Recalling back the days when CDs used to sell, Avril Lavigne hit the pop music scene in 2003 with her debut release "Let Go." That album, which astonishingly has sold over 16 million units, propelled Avril to a rather bizarre level of stardom and name recognition worldwide. 2004's "Under My Skin," her last album, was praised by many as a more mature follow-up to her debut, a shedding away of sorts from her mall-pop debut. This progression towards musical maturity seemed natural enough, as Avril hit her 20s and her fans were getting older alongside her.

Unfortunately, with "The Best Damn Thing," it is blatantly obvious that Avril has taken a huge leap away from what seemed to be a cycle of musical maturity and has once again embraced pop schmuck. On no other track is this more obvious that on the album's first single, "Girlfriend," which features singing, clapping and cheerleader-style chanting.

Believe me, there is nothing wrong in my book with a great pop album, but this album is a joke - a bad, long joke that leads to its even worse punchline. What could have really proven to be another opportunity for Avril to reach out to an older demographic here resulted in this - the "over-marketed and artistically deprived...damn thing."