~avril laviGne~

18-year-old Avril literally came out of nowhere -- nowhere being the town of Napanee, Ontario -- and rose to the top of the charts with her single "Complicated." Her first full-length album, Let Go, debuted at #8 on the Billboard charts in June 2002.

From early childhood onwards, Avril Lavigne always stood out among the 5000 residents of Napanee, Ontario -- her 1984 birthplace. At first distinguished from her female peers because of her affinity for the baseball field in the summer and the hockey rink in the winter, Avril became recognizable in the community on the basis of her musical performances

Avril stands out in the current sea of female teen vocalists as a distinctly un-manufactured artist whose success can be directly linked to her musical talents. While it can be a little tiring listening to Avril's publicists hype her as the independent wild child, you have to respect a 17-year-old who can hit the Billboard Top 10 on the strength of her own vocal and songwriting abilities.