Let me preface this by saying that Avril Lavigne is one ofmy least favorite pop acts of all time. While I bumped ”Sk8ter Boi” in 2002 asmuch as the next man, I really don’t buy her whole suburban ”I just get drunkand make my music” shtick. And for all those who come back with tales of how”real” she really is, I feel vindicated in presenting the new video for”Girlfriend (Dr. Luke Remix),” a collaboration with Brooklyn’sLil Mama (a/k/a the girl whose ”lip gloss is POPPIN”). No artist whois truly ”doing her own thing” would ever come up with an idea like this on her own.Instead, Avril seems like a helpless patient in the hands of ”Dr. Luke,” acharlatan who has sewn together two of the worst songs of the year into aFrankenstein’s monster of semi-animate pop trends: rappers rocking out (”PartyLike a Rockstar”), misdirected girl power (I don’t want to be yourgirlfriend!), and awful urban-dance routines (”Chicken Noodle Soup’‘). Check out the video — and leave your thoughts after the jump.
But just as Frankenstein’s monster gradually becomes asympathetic character with some redeeming human qualities, this remix actuallyfinds glimpses of life within the teenage wasteland from whence it sprang. Thevideo has an almost irresistible aura of fun — the track bops along likea hyperactive kid, while the unlikely duo: joyrides in a candy-pinkconvertible, defaces public property (but in a cute way!), and, of course, dancesenthusiastically. Lil Mama steals the show, displaying a technical, if notlyrical, proficiency in her rhyming that’s reminiscent of another ”Lil’rapper by the name of Bow Wow. Meanwhile, Avril rocks the backdrop for much ofthe video and awkwardly tries to match Mama’s moves. There’s somethingsickeningly cheery about the whole ordeal, but Lil Mama has a charming joie de vivre, and Avril shines a littlebrighter in her shadow.
Though I’m feeling strangely neutral (maybe two wrongs do make it sort of right?), I have afeeling this is a ”hate it or love it” type of item. What do you think,PopWatchers: Is this collabo poppin’ or floppin’?
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Oh yeah… Definitely a little soul killing.
Avril’s “dancing” horrifies me on many levels, because it’s so heinously half-hearted (be a cheerleader or don’t, honey – either way, commit to at least one image), but there’s something charming about Lil Mama. She may not be there yet, but she seems to have an affability and at least a shred of skill (as opposed to Avril, who grates on my last nerves and just looks silly in comparison to Lil Mama).
It’s hilarious how she tries to come off with this don’t f— with me attitude, then she comes out with these pop, cheesy songs. Yeah, riding around on scooters and dancing – totally bad a@*.
This could have been something great. It could have been Avril and Lil Mama fighting over a guy. It could have been pranks and pushing through 1/2 of the video, and then they get together to take it out on the guy at the end of the video. Come on! Stop fake graffiting!
1 min and 18 seconds is all I could take. Wow! Excuse me for digging up some of my ancient, teenage lingo (circa 1997), but Avril lost at least 100,000 cool points for that. (On a side note, I’d like to thank L’il Mama for ‘rhyming’ with her clothes on. I can’t stand that Lip Gloss song, but I’m glad she has stayed clothed in her music business journey thus far. I’m keep my fingers crossed!)
I died a little watching that.
I love that Avril, a married woman, looks like a 14 year old mall rat. She needs to get schooled on being real. This ain’t it.
You are certainly not alone on your Avril hate. She’s the most phony “artist” out there. She craves attention so bad but tries to play it off like “I’m glad I don’t have the paparazzi following me around like Britney.”
Wow! I think I went a little deaf and definetely a little blind after witnessing those videos. Let’s just say that I’m glad not to be a passenger in Lil Mama’s car. Avril is just a mess. She needs a dose of “How do I Look” for fashion or an extreme makeover. I relish looking young, but uh, Avril is married and still looks like a tweener. God I hope she doesn’t procreate.
Avril is an interesting pop “star” because she is reasonably attractive and is a decent singer, but she has zero charisma. Her performance on SNL last season was so awkward, I felt embarrassed for her. However, she is smart and savvy enough to adopt this “punk rock chick” image and persona to compensate. You have to congratulate her for knowing how to market herself, which is not easy in the fickle music biz. Pink has tried putting on the same image, but she just comes off as kinda crazy and scary. Avril is successful with it because she is so obviously a nonthreatening “punk”
I like Avril’s song girlfriend a lot. I didn’t really like this video though. I’m sorry but the one that looks most retarded in this video is Lil Mama. Avril does a better job than her, all Lil Mama does is jump around like an idiot. Sheesh, you people call that dancing? Come on we all know who did the best here – Avril!
Writing songs that 14 year olds will like is not cool. At least Britney tries to push the envelope (sometimes with horrible results). I rather prefer this remix because there’s less Avril’s “singing” to have to listen to.
Avril is so contrived. I am not amused by 20 year olds that act like they are 10, or by suburban mall chicks who pretend they are tough. I am surprised she lasted this long on no talent.
I agree, Avril has zero chemistry. She can’t put together a decent sentence and she is always unnlikeable. She acts like she doesn’t care what others think, she cares allright, says that so when she gets less ink or applause, she can say “so whatever, I can do so much better”. Oh, good rhyming job Avril, brilliant…not!
I dont believe Avril would be riding around in that convertable with Lil Mama cause I dont believe Avril would have any friends who were equally or more attractive than here. That goes for talent as well…
Slezak, math lesson: One wrong + Another wrong = very very wrong
Okay, sign me up for the “love it” side: Avril Lavigne cracks my s— up, and it is exactly her blasé lack of total commitment that makes her so fascinating. That, and her cotton-candy voice. And her hair. Oh, how I love her hair.
off to buy a pink Mustang,
xo
w
Some of Avril’s early songs weren’t half bad, but the videos were sad and pandering (‘Complicated’s laughable skate board antics and hassling of uncool mall shoppers), and now everything thing she does feel pathetic. ‘Girlfriend” is a pretty sad attempt to hold onto a young audience, and Avril herself doesn’t seem to realize she’s not a kid anymore and that gimick has become stale. And the less said about her personality, the better. Her interviews have become worldwide jokes. Trust me…I live in New Zealand.
As for that whole ‘Lip Gloss’ thing…wow, thats one of the worse songs and videos in ages.
I hate videos. If a song is good, it just is. Avril’s earlier stuff was good, she was and is still a ditz but she does have talent. And I don’t let a stupid video determine if I should like a song or not.
BTW I hate that ‘girlfriend’ tune. Too teeny-bopper for my taste.
That song reminded me of Toni Basil’s song “Mickey.” And Avril is about as badass as Toni and that is not at all…
I wish I didn’t love this song, but everytime I hear it I realize that it’s summer and music is supposed to be stupid. I think Avril is annoying. By September, this song song will be annoying. But right now, turn it up.
It wasn’t cool when you said “awful urban-dance routines.” Do you even know how to dance? Those dances and videos are meant for people who love to dance and if you don’t, you don’t have a right to judge how bad or good they are. As for the video, Avril should stop dancing cause she looks like a friggin poser. And maybe they should have not been cheap and done a video that actually mirrored the lyrics, like the original video did, because this one just looks pointless.
I have hated her since she gave that interview some years back and talked about how she writes all her songs and she can write a song a day. Then it was revealed that her biggest hits (Complicated, I’m With You, Skater Boy) were written by the Matrix songwriting team. Apparently Avril would change “take off all your stupid clothes” to “preppy clothes” and then she went blathering about how she wrote the song. She’s just such a fake little brat.
I’m not an Avril fan, but she has done some good music at times. If you are concerned about her being 20 and wanting a teen audience, maybe you should also take a look at Gwen Stefani (what is she, 35+ trying to look 17) and Fergie, who is the same thing.
I don’t like her after posing topless on Blender, after dissing young singers who do that. She said she had on a halter, but I’m ot buying it. The girl is a fraud.
to mm
The Chicken Noodle Dance is an awful urbandadnce routine. Be fa real, have you seen it? Or the aunt jackie for that matter?
I liked it… catchy.
I’m a 20 year old single girl and I just feel like anybody who is married shouldn’t be singing songs like Girlfriend. Somehow it just seems wrong and juvenile.
POPPIN’!! I love it…
you are hilarious. and she is not.
I think I could really have only a mild hatred for Miss Lavigne instead of the inferno of loathing that rages within me whenever she opens her mouth if she would just own up to the fact that she’s a pop princess. Wearing black eyeliner and a hoody does not make you “punk”, Avril! Your about as punk as a box of marshmallowy pink Peeps bunnies, but not nearly as cute.
I suggest for her next album, she just own up, die her hair blonde, and cover a Britney Spears song (“Hit Me Baby, One More Time” should do just fine).