She was the rebel, the anti-Britney, the girl that was too cool for school. I’m talking about Avril Lavigne, the feisty tomboy who burst onto the scene more than 10 years ago and created her own rules. With Top 40 hits like “Sk8r Boi,” “Complicated” and “Girlfriend,” Lavigne left a permanent mark in the music industry, and she shows no signs of stopping with a new album release just around the corner.

Lavigne has been working on her new self-titled album, Avril Lavigne, for more than a year and said that even though she didn’t go into the recording studio with a specific vision, she loves how the album turned out and is “really looking forward for everyone to hear [it].”

“I went into the studio and I didn’t really know what I was going to do, but I just started writing,” Lavigne said.

She collaborated with co-producers Chad Kroeger (the front man of Nickelback and Lavigne’s husband), Martin Johnson (producer to the stars, as well as the lead singer of Boys Like Girls) and David Hodges (who has worked with singers such as Evanescence, Kelly Clarkson and Christina Perri) at Henson Studios in the spring of 2012 to develop the concept of the album. Avril Lavigne will be the singer’s fifth studio album, and as she reflected with Campus Circle on the process of creating the album, Lavigne revealed what her biggest takeaway was. “I’m always reminded that you have to work really hard at what you do,” she said.

Lavigne’s hard work is definitely paying off, as the already released singles from the album are doing exceptionally well on the airwaves. The lead single of Avril Lavigne, “Here’s To Never Growing Up,” is already Platinum-certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Campus Circle got an exclusive listen to the new album, and Lavigne explained that the diversity of the songs on Avril Lavigne is what makes this album so different from her others. “I’m really excited for everyone to hear the album because there’s a lot of new content for me,” she said.

Lavigne listed “Give Me What You Like” and “Bad Girl” as her favorite songs, and she also raved about the guest artists who are featured on two of her tracks: Marilyn Manson appears on “Bad Girl,” and Kroeger sings with Lavigne on “Let Me Go.”

“Let Me Go” is a very meaningful song to Lavigne and Kroeger, because they are married in real life. With lyrics like, “I let it go/and now I know, a brand new life is down this road/And when it's right, you always know/so this time I won't let go,” the song speaks to the powerful bond that the couple shares.

Lavigne recalled a funny story about the creation of this particular track: “Ironically enough, ‘Let Me Go’ was the first song we wrote, and we weren’t even together, so it was kind of like a break-up song!” she said.

The singer lit up as she explained that after she and Kroeger got engaged, they “rewrote the chorus at the end of the song, and changed the lyrics so that there is a twist,” and the couple finds love with each other in the end.

The two got married in July 2013, but when we asked if they ever listen to their duet at their home, Lavigne simply laughed and responded, “We listened to it enough when we were in the studio.”

Songs on her previous albums such as “Anything But Ordinary” from Let Go and “What The Hell” from Goodbye Lullaby have always encouraged self-empowerment, and Lavigne’s newest work stays true to that form, with multiple songs advocating being true to yourself and following your own rules.

Lavigne labeled “Rock N Roll” the new album’s girl power anthem and said, “It’s about being rebellious and not worrying about what other people think, and just keeping it real.”

While music is Lavigne’s biggest claim to fame, it is definitely not her only successful endeavor. Lavigne is an entrepreneur; she owns lifestyle apparel brand, Abbey Dawn, as well as three fragrances: Forbidden Rose, Black Star and Wild Rose. The singer is also a philanthropist, and in 2010 she created her own charity called the Avril Lavigne Foundation, which supports children and youth living with serious illnesses or disabilities.

With all of the projects that she is juggling, I assumed that Lavigne’s next stop would be world domination. When asked what she would like to do in the future, her answer caught me off guard.

“I want to make a Christmas record!” she said. Lavigne also revealed that she wants to try out acting, and when asked if she is planning to audition for anything soon, Lavigne’s only response was a coy “maybe.”

She may be a celebrity, but Lavigne’s hobbies are the far from being diva-status. “I’m domestic; I like to cook, I like to decorate, I paint and I like four-wheeling,” said Lavigne.  If she wasn’t one of the biggest stars on earth, Lavigne could easily be a classmate, a neighbor or a friend.

Achieving so much success at such a young age, one most wonder if she has her some words of wisdom. For young adults and college students, she advised, “It’s important to really follow your heart and do what you want to do… and don’t do it for anybody else but yourself.”

Avril Lavigne will be in stores everywhere on Nov. 5, so mark your calendars, and get ready to “Rock N Roll.”