My Thoughts on "Head Above Water" by Avril Lavigne

Ever since Avril Lavigne promised new music toward the end of 2016, I will admit to be a little impatient and very excited to hear what she and others had been working on in the studio even despite the fact I was not impressed with her self titled album which was released in 2013 apart from a couple of songs like 'Here's to Never Growing Up" so part of me was wary.

However before we even talk about the music we need to talk about the fact that Avril hasn't released any music since 2015 when she released "Fly" for the Special Olympics and had various guest appearances on other people's songs in 2017 so why the long wait? Quite simply, Avril had been diagnosed with Lyme disease, a horrid disease that is carried by black legged and deer ticks that had left Avril bedridden, and as she wrote in her emotional letter to fans announcing the release date of the first single from her 6th album, had left her 'accepting death'. 

So that leads us to the first taste of the new album which still doesn't have a name, the lead single called "Head Above Water" which is an emotional, empowering piano ballad that makes Avril's vocals the star and that's almost immediate because Avril sounds absolutely stunning on this song to the point where I'd dare say her voice has improved A LOT given the five years away.

I know a few people were wanting a loud, brasive rock song as the lead single but given what Avril has been through that was NEVER going to be the case, it was always going to be a ballad.

The lyrics are to a degree simple but that's always been Avril's strong point, she's never needed to make complex songs to connect with her fans take songs like "Here's to Never Growing Up" and even her first major hit "Complicated" where both really get to the point and that is the same with "Head Above Water" where Avril tells her story about her determination in fighting lyme disease with the support of God which makes a heck of a lot of sense, having a brush with death naturally would bring a person closer to whatever religious figure is in their lives and coming to grips with their own mortality and reaching acceptance that they may well die. 

Moving away from the lyrics and to the overall sound of the song and just where it fits in terms of Avril's discography, I actually see "Head Above Water" as being a song that could have made her second album "Under My Skin" as it bares a lot of the hallmarks of some of the songs from that album and it's also a sign that Avril has matured as a person.

I really like "Head Above Water" a lot, am hoping it becomes a hit in Australia and around the world because my goodness it deserves it and if it can also draw attention to the horror that is lyme disease than we're all going to be better for it. Thank you Avril.