"Complicated" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriterAvril Lavigne from her debut album,Let Go (2002). It was released on 11 March 2002 byArista Records. Lavigne and production teamthe Matrix (Lauren Christy,Scott Spock, and Graham Edwards) are credited as writers. Production on the song was helmed by the Matrix. According to Lavigne, the song is about being honest with oneself rather than "putting on a face".
"Complicated" received generally positive reviews frommusic critics, who praised the song as infectiouspop rock. It peaked at number two on theBillboard Hot 100, ultimately selling 1.1 million copies in the US. The song also spent sixteen consecutive weeks at number one on theBillboardAdult Top 40 chart, breaking a record previously held byNatalie Imbruglia's "Torn". Internationally, the song topped the charts in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway, with the song peaking in the top five in over twenty countries. It was nominated for twoGrammy Awards forSong of the Year andBest Female Pop Vocal Performance.
After being signed toArista Records, Lavigne moved to New York and began working on her debut album,Let Go, collaborating with a host of prime songwriters and producers. For a year, nothing was working for Lavigne and was on the verge of getting dropped off Arista.[1] The management pitched her songs written by other songwriters, but she declined, insisting she wanted to write songs herself.[2] Lavigne relocated to Los Angeles, where she collaborated with songwriter-producerClif Magness, who gave her ample creative control in the writing process. Lavigne and Magness wrote "Losing Grip" and "Unwanted", songs that she deemed reflective of her vision for the entire album.[3] However, Arista was not thrilled with the heavy-guitar laden songs that Lavigne was writing, prompting the label to look for other producers to match their demands.[4]
Lavigne came to the attention of the three-piece production teamthe Matrix. Arista could not find the right direction for Lavigne, so the team's manager, Sandy Roberton, suggested that they work together.[5] According to memberLauren Christy, they had been listening to Lavigne's early songs and felt they contained "aFaith Hill kind of vibe". As soon as they saw Lavigne coming into their studio, the Matrix felt that her musical direction was incongruous to her image and attitude.[5] After talking to Lavigne for an hour, the singer said she wanted songs withpunk rock inclinations. They told her to come back the following day, and in the afternoon during that day, they wrote a song that evolved into "Complicated" and another song called "Falling Down". They played it to Lavigne, inspiring her musical path.[5]
When Josh Sarubin, the A&R executive who signed Lavigne to the imprint, heard the song, he knew it was right for her. Lavigne presented the song to Reid, who agreed the musical direction Lavigne and the Matrix were taking, and set "Complicated" as the album'slead single.[5]
"Complicated" is apop punk[6] andpop rock[7][8][9][10] song about how people can feign or pretend in front of others. Lavigne said about the song: "People sometimes bother me how they're not real and how they're just, like, putting on a face and being two-faced". Lavigne stated that she experienced this with both boyfriends and female friends.[11]
The song was met with generally positive reviews.[12] In 2009,Rolling Stone readers voted "Complicated" as the eighth top single of the decade.[13] "Complicated" also ranked at number 197 inBlender magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".[14] In anAOL Radio listener's poll, "Complicated" was voted Lavigne's sixth best song.[15]
David Browne ofEntertainment Weekly gave the song a B− and said "Avril Lavigne's not kidding about that title, she's the epitome of the blossoming anti-Britney movement".[16] Christina Saraceno ofAllMusic described "Complicated" as "a gem of a pop/rock tune with a killer chorus" and noted similarities between it andPink's song "Don't Let Me Get Me".[7] Saraceno highlighted the song as a "track pick" in a review of the album,Let Go.[7]
On a more negative note, Sal Cinquemani ofSlant magazine described 'Complicated' as "infectious" and "more poser than punk".[17] In a review of Lavigne's second album,Under My Skin, David Browne ofEntertainment Weekly noted that "'Complicated' felt like strung-together bits ofMorissette songs".[18]
"Complicated" peaked at number two on the USBillboard Hot 100 and stayed for 31 weeks on the chart. It was Lavigne's longest charting song on the chart.[19] "Complicated" peaked at number one on the USBillboardAdult Top 40 Airplay andMainstream Top 40 Airplay charts, number 13 on the USAdult Contemporary chart, and number 30 on the USRhythmic chart.[20][21][22][23] The single was certified 3× platinum in the United States with 3 million copies sold, making it the best selling debut single by a female Canadian singer.[24]Billboard ranked it at number 83 of the 'Top 100 Singles of the Decade'.[25]
In the United Kingdom, "Complicated" peaked at number three on theUK Singles Chart and was certified 2× platinum with more than 1,200,000 copies sold and streamed.[26] In Canada, the single peaked at number 21 on theCanadian Singles Chart and was the fourth-most-played song on Canadian radio in 2002, as well as the most-played song of the year by a native artist.[27] In New Zealand, the single peaked at number one for 9 consecutive weeks on theRIANZ Singles Chart and was certified platinum with 10,000 copies sold.[28] "Complicated" also peaked and debuted at number one in Australia, Ireland, and Norway;[28] number two in Austria, Denmark, Europe, Hungary, Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland; and number three in Belgium, Germany, and Poland.[28] It was certified 2× platinum in Australia with 140,000 copies sold,[29] and gold in Denmark with 45,000 copies sold.[30] "Complicated" was certified gold in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland, and platinum in Brazil and Norway.
The video, directed bythe Malloys, starts with Lavigne asking her bandmates if they want to "crash" the mall. They respond with enthusiasm and skateboard there. The video features Lavigne and the band harassing shoppers and employees, generally causing havoc around the mall; for example, Lavigne watches her bandmates try on humorous clothing, shown as Lavigne sings the line "You come over unannounced, dressed up like you're something else".
This is intercut with footage of Lavigne performing the song at a skatepark while playing the guitar, with her band performing with her. People can be seen skateboarding around Lavigne as she and her band perform the song. As the line "You fall and you crawl..." is sung, a skateboarder can be seen falling over.
The video for "Complicated" was shot 4–5 March 2002 atWestfield Eagle Rock Plaza, Los Angeles, as well as a local skatepark.[32][33] During the shooting, the mall remained open.[34] The music video was released in April 2002.[35]
As of April 2025, the video has over 700 million views on YouTube.[36]
The music video was ranked at number 41 onBillboard's 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 21st Century.[37]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^ab"The 50 Greatest Minivan Rock Songs".Billboard.Penske Media Corporation. 28 April 2020. Retrieved2 May 2020.A mellow and grungy debut single that introduced Avril Lavigne — a then-rising pop-punk rocker — to the world as an antidote to the then-dominant bubblegum pop, and previewed her first album Let Go.
^Avril, Lavigne; Graham, Edwards; Lauren, Christy; David, Alspach (25 July 2002)."Complicated".Musicnotes.com. Retrieved7 July 2023.
^Avril Lavigne (14 October 2008).Avril Lavigne talking about COMPLICATED (Streaming video). Event occurs at 0:15.Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved5 September 2010 – via YouTube.
^Complicated (US CD Single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 82876 50982 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Complicated (US 7" Vinyl liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 07822-15185-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Complicated (EU CD Single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 74321945762.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Complicated (IT CD Single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 74321945762.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Complicated (JP CD Single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. BVCA-29601.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Complicated (UK Cassette liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 74321 965964.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^abComplicated (EU Maxi-one Single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 74321945772.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Complicated (AUS Maxi Single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 74321955782.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Complicated (EU Maxi-two Single liner notes). Avril Lavigne. Arista Records. 2002. 74321945772.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Radionotas Pop México".Radionotas (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 April 2003. Retrieved9 April 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (2002)."New Zealand Annual Chart". Rianz.org.nz. Archived fromthe original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved14 January 2011.
