Avril Lavigne - Avril Lavigne

Avril’s the queen teen. Although 29 and newly married (for the second time), the Napanee, Ont. native refuses to grow up—in her music, at least. Her fifth CD features more of the sort of joyful rebellion and willful dysfunction that characterized earlier albums like Let Go and The Best Damn Thing. Songs like the party anthems “Rock N Roll” and “Here’s to Never Growing Up” may be full of bad attitude (and language), but they’re also great fun, full of undeniably catchy hooks and shout-along choruses. Some of the material is sweetly nostalgic like the euphoric “17,” or romantically sweet like the heartfelt “Falling Fast.” There are also two certifiably strange numbers: the edgy electronica of the Japanese-obsessed “Hello Kitty” and the creepy industrial pop of “Bad Girl,” a duet with a growling Marilyn Manson. But, as if to prove she’s really normal and all grown up, Lavignel includes “Let Me Go,” a duet with her husband Chad Kroeger that may just be the best damn power ballad she’s ever made.