Mad props to Avril

Avril Lavigne’s 15 minutes were supposed to be up years ago, but here she is again, with another hit album, and insanely catchy single Girlfriend. Sure, the song is derivative (It’s Hollaback Girl with guitars), but so what?

It’s time for everyone to grudgingly give Avril respect as one of the most successful pop artists of this decade. When her second album came out I thought for sure it was going to bomb, because times had changed and her skater punk style wasn’t hot anymore, but the songs were just too good for it to bomb. You can’t overstate what an accomplishment that was. Look at Good Charlotte – they're facing the same struggle, and they haven’t been able to stay relevant. Now no one cares about them. (Well, aside from us members of the Billy Martin fan club…)

Nobody should rightfully be enjoying an Avril Lavigne song in the year 2007, but she continues to defy the odds with album #3. I’m also digging her new pink and black motif -- “Valentine’s goth,” you might call it.