Billy Idol and Avril Lavigne team up on “77,” a thunderous anthem that thumps across decades like a flaming motorcycle on a midnight highway. The single is the first taste of Idol’s next album, “Dream Into It,” which drops on April 25. It’s everything fans didn’t know they needed from this legendary punk provocateur.
Right from the opening riff, driven by the distinctive shred of longtime collaborator Steve Stevens, the song lands like a Molotov cocktail of old-time rebellion and present-day urgency. Idol’s signature snarl is as present as ever, rugged, seething, and imbued with wild-eyed charisma. But then Avril arrives, and the track levels up.
Avril Lavigne, pop-punk queen, and unapologetic icon who takes up space, even if it’s not her, slips into the song like it was made for this type of chaos. Her vocal performance is piercing, frantic, and brimming with the razorblade confidence she’s rightfully known for. It adds a young burst that feels electric. The two evoke the raw music of punk’s prime with an admiring wink to the present.
Tommy English’s production expertly connects Idol’s willful roots to a slick, stadium-sized modern rock sheen. It’s loud, layered, and alive. English’s previous work with artists like Blink-182 and Kacey Musgraves is apparent in the track’s tightrope balance of nostalgia and innovation.
“77” is more than a comeback as it functions as a mission statement. It is an exaltation of grit, refusing to go gentle, standing proud while the world is aflame, and even dancing in the fire. With “Dream Into It” promising even juicier, high-octane collaborations with Joan Jett and Alison Mosshart, it’s probably going out on a limb to say that Billy Idol is retracing and redefining his legacy.
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