Avril Lavigne Goes Shrill For “Alice In Wonderland”
February 19th, 2010 at 1:24 pm by --KALEB NATION--
I’m appalled at this song. It’s Avril Lavigne’s lead for the upcoming Alice In Wonderland movie, song titled “Alice (Underground)”. And it’s one of the most disturbingly shrill songs I’ve ever heard.
Most people know that I am a long-time and oft-ridiculed fan of Avril Lavigne, mostly her older stuff though one or two of her newer songs. I grew up in the early 2000′s, so you can’t blame me for my Nelly / Avril Lavigne / Black Eyed Peas / Nickelback music mix I keep in the back of my iTunes. But this is just bloody awful. The beginning 46 seconds are delightfully misleading. Then it begins to spiral down into a pit of yuck. By 1:11, I’m smashing bottles of Martinelli on my head to get the awful ringing out of my ears. I think I can hear the microphone blowing out from overmodulation (a word we used in radio when one’s voice would be too loud and blow out the speakers, though I suspect ‘overmodulation’ is not being used to its correct definition).
Why couldn’t Avril Lavigne have made an epic credits song for Alice In Wonderland like she did for Eragon? One of the best credits songs of all time:
I watched the first half of that film just because I’d heard the song. Seriously, I’d pay big bucks if she’d have saved it for the Bran Hambric movie.
Posted in Reviews
Tags: Avril Lavigne, Eragon
February 19th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
I'm a fan of Avril Lavigne and i totally agree that Alica(Underground) is awful ! for real
February 19th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
The verse is quite good, but the refrain is not good at all
It's almost false singing… And I do like Avril Lavigne. It's a shame the song isn't better 
February 19th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
What was she thinking when she wrote this? Some of the lyrics aren't that bad, but come on.
February 19th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
I used to like Avril Lavigne, but her excessive swearing eventually made me dislike her. xD Or I just changed tastes. But her older music is awesome. This… not so much.
February 19th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
See I liked Alice. I thought it was good, I still think her older songs are better but Alice isnt that bad.
February 19th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
I totally agree with you, Kaleb. This song makes my ears bleed.
February 19th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I agree! I heard that Alice song a couple weeks ago and was very underwhelmed….Keep Holding On was the best part of “Eragon” aside from Jeremy Irons.
February 19th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
I love Avril's old stuff. But this… not so much.
February 19th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
Evil the lyrics alone are cheesy and blah. It's a shame, really, because Avril can be so much better.
February 19th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Woah. Fail. She used to be good -.-”
February 19th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Oh wow, the failblog will have to get onto this one…
February 19th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Not good at all. Did she hit even one note on key that entire song?
February 19th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I don't understand why someone would choose to sing that way, or why she was allowed to sing that way. She sounds like she's really forcing the sound out, in a way that's not good for vocal chords. I feel like the song could have been infinitely better if it was transposed into a different key that she could have sang in normally.
February 19th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
I like it
February 19th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
I disagree with the comments here. I'm an avril lavigne fan myself since her first album, though some of her songs haven't been the best
Honestly I think the song is very fitting to the idea of “Alice in wonderland”, the idea of what wonderland is. Someone pointed out that the lyrics are cheesy, but how else can one explain wonderland? How can you explain everything being topsy turby, and upside down. The style of the music may be “shrill” in the beginning, but that is the feel of wonderland and what happens within it. I think she captured that idea very well and the music video is well made.
Now as for her singing ability. “Forcing words” is her style of singing is something she has done with live performances quite often. (When voices are put on cd's believe it or not they sometimes edit these voices to flow better and be more appealing to the ears of the listeners) *sarcasm*
Not hitting the notes always is also another style in her singing.
Some days I like these stylistic things, sometimes I don't. I think I like it with the Alice song because it adds to the feel of things being disoriented and topsy turby.
(And now I shall probably be attacked with comments, but that is my genuine opinion. I am not trying to say that you should “enjoy” her singing, as it is entirely subjective as to what makes a good singer, the style they use, and how their voice changes over time. I'm simply saying I feel this song fits the idea of “wonderland” and I'm not disappointed in it.)
February 19th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
No, you make a very valid point. Is this what she is trying to convey — a type of upside-down world that makes the listener uncomfortable, just like Wonderland should? However, there are other ways of doing that, I feel, than grating at people's ears with shrill sounds. It physically hurts to listen to that song at parts. And this is coming from me, a male who actually owns most of Avril's songs.
February 19th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Very fair point that it may be hurtful to some ears. In the end it comes down to quality of the work versus the message trying to be conveyed. In terms of how it sounds I'd agree it could have been very much improved upon (to make a song like “Keep Holding On”. In terms of the overlaying message, it fits to the theme of “Alice in Wonderland”
February 19th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
i dont really know what to think of it…
i mean, of course her voice is fake (computer)…
but i like the song, i think it was nice…
but i agree in that her older songs were better, shes too pop now…
yuck!
February 19th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
OMG I LOVE AVRIL LAVIGNE. . . . but that song is disapointing she is a very talented singer and song writer but that was just not good that is accually the first song of hers i havent liked
February 19th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
I'm so disappointed. I actually have both of the early Avril CDs, and I listen with reverence. This though…my ears began screaming in protest. It hurt! Maybe that was what she was going for. “Oh lookey there, a Rabbit hole, I wonder what would happen if I slid dow— OW,OW, OWWWOWWWOWOWOOO! This hurts! (repeat for three minutes)” It's like she fell down the rabbit hole, and stubbed her toe when she landed.
February 19th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
Wow..I didn't think it was going to be THAT bad…but it was. O.o
Totally agree, though-Keep Holding On is an epic win.
February 19th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
I liked the song towards the end, where she stopped screaming. It would have been a good song if she sang the first half, normally.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:31 am
I actually like it… I'm a not a huuuge Avril fan, though I like a lot of her older stuff, but this is a nice change. I think it's very fitting for the movie. =/
February 20th, 2010 at 12:55 am
Hm. I actually kind of despise Avril Lavigne (though I used to be a big fan), but I kind of like this. The vocals are a little sharp and kind of reminds me off… Crap. Who's that 90's singer? Hold on a moment! Actually, I'm not sure… Maybe Alanis Morissette, but a little sharper? Gah, I think there's someone else, but I can't place it. *itches brain* COME FORTH!
But in comparison to “Strange” by TH and Kerli… Yeah… Of course, I'm biased like that.
February 20th, 2010 at 1:15 am
Avril Lavigne doesn't actually write…Ghost writer controversy, anyone?
February 20th, 2010 at 1:20 am
I hate the new Avril (The Best Damn Thing) but I worship the ground the old Avril (Under My Skin and Let Go) walks on. I love “Keep Holding On” as well as “When Your Gone” but stuff like “Girlfriend”, “Hot”, and this song you posted make my ears bleed. She has/ had so much talent. Where did it go?
February 20th, 2010 at 1:23 am
“Forcing” is never a good word when it comes to singing, if for no other reason than it's usually a symptom of poor or lazy technique, and bad support.
Obviously many popular singers today are not worried about their vocal technique, so I suppose that may be a moot point.
Nevertheless, I also think from a more business-centric perspective that the style was a poor choice, because I don't think many people are going to purchase a song that they can't even listen to the whole way through.
Conveying a certain “wonderland” aesthetic would probably have been better done during the composition of the song, laying out certain harmonies, rhythms, and other elements to relay the message. Her tone was distracting, to the point where the music failed to (in my opinion) convey any message at all.
February 20th, 2010 at 2:48 am
She used to be cool when she was brown haired, wore ties and grungy converse.
This.. this is ridiculous
February 20th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Although I don't know her, her music isn't as bad as I expected it to be. I know lots will disagree but I look at everything there is to do with a song, and that wasn't the worst I have heard. Furthermore I also looked at what the artist is trying to get across, and for me she succeeds on that. I know this because I'm very good at English and media studies.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Oh, come on, it wasn't *that* bad. And that comes from a person who is *not* an Avril Lavigne fan. (though I too listened a lot of her music in 2000-and something…)
February 20th, 2010 at 9:00 am
I've been a fan of hers for a LONG time,but I couldn't agree more, I mean, Is this the SAME Avril Lavigne that wrote Complicated and Skater Boy?
I do think that the song fits the movie, but does the song fit the singer?…
February 20th, 2010 at 10:30 am
I quite like the verses of Alice Underground but the choruses are DAMN HIDEOUS!!!!
February 20th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Totally agree D:
I think the song it's good, but having to turn on the treble reducer in my iPod it's kinda annoying.
Anyway, this is so much better than The Worst Damn Thing.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
At first I didn't like it but listening to the whole song I ended up liking it. It's catchy and unique… It's not one of those songs you could put on repeat though, you'd get a head ache. But it'd be cool to listen to. So yeah, I actually like it. Is it on I-tunes?
February 20th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
To the person who said they didn't like “Girlfriend”, I LOVED that song. I sware, I used to listen to that all the time. And my friend liked it too. And Kaleb, did you just unintentionally confirm that there will be a Bran Hambric movie? LOL, just teasing but it would make an EPIC movie! I watched the Eragon movie and hated it, it wasn't nearly as good as the book.
February 20th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
I don't know what everyones talking about but maybe yhu guys just have the volume a bit high up? I think it's a good song. Im going to buy it..
February 20th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
i didn't think it was that bad i guess
i loved the video tho
February 20th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Wow. Um. There isn't much to say other than yeah, that song is really(yyyyyy) bad.
February 20th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Seriusly, she's singing so loud that it hurts my ears! what the hell was she thinking?
February 20th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Wooo got enough make up on girly? Shes lookin kinda racoonish =P
February 21st, 2010 at 2:11 am
Alice(underground) isn't the worst ever, but it won't go far behold the movie soundtrack. Its definitely not as good as Keep Holding On.
March 1st, 2010 at 4:58 am
well i think its a good song and its much better then her other ones but people dont like it much i think its awesome!
March 1st, 2010 at 9:58 am
well i think its a good song and its much better then her other ones but people dont like it much i think its awesome!