Sk8er Bois and Gals unite, cause we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of Avril Lavigne’s debut album today!

Released 20 years ago on June 4, 2002, Let Go was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success, propelling the Canadian singer-songwriter to global superstardom at just 17 years old. We revisit the pop-punk classic and examine why it captured the zeitgeist back in 2002, and why its impact continues to grow in 2022.

Complicating the music scene

Flashback to March 2002, an unsuspecting 17-year-old Lavigne puts out her debut single, ‘Complicated‘. The song quickly picked up steam around the globe, found its way to the top of the charts by summer, and is now hailed as Lavigne’s signature song.

In retrospect, the success of ‘Complicated’ is not bizarre. The song is riveting, anthemic, and immaculately produced, with its twangy guitars and Lavigne’s gritty vocals offering much timeless appeal to the song. “Why’d you have to go and make things so complicated?” is an undeniably killer hook. It’s lengthy but rhythmic, and Lavigne delivers with such charged passion, that it’s hard to not shout the words back at her. 

The success of ‘Complicated’ generated a ton of hype for Lavigne’s debut album, and on June 4, Let Go was released to much fanfare. The album was not another cookie-cutter pop record; it had an edge, a kick, and tenacity that made Lavigne stand out. Relying more on heavy guitars and drums than polished synthesizers, Lavigne gave listeners a much-needed alternative to the trendy bubblegum pop of the late 90s and early 00s.

Lyrically, Let Go is charged with themes of teenage angst and apprehension. “I’m losing my grip…