"I'm a Mess" is a song by Canadian singer
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
and English singer
Yungblud
Dominic Richard Harrison (born 5 August 1997), known professionally as Yungblud, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. In 2018, he released his debut EP ''Yungblud'', followed by his first full-length album ''21st Century Liability''. In ...
, released on November 3, 2022.
The song appears on the deluxe edition of Lavigne's seventh studio album ''
Love Sux'' and as an official track in her ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'' compilation.
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.
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".
Critical reception
"I'm a Mess" was received positively upon release; with Jack Rogers of ''
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'' 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." Writing for ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'', Emily Carter referred to the song as "a sweet, sentimental ballad".
''
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
ungbludand Avril Lavigne."
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
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Syste ...
chart.
It debuted at number 33 on the US ''
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 advertis ...
''
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs
Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of ...
chart. The song reached at number 24 on the US Pop Airplay chart and it spent fourteen weeks on the chart.
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
ungbludwanders around a gloomy London, before they meet up at the end for a performance of the song."
[
]
Live performances
"I'm a Mess" was performed live on June 21, 2024, during Avril Lavigne's concert at the Pinkpop Festival
Pinkpop is an annual music festival held in Landgraaf, Netherlands. It is usually held on the Pentecost weekend (''Pinksteren'' in Dutch, hence the name). If Pentecost falls on an early date in May, the festival is held later in June. Starting in ...
as part of her Greatest Hits Tour, with the song being a surprise track featuring Yungblud.
Track listing and formats
;Digital download
#"I'm a Mess" – 3:07
;Streaming
#"I'm a Mess" – 3:07
#" Bois Lie" (Avril Lavigne featuring Machine Gun Kelly) – 2:43
#"Love It When You Hate Me
"Love It When You Hate Me" is a song by Canadian singer Avril Lavigne featuring American singer Blackbear. It was released on January 14, 2022, through Elektra Records as the second single from Lavigne's seventh studio album, '' Love Sux'' (202 ...
" (Avril Lavigne featuring Blackbear) – 2:25
#" Bite Me" (Avril Lavigne) – 2:39
;Digital download and streaming (Japanese extended play)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
{{authority control
2022 singles
2022 songs
Avril Lavigne songs
DTA Records singles
Elektra Records singles
Pop ballads
Rock ballads
Song recordings produced by John Feldmann
Song recordings produced by Travis Barker
Songs written by Avril Lavigne
Songs written by John Feldmann
Songs written by Travis Barker
Songs written by Yungblud
Yungblud songs