Avril Lavigne has announced the release date of her first album in five years, following her battle with Lyme disease.
Head Above Water will reach record stores on 15 February 2019.
The 34-year-old singer took a break from performing after being struck down with the debilitating illness. Lavigne initially announced her return in September, releasing the song “Head Above Water”.
The Canadian has released a second track titled “Tell Me It’s Over”, telling fans she was “so excited” about the new album. It will be her fifth studio album and first since her 2013 self-titled record.
In September, Lavigne posted an emotional open letter on her website detailing her battle with Lyme disease, which has a range of symptoms and can leave the victim exhausted.
Lavigne, whose early career music mainly fell into the pop punk genre, said she has endured the “worst years of my life” and has been through “both physical and emotional battles”.
She added: “I felt like I was drowning. Like I was going under water and I just needed to come up for air. Like I was in a river being pulled in a current. Unable to breathe.”
Lavigne’s debut album, Let Go, propelled her to international fame in 2002, and she has since sold more than 40 million records worldwide.
Additional reporting by agencies.
