Avril Lavigne Blesses Us With Her Version Of ‘Breakaway’ On The 20th Anniversary Of ‘Let Go’
Kelly Clarkson made 'Breakaway an icon, but Avril Lavigne originally wrote and recorded it back in 2001.
Avril Lavigne has finally released her original version of ‘Breakaway’ for the 20th anniversary of Let Go.
Over the weekend, Avril Lavigne’s debut album Let Go turned 20. Yes, 20. ‘Sk8r Boi’ is 20. As they say, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming.
In celebration, Lavigne released a special anniversary edition of the album featuring rare, previously unreleased b-sides — including her version of ‘Breakaway.’
Millennial anthem ‘Breakaway’ was forged in our memories when the Kelly Clarkson track featured on The Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack in 2004. However, many people may not know that Avril Lavigne originally wrote the song.
Lavigne wrote ‘Breakaway’ for Let Go all the way back in 2001, but both she and her label agreed the song wasn’t suitable for the album. So, she passed it along to Kelly Clarkson.
Lavigne would occasionally sing ‘Breakaway’ on tour, while her original demo was leaked in 2014. But until now we’ve never had an official version released.
Last Friday, Lavigne released her version of ‘Breakaway’ as a bonus track on the 20th anniversary edition of Let Go.
The 20th anniversary edition also features ‘Falling Down,’ her previously unreleased track from the Sweet Home Alabama soundtrack. Other b-side tracks include ‘Why’, ‘Get Over It’ and ‘Make Up’ which, prior to now, had not seen the light of day.
Avril Lavigne’s Let Go carved out a female voice in the early days of ’00s pop-punk. In a genre predominantly dominated by male artists and bands — the godly likes of Green Day, All Time Low, Good Charlotte, Fall Out Boy, and Blink 182 — it’s no small feat that a 17-year-old Canadian girl made one of the most formative pop-punk albums of the decade.
It’s not a coincidence that the latest pop-punk resurgence has seen new generation artists cite Lavigne as an influence or collaborate with her directly. WILLOW worked with Lavigne on the track ‘Grow‘ from her album Lately I Feel Everything. Newcomer Olivia Rodrigo cited Avril as one of her main influences for SOUR and recently invited Avril to sing with her on tour.
As someone who saw Let Go in concert at the tender age of eight, and has patiently waited for Lavigne’s version of ‘Breakaway’ for over a decade — happy birthday to one of my favourite albums and long live Avril Lavigne.