Avril Lavigne Returns to Her Pop-Punk Roots on New Single ‘Bite Me’
Avril Lavigne released her recent single “Bite Me” on November 10th inaugurating her new deal with Travis Barker’s label, DTA Records. After her foray into inspirational rock on 2019’s Head Above Water, “Bite Me” arrives as a full-fledged pop-punk banger. Travis and Lavigne’s boyfriend, Mod Sun is credited with co-producing the song.
“And we’ll be together never,” she quips. “So baby you can bite me.”
“It’s an anthem about knowing your worth, what you deserve, and not giving someone a second chance who doesn’t deserve you,” Lavigne said in a press release.
She also spoke about working with Barker and signing to the Blink-182 drummer’s label. “The first time we worked together was 15 years ago on my album The Best Damn Thing and I have really enjoyed watching him develop into the producer that he is today,” she said. “We spent a lot of time writing songs and working on this record together, and signing to his record label felt like the perfect home for me and my new music.”
“I can’t wait for everybody to experience the incredible music she’s about to drop,” Barker said in a press release.
Avril performed a duet with Mod Sun on his song “Flames” from the beginning of the year. Since “Flames,” Lavigne hasn’t been out of the pop-punk picture. Last month, Lavigne appeared in the video for Willow’s “GROW,” a track off the latter’s recent LP Lately I Feel Everything.
“I’m so f—ing excited to be releasing new music,” the 37-year-old wrote on Instagram. “I had so much fun making this record. This is just a taste of what’s to come.”
The track which is heavily laden with guitar and drum elements features Lavigne raging at her former lover for failing to treat her properly, promising that they’ll always regret being kicked out of her life. “I gave you one chance/ You don’t get it twice/ And we’ll be together never/ So baby you can bite me,” she sings on the chorus.
Being more detail oriented about the track with Kevan Kenney on Alt 92.3, Lavigne said the track is “super sassy and is about someone who wants a second chance but they f—-d up so royally they’re kinda not really worth your time, and they realize after the fact that you had a really good thing going on, and you’re sort of the one that got away.”
She continued, “It’s a song about self-worth and standing up for yourself and just being like ‘You didn’t treat me right. You didn’t treat me well, and that doesn’t work for me….so baby, you can bite me.'”
Lavigne has yet to divulge a title for a forthcoming album or a release date, but during her appearance on the radio show, she said, “The majority of the record is fast, in your face. It’s the most alternative record front to back that I’ve ever made. I just really didn’t want any ballads, I just wanted rock and roll and pop-punk.”
Lavigne performed “Bite Me” on The Late Late Show With James Corden on 10th November.
Listen to “Bite Me” below.
—Silviya Yohannan
