Billy Idol paid a visit to ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, April 28, and the pop-punk legend teamed up with Avril Lavigne to close out the show with a kick-butt version of their new duet, “77.” The song appears on Idol’s latest studio album, Dream Into It, which was released on Friday, April 25.
Videos by American Songwriter
The inspired performance brought together two pop-punk generations, as the 69-year-old Idol and the 40-year-old Lavigne, both clad in black leather, took turns singing lead on parts of the song’s verses and harmonizing on the choruses.
Idol’s longtime lead guitarist Steve Stevens delivered chiming, melodic solos at two points during the tune.
Fans React to Idol and Lavigne’s Duet on Kimmel
Idol and Lavigne’s performance of “77” on Kimmel inspired many fans to share their reactions on the comments section of the late-night show’s YouTube channel.
“If you’re ever sad, just remember that the world is billions of years old, and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as Billy Idol and Avril Lavigne,” one fan wrote.
[RELATED: Billy Idol Shares New Song off Upcoming Album Dream Into It Featuring Avril Lavigne]
A second commented, “I love Billy Idol. This is a great collaboration. Avril nailed it. And Steve Stevens…bravo!!”
A third fan shared, “God, [Avril’s] voice is amazing. Billy and Steve still rock forever. Fantastic performance.”
Idol and Lavigne Discuss “77” in New Video Feature
A recent video posted on Idol’s social media pages features Billy explaining what inspired “77” to Lavigne.
“This song itself has touches of the past, as well as, I think, still can be relevant today,” he noted. “The first verse is kind of reflecting on the outsiders in society. [As] you have today, there’s a lot of people in school [who don’t] fit in with the cliques.”
Idol continued, “It made me think about when I was young, you know, when we started in punk rock and stuff in England. [At the time,] America was in a depression and England was in an even worse depression, the sort of circumstances that led to punk rock, really, because that was our way of talking about what was happening to us. There started to be a warfare between the youth groups of the time, because we were embracing the outsiders of society.”
Billy then explained to Avril that he considered the song’s middle part to be “a reflection on both of us,” noting, “I could join together … what we felt like in the past with the people today. It’s not so different.”
Lavigne responded, “That’s amazing, and I can relate. And thank you for having me on the song. It’s dope. I love it. When I first heard it, I was like, ‘This is badass.’ You’re a legend. I’m stoked to be on it.”
Idol replied, “Well, you’re a legend as well, Avril. You’re an incredible singer, and you made the song sound three-times better just by being on it, so, I think it really cemented that idea that I’m not just singing about the past. I’m singing about today. The two of us on it just makes that happen.”
More About Idol’s Dream Into It Album
As previously reported, Dream Into It is the first full-length studio album Idol has released in more than a decade. The nine-track collection features guest appearances by Lavigne, Joan Jett, and Alison Mosshart of The Kills and The Dead Weather.
Idol’s last studio album was Kings & Queens of the Underground, which was released in 2014. Since then, Billy also has released two EPs featuring new, original tunes—The Roadside (2021) and The Cage (2022).
Idol’s 2025 Tour Plans
Idol is set to launch a joint trek with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts dubbed It’s a Nice Day to…Tour Again! The expansive outing features 41 confirmed dates. It kicks off Wednesday, April 30, in Phoenix and runs through a September 25 concert at the Kia Forum in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California.
Five dollars from each ticket sold for the Kia Forum show will be donated to the American Red Cross in support of Southern California Wildfire Relief. Idol will match the donation funds raised by the ticket sales.
Idol’s Upcoming Documentary
A new documentary about Idol titled Billy Idol Should Be Dead will get its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 10. The movie will look at the U.K. punk-rock veteran’s rise to fame, his battle with addiction, and his late-career comeback. The doc was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
Idol will give an intimate performance after the premiere screening.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.