Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette (born June 1, 1974, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian musician known for her confessional lyrics and a layered rock-influenced sound. Her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill 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 at least 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 develop a more personally satisfying musical 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, setting her emotionally raw lyrics against a polished rock backdrop. For the release of the album, which she considered her “real” debut, she signed with Madonna’s label, Maverick. Thanks to a string of hit singles—including the explosive “You Oughta Know,” a searing fantasy of revenge against an unfaithful lover—Jagged Little Pill sold more than 16 million copies in the United States and topped charts around the world. In 1996 Morissette won four Grammy Awards, with Jagged Little Pill named album of the year and best rock album and “You Oughta Know” earning honours for best rock song and best female rock vocal performance.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Britannica Quiz

Pop Culture Quiz

Morissette’s follow-up, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, which she coproduced, appeared in 1998. Influenced by Eastern musical styles, the album was noted for its mix of ballads and catchy pop songs. In 1999 her single “Uninvited,” recorded for the film City of Angels (1998), won two Grammy Awards, including best rock song. Morissette returned to the recording studio (without Ballard) for Under Rug Swept (2002), an obliquely 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 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). Jagged Little Pill later inspired a stage musical that premiered in 2018 and opened on Broadway the following year. It centres on a seemingly perfect family facing various struggles, and the book was penned by screenwriter Diablo Cody.

Morissette’s other recordings included Flavors of Entanglement (2008); Havoc and Bright Lights (2012), which featured lush textures and a spiritual focus; and the simmering, introspective Such Pretty Forks in the Road (2020).

In addition to working on her music, Morissette continued to act occasionally. In 1993 she made her movie debut with an uncredited role in the comedy Anything for Love (1993). She later portrayed God in Kevin Smith’s Dogma (1999). Among her television credits in the 21st century were an appearance on the HBO series Sex and the City and recurring roles on Nip/Tuck and Weeds.