Avril Lavigne

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian singer and songwriter, known for her “goth” and “punk” disposition. To date she has released two albums, both of which have ranked high on charts around the world, and have yielded numerous very popular singles in the “pop” genre of music.

Avril was born on September 27th, 1984 in Belleville, Ontario, Canada to parents John and Judy Lavigne. She spent most her childhood growing up in Napanee and early on took an interest to singing and music. She sang in a church choir, and taught herself to play guitar.

Her initial interest was in country music, and she was “discovered” by a management organization while singing a country cover at a bookstore in Kingston, Ontario. She was invited to perform at a New York City studio, where she was overheard by Anotonio “LA” Reid, a representative of Arista Records.

At just sixteen years old, she signed on with Arista Records and began work on her first album. After moving to LA and enlisting the help of the songwriting team “The Matrix” to co-write her album, the album itself was released in June of 2002. Went to the top of the charts in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and to the number two spot in the United States. It sold over four million copies within the first six months, and over 15 million copies worldwide within the first year and a half.

Her Canadian roots and rough, cynical image led many in the media to liken her to fellow Canadian performer Alanis Morisette. She won the title “Best New Artist” at the MTV Music Awards of 2002, four Juno Awards, a World Music Award, and was nominated for eight Grammys.

Avril Lavigne followed up her debut album with “Under My Skin” in May of 2004. It hit the number one position on charts across the world, including the United States. Avril reported to have had more artistic control in her sophomore album, and that she was able to express herself more freely. The music definitely has a matured quality to it, showing her growth since her sudden exposure to audiences around the world.

Rumors have been abound about a third album to be released in 2006, though Avril has been reported saying that she wants to take a break and enjoy her life a while first.

Whether or not her music is your cup of tea, Avril Lavigne is a talented young rock/pop artist that is destined to make an impact on pop performers to come.

Britney Jean Spears (b. December 2, 1981, McComb, Mississippi) is an American pop music singer, songwriter, and dancer. She currently resides in Beverly Hills, California.

She is best known for her studio albums, music videos, and songs such as "...Baby One More Time", "Oops!...I Did It Again", "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Toxic", for which she won a Grammy Award.In the early 2000s, Spears' success as a singer led her way to high-profile advertising deals and endorsements, as well as forays into other forms of media, including film and reality television. Her third and fourth albums, Britney and In the Zone, were released during this era. In 2004, she married back-up dancer and aspiring rap artist Kevin Federline, and the following year she gave birth to their first son, Sean Preston. Their second son, Jayden James, was born in 2006. Spears filed for divorce from Federline on November 7, 2006 citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized on July 30, 2007.

Spears has sold over seventy-six million albums worldwide according to Time magazine The RIAA ranks her as the eighth best-selling female artist in American music history, having sold thirty-one million albums in the U.S.