Pop punk OG Avril Lavigne‘s new album Head Above Water is out now. It’s Lavigne’s sixth full-length release, following her 2013 self-titled album, and includes all three previously released singles: “Head Above Water,” “Tell Me It’s Over,” and “Dumb Blonde” (ft. Nicki Minaj).
Head Above Water is being billed as an especially personal release for Lavigne. In a lengthy personal note on her website, she reveals that much of the album was inspired by her long battle with Lyme Disease. “This is me and my fight,” says Lavigne. “This album tells my story.” In an interview with Billboard this past fall, Lavigne shed light on how her declining health ended up giving her an album title: “I had accepted that I was dying,” said Lavigne. “And I felt in that moment like I was underwater and drowning, and I was trying to come up to gasp for air. And literally under my breath, I was like, ‘God, help me keep my head above the water.’ ”
In addition to Nicki Minaj, who contributes a verse to “Dumb Blonde,” Head Above Water features We The Kings’ Travis Clark and Lavigne’s ex-husband, Chad Kroeger of Nickelback. Stream Head Above Water in full below.
