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    Home - Play It Again: 3 Pop-Punk Favorites And A Love Story
    MUSIC - PLAY IT AGAIN!

    Play It Again: 3 Pop-Punk Favorites And A Love Story

    Contributor to The Sober CuratorBy Contributor to The Sober CuratorApril 13, 20226 Mins Read
    SOBER POP PUNK copy
    SOBER POP PUNK copy
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    If you’re a music lover, you probably watched the 64th Annual Grammys. This means you saw Avril Lavigne present the award for Best Pop Duo wearing a black tutu style dress with Love Sux written on the waistband. This was to celebrate the release of her seventh album, Love Sux which she worked on with Machine Gun Kelly, Blackbear, Travis Barker, and Mod Sun. You also likely saw her walk the red carpet with her punk rocker boyfriend. This is super-ironic because the pair met while Lavigne was on a self-prescribed break from men. She was focused entirely on a new album and airing out some difficult feelings coming from her recent heartbreak.

    So, who is Avril Lavigne’s man?

    Mod Sun. Author, artist, writer, singer drummer, movie producer, and legit talent in his own right. Machine Gun Kelly, his best friend introduced the two. And they instantly connected over the music Mod Sun was working on for his new album. Avril really liked his song Flames. He finally got the courage to ask Avril to sing with him on the song, And She said yes. A few months later they were dating and made their relationship red carpet official at the 2021 MTV VMA’s. She said yes again this month in front of the Eifel Tower. And now they are engaged! These pop-punk sweethearts are obviously in love. And we are in love with their story.

    These Pop-Punk Sweethearts Got Engaged and We Are In Love

    ET’s report on the engagement.

    Admittedly, I did not know much about Mod Sun but started digging in once I saw him with punk princess, Avril Lavigne. Filled with boozy performances, mounds of cocaine, and even a celebrity throuple, it turns out he’s already had one wild journey in his 35 years on this planet. Despite this, he authored Did I Ever Wake Up, a step-by-step guide on the power of attraction that many say changed their lives for the better. He built a thriving lifestyle brand with his own merchandise way before people realized this was possible. He’s collaborated on projects with some of the best in the business and recently acted in and directed a feature film with Machine Gun Kelly.

    Mod Sun’s first book

    But it’s Remember Me Just Like This, his self-produced rockdoc on his own life that is the most inspiring.  The journey from his childhood to working with Avil Lavigne on Flames is filled with heartbreak, rejection, and a never-ending positive outlook that allowed Mod Sun to continue to succeed. His struggles with addiction are also well documented. Drinking an entire bottle of Jack Daniel’s and snorting too much coke to measure, he was in deep. He finally surrendered to the hard facts that drugs and alcohol were holding him back and that his lifestyle was killing him. 

    Mod Sun’s Brutally Honest and Impactful Story of Recovery

    Luckily, Mod Sun got help. He now attends 12 Step meetings and while he still smokes pot for his ADHD, he no longer drinks alcohol or does cocaine or hard drugs. Filmed in the famous Jim Morrison room in LA where he used to party, his emotional Vlog explaining his codependency on chaos and journey through addiction is extremely impactful. It is included below and in the film and is 100% worth watching.

    Mod Sun gets completely raw in his story. He honestly shares how cocaine wrecked his relationships, monopolized his thinking, caused severe body dysmorphia, accelerated his drinking, and turned him into a person he did not want to be. He says transparency, forgiveness, and the freedom from hard drugs and alcohol allow him to be his authentic self and make room for what is supposed to be happening in his life.

    This seems evident in his newfound passion for helping others, carrying the message, the success of his career, his ability to have strong relationships and love with his new fiancée. We can’t see what the future holds for Mod Sun. 

    Mod Sun sharing his recovery story, it is absolutely worth watching.

    3 Pop-Punk Favorites To Add to Your Sober Playlist Now

    1. Flames By Mod Sun Featuring Avil Lavigne

    Mod Sun wrote this song about drugs and alcohol before he met Avril Lavigne. The intensity of addiction is accurately portrayed in the lyrics. “If we burn it down, you’ll be my arsonist.” “Up in flames, my whole life I’ve been on fire.” He said that before she agreed to collaborate with him on the record, it did not make sense to him. Avril agreeing to sing with Mod on the song was the start of their love story. The song now has a double meaning. This adds another very cool layer to the song. Almost like what it was like in addiction, what happened, and how it is now. Now the “burn” can also be love.


    2. Head Above Water by Avril Lavigne

    Avril Lavigne experienced a terrible battle with Lyme Disease. It was debilitating and got so bad that she accepted that she was going to die. In a moment of desperation, she prayed to God to keep her head above water. This ignited a spiritual experience for her and was what enabled her to finally start writing music again. This song beautifully captures the desperation felt by so many facing life or death moments. The lyrics are relatable and extremely inspirational and can easily be used to convey the journey of so many of us battling addiction.  


    3. I Remember Way Too Much by Mod Sun

    Anyone dealing with addiction probably has a love-hate relationship with memory. What did we forget? Is what we remember what happened? This song tells a story of pivotal moments from the past that seem to constantly run through the mind. We all have some of these that we can’t forget. Some are regrets some are from happier times. And some we just really want to forget. These lyrics touch on all these and the tune inspires hope which we all need. 

    For additional recommendations for your sober playlist, visit Play it Again @thesobercurator.


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    2 Comments

    1. Christine on April 14, 2022 5:42 pm

      What a great issue!!!!!

      Thanks!!

    2. Christie on April 15, 2022 4:40 pm

      Great read!

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