AGE 18
HOMETOWN Napanee, Ont.
HEAT FACTOR Avril's combination of angst-ridden lyrics and guitar-powered melodies struck a chord with pop-weary fans, who snapped up more than 12 million copies worldwide of her Grammy-nominated debut CD, Let Go. But it was Avril's so-called punk image (dark eyeliner, spiky wristbands, spiky attitude) that really got her noticed--much to the chagrin of some punk purists, who denounced her as pure poser.
SECOND OPINION "She's down-to-earth," says Simple Plan singer Pierre Bouvier, whose band is opening for Avril's Try to Shut Me Up tour this spring. "She's real."
ANTIGLAMOUR "It's annoying having people touch your hair and powder your nose every five seconds," she says.
DO-IT-YOURSELF GUITAR Forget fancy lessons--Avril taught herself to play when she was 12.
SKATER-BOY FRIEND Avril swears Deryck Whibley from Sum 41 is just a pal. "But that's the kind of guy I'm really attracted to: his hair, his little punk style," she says. "I love it."
UP NEXT Back to the studio to record her sophomore CD, due later this year or in early 2004.
LAST WORD "I don't like to go around dressing like a hoochie mama," says Avril. "I'm very different from what's out there--I'm authentic."
The side will take you home.