Avril Lavigne [1] is back with her first album in six years. The singer recently made a rare late-night appearance on Feb. 13 to perform her haunting single "Head Above Water" off her forthcoming album of the same name.
Lavigne, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2014 [2], told Entertainment Weekly that the song is inspired by a particularly low point [3] in her health. "Coming out of it I felt like I was underwater drowning, coming up for air," she explained. "That's when I literally said, 'God, help me keep my head above water.' I wasn't even thinking about music — it just happened."
Lavigne also recently released "Dumb Blonde" featuring Nicki Minaj, a decidedly fizzier single reminiscent of her 2007 hit "Girlfriend." With Head Above Water's release on Feb. 15, Lavigne is back in the swing of things with several other performances lined up, including ones on Good Morning America and Live With Kelly and Ryan in the coming days. After watching her moving Tonight Show performance, it feels good to have her back.