Creative. Self- destructive. Cynical. Outspoken. Loud.

The list could go on forever, but no matter what people call Courtney Love, she’ll always be the girl everyone loves to hate, the one remembered for her ongoing drug problem and legal battles; a show-stealing, loudmouthed rock goddess who always manages to have people wondering, “what next?”

On February 10, she answered that question to millions of fans and critics with the release of her ironically titled solo album, “America’s Sweetheart.”

The 12-tracked album, just like her life, is a complex affair, a bomb just waiting to explode where truth and lies, triumphs and downfalls, vanity and intelligence, and just about everything in between can coexist with surprising results.

Rock has undeniably changed (and not necessarily for the better) since the release of her band’s final album, “Celebrity Skin,” back in 1998, and Love, 39, is fully conscious of the fact, taking it upon herself to resurrect rock-n-roll after a six-year absence from the music industry.

“Is this the part in the book that you wrote where I gotta come and save the day?” she growls cynically on the fast-paced anthem “Mono,” the album’s first track and single.

“Did you miss me?”

In less than four minutes, Love lets the listener know that she’s here to stay to do a man’s job. And no job is too difficult for Miss Love, the last of a special breed of superwomen, part villain and part heroine (no pun intended).

“Sunset Strip,” the fourth track, starts out as a sunny ride through California but later Love reveals her inner demons, screeching, “I got pills when I’m blonde/I got pills when I’m dead.”

Even with all the “hey gabba gabbas,” the “shut ups,” and her reference to herself as “1-800-WIRED” in the hilarious “But Julian, I’m a Little Bit Older Than You,” Courtney’s being completely honest rather than purposely funny.

And while “Sweetheart” is incredibly catchy, it keeps a sharp edge, never caked in the superficial gloss that “Celebrity Skin” was drowning in. The songs, almost all co-written by Linda Perry, the same woman who made Pink ‘cool,’ vary enjoyably throughout the record.

Whether explosive, as in “I’ll Do Anything,” where Love yells for “one match so I can set myself on fire,” or layered with messy guitars and a punk vibe, as in the purposely misspelled and self-explanatory “Zeplin Song,” the album is a refreshing break from all the dull and corny acts out now.

Even as Love warbles out words during “Hold On To Me,” a slower song she wrote by herself, “America’s Sweetheart” always flows smoothly. “Uncool,” undoubtedly the most beautiful and unexpected song on the CD, is an epic rock power ballad. “Would it be uncool if I could write a love song?” she wails emotionally.

So what if with all of her money it “doesn’t feel as good as the drugs,” or if she thinks her “dress is the prettiest?” She may be a firecracker ready to explode, but even with the last “goodnights” in the final song, “Never Gonna Be The Same,” it’s more than obvious that she delivered. Courtney Love simply rocked.

“Did you miss me?”

Oh, yeah.