A Canadian with an attitude, singer-songwriter and guitarist Avril Lavigne premiered in 2002 with her breakthrough album “Let Go.” Five of her pop/ punk/ rock style songs have topped the charts since then including “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi,” and her most recent hit “Girlfriend” which also appeared on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 list. While earlier in her career Lavigne was known for her punk-rock tomboy style, she now dons a more feminine gothic style. Although she herself does not approve of the title, she has often been considered the “anti-Britney” as some consider her to have a less-commercial/ main-stream image than pop-icon Britney Spears.

Lavigne’s latest concert tour in 2008 entitled “The Best Damn Tour” hit some road blocks including Lavigne developing laryngitis, causing some cancellations in the North America and Spain. Additionally, the Malaysian stint of the tour caused controversy due to concerns from the conservative Malaysian government that her image was “too sexy.”