"Bad Girl" is a song by Canadian singer

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...

for her fifth studio album, ''

'' (2013). It was written by Lavigne,

Chad Kroeger Chad Robert Kroeger (, Turton; born November 15, 1974) is a Canadian musician who is best known for being the lead singer, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, and founding member of the rock band Nickelback. In addition to his work with Nic ...

and

David Hodges David Hodges (born December 5, 1978) is an American songwriter and record producer from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was a studio contributor to the rock band Evanescence from 2000 to 2002, and has co-written and co-produced for pop, pop rock a ...

, while the song was produced by Kroeger and Hodges and features guest vocals by American singer

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...

. After hearing "Bad Girl", Lavigne thought Manson would complement the track. Manson added his vocals to the song early one morning, and Lavigne was honored to be able to collaborate with him. A

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

song with

industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrom ...

glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...

, and 1970s

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

elements, "Bad Girl" is about

BDSM BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...

and

erotic asphyxiation Erotic asphyxiation (variously called asphyxiophilia, hypoxyphilia or breath control play) is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. With a partner (or alone), the act often involves strangulatio ...

. Critics felt it was a departure from Lavigne's previous work. Upon its release, "Bad Girl" received mostly mixed reviews; some critics complimented its energy while others found it nightmarish or disgusting. The song charted at 58 on the

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

n's

Gaon Chart Gaon may refer to * Gaon (Hebrew), a non-formal title given to certain Jewish Rabbis ** Geonim, presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita ** Vilna Gaon, known as ''the'' Gaon of Vilnius * Gaon Music Chart, record cha ...

and at number 88 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

''s

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...

. Lavigne performed "Bad Girl" during the Avril Lavigne Tour.

Background

When she was 18 years old,

met American singer

at one of his concerts, and eventually they became friends. Lavigne has cited "

This Is the New Shit "This Is the New Shit" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson, written by Marilyn Manson, John 5 and Tim Sköld, produced by Manson and Sköld. It is the second track on and second single from the band's fifth studio album, ''The Golden Ag ...

" (2004), a song by Manson's band, as an influence on her music. On July 7, 2012, it was reported that Lavigne was dating Manson, with the latter denying the rumor, joking that he would never date a Canadian. He continued, "I know her. I accidentally shaved her head," adding that he was unsure how the rumor originated. Lavigne commented that, "I had wanted to shave the side of my head for quite some time, ..and so it was kind of like shaving it. And then one night, it was on my adventure to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. During my adventure when I was living there, we were hanging out backstage and we were with his band having a few drinks and I was like, 'Let's shave my head. I'm ready; let's do this!'. He's like that, though. He has fun. He wears his make-up; his wardrobe is very visual. I like his style." In an interview with ''

'', Lavigne described "Bad Girl" as one of the "darker and heavier"

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

songs on her self-titled album. Lavigne also revealed that recruiting Manson for the track "was last minute." Lavigne was listening to the track with

when she decided that Manson would be perfect for it. She texted him at four o'clock in the morning asking him to lend his vocals to the song. Lavigne commented "It was meant to be. Things are never that easy when you're trying to get together with someone. He could have been anywhere in the world." Upon his arrival at the

Henson Recording Studios The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property served as Ch ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

about a half hour later, Manson played Lavigne some of his new songs. Then Lavigne played Manson some of her new songs, including " Give You What You Like" (2013), which he loved, and "Bad Girl". The moment Manson heard "Bad Girl", he knew what he wanted to add to the track. The singer was honored to be able to work with Manson and was pleased with his vocal performance on the track; she told

MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...

that "Bad Girl" is one of her favorite songs on the ''Avril Lavigne'' album.

Composition

"Bad Girl" was written by Lavigne,

and David Hodges, with production being handled by Kroeger and Hodges. The song features guest vocals by American

singer Marilyn Manson. "Bad Girl" is a

and

song which features elements of industrial rock,

, and 1970s

. "Bad Girl" begins with Manson saying "Just lay your head in daddy's lap, you're a bad girl." Nick Catucci of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' compared Manson's "croaking" vocals on the song to

Cookie Monster Cookie Monster is a blue List of Sesame Street Muppets, Muppet character on the PBS/HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street.'' He is best known for his voracious appetite and his famous eating catchphrases, such as "Me want cookie!" As ...

's speaking voice. The song has "crunching guitars" and is about

, with Lavigne asking Manson to choke her. Lavigne sings "I've been a bad girl, don't you know?/Come get it now or never/I'll let you do whatever" and "Miss me. Miss me. Now you wanna kiss me." At different points in the song, Lavigne purrs and screams. Laurence Green of ''

musicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...

'' wrote that "Bad Girl" "sounds like the soundtrack to that bit in every corny

teen movie Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers, preteens and/or young adults by the plot being based on their special interests, such as coming of age, attempting to fit in, bullying, peer pressure, first love, teen rebellion, conflict with pare ...

where the good girl decides it's time to 'let loose' and hit the town." Noting that the song was co-written by

Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...

's frontman Kroeger,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

felt that "Bad Girl" is one of several tracks on its parent album which has the "blunt force hooks and bad taste" of a Nickelback song. Conversely,

Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, Caramanica received his bachelor's degree ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' felt that Kroeger's impact on the track, and most of the ''Avril Lavigne'' album, is "negligible." Tiffany Bentley of Metal Insider connected the song's lyrics to the rumors that Lavigne and Manson were romantically involved. Bentley also found the track more similar to the music of Manson's band than Lavigne's

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...

music, and "edgier" than most of Lavigne's previous work.

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...

's Mike Wass said that while Lavigne's previous singles "

Here's to Never Growing Up "Here's to Never Growing Up" is a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne for her self-titled fifth studio album in 2013. The song was written by Lavigne, David Hodges, Chad Kroeger, Jacob Kasher, and its producer Martin Joh ...

" (2013) and "

Rock n Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African American music such as jazz, rhythm and ...

" (2013) covered "old ground," "Bad Girl" saw her leaving her musical comfort zone. Similarly, Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' felt that Lavigne "revolt in small ways" with "Bad Girl".

Critical reception

"Bad Girl" has received mixed reviews from music critics. Jason Lipshut of ''Billboard'' named it "salacious, sloppy, muddied rock music - as it damn well should be," praising Lavigne and Manson for turning the song into "glorious chaos." Nick Catucci from ''Entertainment Weekly'' enjoyed the track's hooks and Lavigne and Manson's energetic vocals. Robert Copsey of ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...

'' praised the song's punk rock elements and for "offering an indication of where her sound could be rgo in the future." Lauren Green of ''musicOMH'' called it "a riotous, pumping guitar work-out." Bradley Stern of ''MuuMuse'' declared that the song is "a manic, unapologetically smutty track." Metal Insider's Tiffany Bentley was shocked by Lavigne's choice to collaborate with Manson, but felt that "Bad Girl" had some of Manson's "

black magic Black magic (Middle English: ''nigromancy''), sometimes dark magic, traditionally refers to the use of Magic (paranormal), magic or supernatural powers for evil and selfish purposes. The links and interaction between black magic and religi ...

." Mike Wass of Idolator said "It's great to hear that pop's original bad girl still nows how to push boundaries and rock the fuck out." For ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', Caroline Sullivan lauded the "particularly pungent" song for "raging against the dying of the light," while ''

The Denver Post ''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in the Denver metropolitan area. it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 mil ...

'' called it one of the album's "pop anthems." Kyle Fowley of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

'' felt that "Bad Girl" lacked the honesty of Lavigne's single " Complicated" (2002), calling it a "dull piece of nü-metal, featuring a phoned-in performance by a disinterested Marilyn Manson." Chuck Eddy of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' deemed it

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...

ish and devoid of the playful spirit of "

Hello Kitty , also known by her real name , is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as a British anthropomorphized white cat with a red ...

" (2013), another song on Lavigne's self-titled album. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine found "Bad Girl" disgusting, partially because it was co-written by Kroeger, Lavigne's then-husband. In ''

The News & Advance ''The News & Advance'' is the daily newspaper of record in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. Its primary circulation area consists of the city of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell. ''The N ...

'', Matt Ashare opined that Manson added nothing but clichés to the "stupidly creepy" track.

Live performances

During the Avril Lavigne Tour, Lavigne performed "Bad Girl" in a medley with Marilyn Manson's " The Beautiful People" (1996).

Credits and personnel

;Personnel *

–

Backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

songwriting A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

– Songwriting,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

, guitar *

– Songwriting, production, programming *

– Guest vocals *

Chad Copelin Chad Copelin is an American producer, audio engineer, musician, and songwriter from Norman, Oklahoma. Copelin got his start playing in local bands and majoring in music composition and after three years of school, left to collaborate with various ...

– Programming, bass *Steven Miller – Guitar *Justin Glasco – Drums *

Chris Lord-Alge Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic range compression for molding mixes that ...

– Mixing Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Avril Lavigne'' (2013),

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

Chart performance

Along with many other songs from the parent album, "Bad Girl" debuted at number 58 on the Gaon Music Charts, with 4,511 copies sold in its first week.

References

External links

Avril Lavigne's website
{{Authority control Avril Lavigne songs Songs written by Avril Lavigne Songs written by David Hodges Songs written by Chad Kroeger 2013 songs Songs about BDSM Nu metal songs Male–female vocal duets American pop songs American heavy metal songs Marilyn Manson (band) songs