Avril Lavigne was furious when record label executives tried to persuade her to ditch her trademark rock roots in favor of a radio-friendly "urban" sound.
The "Complicated" singer's latest album "Goodbye Lullaby" was mired in delays after RCA bosses pushed Lavigne to try out a different vibe - and she was shocked when they suggested she sing dance tracks.
She tells Digital Spy, "My record company were being a typical record company and trying to give me their version of how it should be - trying to get me to go in a different direction. I had to fight with them over and over. I was like, 'No, this is a really special record to me and this is what I'm doing.' Radio's very rhythmic and urban and dance today. I think they wanted me to do something more like that, but that's not what my vision was for this album. I was signed by L.A. Reid on Arista Records when I was 16. He understood me and believed in me. Arista folded and I got put on RCA or whatever, then there were new people there, and every six months it changes and more new people come in. It's funny when someone new comes in and they've got an opinion too."
The "Complicated" singer's latest album "Goodbye Lullaby" was mired in delays after RCA bosses pushed Lavigne to try out a different vibe - and she was shocked when they suggested she sing dance tracks.
She tells Digital Spy, "My record company were being a typical record company and trying to give me their version of how it should be - trying to get me to go in a different direction. I had to fight with them over and over. I was like, 'No, this is a really special record to me and this is what I'm doing.' Radio's very rhythmic and urban and dance today. I think they wanted me to do something more like that, but that's not what my vision was for this album. I was signed by L.A. Reid on Arista Records when I was 16. He understood me and believed in me. Arista folded and I got put on RCA or whatever, then there were new people there, and every six months it changes and more new people come in. It's funny when someone new comes in and they've got an opinion too."