"It's a really powerful record," the pop punk princess told E! at the 25th annual Race To Erase MS gala. "I've been working on this for three years. I can actually say this time I'm going to be done with this album in two weeks, and I will put it out this year."

Although the Canadian songstress is famed for her rebellious attitude and grungy pop hits like "Girlfriend," it appears the next LP will be taking a more emotional, "piano-driven" tone.

"I've been writing songs that are really just powerful and true and honest and sincere and I think people will really be able to relate to it," Lavigne said. "I've gone through a lot of personal stuff in the past two years, and so I've really drawn from that. I mean, I always do, but this album is so different."

Fans have been waiting over four years since Lavigne's 2013 self-titled album, but it's hard to blame her for the hiatus -- she revealed her Lyme disease diagnosis back in 2015. She hinted to E! that the disease kept her not only out of the public eye, but made her slow to move forward with music. “I’ve been tucked away and hibernating and healing, and it’s very up-and-down,” she said of the tick-borne disease that begins with a rash and can include fever, flu-like symptoms, extreme fatigue, neck, back and joint pain and possible spread to the nervous system.

Lavigne also told E! that she's been on the board for Race To Erase MS for years, and she also has her own eponymous foundation to help people like her who deal with serious illness and disease. Thankfully, the sk8er girl is powering through for a mighty comeback, as evidenced by her series of cryptic hints.

"I'm doing everything I can, and I just want it to be ready and everything to be perfect," Lavigne said. "A lot of care has gone into this. All the waiting and the hard work on my end will pay off. I promise."

 Source - https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8368549/avril-lavigne-powerful-new-album-this-year