Avril Lavigne is gearing up to release new music and fans looking forward to hearing what the “Sk8er Boi” singer’s been working might want to brace themselves for an emotional single.

It’s been five years since Avril Lavigne last released music, but the Canadian pop star who rose to fame in the early ‘00s with hits like “Complicated” and “With You” is gearing up to make an emotional comeback.

Lavigne took to Twitter to announce that a new album and single are officially on the way in a heartfelt note to the fans that have stuck by her despite the radio silence.

So where has she been for the past few years? It turns out, the singer has been spending the last few years at home quietly battling Lyme Disease.

“Those were the worst years of my life as I went through both physical and emotional battles. I was able to turn that fight into music I’m really proud of,” wrote the singer in the lengthy note. “I wrote songs in my bed and on the couch and recorded there mostly as well. Words and lyrics that were so true to my experience came pouring out of me effortlessly.”

Lavigne also went on to say that she credits her music for helping her fight, saying, “by keeping my spirits up, having goals to reach and a purpose to live for, my music helped to heal me and keep me alive.”

The first single Lavigne will be dropping off of her forthcoming album is called “Head Above Water” — one of the first songs she wrote from bed during one of her darkest periods. As the “Girlfriend” singer puts it, the track is an incredibly personal account of what she’s been through as she continues to battle Lyme Disease.

“I had accepted death and could feel my body shutting down. I felt like I was drowning. Like I was going under water and I just needed to come up for air. Like I was in a river being pulled in a current. Unable to breathe. Praying to God for Him to help me just keep my head above the water. To help me see through the stormy weather,” she wrote, also noting that she eventually worked with both We The Kings frontman Travis Clark and producer Stephan Moccio to bring the track to life.

In addition to announcing the single and forthcoming album, Lavigne also revealed that she plans to use her platform to raise awareness of the dangers of Lyme Disease.

Together with The Avril Lavigne Foundation, she’ll be launching an initiative that encourages more treatment and correct diagnosis of the disease.

Read the full letter from Avril Lavigne to her fans, and check out the artwork for her upcoming single below!

Avril Lavigne’s upcoming single, “Head Above Water,” is set to drop on September 19. There’s currently no word on when her fourth studio album will make its way into the world.