Since emerging in 1995, ALANIS MORISSETTE has become one of the premiere singer/songwriters in contemporary music. Her deeply expressive music and performances have earned the seven-time Grammy Award winner vast critical praise and a dedicated fan base that extends throughout the world. She wrote and produced her new album UNDER RUG SWEPT.

ALANIS’ groundbreaking 1995 debut Jagged Little Pill created a heavy impact on listeners, revealing a talented young artist with a powerful voice and challenging vision. The monumental success of Jagged Little Pill--which featured hits "You Oughta Know," "Hand In My Pocket," "Ironic" and "You Learn"--kept ALANIS on the road for an 18-month world tour between 1995 and 1996 that started in clubs and ended in arenas.

In 1998, ALANIS returned with the release of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, which featured the hits "Thank U," "Unsent" and "So Pure." Upon the album’s completion, ALANIS said: "I see every recording I’ve done as a snapshot of that time in my life. I feel fulfilled when I feel the songs were inspired and representative of myself in the moment." Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie was a worldwide success, reflecting ALANIS’ expanded musical artistry.

In 1999, ALANIS produced her MTV Unplugged album, intimately re-working her material and introducing some unreleased work before a live audience at New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music. The album, which featured the single "That I Would Be Good," focused on her penetrating vocals and creative arrangements, becoming a fan favorite.

In addition to her musical accomplishments, ALANIS has also expanded her career by directing videos (her own "So Pure" and "Unsent") and acting (the film "Dogma," HBO’s "Sex In The City" and the off-Broadway "Vagina Monologues"). At the same time, ALANIS has remained at the forefront of humanitarian issues, Internet technology, and music artists’ rights.

Beyond working on her album UNDER RUG SWEPT, ALANIS has kept busy in 2001 playing various benefits, including the televised John Lennon tribute from New York City (raising funds to support gun control and assist victims of the September 11 attacks); Toronto’s Music Without Borders event (generating money for the United Nations Donor Alert Appeal, aiding refugees of the conflict in Afghanistan); and Seattle’s Groundworks (benefiting the organization Act To Reduce Hunger).

In December 2001, ALANIS was honored by the Friends of The United Nations with a Global Tolerance Award in New York City for making outstanding contributions to promote tolerance through the arts in addition to her work on behalf of tolerance in her personal life and activities. The presentation, which coincided with the U.N.’s Human Rights Day, took place at the United Nations and was attended by senior U.N. personnel, members of the diplomatic community and key representatives of the private and civil society sectors.

With over 40 million albums sold worldwide, ALANIS’ universal appeal has led to a unique connection with fans and extensive overseas touring. During her precedent-setting summer 2000 trek through the Middle East and Eastern Europe, ALANIS documented visits and performances in 15 countries (including Lebanon, Croatia and Turkey) over the Internet. In most regions, a young ambassador escorted ALANIS beyond the usual tourist attractions to see historical, cultural and political sites while sharing native customs and beliefs. ALANIS wrapped up the tour with a special acoustic performance and question-and-answer session at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, which is dedicated to teaching youth the importance of accepting diversity and sharing cultures. Earlier that same year, ALANIS performed in Rome for Pope John Paul II and 300,000 youth at The Great Jubilee Concert For A Debt-Free World (to bring attention to the world’s poorest nations and the need for social justice). ALANIS’ worldwide travels also brought her to Cuba in 1998 on a cultural exchange journey whereby North American artists had the chance to meet the people, including students, of that country.

ALANIS recently expressed her hope for a better world when she shared her song "Utopia" (written in early January 2001)--from Under Rug Swept--on her website in the wake of the September 11 attacks. In her own words, ALANIS "just wanted to share as much comfort as I possibly could through the context of music." Entertainment Weekly’s Beth Johnson described "Utopia," noting: "Atop a gentle mandolin, calming strings, and angelic harmonies, she softly croons her wish list for a perfect world, a place ‘without guilt, without fear…with room for every emotion.’"