When EW last talked to Avril Lavigne in July 2009, the Canadian pop-punk bintang spoke happily of collaborating with her then-husband, Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley, on her fourth album, scheduled for release that November.

Some seventeen months later, Lavigne and Whibley are no more, but the long-delayed Goodbye Lullaby is very much on—with an official release now slated for March 8, 2011.

EW caught up with the 26-year-old singer as she finished recording a pre-taped segment for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

EW: So anda just finished performing the first single from Lullaby, “What the Hell,” for the first time in public—can anda tell me about it?

Avril Lavigne: Yes! The song is lebih pop and uptempo and kind of reminiscent of my old stuff, and the rest of the record is lebih stripped and raw and a little deeper. So this album is less pop-rock than the sebelumnya stuff, but the first single is a lebih like that.

EW: So is it true that the album has been done for over a year? anda sounded pretty frustrated in a letter to fan last month…

Yeah, pretty much. [laughs].

Has that been hard for you, to stand by, atau did anda just set it aside?

Yes, somewhat. I’ve been really anxious just to get back out there and to sing and to tour, so I know that the fan were all really waiting, being super supportive, and I really appreciate that. anda know a lot of people run into complications with their record companies sometimes where they have their vision, but I’ve always had my own vision for my musik and I put my foot down, and anda know, had to be strong about that, and secara keseluruhan, keseluruhan I made the record that I wanted to make, so I’m very happy with it and very excited to finally be putting it out.

Are anda tempted, when anda have this lagtime, to go back and keep messing with it?

Um …. yeah. I worked on one atau two songs, not too many. When anda spend over a tahun on a record like that, anda kind of get burnt out on menulis songs, so I didn’t really have that much left. Everything that I loved and that I wrote is on this record. I focused a lot over the past tahun on my clothing line, Abby Dawn, and getting the Avril Lavigne Foundation established and coming out with my detik fragrance, Forbidden Rose—the first one was Black Star. So I was really busy with a lot of that stuff as well.

If “What the Hell” is your “pop uptempo” song, what’s the most personal one on this record for you?

The most personal song? I guess I would say “Goodbye”—it’s the most vulnerable song I’ve ever written atau recorded, and it inspires the album title.

Were anda surprised—well, I’m sure anda had to be contacted for permission—but was it fun to hear yourself on the rihanna song, “Cheers (Drink to That)”?

It was really exciting because “I’m With You” is one of my favorit songs that I’ve done, I always cinta performing it. And I think Rihanna’s awesome, she has great songs, she’s a really great singer, so yeah I was excited. I think it’s really cool.

Who else have been listening to in the last couple years since your last album?

I listened to a lot of like, tikus Pack and jazz, and the radio a lot. But I just kind of throw musik on when I’m halaman awal and it’s in the background. One song I really cinta is the “Airplanes” song.

With Hayley Williams?

Yeah! That’s a favorite.

anda have tweeted about working with Alex tha Kid, who’s lebih known for working with people like T.I., B.o.B, and Nicki Minaj. How has that been different than working with, say, Max Martin?

He’s just really cool and young. Actually none of the songs we did together are going on this album, but we’re gonna do something with that, stuff I’m just not sure what yet.

So are anda ready to spend the selanjutnya tahun and a half on the road, and promoting this album?

I’m so excite to do the tour, because I’ve been at halaman awal focusing on the studio stuff, the foundation, the clothing line, and I just cinta to sing and get up on stage and see the fan so I’m ready to get back out there.

Is this the longest you’ve been away from the stage since anda started as a teenager?

Yeah, [but] I wouldn’t say it’s a break. Four years ago, the [last] record came out, and for two years I was on the road, so maybe people don’t understand that—a tahun of promotion, a full tahun of touring, and then I’ve been halaman awal for two years, working on the record and the clothing line and the foundation and the fragrances, so I’ve been really busy but it’s … yes! The first time I’ve ever been halaman awal for two years, ever.

What’s the focus of the foundation?

The focus is on sick and disabled children and youth. The reason I started it is that I was doing a lot of work with Make a Wish foundation and other charities, and I just really wanted to do more, so I was really passionate about starting my own foundation, so I’ve spent the last tahun just getting that started and focusing on what my mission is. It’s a really big project, it’s something that I’m just starting, so I’m really excited to get my fan involved now that I’m going to be back out there again, and have that grow.

Are anda prepared to go on tour and see a sea of girls looking back at anda wearing your clothes and smelling like your perfume?

Yeah! [Laughs] I wasn’t really on tour when the line came out, so I think that’s pretty cool because I actually wear the clothes. I’ve seen people in Abby Dawn before and gone up to them and been like “Hey, I like your hoodie.”

What should fan expect from the Dick Clark performance?

I perform “What the Hell” and “Girlfriend,” so it’s just my band and I up there rockin’ out, and it’s a fun performance, a lot of jumping around and celebrating.

Well, you’ll actually be able to celebrate New Years Eve oleh watching yourself on TV…

Yeah, this year! I guess you’re right. [Laughs]

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