Avril Lavigne recruits Tony Hawk for her epic TikTok debut

If you woke up and suddenly felt like it was the year 2002, well, maybe just reach for a bucket hat and crop top and go with it. That’s because Avril Lavigne executed the perfect throwback for her big TikTok debut, and she used her iconic hit, “Sk8r Boi,” and legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk to do it.

Lavigne recreated the single in a short clip on June 21 that quickly went viral. In it, she sports her signature 2002 look (sleeveless shirt with a striped necktie, long straight hair, and dark eye makeup). The 36-year-old then lip-syncs to the song’s lyrics, before cutting to 53-year-old Hawk, who is wearing the same necktie.

Hawk then proves he’s still got it with a few tricks on his board before smiling at the cameras and doing a dapper little board flip. So far at time of press, the video has been played nearly 12 million times. Meanwhile, Lavigne has already gotten more than 828,000 followers and her account has received 2.7 million likes.

For his part, Hawk also posted the video on his own (pre-established) TikTok page, where he gave a shout-out to the sport. “Happy #goskateboardingday (or #gosk8erboiday? ),” he captioned the video. “Thanks @avrillavigne for the mini session!”

When “Sk8r Boi” dropped in 2002, it was Lavigne’s second hit from her debut album, Let Go (the first was the debut single, “Complicated”). The Canadian also earned a Grammy nomination for best female rock vocal performance with the single. The nod is one of eight on her current resume.

Lavigne first announced the big TikTok debut on her Instagram page, where she also shared several behind-the-scenes photos from the collaboration. “I was a skater man, she said ‘see you later man,’” Hawk himself added in the comments.

The singer doesn’t get on the board herself for the video, but she did showcase her skills in early May when she posted a video of herself trying to roll in a dress and pink slippers before taking a tumble. The moment was caught on camera by Lavigne’s boyfriend, Mod Sun.

“Hope this makes you laugh as hard as it’s made my friends and I laugh all week,” Lavigne captioned the post. “That’s what I get for sk8ing in my slippers and dress.”

To date, Lavigne has released six studio albums but it’s still Let Go that many fans fondly remember most. Since its release it has sold more than 16 million copies worldwide, reaching number two on Billboard’s 200 list in the United States. It remains her highest-grossing album, but overall she’s sold more than 30 million singles and 40 million copies of her albums worldwide.

The singer’s latest album, Head Above Water, dropped in 2019. However earlier this year, Lavigne revealed that her next album is finished and will be released sometime this year. Until then she also makes an appearance on Willow Smith’s summer album following an anticipated collaboration between the two.

In the meantime, here’s hoping for a Smith-Lavigne TikTok collaboration next.

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