When Billy Idol invited Avril Lavigne to rock out on his song “77” on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Canadian rock chick stole the whole show with her killer vocals! Idol dropped the April 2025 single with Lavigne as the featured artist, but the way Lavigne drove the song with her signature vocal hooks made it seem like she was the main event. The pair showed off plenty of chemistry when they debuted the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live, with Lavigne dropping a powerhouse opening verse before they harmonized over the main hook.
Idol’s band delivered a driving groove on the live cut. Many fans showed their appreciation in the comments for the delectable licks of longtime Idol six-stringer Steve Stevens, who ripped a tasty melodic solo in the bridge. The Music Man always has time for a Billy Idol show, and what a joy it is to see the 69-year-old punk rock elder statesman still kickin’ it on stage in 2025.
Jimmy Kimmel debuted Idol and Lavigne’s duet on April 29, 2025, which was a week after they released the single. Fans were enjoying seeing Lavigne return to her roots with the pop punk banger, and added comments such as “OMG, wow! What energy! The pairing of Avril and Billy is phenomenal!” and “Avril sounds amazing, definitely better than the studio version.”
Lavigne sure knows how to pick a duet partner. One of The Music Man’s favourite Avril Lavigne moments is when she teamed up with the Goo Goo Dolls’ Johnny Rzeznik to sing the band’s signature song “Iris.” It’s an absolutely cracking song and Avril makes the most of the vocal melody, tastefully adding her own style while still remaining true to the feel of the song. Rzeznik also drops a gorgeous second verse, and when they harmonise in the chorus it’s def goosebumps territory.
Billy Idol released “77” on April 22, 2025, with Lavigne as a featured artist. Idol wrote the song with his guitarist Steve Stevens and songwriters Nick Long and Tommy English. While the song was released under Idol’s name, critics noted that the musical style was more similar to Lavigne’s early pop punk style. This perhaps reflected the contributions of English and Long, who had previously co-written pop punk songs for artists such as Blink-182 and Machine Gun Kelly, respectively. The title of “77” references 1977, which was a formative year for Idol as he followed the Sex Pistols from show to show as part of the Bromley Contingent. It was also an important year for his punk band Generation X, which would gain a record contract and complete their first studio recordings that year.