NEW YORK (Teen Vogue Magazine PR) -
Usher and
Avril Lavigne might seem an unlikely couple, but to celebrate the best in music in 2004 Teen Vogue thought the R&B
Romeo and Punk Princess were the perfect duo. "We paired
Usher and Avril because they are at the top of their game this year, and because they both have a fierce sense of style that's uniquely their own. His preppy look and her punky style look great together," said
Nicole Vecchiarelli, Teen Vogue senior entertainment editor.
Usher and
Avril Lavigne took time off from their touring schedules and sat down with Teen Vogue senior writer
Lauren Waterman to discuss their music and their even bigger ambitions.
Usher tells Teen Vogue he knew he wanted to be a singer when he sat in the nosebleed seats at a New Edition show. "And seeing those guys working the audience really sold it for me," he says.
"That's when I knew this was what I wanted to do." Usher, now a bonafide superstar after a decade in the business, sees no end in sight to what he can accomplish. "I look to soar heights.
As an actor, director, an entrepreneur. I'd love to do theater or be in a movie that wins at Sundance ... Watch me - in ten years, I'll be one of the most successful artists ever," Usher says. On the success of his recent album, Confessions, Usher admits," If people feel like there's a connection in your music to who you truly are, the more they respond.
...Even, if it's not real."
Avril Lavigne, now 20, began her career in Ontario, Canada at age seven as a soloist in her church choir. She tells Teen Vogue that fame can be a weird thing. "People can be very harsh and judgmental, and you have to be a strong person to deal with that. I'm at a point where I just don't care what other people think. Then again, I never have."
Avril's style is punkish and cool - something that distinguishes her from the rest of the pack. "I like to be creative with my clothes," she says, "but I rarely wear designer... except for my Vuitton purse. Every girl knows that you want a Louis if you can have one."
When asked about the state of the music scene today, Avril sounds off: "There are people out there who can't even sing, popular artists who have other people singing on their records. It's lame, and it's not supposed to be that way. I always think it would be so much easier if I didn't have to write my own music ... go through a bunch of songs my music company thinks are hits - it would take me a week! But, it's important for me to be a part of it - I have things that I want to talk about."
The November issue of Teen Vogue is on sale in New York and Los Angeles on October 6th and nationwide on October 12th.
