| "Alice" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Avril Lavigne | ||||||||||
| from the album Almost Alice | ||||||||||
| Released | January 27, 2010 (see release history) |
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| Format | CD, digital download[1] | |||||||||
| Recorded | 2009[citation needed] | |||||||||
| Genre | Rock[2][3] Pop[3] |
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| Length | 3:34 | |||||||||
| Label | Buena Vista[4] | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Avril Lavigne[5] | |||||||||
| Producer | Butch Walker[5] | |||||||||
| Avril Lavigne singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Alice" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne for the soundtrack to the 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, entitled Almost Alice, released on March 2, 2010. In addition to appearing on the soundtrack, the song was played over the film's end credits. The song is a mid-tempo ballad sung from the perspective of the film's lead character, Alice. According to Lavigne, she wrote the song after asking Disney executives and director Tim Burton for a role on the soundtrack. The song was produced by Butch Walker and mixed by Lavigne's former husband Deryck Whibley.[6]
The song was first played on radio on January 27, 2010, when Lavigne appeared on the show, On Air with Ryan Seacrest.[7] "Alice" sold 45,000 copies within the first four weeks of its release.[8]
Contents |
While designing clothes inspired by Alice in Wonderland for her Abbey Dawn line, Lavigne told Disney executives she could write a song for the film's soundtrack. Director Tim Burton agreed, and Lavigne "wrote the song immediately" on her piano,[6] which would become the main instrument in the song.[9] Lavigne described the song as "a little darker."[6]
On March 3, 2010, Lavigne performed "Alice" on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[10]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [11] |
| Calgary Herald | (positive)[12] |
| Digital Spy | (favorable)[2] |
| 411mania.com | 2/5[13] |
| Idolator | (mixed)[14] |
| Los Angeles Times | (mixed)[15] |
In his review for the soundtrack Almost Alice, William Ruhlmann of Allmusic described "Alice" as "a typical piece of self-assertive adolescent pop/rock," noting that it was "ideally suited for heavy rotation on Radio Disney."[3] Todd Martens, writing for the Los Angeles Times, approved of the song's "darker, more angsty vision", adding that it was a return to Lavigne's sound in Under My Skin. He described the beginning of the song as, "promising, with wavy synths caught somewhere between a nightmare and a dream."[15]
Bill Lamb of About.com gave the song 4 stars out of 5, appreciating Lavigne's interpretation of Alice's dilemma. He found her vocals emotional, "expressing the confusion of Alice falling through that rabbit hole."
"Alice" works both as an emotional, dramatic evocation of struggles with confusing times in life, and setting the scene for the movie making listeners eager to see the story that generates this heart-pounding, raw statement of the survival instinct. [...] There is a raw immediacy to the sound which grabs listeners instantly. It's hard to know if it will be a major pop hit, but the song does provide a suitably dramatic intro to publicity for the upcoming film.—Bill Lamb, About.com[11]
The Calgary Herald wrapped its opinion of "Alice" in succinct praise, calling it "one of the best songs of Avril's career," adding that Avril's repertoire doesn't otherwise live up to its hype.[12] Digital Spy's Nick Levine called the song "a big angsty rock ballad," finding the track "cinematic" and at times "ghostly," before mentioning that the song took several listens to appreciate.[2]
Several critics focused on the lyrics of the song, with mixed reaction. Lamb expounded, "Lyrically, with words of "trippin' out," Avril Lavigne brings Alice directly into a contemporary context. This will allow young fans to see more clearly the metaphorical application of Alice In Wonderland to contemporary issues and dilemmas."[11] Becky Bain of Idolator began her review commending Lavigne's lyrics for "carry[ing] genuine sentiment," believing that her "words of encouragement" would "resonate" with her teenage fans.[14] Mark Ingoldsby, of 411mania.com, had little to praise in Lavigne's lyrics, stating that Lavigne is "[a]pparently incapable of crafting witty lyrics that paint an interesting picture through creative metaphors."[13] Martens had similar feelings, writing, "[The] listener never really gets a picture of [the] trippy world Lavigne has found herself in."[15]
There was general consensus among critics regarding the chorus of the song, in which Lavigne repeatedly holds a high note for an extended period. Lamb simply called it "shouty,"[11] while others elaborated. Although Ingoldsby, who sub-titled his review Wail of a Fail, could appreciate the beginning of the song, calling it "eerie and captivating," and describing Lavigne's voice as "unremarkable, yet pleasant," Ingoldsby found the rest of the song — from "the second part of the first verse" onwards — to be a "recreation of an Alanis Morissette-style spaz-out session."[13] Bain was also unimpressed with the chorus. "[The] biggest problem with the song is that Lavigne, trying to come off like Amy Lee, is constantly screeching while attempting to hit those high notes. It’s difficult to enjoy a song while you’re wincing during the chorus."[14]
The music video opens with Lavigne finding and following a white rabbit into a forest. As the piano in the soundtrack begins playing, the video briefly cuts to Lavigne's hands playing the notes on a piano. The video returns to Lavigne's character, who trips and falls into a hole near a large tree. Her fall is intercut with shots of Alice (from Burton's film) colliding with objects, including a piano. When Lavigne opens her eyes, she is lying at the bottom of a deep hole, dressed in a black gothic corset dress[16] and stockings imprinted with playing card suits.
When Lavigne climbs out of the hole, she finds herself in Wonderland. The song enters the chorus, and the video cuts and dissolves between Lavigne's character running through the forest and Lavigne singing and performing the song on the piano. The only Wonderland character to make an appearance is a fleeting glimpse of the Cheshire Cat.
She arrives at a tea party, and the Mad Hatter stands, welcoming her with open arms. The scene is edited with footage of the Mad Hatter from Burton's film. As Lavigne sinks into a chair singing, her "echo" is visually emphasized with her face quickly dissolving in and out. As the verse ends, Lavigne stands and runs away from the scene. The chorus of the song returns to shots of Lavigne running through the forest, arriving at a piano surrounded by giant mushrooms. The video cuts between shots of Lavigne playing the instrument and singing, eventually showing Lavigne running through a misty copse of thin trees. Various scenes from the film are shown in succession, before Lavigne is reintroduced running toward an opening in the forest. As she exits the forest, she is dressed in her normal clothing.[9]
Lavigne shot the music video for "Alice" on January 26–27, 2010.[6] The video was directed by Dave Meyers,[7][17] which was partly filmed at the Los Angeles Arboretum.[17] Meyers worked closely with Lavigne to create the video. His intention was to capture "the haunting quality of the song" on video and present it with a gothic feel. Lavigne wanted to include piano sequences to stress the instrument's contribution to the song.[18] Footage from Burton's Alice in Wonderland was edited prominently into the video.[19]
The video premiered online on February 17, 2010.[20]
| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | January 27, 2010 | — | Radio premiere[7] |
| January 29, 2010 | Buena Vista | Digital download[22] | |
| Australia | February 27, 2010 | Digital download[23] | |
| Europe | February 28, 2010 | Disney (Europe) | Digital download[24][25] |
| Germany | March 5, 2010 | CD single[21] |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart[26] | 39 |
| Austrian Singles Chart[27] | 19 |
| Canadian Hot 100[28] | 53 |
| Czech Airplay Chart[29] | 24 |
| Dutch Tipparade[30] | 28 |
| Japan Hot 100[31] | 4 |
| Slovak Airplay Chart[32] | 58 |
| UK Singles Chart[27] | 59 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[33] | 71 |
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