The crowd at the 2022 iHeartRadio ALTer EGO festival received the ultimate surprise when pop-punk royalty Avril Lavigne stormed the stage for an unannounced guest performance. Taking over The Forum in Inglewood, California, Lavigne delivered a high-energy set that perfectly bridged the gap between her iconic past and her revitalized present. The performance was a powerful reminder of her enduring impact on the genre she helped define.
Kicking off with the undeniable smash hit "Girlfriend," Lavigne immediately had the audience singing along to every word. The setlist was a masterclass in fan service, featuring beloved anthems like "My Happy Ending" and closing with the generation-defining "Sk8er Boi." But this wasn't just a nostalgia trip. Lavigne also gave fans a taste of her new direction with a fiery performance of "Bite Me," the lead single from her then-forthcoming album, `Love Sux`. This appearance served as a live preview of her return to the raw, guitar-driven sound that first made her a global superstar, a sound she described as tapping back into her high school influences like blink-182 and Green Day. The set was a concise but potent showcase of an artist fully re-embracing her roots.