Avril Lavigne announces new album 'Goodbye Lullabye,' due in March

Avril Lavigne's "Goodbye Lullaby"

Credit: RCA

Avril Lavigne is taking extra advantage of her appearance during "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" this year. She'll be premiering "What the Hell," her first single from new album "Goodbye Lullaby," now with a confirmed release date.

"Goodbye," the Canadian songwriter's long-awaited fourth studio set, will drop on March 8 via RCA. She collaborated with songwriters like Max Martin, Evan Taubenfeld, Butch Walker and -- somewhat surprisingly -- her now-ex-husband Deryck Whibley. The Sum 41 guitarist had contributed to Lavigne's last album "The Best Damn Thing" in 2007, prior to the split in 2009.

Lavigne wrote last month that this album took its time hitting shelves due to disputes with the label, over crafting hits. "What the Hell" seems to be the compromise.

"Not only is this the most meaningful and special record I have written, it is sincere, honest and close to my heart. But for the first time I experienced a bunch of bureaucratic BS. People do their best work when they are doing what they want, love and is natural for them, not when you are forcing them to be something that they are not," she said. “['What the Hell'] is the least personal song to me off this album. It’s a fun and funny anthem. It has a broad message about personal freedom.  It is the most pop track on the record.”

Way to… sell it? Shooting for the music video began at the end of November.

As previously reported, "New Year's Rockin' Eve" will also feature performances from acts like Drake, La Roux, Ne-Yo, Train and Jennifer Hudson.

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

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After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.