"I'm a Mess" is a song by Canadian singer Avril Lavigne and English singer Yungblud, released on November 3, 2022.[2][3] The song appears on the deluxe edition of Lavigne's seventh studio album Love Sux, as an official track in her Greatest Hits compilation.[4]
Background
The release of "I'm a Mess" was announced on October 24, 2022, in a livestream featuring Yungblud cutting Lavigne's hair with a snippet of the song playing.[5]
Composition
"I'm a Mess" is a "a slow-burning guitar ballad" which "begins with Lavigne singing about an absent loved one", and "drums kick in later ahead of Yungblud's verse, which hears the Doncaster artist say his life "hasn't been the same since that night". In the chorus, the duo each long for a reunion".[6]
Critical reception
"I'm a Mess" was received positively upon release; with Jack Rogers of Rock Sound describing the song as "really lovely", and an "open, existential and sentimental love song all about feeling lost and alone but knowing that there is someone else at there who can bring it back to the centre", further remarking that "the duo bounce off and complement each other beautifully, making it a track that will stick with you long after it has faded away."[7] Writing for Kerrang!, Emily Carter referred to the song as "a sweet, sentimental ballad".[8]
Consequence named "I'm a Mess" as Song of the Week, with Paolo Ragusa praising both Lavigne's and Yungblud's vocals and their "authentic performances and heartfelt honesty"; further remarking "if 'I'm a Mess' is any indication, Lavigne's next album cycle might double down on this kind of sincerity, and she sounds radiant and truly inspired. And with a pop rock hook that belongs among the best of Lavigne's choruses, 'I'm a Mess' is a memorable step forward for both [Yungblud] and Avril Lavigne."[9]
Commercial performance
In the United States, "I'm a Mess" had commercial success on airplay were it reached at number 12 on the US Adult Top 40 chart.[10] It debuted at number 33 on the US BillboardHot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.[11] The song reached at number 24 on the US Pop Airplay chart and it spent fourteen weeks on the chart.[12]
Music video
The music video for "I'm a Mess" was released the same day as the single, and features Lavigne "getting reflective in the sunshine while [Yungblud] wanders around a gloomy London, before they meet up at the end for a performance of the song."[8]
Live performances
"I'm a Mess" was performed live on June 21, 2024, during Avril Lavigne's concert at the Pinkpop Festival as part of her Greatest Hits Tour, with the song being a surprise track featuring Yungblud.[13]
^Patton, Ali. ""I'm A Mess"—Avril Lavigne Enlists Yungblud for Collaboration … and a Haircut". American Songwriter. Retrieved November 4, 2022. The song plays like a throwback to early 2000s pop punk, a sound and image Lavigne perfected in her early career and a genre Yungblud has helped to revitalize in the last few years.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 3. týden 2023 in the date selector. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
