Bite Me (song)
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"Bite Me" 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 ...
. It was released on November 10, 2021, through
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
and as Lavigne's debut on
Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and music producer who is the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has collaborated with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transplants ...
's label
DTA Records DTA Records (an initialism for "Don't Trust Anyone") is an American record label founded in December 2019 by Travis Barker, best known as the drummer of Blink-182. It is a joint partnership between Barker and Elektra Entertainment (a label group ...
. It is the lead single from Lavigne's seventh studio album, '' Love Sux'' (2022). The song was noted by critics as a return to Lavigne's
pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
roots. The song peaked at number 63 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 61 on the UK Singles Chart.


Background and release

Canadian
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
artist
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 ...
released her sixth studio album, '' Head Above Water'', on February 15, 2019, through BMG. The album was inspired by the two years during which Lavigne suffered from
Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a tick-borne disease caused by species of ''Borrelia'' bacteria, Disease vector, transmitted by blood-feeding ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. It is the most common disease spread by ticks in th ...
, which left her mostly bedridden and unable to perform. That September, Lavigne embarked on a North American tour in support of ''Head Above Water'', her first such tour in five years. A European tour, originally set to begin in early 2020, had to be rescheduled for 2022 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. While quarantined at home during the pandemic, Lavigne told ''
American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...
'' that she had begun working on new music, which she hoped to release sometime in 2021. That December, Lavigne posted a photo on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
of her in a recording studio with
Mod Sun Derek Ryan Smith (born March 10, 1987), known professionally as Mod Sun (stylized as MOD SUN or MODSUN), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and musician from Bloomington, Minnesota. He has released five solo studio albums, three EPs, and ...
and Machine Gun Kelly, leading to speculation that the trio was working on music together. "
Flames A flame () is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction made in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density, they are then considered plasma. ...
", a Mod Sun song featuring Lavigne, was released on January 8, 2021. The following month, Lavigne confirmed on Instagram that she had finished working on her new album, and that she would release new music that summer. Producer
John Feldmann John William Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American musician and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the punk rock band Goldfinger. Early life Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing songs aro ...
, known for his work with bands such as
Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
,
All Time Low All Time Low is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Towson, Maryland, in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson ...
, and Goldfinger, meanwhile, confirmed to ''Wall of Sound'' that he had been working with Lavigne and that her new album would bring "back her pop punk roots".


Writing and composition

"Bite Me" is a
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
song that has drawn comparisons to Lavigne's earlier studio albums '' Let Go'' (2002) and ''
The Best Damn Thing ''The Best Damn Thing'' is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was firstly released in Europe on April 13, 2007, then worldwide on April 17, 2007 by RCA Records. as her second studio album on the label. The al ...
'' (2007), as well as to the band
Paramore Paramore is an American rock band formed in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2004. Since 2017, the band's lineup includes lead vocalist Hayley Williams, lead guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of ...
. The song is written in the key of
E-flat major E-flat major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically D minor). The E-fla ...
, with a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 170 beats per minute. Lyrically, Lavigne describes "Bite Me" as "an anthem about knowing your worth, what you deserve, and not giving someone a second chance who doesn't deserve you". Lavigne also described the track as a "super sassy" response to a romantic partner who realizes they made a mistake, only to be rejected when they attempt to reconcile. The song was noted by several publications to mark Lavigne's return to the
pop punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
genre; with ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' referring to it as a "pop-punk takedown of an ex", and ''
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 ...
'' describing it as a "guitar- and drum-heavy track" which "features Lavigne raging at her former lover for failing to treat her properly, promising that they'll always regret being kicked out of her life."


Release and promotion

"Bite Me" was announced on November 5, 2021, when Lavigne posted the pre-save link together with the single's cover on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
and
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. On November 6, Lavigne posted a rehearsal video of her and
Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and music producer who is the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has collaborated with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transplants ...
with an audio snippet of the song on her social media. In the United States, "Bite Me" was sent to
alternative radio Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...
on November 16, 2021.


Critical reception

"Bite Me" received critical acclaim upon its release, with George Griffiths of
Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...
describing it as a "confident return to form for pop punk's reigning motherf**king princess" remarking that "it's a lovely surprise to hear just how fresh Avril sounds. Her voice is crisp and clear on the song's chorus; like she hasn't aged a day since she first dropped ' Complicated'." Writing for ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'', Tatiana Tenreyro opined that the song is "the closest to the Lavigne her early fans fell in love with at the beginning of her career. Not only is it a big return to pop punk, but it also sounds delightfully nostalgic." Reviewing for ''
Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''GAY TIMES Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ magazine established in 1984. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company began including content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...
'', Conor Clark compared "Bite Me" to Lavigne's third studio album ''
The Best Damn Thing ''The Best Damn Thing'' is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was firstly released in Europe on April 13, 2007, then worldwide on April 17, 2007 by RCA Records. as her second studio album on the label. The al ...
'' (2007), and remarked that "Avril's fierce new song is a reminder of why she is and always will be the Queen of Pop Punk."


Year-end lists


Accolades


Commercial performance

Worldwide "Bite Me" debuted at number 133 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200 chart, it was Lavigne's first song to enter the chart. In Canada, "Bite Me" debuted at number 63 on the
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 ...
chart, it was certified Gold in Canada with 40,000 units sold. "Bite Me" was Lavigne's first lead single to not enter the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, but it peaked at number 20 on the ''Billboard''
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
chart. and peaked at number 13 on the US
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of ...
chart. In the United Kingdom, "Bite Me" debuted at number 61 on the UK Singles Chart. "Bite Me" was certified Gold in Brazil with 20,000 units sold.


Music videos

The
Hannah Lux Davis Hannah Lux Davis (born May 17, 1986) is an American music video, commercial and film director. She's known for her work especially with female artists, such as Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, Christ ...
-directed music video was released on November 12, 2021. The music video sees Lavigne and Barker, with some help from their rowdy gang of tutu-wearing and axe-wielding friends, terrorizing the man that caused Lavigne heartbreak. The group crashes the man’s loft after breaking the lock, to trash the apartment space, torture the unsuspecting man and play loud music at full blast. The video for the acoustic version, directed by
Mod Sun Derek Ryan Smith (born March 10, 1987), known professionally as Mod Sun (stylized as MOD SUN or MODSUN), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and musician from Bloomington, Minnesota. He has released five solo studio albums, three EPs, and ...
and Charlie Zwick, was released on December 17, 2021 and it featured
John Feldmann John William Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American musician and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the punk rock band Goldfinger. Early life Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing songs aro ...
and his wife Amy as doctor and nurse respectively. In it, Lavigne arrives at the dentist office and enters the room, while the doctor takes a break, to pull out all the patient's teeth which are then used to make a necklace.


Live performances

Lavigne performed "Bite Me" for the first time on ''
The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known simply as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show that aired on CBS from 2015 to 2023. It is the fourth and final iteration of '' The Late Late Show'', and aired in the United Sta ...
'' on November 10, 2021, with drummer
Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and music producer who is the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has collaborated with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transplants ...
of
Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
. Lavigne also did an interview with Corden about her new single "Bite Me", her upcoming seventh studio album, and her upcoming 2022 concert tour. On November 23, 2021, she performed the single on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...
''. On November 30, 2021, Lavigne performed the single on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
'' with drummer Travis Barker, it was her first appearance on the show since 2007. On December 31, 2021 Lavigne performed the single on
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE''), billed since 2008 as ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest'', is a New Year's Eve television special broadcast by American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The special broadcasts ...
party as the last performance of that year. On January 16, 2022 Lavigne performed ''Bite Me'' during her surprise set at
IHeart iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast, radio streaming and Music Streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. Founded in August 2008, iHeartRadio serves as the national umbrella brand for iHeartM ...
Alter Ego festival, along with her smash hits ''Girlfriend, My Happy Ending and Sk8er Boi''. Lavigne also performed the single on Japanese TV show
Music Station , stylised in all caps, is a Japanese music television program. Broadcasting live weekly on TV Asahi since October 24, 1986, it currently airs from 9PM-10PM on Fridays. The program is also colloquially known as , , and . The show is currently sy ...
on February 11, 2022.


Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the ''Love Sux'' album liner notes. *
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 ...
– vocals *
John Feldmann John William Feldmann (born June 29, 1967) is an American musician and record producer. He serves as the lead singer/guitarist of the punk rock band Goldfinger. Early life Feldmann grew up in Saratoga, California. He started writing songs aro ...
– guitar, bass, production * Derek "Mod Sun" Smith – production *
Travis Barker Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter, and music producer who is the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has collaborated with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transplants ...
– drums, production * Dylan McLean – additional guitar and bass, additional production and engineering * Scot Stewart – additional guitar and bass, additional production and engineering * Michael Bono – additional guitar and bass, additional production and engineering * Josh Thornberry – additional production and engineering *
Cameron Mizell Cameron Pierce Mizell is an American artist, songwriter, singer, record producer and owner of Chango Studios. He began producing music in 2003 & has worked with Billboard top charting artists such as Sleeping With Sirens, Memphis May Fire, Woe Is ...
– additional production and engineering * Hero DeLano – additional production and engineering * Kevin Thrash – additional engineering *
Chris Gehringer Chris Gehringer (born May 27, 1962) is an American mastering engineer at Sterling Sound in New Jersey. Gehringer is known for having mastered recordings by popular artists such as AJR, Dua Lipa, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Gwen Stefani, Harry Styles, ...
– mastering * Adam Hawkins – mixing


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{Authority control 2021 singles 2021 songs Avril Lavigne songs DTA Records singles Elektra Records singles Music videos directed by Hannah Lux Davis Song recordings produced by John Feldmann Song recordings produced by Travis Barker Songs written by Avril Lavigne Songs written by John Feldmann Songs written by Marshmello Songs written by Mod Sun Songs written by Omer Fedi Breakup songs