Avril Lavigne debuts killer new song (and haircut)

By Anthony Cesario

What’s the best way to get people excited for a song? Why, cutting your hair, of course!

Just last week, Avril Lavigne announced her new track “I’m a Mess,” by having the song’s featured artist – YUNGBLUD – take some scissors to her long orange-streaked hair (the iconic look she’s been donning to match the back-to-her-pop-punk-roots aesthetic of Love Sux, which was released in February and is one of my favorite albums of the year). Today, finally, the song was released. And just like her new look, it’s fantastic.

As one of Avril’s biggest fans, I love everything she does, but I’m a firm believer that she shines best when she channels the gritty punkish nostalgia of the early ‘00s. For that reason, “I’m a Mess” is a clear grand slam. It’s a phenomenal rock power ballad that takes me back to my childhood, listening to music while I stare melodramatically out my window on a rainy day. The lyrics are simple – “I’m a mess, I’m a mess / When we’re not together” – but so full of emotion, and will become stuck in your head in a matter of seconds (as of now, I've been listening to it on repeat for the past hour). I was a little hesitant about YUNGBLUD’s feature at first, considering I’m not a huge fan of his solo music, but he works perfectly on “I’m a Mess,” adding a new dimension to its theme of heartbreak and yearning.

As you stream the song, be sure not to miss out on its music video, which takes the early-2000s-greatness of the track to new heights; from the blue-gray filter to the hoodies to the skateboards, it feels like her 2004 Under My Skin era all over again. It actually made me super emotional. To me, “I’m a Mess” is proof that no matter what point we’re at in our lives, we could all use a little Avril Lavigne in them.