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Avril Lavigne kicked off a obviously slow music news weekend by posting an open letter (addressed to the closest people in her life: “Media, Friends, and Fans”) to her Web site on Friday. While Avril’s “news” page is generally dedicated to hot, while somewhat impersonal, updates like “Girlfriend Remix fan-video update!” or “The Best Damn Thing Deluxe Edition (w/new bonus tracks) now available at iTunes!,” this piece of news read just like a page torn from Avril’s fifth-period biology notebook. You know, the one with “I [Heart] Deryck 4-Ever” on it.
Lavigne, obviously stung by the accusations of musical plagarism that surfaced last week, fought back in the only way she knows how: An extended lawyer-approved rant about how “so over it” she is.
You may have heard some news that two guys who wrote for some band from the 1970s I have never in my life heard of called the “Rubinoos” are trying to sue me. They have a song called “I Want To Be Your Boyfriend” that has no musical similarities to the song “Girlfriend” that Luke Gottwald and I wrote together. They claim that a small part of the lyrics are the same and are saying that I took these from them. I had never heard this song in my life and their claim is based on 5 words! All songs share similar lyrics and emotions. As humans we speak one language.
Off the top of my head, two other songs that I can immediately think of with this type of lyric are “Hey, hey, you, you get off of my cloud” by the Rolling Stones and “Hey little girl I want to be your boyfriend” by the Ramones. Simply put, I have been falsely accused of ripping their song off. Luke and I have done nothing wrong and there is no merit to their claim.
Don’t think you got away with dissing Avril publicly, Chantal Krevaziuk. She has some words for you, too. In fact, you’re the one to blame for the lackluster sales of her second album!
I was going to be the bigger person and not reply when I read Chantal Kreviazuk’s [sic] article in Performing Songwriter magazine. Now that all the media have caught on to her little interview, I need to speak. Chantal’s comments are damaging to my reputation and a clear defamation of my character and I am considering taking legal action. Chantal has accused me of taking a song idea from her because I happen to have a song on my new record with the same title.
For the record, I wrote a song with Evan Taubenfeld which coincidentally has the same title as a song Chantal had sent me a few years ago. Our songs have no similarities and opposite meanings, i.e. different lyrics, different melody, different genres. In Chantal’s own words “the only similarity is in the title.” I originally wrote this with Evan for his record and I ended up with it. Funny enough when I decided to put “Contagious” on my album we had to change the words from “she” to “he” in order for it to work on my record. There are hundreds of songs out there with the title “Contagious,” 75+ on iTunes alone….
My decision to discontinue working with Chantal after co-writing together on my second record was simply based on the fact that we had no hits together. That is why her name is not on this record, despite her numerous attempts to be included, which were always denied. From my perspective this is a clear case of bitterness. Chantal is upset that she didn’t get to be a part of my record. She did email me after the article came out apologizing and I forgive her but I have to put the truth out there so my fans are not confused by these false accusations.
Later in the letter, Avril mentions that she would have responded to these outrageous accusations earlier, but The Matrix weren’t returning her calls, and Dr. Luke was busy in the studio all day.
To My Dear Media, Friends, and Fans [Avril Lavigne]
[Photo: Getty Images]
What language do all humans speak?
Notice how the third paragraph suddenly shifts from “OMGWTF” complaining to legalese? Five bucks says that her manager or attorney wrote most of this email.
@davidm: If the question is rephrased “What language SHOULD all humans speak,” then then the answer is clear! Why, Esperanto, of course!
-L.L. Zamenhof
And what are these “similar lyrics and emotions” that all songs share? What similar emotions do “The Battle Hymn of The Republic” share with, say, the Geto Boys’ “Fuck A War?”
“Chantal’s comments are damaging to my reputation”
Avril Lavigne has a reputation?
I actually kind of agree with her about “Girlfriend.” It’s got almost as much in common with “Hey Mickey” by Toni Basil as it does with that song. Or even the chorus of “Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me” by the Pipettes. The hook is the cheerleader-esque chant over a marching band breakbeat. “Hey, I wanna be your girlfriend/boyfriend” is pretty generic, lyrically.
@davidm: I’m not sure, but it must be on the planet where all songs share similar lyrics and emotions.
I think this is one of my favorite Idolator headlines ever.
I was going to work an Esperanto line in there somewhere, but I am at work and was pressed for time. Well played, Charlie.
Wow, it’s just like “Laguna Beach,” except everyone’s a musician, and instead of a stupid blonde chick from Orange County, it’s a stupid blonds chick that says “aboot.”
Maybe that’s what she means by “As humans we speak one language.”
“two other songs that i can immediately think of …”
-Allen Klein just found a way to pay for his new solid gold jacuzzi and sadly the Ramones will somehow owe somebody money when all is said and done
I have a 13 year-old-daughter, which is my excuse for hearing way too much pop music. (I actually took the kid to see Avril 3 and My Chemical Romance- so I’m f’in mother of the year.) Husband and I heard Girlfriend and had the same thought: “Someone get Toni Basil on the horn! Someone nicked her hook!”
When you are forced to listen to pop music it becomes obvious that there is some cabal of Swedish Chef type dudes who essentially regurgitate and mixup the pop charts of oldy times to come up with new crap.
It’s our favorite “drive the kid crazy” game:
“Are you listening to the Clash/the Jam/ or 999? Oh..it’s Green Day.”
“What is that? EmersonLakeandPalmer or Yes? Oh, it’s the Decemberists…”
“Wow you found our Queen CDs. No. That’s My Chemical Romance. Oh. No, that’s not a cut. You really like this?”
I’m sure we’ll be the subject of many therapy sessions in later life.
The letter’s an awful mix of pettiness and manager-approved legalese.
But she’s right on all counts.
I think it is pretty great that she is basically saying a large amount of commercial pop music is assembly line crap, and trying to sue me because I make vanilla ice cream and you do too is ridiculous.
She’s a douche, but she is not wrong.
The song remains the same………
Avril’s ghostwriter spelled Chantal Kreviazuk’s surname correctly.
Man. Don’t fuck with Avril. :shudder:
And anyone notice how Avril’s (or her legal ghostwriter’s) letter addressed every point and argument that the readers of this very site brought up in the comments section (for the original headline that Idolator posted about these two legal issues)? One commenter said that it sounded like Chantal’s song “Contagious” was probably only similar in title, and Avril affirmed this.
Hi, Avril (or her lawyer)! *waves* :)
No one is acknowledging who she’s ACTUALLY plagiarizing from — SKYE SWEETNAM! Even in the above photo! Look!
Interesting that Dr. Luke worked with Skye right before this whole “Girlfriend” business went down. Hmmmmmm.
That photo seems to have been swapped. Hmmmm (x2). For reference.
@dennisobell: @noamjamski: Yep.
I’d forgotten about that Ramones song, which predates the Rubinoos song and you know those guys definitely heard that.