"I Always Get What I Want" is a song recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...

for her second studio album '' Under My Skin'' (2004). The song was written by Lavigne and

Clif Magness Clifton “Clif” Magness is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for co-writing and producing several tracks on Avril Lavigne’s 2002 debut album, '' Let Go'' including the song "Losing Grip". ...

, while Magness solely handled production. The song was released digitally as a promotional single in the United States on May 24, 2004 by

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

. The song is included as a bonus track on European and Japanese versions of the album, then later included as an iTunes bonus track globally. "I Always Get What I Want" is featured as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

on the " Nobody's Home" CD single, which is the third single release from ''Under My Skin''. The song was also featured in the film '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'', in addition to appearing on the film's official soundtrack release.

Background and composition

"I Always Get What I Want" was written by Avril Lavigne and

, with the latter handling production. Lavigne had previously worked with Magness on her debut album, '' Let Go'' (2002). Five songs were produced by Magness for the album: "

Losing Grip "Losing Grip" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the fourth single and the first track from her debut album, '' Let Go'' (except in New Zealand, where "Mobile" was released), in March 2003. The song was written by ...

", "

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

", "Unwanted", "My World", and "Too Much to Ask". Following the release of ''Let Go'', Lavigne worked with new collaborators for '' Under My Skin'', including guitarist

Evan Taubenfeld Evan David Taubenfeld (born June 27, 1983) is an American singer and musician, best known for being Avril Lavigne's lead guitarist, music director and frequent collaborator. Taubenfeld's debut album, '' Welcome to the Blacklist Club'', was rele ...

and singer

Chantal Kreviazuk Chantal Jennifer Kreviazuk (; born May 18, 1974) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, composer, and pianist. Born in Winnipeg, she played music from a young age before signing with Columbia Records in the 1990s. Her debut studio album, ''Under These ...

. Lavigne continued to work with Magness, although only "I Always Get What I Want" would appear on the

reissued In the music industry, a reissue (also re-release, repackage or re-edition) is the release of an album or single which has been released at least once before, sometimes with alterations or additions. Reasons for reissue New audio formats Rec ...

album in the form of a bonus track. On May 24, 2004, the song was released digitally as a promotional single on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. " Take Me Away" and "

He Wasn't "He Wasn't" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne, released as the fourth and final single from her second studio album, '' Under My Skin'' (2004). The song was written and produced by Lavigne and Chantal Kreviazuk. It was not rel ...

", both of which are present on the parent album, were also released as promotional singles on the same day. "I Always Get What I Want" was later re-released in November 2004 as a

to Nobody's Home, the third single from '' Under My Skin''. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by

Alfred Publishing Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...

, the song is written in the key of

C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...

and is set in

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

of common time with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 182

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. Lavigne's vocal range spans two octaves, from B₃ to C₅. The lyrics of "I Always Get What I Want" carry a message of entitlement, with Lavigne dedicating the song to "any young girl out there who always gets what she wants".

Reception

"I Always Get What I Want" received mixed reviews by music critics. Annabel Leathes of

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...

compared the song to English alternative rock band

Transvision Vamp Transvision Vamp were an English pop rock band. Formed in 1986 by Nick Christian Sayer and Wendy James, the band enjoyed chart success in the late 1980s, particularly in 1989. James, the lead singer and focal-point of the group, attracted medi ...

, declaring that "'I Always Get What I Want' delivers a healthy slap in the face of authority ... and suggests that Avril isn't quite ready to grow up. Caroline Bansal of ''

musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

'' gave the song a positive review, stating that the song "will have alternative music dance floors packed with its high octane guitar and vocals". The song was also praised for its placement on '' The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'' soundtrack, with Michael Paoletta of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' designating the track as a highlight from the album.

Live performances

Lavigne first performed "I Always Get What I Want" at North American concert dates on her second worldwide concert tour, the

Bonez Tour Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne has completed six concert tours beginning with the Try to Shut Me Up Tour in 2002–03. This was followed by the 13-month Bonez Tour in 2004–05 and The Best Damn World Tour in 2008. Her ongoing Love Sux ...

(2004–05). The performance of "I Always Get What I Want" during the tour at

Nippon Budokan The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...

in Tokyo, Japan is included on Lavigne's second full-length

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

'' Bonez Tour 2005: Live at Budokan'' (2005). The DVD was released exclusively in Japan and was certified gold by the

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...

(RIAJ). Lavigne also performed the song on her third worldwide concert tour,

The Best Damn World Tour The Best Damn Tour was the third concert tour by Canadian recording artist, Avril Lavigne. Supporting her third studio album, ''The Best Damn Thing'' (2007), the tour played over 100 concerts in North America, Europe and Asia. The trek was record ...

(2008), with the performance of the song at the

Air Canada Centre Scotiabank Arena ( French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Rap ...

in Toronto, Canada being included on her third full-length DVD '' The Best Damn Tour: Live in Toronto'' (2008). The song has since appeared as a staple at Lavigne's concerts, being included on

The Black Star Tour Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne has completed six concert tours beginning with the Try to Shut Me Up Tour in 2002–03. This was followed by the 13-month Bonez Tour in 2004–05 and The Best Damn World Tour in 2008. Her ongoing Love Sux ...

(2011–12), and

The Avril Lavigne Tour The Avril Lavigne Tour was the fifth concert tour by Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne. The tour was supporting her fifth studio album, ''Avril Lavigne'' (2013). Beginning December 2013, the tour played over 78 concerts in America and Asia. ...

(2013–14).

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the ''Under My Skin'' album liner notes. *

– vocals, writer *

– producer, writer, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboards, mixing engineer, piano, programmer, recording engineer * Mark Kiczula – assistant engineer * Beau Fletcher - assistant engineer *

Josh Freese Joshua Ryan Freese (born December 25, 1972) is an American session drummer. He is the son of tuba soloist Stan Freese and the older brother of musician Jason Freese. He is a member of the Vandals (since 1989) and Devo (since 1996), having forme ...

– drums

References

{{authority control 2004 songs Songs written by Clif Magness Songs written by Avril Lavigne Avril Lavigne songs Canadian punk rock songs