Avril Lavigne Announces New Music in Letter to Fans Following Ongoing Struggle With Lyme Disease

Avril Lavigne announced her first new album since 2013 with a heartfelt open letter to her fans about her struggle with Lyme disease.

“I spent the last few years at home sick fighting Lyme Disease. Those were the worst years of my life as I went through both physical and emotional battles,” Lavigne wrote to fans. “I was able to turn that fight into music I’m really proud of. I wrote songs in my bed and on the couch and recorded there mostly as well. Words and lyrics that were so true to my experience came pouring out of me effortlessly. Truly… by keeping my spirits up, having goals to reach and a purpose to live for, my music helped to heal me and keep me alive.”

The first single from the album will be “Head Above Water,” which will be released on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Lavigne said she wrote the song while in bed during “one of the scariest moments of my life.”

“I had accepted death and could feel my body shutting down. I felt like I was drowning. Like I was going under water and I just needed to come up for air. Like I was in a river being pulled in a current. Unable to breathe,” Lavigne wrote. “Praying to God for Him to help me just keep my head above the water. To help me see through the stormy weather. I grew closer to Him. My mother held me.”

Lavigne started writing the song while still in bed. She later met songwriter Travis Clark to write the rest of the lyrics. Stephan Moccio, who co-wrote The Weeknd’s “Earned It” and Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball,” helped write the music.

However, the new album was not the only thing Lavigne announced. She is also setting up a foundation to raise awareness of the dangers of Lyme disease.

“Because not only is it a part of my life, I need to bring awareness to the severity of Lyme Disease,” she wrote. “A single bug bite can f– you up hard. People aren’t aware that Lyme must be treated almost immediately. Often if they are aware, they go untreated simply because they can’t get a Lyme diagnosis! And even when they do get a diagnosis, a lot of times they simply can’t afford the treatment.”

Lavigne went on to thank her fans for being patient and shared her renewed sense of purpose.

“I’m taking my life back into my own hands and doing what it is I know I am meant to be doing in this life time. Making music. And sharing my healing and hope, through my music,” she wrote.

Earlier this year, Lavigne started a slow road back to the public spotlight. In April, she appeared at the 25th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala in Los Angeles, where she confirmed she was working on new music. On Instagram, she also recently shared behind-the-scenes videos and photos from a music video shoot.

The new album will be Lavigne’s first since her self-titled release in 2013, which included the hits “Here’s To Never Growing Up,” “Let Me Go” and “Hello Kitty.”

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