Avril Lavigne: Head Above Water
The return of the pop princess after a long absence is being welcomed. Her voice is in prime form on this powerful ballad that reflects her life-changing struggle with Lyme Disease.
By Kerry Doole
Avril Lavigne: "Head Above Water" ( BMG): The pride of Napanee, ON, is back. This new single marks the first new music from the pop princess in five years, and the immediately positive response shows she has not been forgotten.
The track immediately reached #1 on iTunes in 18 countries, and the singer unveiled the song’s official music video (released on her birthday, Sept. 27) quickly nabbed over 6M YouTube views in three days.
This is a piano ballad embellished with strings and lush production, though Lavigne's powerfully expressive voice is never overshadowed. The tune is co-written by Lavigne, Stephan Moccio, and Travis Clark. It is produced by Moccio (Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman), a master of this type of song.
Lyrically, "Head Above Water" addresses the personal side of Lavigne's journey through a life-changing battle with Lyme Disease. They occasionally verge on cliche, but there's no doubting the singer's commitment to the message.
On her website, Lavigne explains that going in to record "Head Above Water," "I was fresh off not singing for two years. I thought my voice would be weak; it ended up being stronger than ever. The break happened to actually be good for my vocal cords.”
Accompanying the release of “Head Above Water” is a charitable campaign from The Avril Lavigne Foundation, raising funds to provide direct treatment for individuals impacted by Lyme who otherwise couldn’t afford it. To join the fight against Lyme, get your #HeadAboveWater charitable t-shirt here
Links
Publicity: Charlotte Thompson, Red Umbrella P.R. charlotte@redumbrellapr.com
Aya NakamuraMarion Gomez/Billboard France