Avril Lavigne took to social media on Christmas Day to thank her fans for standing by her during her battle with Lyme Disease and went on to forecast an "amazing" 2017 ahead - including the promise of a new album.

"I wanted to first thank my fans for your patience & support during my time away throughout my battle with Lyme Disease over the past 2 years," she wrote in the caption of an Instagram photo. "It hasn't just been a hard battle but it's also been enlightening and will reflect in my new music, artistry, life, and personally."

She continues: "I will always continue to make it a priority to fight and raise awareness about Lyme Disease with the Avril Lavigne foundation."

"I'm really happy to announce that I am now working on new music and I will be releasing a new album in 2017. I can't wait to open up and share my heart with you! I'm excited for you guys to hear the new songs. It's going to be an amazing 2017!"

It's been over three years since her fifth studio album, Avril Lavigne, was released. Since then, Lavigne has been mostly away from the music scene as she announced in 2015 that she was bedridden for five months as a result of her Lyme Disease diagnosis.

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