Morissette, Alanis

▪ 1997

      Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette shocked the recording world and the listening public in 1995 with the raw tone and explicit lyrics of her explosive debut single "You Oughta Know," a searing fantasy of revenge against an unfaithful lover. The song and such singles as "You Learn" and "Ironic" appeared on Morissette's debut album, Jagged Little Pill (1995), which sold over 14 million copies and remained atop the international billboard charts throughout 1995 and 1996. As a result, Morissette became firmly entrenched—not without controversy—as alternative rock's foremost female vocalist. In 1996 the star won Grammy awards for album of the year and best rock album for Jagged Little Pill. She also collected Grammys for best rock song (songwriter) and best female rock vocal performance for "You Oughta Know." Morissette was hailed by critics as "raw" and "passionate" and "authentic," and her strong, pliable voice, confessional lyrics, and technically explosive performance gained her worldwide critical and popular acclaim.

      Born June 1, 1974, in Ottawa, Morissette began studying piano at six and composing at seven; she wrote her first songs at nine. By 10 she was acting in Nickelodeon's kids' series "You Can't Do That on Television." She used her earnings from that show to cut her first single. At age 14 she signed a song-publishing deal that led to two dance-pop albums, Alanis (1991), which sold 100,000 copies and earned her Canada's Juno award, and Now Is the Time (1992), which sold more than 50,000 copies. Escaping from the pressures of her then-fizzling teen career, Morissette left home after high school to create a more satisfying and authentic style. After two years she found her place in Los Angeles and her muse in Glen Ballard, a veteran songwriter-producer. Together the two wrote and recorded Jagged Little Pill in record speed and at negligible cost. She signed with Madonna's label, Maverick, and shed her dance-queen image with the release of her first album. The 12 jarringly honest and frequently provocative songs rang true with admiring listeners, and the album was an unqualified success. Morissette considered it to be her real debut, for with it she switched from "entertaining people . . . to sharing revelations." Accused of being a poseur because of her quick rise to fame, her association with Ballard and Madonna, and her dance-queen past, Morissette countered claims of inauthenticity, saying, "Most people's growth is done in private. . . . An artist's growth is done in public."

      Following her climb to the top, the singer toured to ever-increasing audiences and fielded offers for tours, movies, and sound tracks. Morissette planned to record another album with Ballard in late 1996. (ANN M. BELASKI)

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▪ Canadian musician

in full  Alanis Nadine Morissette 

born June 1, 1974, Ottawa, Ont., Can.

 

 Canadian musician who showcased her confessional lyrics and nonconformist sound in her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, which established her as one of alternative rock's foremost female vocalists of the 1990s.

      Morissette began studying piano at age six and composing at seven; she wrote her first songs at nine. By age 10 she was acting in You Can't Do That on Television, a series on the children's television network Nickelodeon. She used her earnings from that show to cut her first single. At age 14 Morissette signed a song-publishing deal that led to two dance-pop albums, Alanis (1991), which sold 100,000 copies and earned her Canada's Juno Award for most promising female vocalist of the year, and Now Is the Time (1992), which sold more than 50,000 copies.

      Escaping from the pressures of her then-fading teen career, Morissette left home after high school to create a more satisfying and authentic style. She eventually settled in Los Angeles, where she met Glen Ballard, a veteran songwriter-producer. Together the two wrote and recorded Jagged Little Pill (1995) in record speed and at negligible cost. The album featured the explosive single "You Oughta Know," a searing fantasy of revenge against an unfaithful lover. She signed with Madonna's label, Maverick, and Jagged Little Pill, which Morissette considered to be her real debut, sold more than 14 million copies and remained atop the international billboard charts throughout 1995 and 1996. In 1996 Morissette won Grammy Awards (Grammy Award) for album of the year, best rock album, best rock song (songwriter), and best female rock performance.

      Morissette's follow-up, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, which she coproduced, appeared in 1998. Featuring Eastern-influenced music, the album was noted for its ballads and catchy pop songs. In 1999 her single "Uninvited" for the film City of Angels (1998) won two Grammy Awards, including best rock song. Morissette returned to the recording studio (without producer Ballard) for Under Rug Swept (2002), a confessional album that received mixed reviews. So-Called Chaos (2004) also failed to re-create the critical and commercial success Morissette had enjoyed in the mid-1990s. In 2005, 10 years after Jagged Little Pill's release, Morissette took it on tour as an acoustic act and released an album version, Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (2005).

      In addition to working on her music, Morissette continued to act occasionally. In 1993 she made her film debut with an uncredited role in Anything for Love (1993). She later portrayed God in Kevin Smith's Dogma (1998). Her television work included appearances on the HBO series Sex and the City (2000) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2002) and on Nip/Tuck (2006).

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