Don’t Blame Avril Lavigne For Punk Rock Label

Avril Lavigne tells Heath McCoy of the CanWest News Service that she’s bothered by the backlash from critics and hardcore punk fans who resent her image as a punk-pop hero. “I never called myself punk so don’t be mad at me and don’t hate me cause I’m labeled punk,” she says, sourly. “It’s the media who said that. Maybe people see an edge. I mean, I’m not the typical bubble-gum pop girl and my music’s a bit harder, so people labeled me that way. But it’s not me. … I’m clearly not punk and I don’t claim to be.” So how would she describe her music? “I consider myself to be a person,” she says. “I don’t like to stick labels on myself. That’s so stupid.”