Avril Lavigne Rings In Her Birthday With Triumphant 'Head Above Water' Video

Avril Lavigne turned 34 today (September 27), and she's celebrating a new year of life in stunningly poignant fashion: by dropping a video for her triumphant comeback single "Head Above Water."


The emotional power ballad, released last week, is a metaphor for Lavigne's near-death experience with Lyme disease, while in which she's mentioned she felt like she was drowning. The Elliott Lester-directed video builds off of that imagery as Lavigne — looking ethereal in a flowing white gown — roams solo across mossy cliffs and black sand beaches (the video was shot on location in Iceland). At one point, the music cuts out entirely so you could only hear a heartbeat; at another, Lavigne plunges into the sea and sings for her life, pleading, "I'm also young to fall asleep."


Lavigne previously said that "Head Above Water" came to her in a moment any time whenever she "had accepted that [she] was going to perish which makes the birthday release that much sweeter. Accompanying the premiere is a charitable campaign from The Avril Lavigne Foundation, raising funds to offer treatment for people impacted by Lyme disease.


The release also comes a day immediately after Lavigne's debut efficiency of "Head Above Water" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which marked her first television appearance in years. Check out that identically pretty efficiency below.