Some seventeen months later, Lavigne and Whibley are no more, but the long-delayed Goodbye Lullaby is very much on—with an official release now slated for March 8, 2011.
EW caught up with the 26-year-old singer as she finished recording a pre-taped segment for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
EW: So Ты just finished performing the first single from Lullaby, “What the Hell,” for the first time in public—can Ты tell me about it?
Avril Lavigne: Yes! The song is еще pop and uptempo and kind of reminiscent of my old stuff, and the rest of the record is еще stripped and raw and a little deeper. So this album is less pop-rock than the Назад stuff, but the first single is a еще like that.
EW: So is it true that the album has been done for over a year? Ты sounded pretty frustrated in a letter to Фаны last month…
Yeah, pretty much. [laughs].
Has that been hard for you, to stand by, или did Ты just set it aside?
Yes, somewhat. I’ve been really anxious just to get back out there and to sing and to tour, so I know that the Фаны were all really waiting, being super supportive, and I really appreciate that. Ты know a lot of people run into complications with their record companies sometimes where they have their vision, but I’ve always had my own vision for my Музыка and I put my foot down, and Ты know, had to be strong about that, and в общем и целом, общая I made the record that I wanted to make, so I’m very happy with it and very excited to finally be putting it out.
Are Ты tempted, when Ты have this lagtime, to go back and keep messing with it?
Um …. yeah. I worked on one или two songs, not too many. When Ты spend over a год on a record like that, Ты kind of get burnt out on Письмо songs, so I didn’t really have that much left. Everything that I loved and that I wrote is on this record. I focused a lot over the past год on my clothing line, Abby Dawn, and getting the Avril Lavigne Foundation established and coming out with my секунда fragrance, Forbidden Rose—the first one was Black Star. So I was really busy with a lot of that stuff as well.
If “What the Hell” is your “pop uptempo” song, what’s the most personal one on this record for you?
The most personal song? I guess I would say “Goodbye”—it’s the most vulnerable song I’ve ever written или recorded, and it inspires the album title.
Were Ты surprised—well, I’m sure Ты had to be contacted for permission—but was it fun to hear yourself on the Рианна song, “Cheers (Drink to That)”?
It was really exciting because “I’m With You” is one of my Избранное songs that I’ve done, I always Любовь performing it. And I think Rihanna’s awesome, she has great songs, she’s a really great singer, so yeah I was excited. I think it’s really cool.
Who else have been listening to in the last couple years since your last album?
I listened to a lot of like, крыса Pack and jazz, and the radio a lot. But I just kind of throw Музыка on when I’m Главная and it’s in the background. One song I really Любовь is the “Airplanes” song.
With Hayley Williams?
Yeah! That’s a favorite.
Ты have tweeted about working with Alex tha Kid, who’s еще known for working with people like T.I., B.o.B, and Nicki Minaj. How has that been different than working with, say, Max Martin?
He’s just really cool and young. Actually none of the songs we did together are going on this album, but we’re gonna do something with that, stuff I’m just not sure what yet.
So are Ты ready to spend the Далее год and a half on the road, and promoting this album?
I’m so excite to do the tour, because I’ve been at Главная focusing on the studio stuff, the foundation, the clothing line, and I just Любовь to sing and get up on stage and see the Фаны so I’m ready to get back out there.
Is this the longest you’ve been away from the stage since Ты started as a teenager?
Yeah, [but] I wouldn’t say it’s a break. Four years ago, the [last] record came out, and for two years I was on the road, so maybe people don’t understand that—a год of promotion, a full год of touring, and then I’ve been Главная for two years, working on the record and the clothing line and the foundation and the fragrances, so I’ve been really busy but it’s … yes! The first time I’ve ever been Главная for two years, ever.
What’s the focus of the foundation?
The focus is on sick and disabled children and youth. The reason I started it is that I was doing a lot of work with Make a Wish foundation and other charities, and I just really wanted to do more, so I was really passionate about starting my own foundation, so I’ve spent the last год just getting that started and focusing on what my mission is. It’s a really big project, it’s something that I’m just starting, so I’m really excited to get my Фаны involved now that I’m going to be back out there again, and have that grow.
Are Ты prepared to go on tour and see a sea of girls looking back at Ты wearing your clothes and smelling like your perfume?
Yeah! [Laughs] I wasn’t really on tour when the line came out, so I think that’s pretty cool because I actually wear the clothes. I’ve seen people in Abby Dawn before and gone up to them and been like “Hey, I like your hoodie.”
What should Фаны expect from the Dick Clark performance?
I perform “What the Hell” and “Girlfriend,” so it’s just my band and I up there rockin’ out, and it’s a fun performance, a lot of jumping around and celebrating.
Well, you’ll actually be able to celebrate New Years Eve by watching yourself on TV…
Yeah, this year! I guess you’re right. [Laughs]
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