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AVRIL LAVIGNE versus BRITNEY SPEARS

While Avril’s vocal range and high-energy musical style has brought her comparisons ranging from Alanis Morissette to Pink, she has been adamant in positioning herself as a unique artist, one who runs counter to the mainstream. This persona has been nurtured thanks to the lyrics of such songs as Sk8er Boi, wherein Avril is none too subtle in voicing her anti-conformist stance and through her public remarks regarding other female musicians, notably Britney Spears.

After bursting onto the current musical landscape with the success of her debut album Let Go and its first single Complicated, Avril Lavigne decided that she would keep the public spotlight fixed on her by ragging on fellow teenie icon Britney Spears. In an interview with ChartAttack, Avril proceeded to rip into Britney, criticizing her fashion sense and questioning the purported status of Britney’s virginity. This little rant may one day earn Avril a surprise beating at some celebrity charity gala, but it stood out to our panel as one of the more brilliant marketing moves in our collective memories.

By positioning herself in direct contrast to Britney Spears, Avril further cemented her status as pop rock’s new independent spirit, a singer whose talents are such that she can afford to eschew superficiality.

While some may argue that such an image is no less constructed than Britney’s public transition into womanhood, the distinction lies in the fact that Avril’s persona doesn’t seem that far removed from her true character. She didn’t make the jump from small-town Ontario to MTV on the shoulders of a clever marketing strategy, but rather accomplished it on the strength of her musical talents alone. Given this, Avril really seems entitled to play up the do-my-own-thing angle — and believe us, she does.

Well, many people are waiting for Avril to fall flat on her face (perhaps Britney Spears especially), but our panel isn’t among them. With a marketable identity and her vocal and instrumental talents, we figure that it’s just a matter of time before Avril starts adding to those achievements she has under her belt thus far. It is a formula which, to date, has worked like a charm: for a debut artist, Avril boasts a staggering fan base and the media interest surrounding this young singer seems far from receding. Conjoin this one-of-a-kind personality with a memorable voice and obvious musical talents, and it seems as if Avril may be in the spotlight for some time to come.

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