Review
'Under My Skin' sees Avril Lavigne trading her sk8er boi attitude for something with actual teeth. Working alongside Chantal Kreviazuk and producers Raine Maida and Butch Walker, Lavigne digs into the messier side of growing up - heartbreak, identity crises, and all those wonderful existential questions that plague your late teens. The grungier guitar tones and more complex arrangements prove there was more to Lavigne than the pop-punk princess persona that launched her career, even if she occasionally veers into territory that feels like reading a high schooler's diary set to power chords.
This 2004 sophomore effort delivers emotional punches through standouts like 'My Happy Ending' and the surprisingly vulnerable 'Nobody's Home,' while 'Don't Tell Me' serves as an anthem for anyone who's ever needed to establish boundaries. What makes 'Under My Skin' still worth revisiting isn't its perfection (trust me, there are melodramatic moments aplenty), but rather its authenticity - Lavigne captured that specific brand of early-2000s angst when rock influences were seeping into mainstream pop, and she did it with enough conviction that you can't help but respect the evolution, questionable arm warmers and all. - Lauren
