There were parts of that scene Lavigne evaded - like Warped Tour, for instance - because her debut record exploded during that time and, she says, “it superseded any real opportunity to be a part of that world, despite my music fitting into it.” But she’s happy to see things are more balanced now. But nearly 20 years ago, Lavigne was its queen, and her presence was affirming for young women who were part of a community heavily dominated by white men. It’s no secret that throughout the past two years, pop-punk - the genre that melds angsty riffs, sticky pop melodies and distorted guitar chords pioneered by 1970s acts like the Ramones and Buzzcocks - has experienced a revival with artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Machine Gun Kelly and Willow. Nearly 20 years since the release of her debut album, “Let Go,” she’s going full-throttle back to her roots with her seventh studio album, “Love Sux,” set for release Friday. She may have traded the skate park for sipping coffee and getting a tan at her home in Malibu, but Lavigne - tattoos and all - is just as rebellious as she ever was. “I think I was 18.” Now, it’s become a half-sleeve tied together with roses. “My first tattoo was the ‘Sk8er Boi’ star,” she recalls, flaunting her wrist ink.
Now 37, Lavigne’s once bare arms are covered in roughly 30 tattoos (she’s lost count). Look a little more closely, though, and you’ll see that her reality is a lot different these days. Still rocking her signature smoky eyeliner and blond highlights - currently with a hint of orange ombre - on the surface, the singer is nearly identical to the 17-year-old who crashed malls and ripped some guy’s preppy clothes off. Perched in a chair in her home Zoom studio, Avril Lavigne could easily fool you into thinking it’s 2002 again.