Avril Lavigne is back at last — but as her fans get older, she stays the same age.
In new single “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” she offers an acoustic anthem for listeners who have stuck with her, referencing Radiohead and singing over the sort of chiming guitars that helped make “Complicated” a hit in 2002. With lyrics about going “hard this weekend” and proud boasts of “this is who we are,” the song walks the line between the club craziness of stars such as Ke$ha and Lavigne’s pop-punk origins.
The singer’s follow-up to “Goodbye Lullaby” has been in the works for months, with Lavigne’s fiance, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, contributing to a track. Epic Records chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid told Billboard in September that Lavigne had “just completed” the album, which has yet to receive a title or a release date. “Here’s to Never Growing Up” hits iTunes on Tuesday, April 9.