavigne or her career since 2003 which kinda stinks because Avril Lavigne deserves to be a big pop star and yet her management screws up Avril Lavigne between 2003 and 2015. Blame poor management for screwing up Avril Lavigne after 2002 by putting in bad team in which screws up her post 2002 career like Avril Lavigne moving to RCA and bratty songs like Smile. Well then, here's how it goes.

In 2004, other singles like Britney Spears's Toxic from 2003 and Usher's Yeah are not only one of the most definitive pop songs of 2004, but certain 2004 hits like Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone are one of the definitive pop songs of the 2000s... No one still remembers or cares about Avril Lavigne singles from Under My Skin like the top 10 Hot 100 hit single My Happy Ending because no one remembers or cares about most Avril Lavigne singles after 2002 including Under My Skin singles like My Happy Ending or bratty songs like What The Hell and Hello Kitty. Her singles off Let Go like I'm With You and Girlfriend are her definitive hits because Avril Lavigne singles after 2002 not named Girlfriend like Losing Grip and My Happy Ending are not definitive hits. Worse, even with My Happy Ending reached number 1 on the Top 40 Songs chart in 2004, no one uses or cares about My Happy Ending anymore that wasn't that big of a hit anyway as other 2004 music like 2003's Toxic, which was voted as the world's second favorite song of all-time in a worldwide 2006 poll conducted by Sony Ericsson with hundreds of millions of people since Toxic went Top 10 all over the world and won a Grammy and appears on decade end lists, trumps My Happy Ending. Well then, what really caused the label to screw up Under My Skin 12 years ago?

It appears that Arista is done with Avril Lavigne in 2003 after Losing Grip flopped because Arista was only promoting her just to let her work with The Matrix and make her hits like Complicated just to make The Matrix, not Avril Lavigne, becoming a selling point in 2002. So Avril Lavigne singles goes by hits was only meant for The Matrix to get her 2002 hits like I'm With You for the label. That's why Avril Lavigne is only a fad in 2002. Then by 2003, Arista moved on to Outkast's Hey Ya meaning that LA Reid has left to go to Def Jam before 2003 ended causing Arista unable to promote Under My Skin, her sophomore effort in 2004. This cause LA Reid and Arista unable to get interested in Under My Skin in 2004. So is Arista only get interested in Avril Lavigne just for 2002 and Let Go or else, she is getting screwed by spring 2004? Well then, beats me.

After Arista will have to get Avril Lavigne switch her label to RCA by early 2004, the record company really screwed up on Don't Tell Me as the lead single off of Under My Skin was a terrible first single choice. Of course, Under My Skin wasn't the only Avril Lavigne where her singles really got screwed up. In the 2010s, the label did the same thing for her fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby and her 2013 album except with 2 bratty songs, What The Hell and Smile killed Goodbye Lullaby and bratty songs like Here's To Never Growing Up killed Epic Records promoting 2013 Avril Lavigne like Let Me Go. Yep, Sony hates Avril Lavigne because Sony are anti-Avril Lavigne greeds and stick with Sony Music celebrities like Britney Spears, Beyonce and Pink. What was Sony thinking? I guess whenever Sony saw Avril Lavigne, the label damage her career by putting in bratty songs like Rock N Roll and whenever the label sent bratty songs to radio, radio rejects bratty songs like Hot and the label said, Avril Lavigne is not popular because bratty songs only appeal America-less places like Japan and America playing Avril Lavigne only appeal 2002 like Complicated. Wow, talk about why America hates Avril Lavigne like Girlfriend and stick with other pop music like Taylor Swift as well as 2002. Let's move on.

Back to 2004 where Don't Tell Me was maybe just a case of payola for an awful choice of 1st single. They have a lot riding on Avril Lavigne's comeback and with Pink having a successful album like Missundaztood and having a comeback flop like Try This. Good thing Pink's 2006 album, I'm Not Dead revived Pink's career in 2006 (unlike Avril Lavigne) and since 2008, Pink finally makes more big hits again thanks to hit songs from 2008-2016 like So What and Just Give Me A Reason. They don't want the same for Avril Lavigne. Can you imagine???

I really believe people have lost interest in Avril Lavigne, she was a short term fad. She was only popular in 2002 and after 2002 when I'm With You was sent to radio just in time for the holidays, Avril Lavigne is no longer popular in 2003 as Losing Grip flopped in 2003 and Arista moved on from her during that same year ignoring her upcoming second album before the label moved her to RCA by early 2004. Weird. Anyway, I really believe people have lost interest in Avril Lavigne because she was a short term fad. The rebellious girls who flocked to Avril Lavigne when they didn't want to be Britney Spears anymore have moved on from Avril Lavigne and found a new obsession like Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce... or maybe it's cool to be like Britney Spears again, who know. But Avril Lavigne doesn't seem to have much hype around her. It is as if number 1 but her "hard core" fans really care and it's sad because this is only her second album and she barely a mainstream artist anymore. By her third album, The Best Damn Thing (which came out in 2007), they will be saying "Avril who?"

They are really making Avril Lavigne do an enormous amount of promotion for this album, which was Under My Skin. That is a sign that they don't want this album to flop. A lot is depending on that second, which was My Happy Ending. If that song doesn't become a hit, then it feels like the album can be a flop even if it sold much the first weeks of its release. She is really good at doing rock songs and she deserves to have success but the more poppier songs that she is releasing as singles like My Happy Ending might not get people to see that. Some fans may have moved on or even back to Britney Spears. Avril Lavigne is the woman who is rebelious and does what she wants. She showed that on TRL on May 25, 2004.

In the end, 2004 music is not into My Happy Ending despite the song reached top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004 because 2004 music prefers other 2004 singles like Lean Back. I guess 2004 was a weak year for Avril Lavigne because Avril Lavigne was only a fad and 2004 albums is not into the number 1 album, Under My Skin killed Avril Lavigne's 2004 music like Nobody's Home. So here's how it goes.

After Under My Skin sold less copies than Let Go in the US by 2004, RCA had no interest to Under My Skin era like My Happy Ending during that year and stick with 2004 Kelly Clarkson like Breakaway and by the time Avril Lavigne got to her third album, The Best Damn Thing, in 2007, she was ready for a change. The Best Damn Thing was a stylistic 180 from the first 2 records: Avril Lavigne suddenly sported pink streaks in her blonder hair, wore sparkly dresses and skirts, and had traded in her combat boots and Vans for heels. The lead single, Girlfriend, was a cheerleader chant of girly pop mixed with punk. Though many of Avril Lavigne’s earlier fans abandoned ship, Girlfriend went on to be Avril Lavigne’s first #1 on the Hot 100 radio charts and the first YouTube video by any artist to surpass 100 million views. It was hugely successful, but also marked a clear change in Avril Lavigne’s career.

Fast forward to late 2009 where Avril Lavigne was going through a divorce and had written a new album full of softer ballads, acoustic tunes, and somber lyrics. It was called Goodbye Lullaby and it was the opposite of The Best Damn Thing as the fourth album more akin to her debut album in many ways. But her label wasn’t having it. RCA wanted to bring back Avril Lavigne's bratty songs instead because they wanted Avril Lavigne to recreate the success of Girlfriend. So after months of fighting and holding out, Avril Lavigne finally was forced back into the studio with hit producers like Max Martin to make more bratty songs for radio like What The Hell. Finally, in 2011, Avril Lavigne was able to release Goodbye Lullaby. While much of it like Wish You Were Here was as she had originally envisioned it, the album was offset by 2 try-hard bratty singles, What The Hell and Smile. Bratty songs version of Avril Lavigne singles like What The Hell killed Goodbye Lullaby and damage the fact the mellow songs that show maturity and depth Goodbye Lullaby should've released as singles making Goodbye Lullaby lost Goodbye Lullaby singles reached number 1 on any Billboard charts. It was confusing marketing: The singles suggested that Avril Lavigne was still in her bratty phase and hadn’t evolved, yet the album – for those who actually listened – did show maturity and depth.

Avril Lavigne didn’t keep her frustrations to herself. She posted the following statement on her website in November 2010:

"I just wanted to fill you guys in. I’m done with my 4th record! Well, actually I have been done for a year and now my record company have finally decided to release it. OMG. How nice! Thanks guys.

I have been dying to get back out on the road and do what I love the most … PLAY MUSIC. I know you guys have been waiting for a long time … and so have I, but not by choice. I have been sitting with this record for a year now. It’s really special to me. I have produced a couple tracks alone for the first time, written solo, with friends, I have pushed myself and I feel proud.

In saying all that, this has been a really difficult record for me to create and to release. Not only is this the most meaningful and special record I have written, it is sincere, honest and close to my heart. But for the first time I experienced a bunch of bureaucratic BS. People do their best work when they are doing what they want, love and is natural for them, not when you are forcing them to be something that they are not.

From the beginning of my career my message has always been to be yourself and stand up for what you believe in. Follow your heart.

My first single off this record is called: “What The Hell.” This song is the least personal song to me off this album. It’s a fun and funny anthem. It has a broad message about personal freedom. It is the most pop track on the record."

In the end, Goodbye Lullaby did not sold well in the US charts in 2011 because bratty songs like Smile killed Goodbye Lullaby and lost Goodbye Lullaby singles goes by number 1s. Stupid bratty songs like What The Hell. Avril Lavigne tries to evolve and make something different, but RCA can only allow Avril Lavigne to make copy and paste 2007 music version of bratty songs since bratty songs were released as single causing the label forced her to make sounded like she was cashing in on the success of Girlfriend. This cause Avril Lavigne stuck with bratty songs she wasn't interested in. That's why radio are not into bratty songs and stick with other pop music in the early 2010s like Katy Perry. Anyway, fans wanted Avril Lavigne to evolve, but the only singles Avril Lavigne has to make is bratty songs because pop music aren't into Avril Lavigne's bratty singles and not accepting the fact Avril Lavigne has to evolve. Artists has to evolve has to be celebrities like Lady Gaga and not going by good pop stars including Avril Lavigne. Avril Lavigne wants 2010s hits/number 1s/try something new, but the label can only accept Avril Lavigne record bratty songs and released as singles and recent Avril Lavigne singles flopped on the radio across the US and stick with other music like Nicki Minaj because it's still a business and Avril Lavigne's bratty singles only appeal other countries like Japan, not the US. Anyway, RCA has parted ways with Avril Lavigne, and she ended up with Epic Records, where she thought she’d have more creative control.

But labels don’t learn their lessons quickly. After working with more rock-oriented songwriters from Evanescence and Nickelback, in mid 2012, Avril Lavigne was ready to put her 5th record out. But there was some stalling, and the label decided they wanted some more bratty songs first instead of original materials that should be hit singles. Instead of dragging out the fight like last time, Avril Lavigne went back to the studio.

In November 2013, Avril Lavigne’s eponymous 5th album was released, and it was even more confused than Goodbye Lullaby had been. It sounded more like two dissimilar EPs rather than a cohesive album: One half was bratty songs like Here's To Never Growing Up; the other half was songs that was introspective, mature, and showed growth like Let Me Go. Guess which songs Avril Lavigne originally intended to release.

Ultimately, Avril Lavigne was a failure as the album was even less successful than Goodbye Lullaby. Although Avril Lavigne put on a happy face, by the end of it she seemed dissatisfied with how things had gone and by 2014, Epic Records had no interest to Avril Lavigne like bratty songs and moved on to Meghan Trainor and Fifth Harmony. By summer 2014, Avril Lavigne revealed she was writing new music that was “less pop.” The question remains: will her label try to recreate 2007 again, or will they accept that her music isn’t for teens anymore?

We can all know that the label had no control over Avril Lavigne because labels like Sony will not involve around Avril Lavigne and stick with radio like Call Me Maybe and celebrities like Britney Spears. It looks like 2002 is still the peak of Avril Lavigne because not only Complicated is still the peak of radio playing Avril Lavigne singles, but also, Let Go is still the peak of Avril Lavigne albums and I'm With You is the still the peak of Avril Lavigne singles all at the same time. So, let's talk about how Hidden Jams Music talks about why label damaging Avril Lavigne's career after 2002 and the label only accept the singles her label forced her to make sounded like she was cashing in on the success of Girlfriend has ruined Avril Lavigne's career after 2002. Take it away, Hidden Jams Music.

"The Main Problems with Record Labels

These are just three diverse case studies that illustrate the complexity of artists versus record labels. It’s not always clear who’s to blame for the problems that arise, although I would argue that in general artists should be allowed to release the music that they choose. Singers, musicians, writers – they’re all creators, and their job is to create. To write and perform songs that are meaningful to them, that convey important feelings or messages in whatever form comes naturally. Most artists perform best when they are expressing honest emotions from the heart, not when they are forced to make music that they don’t like.

In the end, the main problems with many record labels can be boiled down to a few key issues:

Record labels want to recreate the past. They are stuck in the past and too afraid to move forward. When something works, their instinct is to milk it for all it’s worth, even as it becomes clear that it’s time to move on. Moreover, they can’t see trends for what they are: Trends. By definition, trends never last. They are a flash in the pan, and trying to make a trend stick around longer than it’s supposed to never works. It is foolish to follow trends and it is foolish to force artists to stay in the same place, spinning their wheels as their fans move on to a fresher style of music.

Record labels can’t see the future and what it could hold. In all their obsession with looking at the past and trying to follow the same formulas to success, they don’t anticipate new trends and new styles that could have a bigger and longer lasting impact. No one saw grunge coming. Instead, it grew naturally in the underground Washington scene and suddenly exploded on the world in the early ’90s from left field. Of course this is an exceptional example, but even smaller shifts in music taste should be anticipated. Forge ahead and make the future before it surprises you.

Record labels don’t nurture their artists as much anymore. In the past, artists were given time to develop their style and build a solid fan base. Record labels saw the longterm payoff instead of just instant gratification. This is why artists like Bob Dylan were able to became successful in the first place and remain household names to this day. Artists need time to grow their fan base, but they also need room to experiment in their music. No one wants to hear the same song over and over again… unless it’s AC/DC. Artists need to evolve and grow as their fans do.

Remember: Record execs are business people. Artists are creative. You do your job, they do theirs. Singers, musicians, and writers should be allowed to do what they’re meant to do: Create music and develop new sounds and styles. Who knows, it may stick. Likewise, business people are meant to make that music successful, not to drastically change how the music sounds."

Thanks, Hidden Jams Music. Will Avril Lavigne stopped making bratty music and switched over to try something new? Can Avril Lavigne try something new bring back number 1s and represent hit singles? Find out next time.