Avril Lavigne says she’s fought “since day one” to make her music her way.
Speaking to Alternative Press, the Grammy nominee reflected on the upcoming 20th anniversary of her debut album, Let Go, and how far she’s come as an artist. Overall, Avril says she’s proud of her legacy because it’s 100 percent her design — but there was a small price to pay. Because she refused to be told what to do, it gave her somewhat of a negative reputation.
“I was tough. Honestly, a lot of people, when they meet me, [they] think I’m going to be a b****. I’m actually really nice. They’re always like, ‘Oh, my God, you’re totally not what I was expecting,'” she laughed, adding she views the label as “a good thing.”
“It means that you’re not a doormat. You’re not a pushover, and you speak your mind,” explained Avril. “I’m stubborn and strong-willed and strong-minded, and if I feel a certain way, I stick to it. I’m constantly fighting. I’ve been fighting since day one to write my own songs. I had to fight my whole career to write the type of music I wanted to write.”
The hitmaker continued, “Sometimes labels would give me pushback and didn’t understand my vision. I had to always fight, and fight on each album to keep going in the musical direction I wanted to go, even if they’re trying to sway me another way.”
“I’ve always been pretty good about keeping it real, and I’ve always been pretty unapologetic about it,” she declared.
Avril’s new album, LOVE SUX, is out now.
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