Alanis Morissette

Pitched halfway between glossy mainstream pop and angst-ridden alternative rock, Alanis Morissette's American debut Jagged Little Pill caught the zeitgeist of the mid-'90s, splitting the difference between Gen-X cynicism and self-help actualisation. Her albums reflect an earned serenity while retaining the wit and insight that made her a cultural phenomenon in the '90s.

Musically inclined since an early age, she started learning piano at the age of six and by ten had self-composed her first song, 'Fate Stay With Me'. However, the song remained unreleased. It was in 1991 that she finally made a breakthrough signing up a two-album deal with the MCA Records Canada. Together, they released her self-titled debut album, 'Alanis; which was well received & reached platinum status. Working along with Ballard, she recorded her album, 'Jagged Little Pill'. By 1995, she signed a contract with the prestigious Maverick Records, which agreed to release the album internationally. The album gained overnight fame with its single, 'You Oughta Know' - getting immense popularity for its explicit lyrics. In 2002, she released her fifth studio album, 'Under Rug Swept'. Unlike her previous outings, the album had tracks solely written by her. Over the years, after having released several albums and touring around the world, she lent her support to the survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake crisis by contributing an acoustic version of the song 'Still' for a compilation album. Furthermore, she recorded 'Versions of Violence' for the album' Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace' to promote peace.