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Avril Lavigne is known for her iconic career as a pop-punk artist — from her unforgettable early 2000s throwbacks like “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi” to recent hit singles like “Love It When You Hate Me (feat. blackbear)” — and she proved that she can rock a country anthem, too.
Lavigne took the stage during the 15th Annual ACM Honors, which aired on Tuesday evening (September 13). She was one of several artists to pay tribute to country music trailblazer Shania Twain, who earned the ACM Poet’s Award, which honors “an international superstar and one of Country Music's most versatile and invigorating songwriters, with instantly-recognizable hits and the title of top-selling female Country Pop artist of all time,” according to the Academy of Country Music.
During the show, hosted at the historic Ryman Auditorium, Lavigne performed Twain’s 1990s track “No One Needs To Know,” and Twain could be seen singing along in the Ryman pews. It was a performance so good that Twain herself suggested the pop-punk princess “should’ve gone into country, honestly.” Lavigne expertly channeled “my inner Shania Twain” during the ACM Honors, wearing leopard print as a nod to Twain’s iconic ‘90s style (and current style, as she shared in a recent Elle series).
Lavigne’s cover of one of Twain’s songs was a full-circle moment… One of the first times the “Girlfriend” artist sang in front of a crowd was when she won a contest through her local radio station at age 14. Lavigne got up on stage with Twain and sang in front of 20,000 people, which Lavigne previously said was “crazy” for a girl from a small town, and “a really intense experience for me at such a young age.”
“Thank you for being an inspiration to us all. But, for me especially, I relate to her in so many ways and she has helped me so much throughout my musical journey,” Lavigne wrote on Instagram in a tribute to her “Canadian Queen” on Wednesday afternoon (September 14). “She had a clear vision of who she was. She did the impossible by starting in country music and crossing over to pop. Took creative control. And showed me you can dream big when you are from a small town in Ontario, Canada.
“So now is it my time to go Country? Hehe”
Lavigne wasn’t alone in her tribute performance to the ACM Poet’s Award winner. Tiera Kennedy made her Ryman Auditorium debut with her stunning rendition of Twain’s “From This Moment On,” and Kelsea Ballerini — who wore Twain’s 1999 GRAMMY Awards gown on the red carpet — delivered a high-energy performance of “Man! I Feel Like A Woman” to kick off the show.
“Receiving the [ACM Awards] Poet’s Award was a dream come true... but getting to spend the night with so many of my friends - who might I add are inspiring, kick-a** women(!!) made it even dreamier!!” Twain exclaimed in an Instagram post on August 25, which included photos with Kennedy, Ballerini, Lavigne and others. “Thank you for all the love and the good times.”