album in 2017. On January 21, 2018, Lavigne responded to a fan on Twitter about the album, saying: "[The album is] personal, dear, intimate, dramatic, raw, powerful, strong and unexpected. This record is a true emotional journey." On February 7, 2018, Lavigne posted on Twitter about the album, saying: "I've started mixing my album and all of the pieces are finally coming together. These songs are so close to my heart. Wish me luck while I throw every last drop of me into these final stages." In May, Lavigne finished recording the album, though she was reported to have worked with songwriter Bonnie McKee afterwards. On July 7, 2018, Lavigne stated that the album cover was being shot that week. On August 18, 2018, Lavigne posted on her social media: "Exciting things coming" and "prepping for my video shoot". On September 6, 2018, Lavigne posted a letter to her fans on her official website, revealing she wrote and recorded most of the album on her couch due to Lyme disease. She also stated that "Head Above Water" was the first song she wrote for the album. To Lavigne, recording this album was a "victorious moment" and a "huge accomplishment", describing it as "a very strong, triumphant, powerful and true record to me and my experiences over the last few years". On December 7, the singer revealed that the name of the album as Head Above Water and the tracklist. Along with revealing the album title, Lavigne also unveiled the cover artwork. The front cover shows her nude sitting in a pool of water holding an acoustic guitar close to her body. Composition and themes In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lavigne explained that she "wanted to make this record about the vocals so you could really hear the lyrics and feel the emotion because sometimes the music can be overbearing", and to "explore with different sounds like "Crush" and "Tell Me It's Over"; they're a little bit more throwback and jazzy." She also described the album as "going back to my roots — I got my start in church and musical theater before I started writing my own music.". Songs Head Above Water opens with its title track, an "empowering" pop rock and Christian rock ballad, backed by steady-building mix of piano, strings, synths and thunderous drums". Second track "Birdie" contains "gloomy, feet-crunching-in snow beats" and lyrics about feeling trapped.