Goodbye Lullaby
Encyclopedia
Goodbye Lullaby is the fourth studio album
by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne
. The album was first released on 8 March 2011 through RCA Records
(Sony Music
). Recording sessions began in November 2008, and took place over a period of almost two years, concluding in October 2010. The album's songs contain mainly stripped down instruments, such as the piano and acoustic guitar. Every song on the album was written by Lavigne, with half of the album being written with co-writers. The album debuted inside the top five in over 15 countries such as the United States and Canada, topping charts in Japan, Australia, Germany, Greece, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Czech Republic. The lead single of the album, "What the Hell
", was released on 7 January 2011 and reached the top twenty in USA, the top ten in Europe and Australia and the top five in Asia. The album also includes an extended version of the soundtrack single for the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland
, titled "Alice
".
In August 2010, Lavigne returned to Henson Recording Studios
with producer Alex da Kid. During these sessions, Lavigne had strep throat
, and the people involved were required to wear surgical masks. Despite her doctor's warning, Lavigne recorded vocals, "I wasn't able to sing for the last forty-eight hours because I could do permanent damage to the vocal cords." She revealed that she had been "trying new stuff" and that she was "exploring". Lavigne added that she had enough material for two records.
In October 2010, Lavigne was featured in Maxim
for the November issue. During the interview she revealed that she had finished Goodbye Lullaby after two and a half years. However, in November, Lavigne announced that her album had been completed for a year, citing her record company as the reason for the album's delays. Lavigne stated that her record company wanted something more upbeat to keep up with mainstream radio, "Radio's very rhythmic and urban and dance today. I think they wanted me to do something more like that, but that's not what my vision was for this album".
The entire track listing for the album was revealed on 21 December 2010, after some were announced in early December. It was also announced that two songs on the album, "4 Real" and "Goodbye", were both written and produced solely by Lavigne herself. The remaining tracks were either written by Lavigne or co-written with longtime collaborators Evan Taubenfeld
, Butch Walker
, and Max Martin
. Lavigne stated that her vocals were the most important instrument to her during the album's recording, "Typically the lead vocal gets buried in the track and you can’t always hear the quality, character, or emotion after a certain point. I wanted my voice to be the main instrument."
, Lavigne needed a short theme that would be used for the TV spots. "Black Star" was composed in a Malaysian hotel during her tour. The jingle
was eventually expanded into a full song, which Rolling Stone later described as "an ethereal lullaby that turns epic with tinkling Coldplay
-like pianos and soaring strings."
Recording began with minimal instruments, usually starting with Lavigne singing only to acoustic guitar, with additional instruments added later. Lavigne described the process: "It’s stripped down. I love performing that way, so I really felt like it was time to make a record like that. To just make it all about the vocal and the performance, and the vibe, and the emotion." Because she has a studio in her home, Lavigne was able to compose and record at her leisure. She also used the piano to compose the majority of the songs. "The piano is more of an emotional instrument. It stirs up different emotions for me and moves me in a different way than the guitar can." By July of 2009, nine tracks had been recorded, including the songs "Fine", "Everybody Hurts" and "Darlin'". Several of the tracks were written in Lavigne's youth. "Darlin'" was the second song Lavigne wrote as a 15-year-old while living in Napanee, Ontario. Lavigne stated that this album would be different from her previous work, "The other albums I've done, the songs are all over the place. This is the most consistent album all the way through."
. With the exception of the album's lead single, Lavigne describes the songs on the album as different from her earlier material, "I'm older now, so I think that comes across in my music, it's not as pop-rock
and it's a little more mellow and it's deep". She said, "[For] this record, I just really, really wanted to sing.... I just wanna have silence around me, and have these acoustic songs and really deliver." In November 2010, British
producer Alex da Kid
, who worked with Lavigne beginning in August 2010, stated that some songs on the album will have a hip-hop
sound, "We've got some things that are hip-hop leaning, and we've got some things that are more pop/rock leaning". In December, it was announced that the songs produced by Alex da Kid would not be on the album but Lavigne stated, "we’re gonna do something with that stuff, I’m just not sure what yet".
Lavigne described the first single off the album, "What the Hell
", as "a broad message about personal freedom", calling it her "most pop
track on the record", the least personal song from the album and the song most reminiscent of her previous work. Another song, "Stop Standing There", has been described as having an "early- '50s girl-group feel" and "Smile" is about Lavigne's gratitude for special people in her life. "Push" is about relationships and "Wish You Were Here" shows Lavigne's vulnerable side. Lavigne described the song "Everybody Hurts" as "different...but not different to stray away from who I am and what I am." "Goodbye" is one of the two songs Lavigne wrote and produced on her own. She says it's about moving on in life, and leaving something secure. Lavigne stated that "Goodbye" is the most personal song she has ever wrote and was the inspiration for the album's title.
. Andy Greenwald of Entertainment Weekly
, a partner of CNN, said Goodbye Lullaby seeks a balance, "The first half is loaded with glossy confections, while the second consists of quieter reflections clearly inspired by ... Deryck Whibley", her ex-husband. The review ends by giving a grade of B- with the justification that the singer seems to be desperate to share her artistic interior, which is far from fully formed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic compares Goodbye Lullaby to Under My Skin, also citing the divorce from Deryck Whibley as "The occasion for introspection". He concludes that Lavigne "seems to be grappling with emotions just beyond her reach, never articulating her angst or crafting a melancholy melody, making Goodbye Lullaby feel affected, not genuine."
The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail compared Lavigne, in 2002, to a "younger, sassier version of Alanis Morissette
", but that her old niche as the punky pop star been taken over by Ke$ha
and that Goodbye Lullaby contains little to catch the ear of anyone who is not already a fan. The reviewer, Robert Everett-Green, criticizes the progression found within six songs: "it’s the basis of Pachelbel
's Canon and about a jillion other pop songs." "Goodbye" was described as "a ballad with strings and piano that is the only thing Lavigne did all by herself, including the production. It's high in her register, and she sounds a bit like an angel with tattered wings. It's pretty slick, but it’s just genuine-sounding enough to hint at what Lavigne might be able to do if she scraped off the production makeup".
Bill Lamb from About.com
gave to the album a rating of 3 stars, opining that: "Goodbye Lullaby leaves us waiting for the next chapter in Avril Lavigne's recording career. Perhaps with this album she has purged the weight of sadness and regret to prepare herself for the next steps forward. It sounds like we would all benefit if she has the courage to move forward in writing and producing songs on her own. The two tracks here indicate that she can be a very solid, compelling pop-rock artist when in complete control of the artistic vision. Mediocre Avril Lavigne remains more compelling than many artists, but Goodbye Lullaby feels a bit like a wasted moment in time".
Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
was more positive, rating it 4 stars and commented that: "Production-wise, "Goodbye" is another straight-up pop-rock affair. It's a formula that shows little progression from her 2002 debut, and as such starts to wane towards the back-end of the album". Copsey concluded that: "the result remains a solid collection of tunes that neatly ties together the sounds of her last three records: the angst of Let Go
, the raw emotion of Under My Skin and the pop hooks of The Best Damn Thing
are all seamlessly interwoven here. It might make for an album that breaks little ground stylistically, but continues to keep Avril at the forefront of the brat-pop movement."
Jon Parales from The New York Times
was positive, expressing that "on Goodbye Lullaby," she’s trying to be a little more expansive, vocally and emotionally, without leaving pop territory". Pareles saw, positively, that: "It’s the pop-factory material, not Ms. Lavigne’s own presumably more personal songs, that offers details, humor and a sense of letting go. Her grown-up seriousness could use a little more of them".
Giving 3 stars out of 5, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
stated that "Goodbye Lullaby is lovelorn and introspective, full of gusty tunes with a surprising message: Avril cares".
Josh Langhoff of PopMatters
criticised Lavigne's songwriting, stating "If you wanna know how NOT to do it, listen to the last five tracks on Goodbye Lullaby". However, Langhoff and Rosen both praised "Stop Standing There", one of the seven songs Lavigne wrote on her own.
, with first-week sales of over 87,000. As of November 2011, Goodbye Lullaby had sold 294,000 copies in the US, making it her lowest-selling studio album.
On 10 March 2011, Goodbye Lullaby debuted at number two on the Japanese Oricon
Albums Chart, with sales of 135,410 units in its opening week. Until 5 October 2011, the album has sold 365,703 copies in Japan, receiving Platinum certification. In the UK, the album debuted at number nine, selling over 22,500 copies. In Canada, the album reached the 2nd position with sales of 13,000 copies. In Australia, the album topped the album's chart, selling over 15,000 copies.
", on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31 December 2010 during a pre-taped segment along with a performance of "Girlfriend
". Lavigne said the song is "a really fun, upbeat party song, so it worked out really well to play it for the first time on New Year's Rockin' Eve." The following day, "What the Hell" was available as a free download for 48 hours from Lavigne's official Facebook
page. The video for the single was released in January 2011. Lavigne asked her fans via Twitter
what the next single should be, giving the choices between "Push" and "Smile", with "Smile
" ultimately being chosen as the second release. Lavigne confirmed in July 2011 that "Wish You Were Here
" would become the third and possibly final single off Goodbye Lullaby.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
. The album was first released on 8 March 2011 through RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
(Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
). Recording sessions began in November 2008, and took place over a period of almost two years, concluding in October 2010. The album's songs contain mainly stripped down instruments, such as the piano and acoustic guitar. Every song on the album was written by Lavigne, with half of the album being written with co-writers. The album debuted inside the top five in over 15 countries such as the United States and Canada, topping charts in Japan, Australia, Germany, Greece, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Czech Republic. The lead single of the album, "What the Hell
What the Hell
Mostly positive, critics have noted similarities between "What the Hell" and Lavigne's previous single, "Girlfriend". Gil Kaufman of MTV.com stated "What the Hell" has "rousing cheerleader energy" and an "infectious groove and peppy vibe". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone magazine said "the music is...
", was released on 7 January 2011 and reached the top twenty in USA, the top ten in Europe and Australia and the top five in Asia. The album also includes an extended version of the soundtrack single for the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
, titled "Alice
Alice (Avril Lavigne song)
"Alice" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne for Almost Alice, the soundtrack to the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland. An extended version was released as a hidden track on Lavigne's fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby.The song is a mid-tempo ballad sung from...
".
Background and development
The album and lead single's release dates had been pushed back several times. The album was originally scheduled for release on 17 November 2009. Later, in January 2010, Lavigne stated that the album cover had been photographed and the first single would be released in April followed by the album in June. In May, Lavigne said that she considered the album too serious and "mellow" and would return to the studio to balance the album out, "With an album, I don't want to rush it out.... I have a very serious record, so I think I need to put a couple upbeat, fun songs on it."In August 2010, Lavigne returned to Henson Recording Studios
Henson Recording Studios
Henson Recording Studios was established in 2000 at the former A&M Studios. The remake of We Are the World was recorded at Henson Recording Studios in February 2010 to benefit the Haiti earthquake victims....
with producer Alex da Kid. During these sessions, Lavigne had strep throat
Strep throat
Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal tonsillitis, or streptococcal sore throat is a type of pharyngitis caused by a group A streptococcal infection. It affects the pharynx including the tonsils and possibly the larynx. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes...
, and the people involved were required to wear surgical masks. Despite her doctor's warning, Lavigne recorded vocals, "I wasn't able to sing for the last forty-eight hours because I could do permanent damage to the vocal cords." She revealed that she had been "trying new stuff" and that she was "exploring". Lavigne added that she had enough material for two records.
In October 2010, Lavigne was featured in Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
for the November issue. During the interview she revealed that she had finished Goodbye Lullaby after two and a half years. However, in November, Lavigne announced that her album had been completed for a year, citing her record company as the reason for the album's delays. Lavigne stated that her record company wanted something more upbeat to keep up with mainstream radio, "Radio's very rhythmic and urban and dance today. I think they wanted me to do something more like that, but that's not what my vision was for this album".
The entire track listing for the album was revealed on 21 December 2010, after some were announced in early December. It was also announced that two songs on the album, "4 Real" and "Goodbye", were both written and produced solely by Lavigne herself. The remaining tracks were either written by Lavigne or co-written with longtime collaborators Evan Taubenfeld
Evan Taubenfeld
Evan David Taubenfeld is an American singer-songwriter, best known for being Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist. Taubenfeld's debut album, Welcome to the Blacklist Club, was released on May 18, 2010.-Early life:...
, Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
, and Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
. Lavigne stated that her vocals were the most important instrument to her during the album's recording, "Typically the lead vocal gets buried in the track and you can’t always hear the quality, character, or emotion after a certain point. I wanted my voice to be the main instrument."
Recording
Lavigne began recording in her home studio in November of 2008 with "Black Star" only a month after completing The Best Damn Tour. To help promote her first fragrance, Black StarBlack Star (fragrance)
Black Star is a fragrance by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The line includes, besides the 10ml, 15ml, 30ml, 50ml and 100ml eau de parfum, a shower gel, a body lotion, and a spray deodorant...
, Lavigne needed a short theme that would be used for the TV spots. "Black Star" was composed in a Malaysian hotel during her tour. The jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
was eventually expanded into a full song, which Rolling Stone later described as "an ethereal lullaby that turns epic with tinkling Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
-like pianos and soaring strings."
Recording began with minimal instruments, usually starting with Lavigne singing only to acoustic guitar, with additional instruments added later. Lavigne described the process: "It’s stripped down. I love performing that way, so I really felt like it was time to make a record like that. To just make it all about the vocal and the performance, and the vibe, and the emotion." Because she has a studio in her home, Lavigne was able to compose and record at her leisure. She also used the piano to compose the majority of the songs. "The piano is more of an emotional instrument. It stirs up different emotions for me and moves me in a different way than the guitar can." By July of 2009, nine tracks had been recorded, including the songs "Fine", "Everybody Hurts" and "Darlin'". Several of the tracks were written in Lavigne's youth. "Darlin'" was the second song Lavigne wrote as a 15-year-old while living in Napanee, Ontario. Lavigne stated that this album would be different from her previous work, "The other albums I've done, the songs are all over the place. This is the most consistent album all the way through."
Composition
Lavigne described the album as being about "life". She stated, "It's so easy for me to do a boy-bashing pop song, but to sit down and write honestly about something that's really close to me, something I've been through, it's a totally different thing." The album serves as a return to Lavigne's older musical style and is largely acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
. With the exception of the album's lead single, Lavigne describes the songs on the album as different from her earlier material, "I'm older now, so I think that comes across in my music, it's not as pop-rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
and it's a little more mellow and it's deep". She said, "[For] this record, I just really, really wanted to sing.... I just wanna have silence around me, and have these acoustic songs and really deliver." In November 2010, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
producer Alex da Kid
Alex da Kid
Alexander Grant , better known as Alex da Kid, is a Grammy award winning English music songwriter and hip-hop producer.-Early life:...
, who worked with Lavigne beginning in August 2010, stated that some songs on the album will have a hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
sound, "We've got some things that are hip-hop leaning, and we've got some things that are more pop/rock leaning". In December, it was announced that the songs produced by Alex da Kid would not be on the album but Lavigne stated, "we’re gonna do something with that stuff, I’m just not sure what yet".
Lavigne described the first single off the album, "What the Hell
What the Hell
Mostly positive, critics have noted similarities between "What the Hell" and Lavigne's previous single, "Girlfriend". Gil Kaufman of MTV.com stated "What the Hell" has "rousing cheerleader energy" and an "infectious groove and peppy vibe". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone magazine said "the music is...
", as "a broad message about personal freedom", calling it her "most pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
track on the record", the least personal song from the album and the song most reminiscent of her previous work. Another song, "Stop Standing There", has been described as having an "early- '50s girl-group feel" and "Smile" is about Lavigne's gratitude for special people in her life. "Push" is about relationships and "Wish You Were Here" shows Lavigne's vulnerable side. Lavigne described the song "Everybody Hurts" as "different...but not different to stray away from who I am and what I am." "Goodbye" is one of the two songs Lavigne wrote and produced on her own. She says it's about moving on in life, and leaving something secure. Lavigne stated that "Goodbye" is the most personal song she has ever wrote and was the inspiration for the album's title.
Critical response
Goodbye Lullaby received mixed reviews from music critics based on aggregate score of 58 from MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Andy Greenwald of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, a partner of CNN, said Goodbye Lullaby seeks a balance, "The first half is loaded with glossy confections, while the second consists of quieter reflections clearly inspired by ... Deryck Whibley", her ex-husband. The review ends by giving a grade of B- with the justification that the singer seems to be desperate to share her artistic interior, which is far from fully formed. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic compares Goodbye Lullaby to Under My Skin, also citing the divorce from Deryck Whibley as "The occasion for introspection". He concludes that Lavigne "seems to be grappling with emotions just beyond her reach, never articulating her angst or crafting a melancholy melody, making Goodbye Lullaby feel affected, not genuine."
The Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail compared Lavigne, in 2002, to a "younger, sassier version of Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
", but that her old niche as the punky pop star been taken over by Ke$ha
Kesha
Kesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
and that Goodbye Lullaby contains little to catch the ear of anyone who is not already a fan. The reviewer, Robert Everett-Green, criticizes the progression found within six songs: "it’s the basis of Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
's Canon and about a jillion other pop songs." "Goodbye" was described as "a ballad with strings and piano that is the only thing Lavigne did all by herself, including the production. It's high in her register, and she sounds a bit like an angel with tattered wings. It's pretty slick, but it’s just genuine-sounding enough to hint at what Lavigne might be able to do if she scraped off the production makeup".
Bill Lamb from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave to the album a rating of 3 stars, opining that: "Goodbye Lullaby leaves us waiting for the next chapter in Avril Lavigne's recording career. Perhaps with this album she has purged the weight of sadness and regret to prepare herself for the next steps forward. It sounds like we would all benefit if she has the courage to move forward in writing and producing songs on her own. The two tracks here indicate that she can be a very solid, compelling pop-rock artist when in complete control of the artistic vision. Mediocre Avril Lavigne remains more compelling than many artists, but Goodbye Lullaby feels a bit like a wasted moment in time".
Robert Copsey from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
was more positive, rating it 4 stars and commented that: "Production-wise, "Goodbye" is another straight-up pop-rock affair. It's a formula that shows little progression from her 2002 debut, and as such starts to wane towards the back-end of the album". Copsey concluded that: "the result remains a solid collection of tunes that neatly ties together the sounds of her last three records: the angst of Let Go
Let Go (Avril Lavigne album)
Let Go is the debut album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released on June 4, 2002. For a year after signing a record deal with Arista, Lavigne struggled due to conflicts in musical direction. Lavigne relocated to Los Angeles, California, and recorded there her earlier materials for...
, the raw emotion of Under My Skin and the pop hooks of The Best Damn Thing
The Best Damn Thing
The Best Damn Thing is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on April 13, 2007 through RCA Records. According to the IFPI, The Best Damn Thing was the fourth top-selling album worldwide and Sony BMG's top-selling album of 2007. The album was certified...
are all seamlessly interwoven here. It might make for an album that breaks little ground stylistically, but continues to keep Avril at the forefront of the brat-pop movement."
Jon Parales from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
was positive, expressing that "on Goodbye Lullaby," she’s trying to be a little more expansive, vocally and emotionally, without leaving pop territory". Pareles saw, positively, that: "It’s the pop-factory material, not Ms. Lavigne’s own presumably more personal songs, that offers details, humor and a sense of letting go. Her grown-up seriousness could use a little more of them".
Giving 3 stars out of 5, Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
stated that "Goodbye Lullaby is lovelorn and introspective, full of gusty tunes with a surprising message: Avril cares".
Josh Langhoff of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
criticised Lavigne's songwriting, stating "If you wanna know how NOT to do it, listen to the last five tracks on Goodbye Lullaby". However, Langhoff and Rosen both praised "Stop Standing There", one of the seven songs Lavigne wrote on her own.
Commercial performance
Upon its release, the album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, with first-week sales of over 87,000. As of November 2011, Goodbye Lullaby had sold 294,000 copies in the US, making it her lowest-selling studio album.
On 10 March 2011, Goodbye Lullaby debuted at number two on the Japanese Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Albums Chart, with sales of 135,410 units in its opening week. Until 5 October 2011, the album has sold 365,703 copies in Japan, receiving Platinum certification. In the UK, the album debuted at number nine, selling over 22,500 copies. In Canada, the album reached the 2nd position with sales of 13,000 copies. In Australia, the album topped the album's chart, selling over 15,000 copies.
Promotion
To promote the album, Lavigne has embarked on The Black Star Tour, which she began in May 2011.Singles
Lavigne premiered the lead single, "What the HellWhat the Hell
Mostly positive, critics have noted similarities between "What the Hell" and Lavigne's previous single, "Girlfriend". Gil Kaufman of MTV.com stated "What the Hell" has "rousing cheerleader energy" and an "infectious groove and peppy vibe". Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone magazine said "the music is...
", on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31 December 2010 during a pre-taped segment along with a performance of "Girlfriend
Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne song)
"Girlfriend" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The song was written by Lavigne with her producer Dr. Luke for Lavigne's third studio album, The Best Damn Thing . "Girlfriend" was released as the lead single from The Best Damn Thing on 27 February 2007...
". Lavigne said the song is "a really fun, upbeat party song, so it worked out really well to play it for the first time on New Year's Rockin' Eve." The following day, "What the Hell" was available as a free download for 48 hours from Lavigne's official Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page. The video for the single was released in January 2011. Lavigne asked her fans via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
what the next single should be, giving the choices between "Push" and "Smile", with "Smile
Smile (Avril Lavigne song)
"Smile" is a song by Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne, taken as the second single from her fourth studio album Goodbye Lullaby. Written by Lavigne with its producers Max Martin and Shellback, the song is a pop punk track. The lyrics find the singer expressing her gratitude for a special...
" ultimately being chosen as the second release. Lavigne confirmed in July 2011 that "Wish You Were Here
Wish You Were Here (Avril Lavigne song)
"Wish You Were Here" is a song by Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne, taken as the third single from her fourth studio album Goodbye Lullaby . The song was written by Lavigne, Max Martin and Shellback, and produced by the latter two. According to Lavigne, the song shows her vulnerable side...
" would become the third and possibly final single off Goodbye Lullaby.
Track listing
Notes- Song lengths, writing credits and producing credits taken from the Goodbye Lullaby liner notes and Allmusic.
- Co-writer and friend to Lavigne, Evan TaubenfeldEvan TaubenfeldEvan David Taubenfeld is an American singer-songwriter, best known for being Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist. Taubenfeld's debut album, Welcome to the Blacklist Club, was released on May 18, 2010.-Early life:...
provided the bridge vocals on "Push".
Personnel
Credits for Goodbye Lullaby adapted from Allmusic.- Jeff Aldrich – A&R
- Keith Armstrong – mixing assistant
- David Campbell – string arrangements
- Dan Chase – digital engineer, editing, programming
- Josh FreeseJosh FreeseJosh Freese is an American session drummer and songwriter. He is a permanent member of A Perfect Circle, The Vandals, and Devo, having formerly played drums for Nine Inch Nails from late 2005 until late 2008, and for Guns N' Roses from mid-1998 to 2001. Freese has appeared on close to 300 records....
– drums - Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Erwin Gorostiza – design, layout
- John Hanes – engineer, mixing
- Rodney Howard – drums
- Michael Ilbert – engineer
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Nik Karpen – mixing assistant
- Mark Liddell – photography
- Avril Lavigne – A&R, art direction, composer, guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, producer, vocals
- Chris Lord-AlgeChris Lord-AlgeChris Lord-Alge is a mixer who has worked on various albums. He is the brother of Tom Lord-Alge, another audio engineer. Chris Lord-Alge is known for his extreme use of dynamic range compression in both hardware and software plug-in versions....
– mixing - Max MartinMax MartinMartin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
– composer, engineer, keyboards, producer - Maria Paula Marulanda – design, layout
- Tim Roberts – mixing assistant
- Andrew Schubert – mixing
- Steve Shebby – bass guitar
- Shellback – bass, composer, drums, engineer, guitar, producer
- Jake Sinclair – engineer
- Evan TaubenfeldEvan TaubenfeldEvan David Taubenfeld is an American singer-songwriter, best known for being Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist. Taubenfeld's debut album, Welcome to the Blacklist Club, was released on May 18, 2010.-Early life:...
– composer, digital editing, digital engineer, engineer, instrumentation, vocals - Brad Townsend – mixing
- Butch Walker – engineer, instrumentation, producer
- Deryck WhibleyDeryck WhibleyDeryck Jason Whibley is a Canadian musician and producer, best known for his work as the guitarist, lead vocalist, songwriter and producer of the Juno Award-winning rock band Sum 41. Whibley married fellow singer Avril Lavigne in 2006. The couple occasionally performed together, and they have...
– engineer, instrumentation, mixing, producer
Release history
| Date | Region | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2 March 2011 | Japan | Sony Music Japan |
| 4 March 2011 | Australia | Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
| Germany | ||
| Ireland | ||
| Netherlands | ||
| Sweden | ||
| 7 March 2011 | Brazil | Sony Music |
| Russia | ||
| United Kingdom | Columbia Records Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
|
| 8 March 2011 | Canada | RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... |
| Indonesia | Sony Music | |
| Mexico | ||
| South Korea | ||
| Taiwan | ||
| United States | RCA Records | |
| 15 March 2011 | Philippines | Sony Music Ivory Music and Video |
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
3 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
10 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders) |
11 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 |
| Czech Republic Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
1 |
| Danish Albums Chart | 19 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 11 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 8 |
| French Albums Chart | 4 |
| German Albums Chart | 4 |
| Greek Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
1 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
13 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
12 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 5 |
| Japan Billboard Chart Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
1 |
| Japanese Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Albums Chart |
2 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 3 |
| Mexican International Albums Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 7 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 16 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
10 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA .... |
5 |
| Russian Albums Chart | 5 |
| Slovenia Albums Chart | 4 |
| South Korea Albums Chart Album Chart (Gaon Chart) The Gaon Album Chart are a set national charts that ranks the best-selling albums, including mini-albums and singles, in South Korea, provided by the Korea Music Content Industry Association. It started tracking sales since the beginning of 2010 and launched in February the same year as part of the... |
4 |
| South Korea International Albums Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 10 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 2 |
| Taiwan International Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart | 9 |
| UK Digital Albums Chart | 6 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
4 |