Actors - Complicated

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	Actors - Complicated

"Complicated" is Avril Lavigne's first single, released in 2002 from her debut album, Let Go. The single reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lavigne's first top-ten single. The single also reached number three in the United Kingdom and number one in Canada. It also climbed to number one in Mexico. Based on its chart performance, the song is also Lavigne's most successful single, and was also one of the most successful releases of 2002. Not surprisingly, the song is also considered to be her signature song.

Song information

The song was written by The Matrix (Scott Spock, Lauren Christy, and Graham Edwards) and Lavigne, and produced by The Matrix. In this pop-rock anthem, Lavigne finds herself in a complicated situation with a boy in her life. She enjoys his company when they're driving in his car, but around everyone else, he becomes somebody else, and can't relax as if he's always paranoid and watching his back. She also feels that he is trying too hard to fit in by wearing preppy clothes. Although she does like him, his actions disturb her to denounce, "Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated? I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated..."

The song has also met some controversy over its songwriting. In several interviews given while promoting her debut album, Lavigne claimed that "Complicated" was inspired by her life, that she was a singer-songwriter who was very much involved in the creative process of making music, and that she had written most of "Complicated" with The Matrix. However, The Matrix revealed that they had written most of "Complicated", and that Lavigne had only added a few minor melodic or lyrical changes to the song. When confronted with the truth of the matter, Lavigne claimed she did not have much choice in the matter, as her boss, L.A. Reid, had pressured her to put the songs with The Matrix on the album, and she had feared that she might be dropped from her label if she didn't comply. Lavigne's claim to be a singer-songwriter was also brought up, but she defended her actions saying that she is usually involved with most of her music (except for the songs co-written with The Matrix).

Harmonic Progression

In terms of chord sequence, "Complicated" is a masterful pastiche of several classic hit songs patterns. The acoustic guitar is tuned down a whole step so as to avoid the common sound of these chords in G. Instead, the song is in F major and this was likely more fitting for Avril's voice. The introduction is a strummed vi-IV-I-V which returns as the chorus with different rhythmic accents. The verse of the song employs the I-vi-IV-V sequence associated with hit songs of a bygone era (the Ronnettes Be My Baby) while the prechorus exploits an angsty IV-vi movement which suggests grunge: IV-vi-IV-V. Finally the chorus arrives with that satisfying vi-VI-I-V.

Awards

To date, the Canadian single of "Complicated" has shipped over 100,000 copies in Canada. Not surprisingly, the song has been awarded the gold and platinum single certification by the CRIA for shipments of at least 50,000 and 100,000 singles shipped respectively. "Complicated" also won the Single of the Year at the 2003 Juno Awards. Lavigne also got recognized for "Complicated" in the USA, when the song got nominated at the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Song of the Year. Unfortunately, she lost both awards to Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why".

Track listing

#"Complicated" (Tom Lord-Alge mix) #"I Don't Give" #"Why" #"Complicated" (video)

Charts

it:Complicated

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