I grew up on Avril Lavigne’s music. My fifth grade experience consisted of driving to community theatre practice blaring “It’s Complicated,” thinking that I understood what it meant. The girls at my lunch table would sing “He was a skater boy, she said, ‘see ya later, boy.’ He wasn’t good enough for her,” every time one of the boys with “cooties” got mentioned. My mom even convinced me to sing “Innocence” for the talent show. (This I now regret.) Lavigne was my first concert in sixth grade, the first concert that taught me that waiting by a coach bus that looks “celebrity-y” doesn’t guarantee a meet-and-greet. But Lavigne made up a good part of the memories I have from the glorified tween years.

The problem was that Lavigne slowly faded from the limelight. Then I got a little older and realized that her music (at least her first four albums) displayed her inability to legitimately grow up.  If immaturity was what she was going for, she certainly succeeded, but was it winning over her fans?  I certainly haven’t listened to any of the old “teeny-bopper” tunes since at least ’07.  Not that singing about teenage angst no longer resonates — Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber seem to pull it off pretty well; they have got their fans hooked.  Lavigne’s music, however, has a tone of disrespectfulness and disregard for anything. It’s whiny and offensive, and I think some people even find her music just flat out annoying. But this month, things might change for Lavigne. Having just turned twenty-nine last month, the release of her new, self-titled album may be the turning point of her career.

The album begins with “Rock N Roll,” a classic, easy pop track. It has an essence of “We Will Rock You” and contains all the catchy essentials of a typical radio hit.  It’s not doing as well as hoped on the charts, but it is still a notable single, nonetheless.  The second song on the album, “Here’s to Never Growing Up, “ speaks to typical teenage rebellion, a Peter Pan-esque, I never want to grow up attitude. Although teenagers can relate to this song, it’s evident that Lavigne is holding on to the ideals of her younger days.  Next up is “17,” with another easy listening, typical pop sound like those found on all the other albums she has produced.

The album’s fourth song, “Bitchin’ Summer,” is a blend of pop with country. The song is catchy and also has a smooth middle tempo that will appeal to Lavigne’s fans.

“Let Me Go” (featuring Chad Kroeger) is another single, showing a soft side to Lavigne, and is the first lyrically mature piece on the album. The song is honest and powerfully displays the connection between the signer and her husband, Chad Kroeger, in the same style as “Goodbye Lullaby.”  “Give You What You Like” is a more delicate (but still pop) production. Lavigne reels in her listeners with her deep, genuine emotion.

The song that surprises the most is “Bad Girl” (featuring Marilyn Manson). It’s a hard rock anthem that is sassy, with synths and a lot of percussion. “Hello Kitty” is dubstep (enough said).  “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” is nothing new, just typical 2005 Lavigne.  It’s probably the most unnecessary song in the album. “Slippin’ On Sunshine” is fresh and positive but mediocre, again geared toward teens, making references to high school and being young.  “Hello Heartache” is repetitive but a pop “staple,” similar in style to Ellie Goulding’s “Salt Skin.” Second to last is “Falling Fast,” the most mature work on the album, with a sincere and serene affect like “Goodbye Lullaby.” The album ends with a delicate piano piece, “Hush Hush.” This song is the gem of the album — a stand-out among all of Lavigne’s typical pop hits.

This album shows a new side to Lavigne. Finally, after four other albums, she experiments with different sounds and reveals a bit of her inner-self, while at the same time maintains her signature musical feel. The lyrics are more honest and direct, and they portray Lavigne as a more mature person, no longer a little girl singing about stealing your boyfriend. She uses new and different musical aspects, even throwing in a dubstep electronica composition and setting a more mature, sexy tone throughout the album. The new Lavigne, married and in her thirtieth year, knows what she wants, and she’s telling the world. She is neither confused about her life, nor her career. Perhaps ironically, Lavigne’s new self-titled release lets her just be herself.