Avril Lavigne’s Musical Evolution, From ‘Sk8er Boi’ to ‘Bite Me’

The song that started it all.

With its wailing guitars and insanely catchy chorus, “Complicated” catapulted a 17-year-old Lavigne to international fame as the debut single from her first album “Let Go.” The track was a statement-making debut, offering a middle finger to anyone jilted by a significant other, and came complete with a music video featuring Lavigne trashing a mall with her band, thereby introducing the Canadian-born singer as pop music’s newest bad girl. “Complicated” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and would eventually lead to two Grammy nominations for song of the year and best female pop vocal performance.

The staying power of “Sk8er Boi,” the second single from Lavigne’s debut album “Let Go,” extended far beyond its June 2002 release. Further building on her skater persona established in the music video for “Complicated,” the song puts a snarky twist on the typical love story with its iconic opening line: “He was a boy/ She was a girl/ Can I make it any more obvious?”

The pop-punk fairytale continues as said skater boy becomes a rock star, getting to the hearts of teenagers everywhere who feel underestimated or understood. Of course, Lavigne ends up with the boy at the end, when they “rock each other’s worlds.”

The song’s music video further promotes Lavigne as a perpetual rebel as she performs from atop a car while a giant mosh pit fills the streets of New York City. The police eventually come to break up the event, but not before Lavigne smashes her guitar into the car’s front window.

While “Complicated” showed off Lavigne’s vocal chops, “Sk8er Boi” established that the up-and-coming star could also rock out. “Sk8er Boi” went on to earn a Grammy nomination for best female rock vocal performance in 2003, and reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The third single from her debut album, “I’m With You” showed a softer, more vulnerable side to Lavigne. As the first ballad she released, it was a sonic departure from “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi,” focusing on a more acoustic feel with some added strings. Though Lavigne had established herself as a skater chick with her first two singles, “I’m With You’s” yearning lyrics made her even more relatable to her audience: “It’s a damn cold night/ Trying to figure out this life/ Won’t you take me by the hand?/ Take me somewhere new/ I don’t know who you are/ But I, I’m with you.” Not to mention, the song’s powerhouse bridge and escalating “yeahs” once again proved Lavigne’s vocal prowess.

It was later nominated at the 2004 Grammys for song of the year and best female pop vocal performance, and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. By the end of 2002, “Let Go” had been certified four-times platinum by the RIAA, crowning Lavigne the bestselling female artist of the year.

Some critics labeled Lavigne a punk “poser” following the release of “Let Go,” so she came back with an even darker sound on 2004’s “Under My Skin.” The album’s second single, “My Happy Ending,” exemplifies the shift, taking on a more post-grunge vibe with distorted guitars and intense lyrics as she calls out an ex’s friends, singing: “But they don’t know me/ Do they even know you?” The song’s music video, shot in sepia tone and muted colors, matched the theme, with Lavigne wearing all black.

“My Happy Ending” was Lavigne’s second huge hit after “Complicated,” reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating pop radio, despite its edgier leanings. The track proved Lavigne was no one-hit wonder, and also showed that she was able to switch-up her sound and still have a hold on the mainstream.

As Lavigne’s star continued to rise with “Under My Skin,” she began to gain respect not only for her sound, but for her songwriting. A prime example of this is “Breakaway,” Kelly Clarkson’s smash hit that was originally written for Lavigne’s debut album, but didn’t make the cut sonically due to its folk-pop production.

After being picked up for the soundtrack of “The Princess Diaries 2,” the song achieved massive success, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the U.S. adult contemporary chart for 20 consecutive weeks. In 2014, Lavigne’s original demo of the song leaked on YouTube, showing a softer side to her vocal delivery.

It wasn’t long before Lavigne had her own song in a movie soundtrack. In 2006, she penned “Keep Holding On” for the fantasy film “Eragon,” a power ballad that ended up on her third album, “The Best Damn Thing.” Showcasing Lavigne’s impressive range backed by sparkling strings, the song proved that Lavigne could make just about any genre work for her. Despite the track only being promoted in tandem with the film — there was no official music video — it reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has gone on to become a Lavigne fan favorite.

Lavigne reached the commercial height of her career in 2007 with “Girlfriend,” an upbeat, playful banger about stealing someone’s man. The song’s call-and-response chorus (“Hey, hey! You, you!”) coupled with its unapologetic lyrics (“I don’t like your girlfriend/ I think you need a new one”) caught on like wildfire and quickly ascended the charts. The lead single from her third album “The Best Damn Thing” via RCA Records, “Girlfriend” was Lavigne’s first song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top spot in Australia, Canada and Japan.

The track also marked an image shift for Lavigne, who ditched her ties and baggy pants for shorts and fishnets. The music video even features her performing a choreographed dance number instead of her usual guitar-slung stance, playing into more of her pop star side while still keeping her edge.

Further solidifying her place in the cultural zeitgeist, Lavigne’s vocals from “I’m With You” were sampled on Rihanna’s 2011 track “Cheers (Drink to That).” Lavigne was also featured in the song’s music video, being pushed into a swimming pool on a skateboard and raising a red solo cup to the camera. “Cheers (Drink to That)” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and helped expand Lavigne’s reach to a new audience.

The lead single from Lavigne’s fourth album “Goodbye Lullaby,” “What the Hell” leaned more pop than punk courtesy of synth-heavy production from Max Martin and Shellback. But Lavigne’s care-free confidence, reaffirmed in “Girlfriend,” remained, as the song’s chorus conveys: “All my life I’ve been good, but now/ I’m thinking, ‘What the hell.'”

The song’s music video features Lavigne up to no good again — taking selfies while driving and shoplifting — but her mainstream appeal is also on display via product placement for her perfume, clothing line and a Sony digital camera. The song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is Lavigne’s second-bestselling single behind “Girlfriend.”

Lavigne moved from RCA to Epic Records for her fifth, self-titled album. “Here’s to Never Growing Up” was its lead single, which harkened back to Lavigne’s younger days in its lyrics, but kept a foot firmly in the pop realm with a stomping kick-drum backbeat and bright production. The song’s music video recalls that of “Complicated,” with Lavigne sporting a smudged eyeliner look against a red background and wearing a tie and skateboard as accessories. It received mixed reviews from critics, with some calling it generic, and it peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

After a hiatus, during which the singer battled Lyme disease which she contracted in 2014, Lavigne returned in 2018 with “Head Above Water.” The power ballad details Lavigne’s struggles and veers from her signature sound. The subject matter is also a departure from her previous effort, “Avril Lavigne,” and critics praised its honesty, spiritual touches and Lavigne’s vocal chops. While many of Lavigne’s past songs had a devil-may-care attitude, “Head Above Water” served as a welcome reminder of her writing skills and ability to be truly vulnerable. Although “Head Above Water” didn’t crack the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100, it reached No. 2 on the Christian songs chart, once again bringing Lavigne to a new audience.

As a pop-punk revival began to show legs in 2021 thanks to Travis Barker and Machine Gun Kelly, Lavigne started to tease a return to the genre herself. Sure enough, the comeback came to fruition with “Flames,” an emo-pop collaboration with Lavigne’s boyfriend, Mod Sun. The track begins acoustically with Lavigne delivering the chorus — “I still burn for you” — in her signature snarl before Sun jumps in with a high-voltage verse. Though their collaboration didn’t reach the Billboard Hot 100, it stoked fans’ appetite for more, which Lavigne soon delivered.

After signing with Travis Barker’s DTA Records, Lavigne released the first single from “Love Sux,” titled “Bite Me.” With a powerhouse chorus and hard-driving guitars, the track may be the most authentically pop-punk song of her career. “Hey you, you should’ve known better/ Better to fuck with someone like me/ Hey you, forever and ever you’re gonna wish I was your wifey,” Lavigne sings in her signature belt over Barker’s snare-heavy drums.

The music video is a return to form as well, with the guitar back in Lavigne’s hand and a DIY feel. And Lavigne looks incredibly at-ease through it all, exuding power and confidence in a way that’s truly evolved. At 37, Avril Lavigne is already an industry vet, but clearly has more to say and music to share. Don’t be surprised if the best is yet to come.