Black Star over China

Pop queen Avril Lavigne shows how she's been transforming from girlish to womanly as she tours the Middle Kingdom. Chen Nan reports.

Chinese fans went crazy when they heard Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne would attend the New Year's Eve gala in Hubei's provincial capital Wuhan.

They joined the paparazzi to pack the lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel, where Lavigne and her 15-member crew were staying.

They knew Lavigne had flown in on a private jet from Shanghai the day before and wouldn't leave the hotel until showtime.

The audience became frantic when the camera followed Lavigne as she walked through the dimly lit backstage hallway and dashed onstage, brandishing a red microphone.

More than 1,000 fans, mostly young, crammed into the ground floor to catch a fleeting glimpse of the star. They kept security busy, as some hopped over the metal fence and others stood on chairs.

Lavigne is among the most beloved Western stars in China. She headlined the China Music Valley International Festival, performing for a crowd of 40,000, on Beijing's outskirts in March 2011.

She began her Black Star Tour at the end of April 2011 and will finish in February.

She will perform in Guangdong's provincial capital Guangzhou on Feb 11 and in Beijing on Feb 14.

Although Lavigne usually shuns media, she gave a handful of interviews in Wuhan' Shangri-La Hotel before the show.

Clad in a sable blazer and boots, and a black T-shirt emblazoned with a skull, Lavigne appeared more catlike than her triumphant stage persona.

It seemed perhaps representative of her transformation from an unrepentant teen tomboy into a sophisticated woman, since her career began.

While she's sassy onstage, she appeared nervous in the interview seat.

Lavigne paused thoughtfully before answering every question, often twisting her blond hair, narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips.

She laughed loudly at her own accent when answering requests to say "Happy New Year" in Chinese for the cameras. She seemed more girlish than womanly at that moment.

"Speaking Chinese is really hard for me, you know. I've practised for months to sing the lyrics of Girlfriend in Chinese," she says, smiling and muttering, "nupengyou (girlfriend)".

"I spent last year's New Year Eve in Hawaii. And this year, I am here in China with my band, on the other side of the globe. China has been good to me, and I spent lots of time in Asia last year. It's always exciting to see the crowds. The Chinese food is good. I can always find delicious noodles in China."

Lavigne was 16 when she released her debut album, Let Go, which was 2002's best-selling debut.

She has gone on to win fans of many ages with chart-toppers like pop rock hits Skater Boy and Complicated.

She is quick to name her brother as her idol.

"He is always supportive and inspiring," Lavigne says. "I feel safe and comfortable when he is around."

She realizes she has grown up over the past decade.

"Everything is unpredictable, and I just follow my instincts, which made me who I am today," she says.

Her fourth album, Goodbye Lullaby, which was released in March 2011, showcases her songwriting abilities.

"It's a slower-paced album than my previous stuff," she says. "It's very personal and sums up what I've been through in the past few years."

Her drummer explained her transition like this: "She's like your little sister. She is growing up, but she is still the little sister."

Lavigne says she wanted to show a different side of herself.

"Rocking out onstage, running around fist-pumping, jumping - I love to do that. But I also have to be solo at a piano and sing or an acoustic guitar," she explains.

"I don't want to make the same record over and over. For the new album, which I am still working on, I will have energetic songs and slow songs. They are all from my real life."

Lavigne has also morphed into a businesswoman in her late 20s, with her own perfume and fashion line.

An hour before the show, Lavigne was told it was inappropriate to wear a shirt printed with a skull for the New Year's Eve gala, because Chinese audiences might consider the image to be bad luck.

Her team became anxious, as everything had long been planned out and set up.

"It's okay," Lavigne says, giggling.

"I am the stylist. I love black T-shirts, and I've got many. I have one with me without a skull."

The discussion ends with a question about her favorite part of pop stardom.

Without hesitation, she replies: "Playing live. Being on the stage is awesome!"

Avril Lavigne ready to "mellow out and sing"

Avril Lavigne performs during her "Best Damn Tour" concert in Singapore September 7, 2008.

Get ready to hear a softer side of Avril Lavigne.

The Canadian pop singer tells Billboard.com that she's taking a more serious, stripped-down approach to her fourth studio album, tentatively slated for a November release on RCA.

"A lot of the songs are mainly the acoustic and my vocal," says Lavigne of the as-yet-untitled project. "It's a lot different from anything I've done before. It's not a pop-rock record. This is more about emotion and feeling."

Lavigne's husband (and Sum 41 frontman) Deryck Whibley produced eight of the album's projected 12 tracks, half of which she wrote by her herself. For the other half, she's been working with former bandmate Evan Taubenfield and songwriter/producer Butch Walker, who co-penned her 2004 single "My Happy Ending."

"I'm kind of just keeping it in the family with all of my close friends," says Lavigne, whose last album, 2007's "The Best Damn Thing," has sold 1.6 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "I started this record off really slow, just writing songs at home on my piano. I didn't work with a ton of people this time."

The album's first single hasn't been confirmed, but the 25-year-old Lavigne says it could "possibly" be a song that emerged from the TV commercial for her new Black Star fragrance, which will go on sale in the U.S. this fall.

"It's the first song that I recorded for this record," she says. "It's kind of like a lullaby." The ethereal, piano-driven chorus originally was written just for the ad, but Lavigne has since decided to turn it into a full recording.

Another track on the album, "Darlin,'" was written when Lavigne was 15 years old and still unsigned. "It was probably the second song I (ever) wrote; I was trying to figure it all out," she recalls. "It's really special to me."

The more mature-sounding "Everybody Hurts," meanwhile, boasts weighty guitar riffs, impressive vocals and comforting lyrics like "It's okay to be afraid." Lavigne describes the track as "different -- but not different to stray away from who I am and what I am."

Lavigne is also keeping busy these days with Abbey Dawn, a juniors clothing line that sells at Kohl's stores in the U.S. "The design process has been crazy," says Lavigne, who conceptualizes all the items in the line herself. "I just love clothes and colors and patterns. I'm very visual and very hands-on." The singer will launch the line in Canada next month and hopes to bring it to Europe and Japan.

For now, though, Lavigne's primary focus remains her music. She expects to tour North America in February, and she won't be bringing any backup dancers on the road this time. Instead, she'd like to keep the vibe of her live shows similar to that of the album.

"I want to do a cool theater tour in America because I feel it will really suit this record," she says. "I'm ready to go out there and just mellow out and sing."

Avril Lavigne shoots perfume commercial

Avril Lavigne is pictured on the filming set of a perfume commercial.

Avril Lavigne throws out the ceremonial first pitch

Singer Avril Lavigne waves as she walks onto the field to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels MLB American League baseball game in Toronto June 3, 2009.

Avril Lavigne fires manager

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Avril Lavigne has fired her manager and management company.

The 'Girlfriend' singer is said to be distraught that her latest album and tour proved less popular than her previous efforts, and blames Nettwerk mogul Terry McBride for her lack of success.

A source told gossip blogger Perez Hilton: "Avril is hoping that new management can help her new album be more successful than the last."

The 24-year-old - who is desperate to resurrect her career - has reportedly now signed a new deal with Irving Azoff and his management company, who look after Christina Aguilera and Guns N' Roses.

Meanwhile, Avril has prompted rumours she is expecting her first child with musician husband Deryck Whibley after she was seen refusing alcohol during a recent night out.

Avril - who recently sparked reports she could be pregnant after she was photographed with what appeared to be a baby bump - was spotted drinking only soft drinks at exclusive Hollywood night spot Coco De Ville.

Avril, wearing a loose jersey shirt, stuck close to Deryck throughout the evening, with the pair making a hasty exit when other partygoers recognised her.

Canadian Punk Singer Avril Lavigne to Open Concerts in China

Canadian Punk Singer Avril Lavigne to Open Concerts in China

Canadian punk-pop princess Avril Lavigne will stage six to seven live concerts in China this fall, as part of her upcoming Asian tour, Nettwerk Productions CEO Terry McBride said at the Music Matters conference in Hong Kong.

Avril Lavigne performs on stage in previous live concert in this undated file photo.

McBride disclosed that Nettwerk will release a new "multi-track" by the Barenaked Ladies within six to nine months. He said the best mix will be chosen as the Barenaked Ladies' next single.