Avril Ramona Lavigne (French: [avʁil laviɲ] ) (born 27 September 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million. In 2002 she released her debut album, Let Go, emphasising a skate punk persona in which she has been often referred by critics and music publications as The "Pop Punk Queen" due to her achievement and impact in the industry. Lavigne is considered a key musician in the development of pop punk music since she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music. Since her professional debut, Lavigne has sold more than 40 million albums and over 50 million singles worldwide, making her the 2nd-best-selling Canadian female artist of all time, behind Celine Dion.
