Head Above Water
by Avril Lavigne
  • Record Label: BMG
  • Release Date: Feb 15, 2019
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 466 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 381 out of 466
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 466
  3. Negative: 51 out of 466
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  1. Mayfieldja
    Feb 26, 2019
    4
    Avril is back with an album that seems to have trouble deciding what it wants to be. Track to Track, it feels very disjointed and is overproduced. There are moments where you feel the emotional resonance that was put into certain songs but the production reeks of trying to play to a mass audience. Head Above Water has moments of catchy hooks but mostly struggles to find the powerful voiceAvril is back with an album that seems to have trouble deciding what it wants to be. Track to Track, it feels very disjointed and is overproduced. There are moments where you feel the emotional resonance that was put into certain songs but the production reeks of trying to play to a mass audience. Head Above Water has moments of catchy hooks but mostly struggles to find the powerful voice that it was searching for. 4 out of 10.
    Tracks to Enjoy: “Birdie” & “Tell Me It’s Over”    … Expand
  2. Hogdion
    Feb 15, 2019
    6
    The first half of the album is somehow catchy and the melodies are ear-pleasing. But, the 2nd half is a disastrous mess. Boring and forgettable. Unfortunately, the album also lack artistic growth. it feels like as if she's forever stuck in the late 00s with her punk attitude...
  3. s9yk3r
    Feb 15, 2019
    6
    I'm a big fan of her... still, this album is average for the most. There are maybe 2-3 valid songs; others are forgettable... can't understand how there are so many fanboys and fangirls that don't see problems of this record... 8.7? this album deserve 60. Avril, i know you can do better (pun unintended). I just know you can, you proved that in so many occasions... so please, do it. I'llI'm a big fan of her... still, this album is average for the most. There are maybe 2-3 valid songs; others are forgettable... can't understand how there are so many fanboys and fangirls that don't see problems of this record... 8.7? this album deserve 60. Avril, i know you can do better (pun unintended). I just know you can, you proved that in so many occasions... so please, do it. I'll keep follow your work because I'm a big fan of yours but most of the songs of this album were just... uninspired.… Expand
  4. pursuingdreams
    Feb 15, 2019
    6
    I used to be a Avril fan, but tbh this album is not good enough. It does express her emotions and convey the concepts. If this was released 10 years ago, this could be a cool album. However, it seems outdated and insipid currently, especially the production. Even old songs like Complicated and Innocence are much better. She is still in her comfort zone and maintains her old style. TheI used to be a Avril fan, but tbh this album is not good enough. It does express her emotions and convey the concepts. If this was released 10 years ago, this could be a cool album. However, it seems outdated and insipid currently, especially the production. Even old songs like Complicated and Innocence are much better. She is still in her comfort zone and maintains her old style. The songwriting is generic. Some ballads are good but there are too similar ballads in the album. Her voice is powerful but unrecognizable.
    Personal rating:
    Head Above Water: 7/10(powerful ballad, the content is good, but very normal, forgettable and unimpressive)
    Birdie: 5/10(not annoying but generic)
    I fell in love with the devil: 6/10
    Tell me it's over: 6.5/10(more variations, which is good)
    Dumb Blonde: 5/10(if it's released in 2000 it'd be a good single but it's too outdated now, Nicki is ok)
    It was in me: 7/10(love the outro and the bridge)
    Souvenir: 6.5/10(verse is really weak but the chorus is good)
    Crush:8/10(only good song in the album)
    Goddess:6/10(verse is super boring, chorus is slightly better)
    Bigger wow: 5.5/10(lyrics are awful)
    Love me insane:5/10(chorus is the weakest part)
    Warrior: 5/10(boring)
    Really hope she can try to make a more modern and diverse album next time.    … Expand
  5. jesusbronze
    Feb 15, 2019
    6
    There is something strange that has happened to Avril Lavigne over the course of this last decade: The deadly sin of pop music, called Aging, has finally caught up with her and her artistic persona, and the once "anti" pop rebel who once famously claimed was "never growing up" is getting astray with every musical release, a case which has become evident with the release of "Head AboveThere is something strange that has happened to Avril Lavigne over the course of this last decade: The deadly sin of pop music, called Aging, has finally caught up with her and her artistic persona, and the once "anti" pop rebel who once famously claimed was "never growing up" is getting astray with every musical release, a case which has become evident with the release of "Head Above Water", a "coming-of-age" album that rarely delivers what it promised with the first single..

    The record sounds like Lavigne is trying to remember who she was, is, and who she is supposed to become as time goes by and the audience's tastes evolve, which makes the album sound unauthentic and little cohesive, making it hard for Lavigne to retain her well-deserved place in the popular musical landscape. The first single and title track "Head Above Water" promised to take Lavigne into the next chapter and somehow failed to deliver in spite of being a great ballad, and judging by subsequent singles "Tell Me Its Over" (deliciously soaked in Memphis Soul) and the forced (and tired) "Dumb Blond" (a collaboration with Nicki Minaj) demonstrate that Avril is in danger of losing track in her musical evolution, something that was somehow foreshadowed in her previous self-titled album "Avril Lavigne".

    Nevertheless, this doesn't entail the album doesn't have its memorable moments. Besides the aforementioned "Tell Me Its Over", the album includes the powerful ballads "It Was Me", "I Fell In Love With The Devil", "Crush" and "Goddess", that if anything, reminds us that Avril's vocals have gotten better and better and retain that powerful and striking feeling, something that her hard-core fans will surely be thankful for.    … Expand
  6. Luckylu078
    Feb 15, 2019
    5
    The title track is definitely a strong, empowering song which opens the album perfectly. The second single released is also a great and soulful balad that I really wish that it was emulated more throughout the album. The rest of the songs just feels very boring and unimpressive and fails to deliver a great tracklist.
  7. alaNBrait
    Mar 5, 2019
    5
    A mediocre album, you can realize that is like she just lost her essence, there's nothing original in this album, it's not bad in every way but not what you would expect from Avril Lavigne, an album going nowhere.
  8. Mark1998
    Mar 5, 2019
    6
    Although produced with good intentions, Lavigne's last album does not match the expectations of the general public after a powerful backstory and first single.
  9. Joel_Freecheck
    May 29, 2020
    5
    I wish I could shower this album with more praise but it fails to impress. While certainly emotional it doesn't say much.
  10. Jevus
    Jun 25, 2019
    5
    What happened to Avril Lavigne, since Goodbye Lullaby has not managed to do anything interesting. This album is boring, the order of the songs is chaotic, it puts "Dumb Blonde" later and before a ballad, that makes the album lose the rhythm that it has, it sounds annoying and without a doubt it is the worst song on the album and his second worst song of his career, let's not forget "HelloWhat happened to Avril Lavigne, since Goodbye Lullaby has not managed to do anything interesting. This album is boring, the order of the songs is chaotic, it puts "Dumb Blonde" later and before a ballad, that makes the album lose the rhythm that it has, it sounds annoying and without a doubt it is the worst song on the album and his second worst song of his career, let's not forget "Hello Kitty", that was a crap. As good album pop has quality in its sound, but it is just boring, slow and too melancholic.… Expand
  11. jaknadzwyczajny
    Mar 30, 2019
    5
    The album is average. While I like the vocals of Avril, the lyrics are rather weak in my opinion. I think it could be one of my favorite albums, but if we were 2005.
  12. Costello336
    Dec 8, 2019
    6
    The album has a few songs that are amazing and i really loved but some of them fall flat, just an average album (not saying it is bad)
  13. PabloRivie
    May 14, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 1.- Head Above Water.- como primer single y opening song del disco me deja un poco que desear. Nada del otro mundo, sabor a poco. NEXT
    2.- Birdie.- Lindo como concepto pero mal trabajado, un coro muy basico en letra. NEXT
    3.- I Fell In Love With The Devil.- So far mucho mejor que las anteriores dos. Yo la la habría puesto como primer single. El instrumental del final bellísimo.
    4.- Tell Me It's Over.- El principio me encantó. Cuando llegas al coro se torna de nuevo básico. Creo que Avril intenta mucho hacer coros básicos para que la canción pegue.
    5.- Dumb Blonde.- NICKI REALLY? jajajaja un pop muy a lo Girlfriend pero no llega a pegar tanto claro, le doy puntos por intentar repetir la fórmula. A ratos me suena a High School Musical, cuantos años tienes 13? No me gustó para nada. La parte de Nicki suena bien pero desconectada. NEXT
    6.-It Was In Me.- Buen comienzo, lindo instrumental. Como balada muy buena, por primera vez en 6 canciones no me mata en el coro. Mi favorita del disco hasta ahora, esta si la descargo en Spotify jaja. Por momentos tambien me da aires de Iris de GooGoo Dolls
    7.- Souvenir.- Un coro mejor trabajado, más pegajoso sin llegar a ser básico como las anteriores, el bridge me mató, todo iba mas o menos bien hasta ahi. No es la mejor del disco pero va a mi top5
    8.- Crush.- Aburrida, nada recordable. NEXT
    9.- Goddess.- Me gusta la letra y el hecho que le de un giro acústico al album, Sin embargo en el coro de nuevo Avril intenta hacer frases que peguen, esas 50 HE TREATS ME LIKE IM A GODDESS me irritan jajaja. sin eso seria perfecto pero de todos modos va a mi top5
    10.- Bigger Wow.- Relleno. Intenta ser recordable pero la producción del track queda corta, Tiene un aire de Zedd o Chainsmokers acústico pero falla en el proceso. NEXT
    11.- Love Me Insane.- Relleno. Volvemos al pop básico, la producción me parece pobre, la letra nada madura, Avril necesita evolucionar su sonido. NEXT
    12.- Warrior.- Piano ballad que usualmente le sale bien pero esta me parece floja. La idea esta linda y me imagino que la escribió por su enfermedad (no tengo idea) pero intenta pegar al punto de llegar a ser básica. NEXT

    EN GENERAL: Pienso que Avril necesita madurar musicalmente, intentar algo más sincero y no tratar de que sea una cancion pegajosa a la fuerza, definitivamente no compraría este album ni lo volvería a escuchar.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Most Discussed Album of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. NOW Magazine
    Feb 27, 2019
    40
    She’s become her own worst nightmare – boring.
    Read full review
  2. The Skinny
    Feb 21, 2019
    40
    The best tracks here are those which delve into the power ballads that we know Lavigne can produce so effectively. But other than the album's self-titled lead single and It Was In Me, with soaring orchestrals and subtle keys paving the way for her lung-bursting croons, it feels much like a lost Lavigne seeking a sound that’ll just keep her afloat.
    Read full review
  3. Spin
    Feb 20, 2019
    40
    On every track, the mad-libs are paired with stylistically diverse arrangements--and invariably plodding tempos. The album’s lone sugar spike is “Dumb Blonde,” a rehashed “Girlfriend” that features a phoned-in Nicki Minaj guest verse midway through and, for some reason, a pre-chorus melody yanked from Lipps, Inc.’s “Funky Town.” In spite of everything, Head Above Water offers one brief moment where Lavigne’s emotional alchemy assumes a bolder musical form that’s properly befitting of her powerhouse vocals and enduring authenticity: the opening stunner of a title track.
    Read full review
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