Avril Lavigne Says 'Being a Bitch Is a Really Good Thing': 'You Speak Your Mind'

To Avril Lavigne, standing up for your needs is of the utmost importance — despite what people may think of you.

In a new cover story interview with Alt Press, the pop-punk princess opened up about various topics, including how she's told she comes off as unapproachable.

"Honestly, a lot of people, when they meet me, [they] think I'm going to be a bitch," the "Girlfriend" singer, 37, told rapper Rico Nasty. "I'm actually really nice. They're always like, 'Oh, my God, you're totally not what I was expecting.' People think I'm, like, whatever. I was weird, tough and strong."

She continued, "You [had to] stand up for yourself. You might come across as a bitch, but I think being a bitch is a really good thing. I'm totally a f---ing bitch, and that's a good thing. It means that you're not a doormat. You're not a pushover, and you speak your mind."

That strong will is something Lavigne has had to embody her entire career in order to get where she is today.

"I'm stubborn and strong-willed and strong-minded, and if I feel a certain way, I stick to it. I'm constantly fighting. I've been fighting since day one to write my own songs. I had to fight my whole career to write the type of music I wanted to write," the singer-songwriter said.

"Sometimes labels would give me pushback and didn't understand my vision. I had to always fight, and fight on each album to keep going in the musical direction I wanted to go, even if they're trying to sway me another way," she said.

Lavigne also revealed the one thing she wants to do in music that she hasn't before: "make a Christmas record."

"Country music is hard. I listen to that s--- in my truck, and the f---ing lyrics are as real as it gets. It'd be cool to write a country song or something. Or do a duet with someone. Then [I'd like to do a] more old-school, classic type of rock album," she said.

To back that up, one of her main inspirations, she said, is a country music legend.

Speaking about who inspires her, the "Here's to Never Growing Up" singer recalled the time she met Shania Twain.

"I met Shania Twain when I was 14. This is before I had a record deal or anything. I won a f---ing contest at a local radio station to sing onstage with her," she recalled.

RELATED VIDEO: Avril Lavigne Reveals She Was on "a Break from Men" Before She Met Boyfriend Mod Sun: "I Followed My Heart"

She added, "I got to sing onstage with her at this sold-out arena in Ottawa, in Canada. She gave me an opportunity to get up onstage as a young kid, and that definitely helped me in my career. And she's someone I've stayed in touch with."

Last week, Lavigne told PEOPLE that after a bad breakup in 2020, she swore off relationships until she met her current boyfriend Mod Sun.

I was like, 'I need a break from men,'" the "Bite Me" singer said, adding with a laugh: "Then two days later that all went out the window!"

The Grammy-nominated singer met rocker Mod (real name: Derek Smith) during a songwriting session, sparks flew, and they began dating "immediately," she said. "I just followed my heart."