Offerings From Avril Lavigne And Aspiring Underdogs

Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times reviewed the lineup at Madison Square Garden, at Zootopia on Friday (May 21). Sanneh said Avril Lavigne was the only A-list pop star on the show’s lineup, comparing the rest, including Jessica Simpson, to a long, weird episode of ‘American Idol’. Sanneh remarked, “Compared with the eager-to-please competition, then, the sullen Ms. Lavigne was even more likable than usual. Her solid, strong, slick new album, ‘Under My Skin’ (Arista), doesn’t come out until tomorrow, but she nevertheless started her set with a couple of swaggering new songs, flummoxing an audience expecting to hear nothing but old hits.” Read more.