Avril Lavigne – Love Sux

Love Sux, released in February 2022 on DTA/Elektra, marks Avril Lavigne’s full embrace of her pop-punk roots. Collaborating with producers such as Travis Barker, John Feldmann, and Mod Sun, she returns to guitar-driven energy and confessional lyricism. The album dispenses with much of the balladry that colored her recent work, instead delivering tight, punchy tracks steeped in angst and attitude. Lyrically, it channels the turbulence of love, betrayal, and self-assertion with directness and swagger. In its compact 33-minute span, Love Sux moves with little fat, staking its identity firmly in the punk-inflected side of Avril’s catalogue.

Highlights include the blistering opener “Cannonball,” the duet “Bois Lie” with Machine Gun Kelly, and the anthemic “Love It When You Hate Me,” which combine raw hooks with lyrical catharsis. Critics generally welcomed the return: many praised it as one of her more cohesive and spirited records in years. While not a radical reinvention, Love Sux reinforces Lavigne’s relevance in a modern pop-punk resurgence, attracting both longtime fans and new listeners drawn to its vigor and sincerity.

Reviews

"After a decade of artistic exploration and soul-searching, the self-proclaimed "motherf*ckin princess" has reclaimed her pop-punk crown." – AllMusic

“Love Sux deals with shitty relationships and the electricity of a first kiss.” – NME

“The resulting album is a faithful ode to the best of mid-aughts pop-punk.” – Riff Magazine

“Showcases growth in Lavigne as an artist … it just has all the elements of what made us fall in love with Avril Lavigne in the first place.” – Clash