Avril Lavigne denies racism in 'Hello Kitty' music video

OTTAWA, April 24 (UPI) -- Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne laughed off the backlash that followed the unveiling of her latest music video, "Hello Kitty," writing on Twitter that she "[loves] Japanese culture."

Lavigne's "Hello Kitty" features the 29-year-old singer leading a crowd of four Asian women as she walks around greeting fans, visiting a candy store, and eating sushi.

After its release on Tuesday, media outlets and fans claimed the clip was "racist," "weak," and "terrible" as it perpetuated Asian stereotypes to the extreme.

Lavigne, on the other hand, doesn't seem to agree.

"RACIST??? LOLOLOL!!! I love Japanese culture and I spend half of my time in Japan," she wrote on her Twitter account Wenesday. "I flew to Tokyo to shoot this video ... specifically for my Japanese fans, WITH my Japanese label, Japanese choreographers AND a Japanese director IN Japan."

The J-Pop track was co-written by Lavigne's husband and Nickelback frontman, Chad Kroeger. The song is the fourth single of her fifth studio album, Avril Lavigne. The video for "Hello Kitty" was released on the singer's Vevo account on April 21, but was later pulled over the harsh criticisms it received. Lavigne re-released the clip on April 23.