Avril Lavigne fell in love with the devil
A few days ago, I came across an article from a religious website that discusses the religious undertones in Avril Lavigne’s music video for her new single “I Fell in Love with the Devil.”
I can understand that she was just using metaphors or figurative language to express her message behind the song and music video. However, Christian fans got triggered. They accused her of being anti-religious by using religious imagery to promote the song.
“You need Jesus,” they told her. “Get your soul right with Jesus.”
Of course, Avril Lavigne has Jesus in her life since long time ago. In fact, she honed her skills by singing in church. She has a different way of expressing Him today. Just ask Lady Gaga.
These Christians, in my opinion, are the fundamentalist, evangelical kind. I wonder if they were offended at the use of certain religious images, like the crucifix, or the blasphemous nature of Avril Lavigne’s music video. You see, religious images don’t matter to fundamentalist, evangelical Christians.
She is just playing the devil around… as people do with people.
Mistaken for Christina Aguilera
Growing up in 2002 with no cable TV, Internet, and easy, regular access to new reading materials in one of the least economically progressive places in the Philippines, I was months behind new music. So, when I heard the song “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne for the first time, I thought the singer was Christina Aguilera.
As if Christina Aguilera would sing such stuff that year. She had “stripped” off her teen pop styles, changed her public image, and established an alter ego (Xtina) for her aptly titled fourth album.
In my previous post, I have written about an ex-classmate inviting me to his place after school to check out some music VCDs he brought home from Christmas vacation. Guess what other music videos I had seen that night? “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne.
Of course, this is the same classmate that bought “Stripped” cassette tape for me.
A love not that complicated
It was around October or November that year when I first heard the song. The single was released in May. That time, the radio stations kept playing “Without Me” by Eminem and “S2pid Luv” by the Filipino rap group – and one hit wonder – Salbakuta.
I got interested when radio stations started to play “Complicated” but I still did not know the title and singer of the song. It was only when I sneaked into my sister’s room to read one of her music magazines did I know both title and artist. My sister was away on a science trip, so I also had the time to write the lyrics.
Despite my interest and positive review of “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne, it was not one of my last song syndrome (LSS) tracks. It is not even one of my favorite Avril Lavigne tracks.
Avril Lavigne found people “complicated”
From the song’s Wikipedia entry, I read that “Complicated” is a song about how people can feign or pretend in front of others. Lavigne said about the song, “People sometimes bother me how they’re not real and how they’re just, like, putting on a face and being two-faced.” She stated that she experienced this with both boyfriends and female friends.
People indeed are really complicated beings, we and all other people. More complicated are the people that do not practice what they preach and whose actions do not reflect their character or beliefs. You have such people in your life, don’t you? How do you deal with them?
Songs are about people. Avril Lavigne sings about complicated people for her debut single. I wonder if she has a song about people in complicated relationships.
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