Avril Lavigne Moves to Epic Records, Reunites with L.A. Reid

2:14 AM PST 11/17/2011 by Shirley Halperin

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The singer stays in the Sony family and re-teams with the executive (and current "X Factor" judge) who originally signed her to Arista Records at age 15.

Avril Lavigne has joined the Epic Records roster, a label representative confirms to the Hollywood Reporter. The move reunites the singer with label chairman and X Factor judge L.A. Reid, who originally signed the 27-year-old pop star to Arista in 2000.

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“I am now on Epic Records and finally working with LA Reid again (he signed me when I was 15),” Lavinge posted on her Facebook wall late on Wednesday, followed by the word -- and no doubt emotion -- “re-inspired.”

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Lavigne remains in the Sony Music family, which counts Columbia Records, RCA (which shuttered labels Arista, J and Jive Records in September), Epic and newly created Kemosabe Records, to be headed by hitmaker Dr. Luke starting in January, among its core group of labels. Luke (nee Lukasz Gottwald), co-wrote and produced six songs on Lavigne’s 2007 album Best Damn Thing, including “Girlfriend,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her next album Goodbye Lullaby, however, would underperform, selling less than 300,000 copies since its March release. Lavigne’s previous three albums have all been certified platinum-plus, with her 2002 debut Let Go moving more than 6 million units in the U.S.

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Lavigne has been somewhat public about her battles with RCA, which pushed back the release date for Lullaby several times over a two-year period. Her latest single, “Wish You were Here,” entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 69.