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How to Sing Like Avril Lavigne

Young Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne released her first pop-punk hit in 2002 with the catchy tune "Complicated." "Let Go," her first CD, contained fresh sounds like "Sk8er Boi" and "Losing Grip." Experimenting with punk, rock, Goth and alt-rock influences, her radio-friendly voice has gained her a strong fan base among teen girls. Here's how to sing like Avril Lavigne.

Instructions

    • 1

      Gather influences from female rock singers of the 1990s. Listen to albums like "Jagged Little Pill" by Alanis Morrisette and songs by artists like Pink, Jewel and Tori Amos. Take their angst-ridden lyrics and appropriate them for a teen crowd.

    • 2

      Write or co-write all your own songs. Work with musicians like Butch Walker and Josh Freese and combine a pop diva innocence with bratty know-how.

    • 3

      Grow up with each succeeding CD. Mature from the bouncy, cheerful warbling on "Complicated" to the confident snarl of "The Best Damn Thing." Sing the best you can with a limited vocal range. Your songs aren't constructed for a multi-octave voice, so that's not a problem. Approach your music with a straightforward, toned-down punk sensibility.

    • 4

      Contribute to a new trend called "pop-punk." Water down the punk rock aesthetic of the late 1970s with a hot pink "Hot Topic" look. Inject a little swagger into bouncy pop songs like Britney Spears but replace the backing dance music tracks with real music by real musicians.

    • 5

      Court controversy by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Mispronounce David Bowie's name on an awards show and get in trouble for one of your songs imitating an obscure rock song from the 1980s too closely. Marry a singer from a million-selling band and becoming the reigning couple of pop-punk.

Singing

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