Head Above Water is Avril Lavigne's sixth studio album, released on February 15, 2019.
Background[]
On December 25, 2016, Lavigne announced that she would have released the album in 2017.[1] On March 1, 2017, she announced her label change, and that now she would have been under BMG US and release the album in the same year. However, no new music from the album was published in that year.[2]
In early 2017, Lavigne began sharing song lyric hints, suggesting that future songs may be titled "Warrior" or "Crush". On March 1, she announced that she has signed with BMG Records and promised to release the album in 2017. On May 16, 2017, Avril officially began production for the album, with J.R. Rotem who has been producing for it.
On January 21, 2018, Lavigne responded to a fan on Twitter about the album, saying: "[The album is] personal, dear, intimate, dramatic, raw, powerful, strong and unexpected. This record is a true emotional journey.[3] On February 7, 2018, Lavigne posted on Twitter about the album, saying: "[...] I’ve started mixing my album and all of the pieces are finally coming together. These songs are so close to my heart. Wish me luck while I throw every last drop of me into these final stages. [...]"[4] In May, Avril finished recording the album, though she may have worked with songwriter Bonnie McKee after that.
On July 7, 2018, Lavigne stated that the album cover was being shot that week.[5]
On August 18, 2018, Lavigne posted on her social media "Exciting things coming" and "prepping for my video shoot".[6]
On September 6, 2018, Lavigne posted a letter to her fans on her official website, revealing she wrote and recorded most of the album on her couch due to Lyme disease. She also stated that "Head Above Water" was the first song she wrote for the album. To Lavigne, recording this album was a "victorious moment", a "huge accomplishment", describing it as "a very strong, triumphant, powerful and true record to me and my experiences over the last few years".[7]
The singer revealed that the name of the album as Head Above Water and the tracklist on December 7.[8] Along with revealing the album title, Lavigne also unveiled the cover artwork.[9] The front cover shows her nude sitting in a pool of water holding an acoustic guitar close to her body.[8]
Singles[]
- "Head Above Water" serves as the album's lead single. It was released on September 19, 2018.
- "Tell Me It's Over" serves as the second single from the album. It was released on December 12, 2018.[10]
- "Dumb Blonde" serves as the third single. It was released on February 12, 2019.
- "I Fell in Love With the Devil" serves as the fourth single. It was released on June 28, 2019.
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Head Above Water" | Avril Lavigne, Travis Clark, Stephan Moccio | Moccio | 3:40 |
| 2. | "Birdie" | Avril Lavigne, Jonathan Rotem | J.R. Rotem | 3:30 |
| 3. | "I Fell in Love With the Devil" | Avril Lavigne | Avril Lavigne, Chris Baseford | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Tell Me It's Over" | Avril Lavigne, Melissa Bel, Ryan Cabrera, Johan Carlsson, Justin Gray | Johan Carlsson | 3:08 |
| 5. | "Dumb Blonde" | Avril Lavigne, Bonnie McKee, Mitch Allan, Onika Maraj | Mitch Allan | 3:35 |
| 6. | "It Was In Me" | Avril Lavigne, Lauren Christy | 3:43 | |
| 7. | "Souvenir" | Avril Lavigne, Jon Levine | Jon Levine | 2:57 |
| 8. | "Crush" | Avril Lavigne, Zane Carney | 3:33 | |
| 9. | "Goddess" | 3:41 | ||
| 10. | "Bigger Wow" | Avril Lavigne, Jon Levine | Jon Levine | 2:55 |
| 11. | "Love Me Insane" | Avril Lavigne, Jon Levine | Jon Levine | 3:00 |
| 12. | "Warrior" | Avril Lavigne, Travis Clark, Chad Kroeger | Avril Lavigne | 3:45 |
| Physical edition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 5. | "Dumb Blonde" | Lavigne, Allan, McKee | Allan, McKee, Baseford, Scott Robinson | 3:09 |
| Japanese edition (bonus track) | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "Head Above Water" (featuring Travis Clark from We the Kings) | 3:40 |
References[]
- ↑ "Instagram post by avrillavigne". December 25, 2016.
- ↑ "Instagram post by avrillavigne". March 1, 2017.
- ↑ "Twitter post by avrillavigne". January 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Twitter post by avrillavigne". February 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Instagram post by avrillavigne". July 7, 2018.
- ↑ Avril Lavigne Hints New Music Could Be Coming Soon: 'Prepping for Video Shoot'
- ↑ Lavigne's letter to fans on avrillavigne.com
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Thiessen, Brock (December 7, 2018). "Here's Avril Lavigne's Very Naked Album Cover for 'Head Above Water'". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- ↑ Hannan, Devon (December 7, 2018). "Here's Avril Lavigne Shares Tracklist, Cover Art For Head Above Water". altpress. Archived from the original on December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ↑ Nied, Mike (December 7, 2018). "Avril Lavigne Reveals The Cover & Tracklist Of ‘Head Above Water’". Idolator. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.