In 2002, Avril Lavigne’s skate-punk aesthetic and emo-but-energized angst quickly made her the queen of the aughts pop-punk revival scene. Since her third album, 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, she’s ebbed and flowed, dipping her toes in bubblegum pop and more self-serious pop rock. Her seventh album, Love Sux, brings her back to her roots, bridging the gap between her early emo vibe with the bubblegum confidence that brought her away from it.
Lavigne packs the album, which is just under 40 minutes, with ferocious energy. She partnered with ska-heavyweight-turned-pop-punk-whisperer John Feldmann (5SOS, Blink-182) and boyfriend Mod Sun, who recently made the Machine Gun Kelly-esque pivot from hip-hop to rock. Travis Barker, who signed Lavigne to his imprint DTA, assists along the way. The final product is crisp and fun, launching with the explosive “Cannonball,” a song that…
