Interview of the week: Avril Lavigne

SINGAPORE, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- There won't be any fireworks on stage and she won't be swinging from the ceiling, but Canadian skater-pop queen Avril Lavigne is planning an all-out rock concert when she starts touring Europe and North America this year.

"It definitely will be more of a rock show with a rock vibe than my album," the 18-year-old Grammy nominee said Friday of her "Try To Shut Me Up" tour to support her debut album "Let Go."

Lavigne has been nominated for five Grammys, including song of the year and best female pop vocal performance for the guitar-driven song "Complicated," best new artist, best pop vocal album for "Let Go" and best female rock vocal performance for "Sk8er Boi."

The singer admits she is most keen on getting the rock vocal award. "That would be most meaningful," she says, explaining she doesn't like to be labeled as pop, which she associates with the like of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. "I don't like to be categorized. But I think that I'm quite different. I write my own stuff."

The Grammys will be handed out Feb. 23. In addition, Lavigne has been nominated for two Brit Awards for best international female and best breakthrough artist, which will be handed out Feb. 20. On Friday, Lavigne won the MTV Asia Awards for breakthrough artist and best female artist, as well as the style award.

The petite feisty singer is looking forward to touring and wants to play more guitar on stage. She doesn't seem to care about the challenges of singing live on stage.

"I don't think I need to hit every note perfect. ... The public wants to see you out there doing your thing, that's what is important," she says. Lavigne will start touring Europe in March, before moving on for a 5-week tour of North America, starting in Ottawa April 10 and finishing in Philadelphia May 17.

Lavigne has started working on her second album, writing songs when she finds time, but she doesn't know when the album will be ready. "It will come out when ever the songs come to me," she says. But the second album "won't be as pop as the first one," which she still finds "a bit too pop."

Lavigne was born in Napanee Ontario, population 5,000. She believes her "huge drive and motivation" has gotten her where she is now.

"I worked very hard. I just believe this is what I was supposed to be doing," she says, admitting she also met "the right people at the right time." On a writing trip to New York, she caught the attention of Antonia "LA" Reid, who snapped her up and signed her to Arista. She moved to Los Angeles and teamed up with producer/songwriter Cliff Magness, who became her ultimate collaborator. Since then the "Let Go" album has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, including 1.7 million in Asia.

She is proud of having achieved fame and her music goals on her own term. "I've always done my own things, and that's why the record works...Having control is the most important thing. It's my face and my name out there, so I need to be very involved."

With her straight blond hair covering half of her face and her trademark baggy cargo shorts teamed with a green commando style T-shirt, Lavigne is every inch the rebellious youngster. But the tomboyish singer has already moved on from her signature tie, because "everybody has started wearing them."

She recognizes some may see her as a role model, but this is not a prospect she cherishes. "I didn't sign up to be one (a role model). If you want to make me one that's fine, but I'm not going to change," she says.