I wanted to spread some love about Spike Hill last night, but holy shit did Twitter lay me low on the way home. Why is Chavril viral? Why does it not make sense to anybody? These two people are a completely feasible match.
I got “into it” the other night with some friends, defending Nickleback on the way home from a Cake concert in Williamsburg. The fact is, while I’ll never stop hating Creed, I never started hating Nickleback, because frankly, they’ve done their job.
Nickleback, from single one, has been all about delivering catchy tunes. I don’t know if they meant to be pop stars — far more likely is the speculation that they thought they were alternative-metal sensations — but once they found their niche, they leaned into it, and because of that, every time they’ve brought an offering forth, it’s been consistent.
Avril, on the other same hand, came out as a pop star (just not “that pop star”), and has been reinforcing that ever since, by changing her game with each release. Her idol/teen crush was Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, betraying a sensibility for that which aims at rock and lands at pop.
You could play a Nickleback album on one stereo and an Avril Lavigne album on the other, and probably you’ll hear the next amazing pop record that you will hate yourself for loving.
I told you the career stuff to remove the perceived dichotomy of their professional lives, but can I tell you something else?
AVRIL LAVIGNE IS 28 YEARS OLD.
She’s a fucking adult. I’m like you, internet — it seems like yesterday I was watching a video of “I’m With You” and wondering how long someone so young could hold up to all that pressure — but there is just no cradle-robbing going on here, no victimization the way you want to see it. She’s 28.
This shouldn’t be a headline.
Maybe you should be.