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Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of a Generation". Aguilera rose to stardom with her eponymous debut album, for which she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her works, which incorporate feminism, sexuality, and domestic violence, have generated both critical praise and controversy, for which she is often cited as an influence by other artists. After appearing in television programs, Aguilera signed with RCA Records in 1998. Her debut album spawned three ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles — " Genie in a Bottle", " What a Girl Wants" and " Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" — and earned her the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Established as a
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
artist, she released her first Spanish record, '' Mi Reflejo'' (2000), which topped the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums for nineteen consecutive weeks. Aguilera assumed artistic control of her fourth studio album ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' (2002). In the music video for its song " Dirrty", she sparked controversy for exploring her sexuality, leading to the departure of her teen idol image. However, further singles " Beautiful", " Fighter" and " Can't Hold Us Down" became top-ten singles in many countries, and she was named the most successful female artist of 2003. Her fifth album, '' Back to Basics'' (2006), was met with favorable reviews and became the second of her career to debut atop of the ''Billboard'' 200. Its singles " Ain't No Other Man" and " Hurt" reached the top-ten positions in most countries. In 2010, Aguilera starred in ''
Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
'' and contributed to its soundtrack. In subsequent years, she featured on the successful singles " Feel This Moment", " Say Something", and " Moves Like Jagger". The latter reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 making Aguilera one of the few artists to reach the top spot over three decades. Outside of her music, she was named a spokesperson for the World Food Program (WFP), served as a coach on
reality competition Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
show '' The Voice'' (2011–2016), and acted in the drama series ''
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
'' (2015). In 2019, she headlined Christina Aguilera: The Xperience, her first residency show at the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas. Aguilera is considered a pop culture icon and is generally described as a triple threat entertainer. With estimated sales over 90 million records, she is recognized as one of the world's best-selling music artists. In 2009, she was classified as the twentieth most successful artist of the 2000s by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''. Throughout her career, she has accumulated numerous awards and accolades, including five
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, two Latin Grammy Award, two
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
(VMA), one ''Billboard'' Music Awards, one
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
, a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
, and was named a Disney Legend. Aguilera is regarded as one of the most influential Latin artists in the
entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...
; in 2013, '' Time'' listed her among the
100 most influential people in the world ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...
, and was ranked as the eighth greatest woman in music by
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
. Furthermore, she has been deemed one of the greatest singers in contemporary pop music, ranked among the greatest of all time by magazines such as '' Rolling Stone'' and '' Consequence of Sound''.


Life and career


1980–1998: Early life and career beginnings

Christina María Aguilera was born in
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
, New York City on December 18, 1980, the eldest of two daughters to musician Shelly Loraine Kearns (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Fidler) and United States Army soldier Fausto Xavier Aguilera. Her father was born in Ecuador, and her mother has German, Irish, Welsh, and Dutch ancestry. The family moved frequently because of his military service, and lived in places including New Jersey, Texas, New York, and Japan. Aguilera said he was physically and emotionally abusive. She used music to escape her turbulent household. Following her parents' divorce when she was six years old, Aguilera, her younger sister Rachel, and her mother moved into her grandmother's home in
Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...
, a suburb in the Pittsburgh area. Her mother later remarried to Jim Kearns and had a son with him named Michael. After years of estrangement, Aguilera expressed interest in reconciling with her father in 2012. As a child, she was drawn to soul and
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
records her grandmother bought and would practice singing, which earned her a reputation as "the little girl with the big voice" in her neighborhood. Aguilera aspired to be a singer, and won her first talent show at age eight with a rendition of Whitney Houston's "
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, ''Whitney'' (1987). It was released as the lead single from the album on May 2, 1987, by Arista Records. It was produ ...
". At age 10, she performed "
A Sunday Kind of Love "A Sunday Kind of Love" is a popular song composed by Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes, and Louis Prima and was published in 1946. History The song has become a pop and jazz standard, recorded by many artists. The song was first recorde ...
" on the competition show '' Star Search'', and was eliminated during the semi-final round. She performed the song again on KDKA-TV's ''Wake Up with Larry Richert''. During her youth in the Pittsburgh area, Aguilera sang " The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey,
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
football, and
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
baseball games, and the
1992 Stanley Cup Finals The 1992 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1991–92 season, and the culmination of the 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Prince of Wales Conference and defending Stanley Cup ...
. She attended Rochester Area School District in Rochester and Marshall Middle School near Wexford, and briefly attended North Allegheny Intermediate High School before being homeschooled to avoid being bullied. In 1991, Aguilera auditioned for a position on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
's '' The Mickey Mouse Club'', though did not meet its age requirements. She joined the television series two years later, which featured her performing musical numbers and
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...
until its cancellation in 1994. Fellow cast members included
Ryan Gosling Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor. Prominent in independent film, he has also worked in blockbuster films of varying genres, and has accrued a worldwide box office gross of over 1.9 billion USD. He has received ...
, Keri Russell,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, and
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
. After the show ended, Aguilera moved to Japan and recorded her first song, "All I Wanna Do", a duet with Japanese singer
Keizo Nakanishi is a Japanese singer-songwriter and composer. He graduated from Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Amagi High School and Nihon University College of Economics. In 2017, Nakanishi participated as a guest artist at the annual touring ice show Fantasy ...
. In 1998, Aguilera returned to the US to seek a recording contract. She approached RCA Records, who told her to contact Walt Disney Records instead because they were having financial difficulties. She sent her cover version of Whitney Houston's " Run to You" to Disney in hopes of being selected to record the theme song " Reflection" for their animated film ''
Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
'' (1998). Aguilera was ultimately selected to sing "Reflection"; the song was released in June 1998 and charted on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart at number 15.


1999–2001: ''Christina Aguilera'', ''Mi Reflejo'', and ''My Kind of Christmas''

After "Reflection", Aguilera attracted the attention of RCA's A&R Ron Fair and was signed with the label quickly afterwards. RCA was pressured by the contemporary teen pop craze evoked by Aguilera's peer Britney Spears, leading to the label rushing production of the album and aligning Aguilera to be part of the teen pop trend. They released the lead single from the album, " Genie in a Bottle", a trendy
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
and R&B track, in June 1999. The single rose Aguilera to stardom, peaking atop the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and charts of 20 other countries. It has sold over seven million copies as of 2014. Aguilera's eponymous debut album followed in August 1999 and peaked at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200. It was certified eight times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), and had moved 17 million copies worldwide by 2010. The album produced three other singles: two US number-one singles " What a Girl Wants" and " Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", and one US top-five single " I Turn to You", a cover of All-4-One's song. At the
42nd Annual Grammy Awards The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1999. Nominations were announced on January 4, 2000. Santana was the main r ...
in February 2000, Aguilera won Best New Artist. Aguilera's two following studio albums, '' Mi Reflejo'' and '' My Kind of Christmas'', were released in September and October 2000, respectively. The former, a Spanish-language album consisting of re-recorded versions of tracks on Aguilera's debut album and several original songs, topped the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums for 19 consecutive weeks and was certified six times platinum in the Latin field by the RIAA. It won
Best Female Pop Vocal Album The Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album was an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards from 2001 to 2011 The award was given to a female performer for albums containing at least 51 percent of new recordings of the pop g ...
at the 2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2001. The latter contains covers of Christmas popular songs and a few original
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
tunes, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. In support of her albums, Aguilera embarked on her first concert tour, Christina Aguilera in Concert, from mid-2000 to early 2001. The tour visited North America, Europe, South America, and Japan. ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' in 2000 recognized Aguilera as the Top Female Pop Act of the Year. Despite the successes, Aguilera was displeased with the music and image her manager Steve Kurtz had aligned her to, feeling unable to control her own image. In October 2000, she filed a fiduciary duty lawsuit against Kurtz for improper, undue, and inappropriate influence over her professional activities. After terminating Kurtz's services, RCA hired Irving Azoff as Aguilera's new manager. Aguilera took her first steps in artistic control with a cover of Labelle's " Lady Marmalade" (1974) with Pink, Mýa, and
Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include: * * * * * better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
for the '' Moulin Rouge!'' soundtrack. RCA executives initially opposed to Aguilera recording "Lady Marmalade" because it was "too urban", but Aguilera ultimately managed to record the song of her own accord. The collaboration topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for five weeks based on airplay alone, becoming the first airplay-only track in history to remain on the chart's top spot for more than one week. It won
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers c ...
at the
44th Annual Grammy Awards The 44th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The main recipient was Alicia Keys, winning five Grammys, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for " Fallin'". U2 won four ...
. In mid-2001,
Warlock Records Warlock Records is a record label based in New York City that was founded in 1985 by Adam Levy (born 1962), whose father was record producer Morris Levy. Artists that recorded for Warlock Records include Jungle Brothers, Royal House, Skinny Boys ...
released '' Just Be Free'', a compilation of demo tracks Aguilera recorded in 1994 and 1995, when she was looking forward to an album release after the end of ''The Mickey Mouse Club''. Aguilera filed a suit against Warlock Records and the album's producers to stop the release. The two parties came to a confidential settlement to release the album, in which Aguilera lent out her name, likeness, and image for an unspecified amount of damages.


2002–2003: ''Stripped''

While working on her fourth studio album, Aguilera leaned toward a new artistic direction that she felt had more musical and lyrical depth. She named the album ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' and explained that the title represented "a new beginning, a re-introduction of erselfas a new artist in a way". Aguilera served as the album's
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
and co-wrote most of the songs. To present her new persona, Aguilera released " Dirrty" as the lead single from the album in September 2002. Its accompanying music video generated controversy for depicting overtly sexual fetishes. Aguilera's new image presented in the video was widely criticized by the public that it began to overshadow her music. She defended her new image: "I'm in the power position, in complete command of everything and everybody around me. To be totally balls-out like that is, for me, the measure of a true artist." ''Stripped'' was released in October 2002. The album incorporated various genres from R&B and flamenco to rock, and lyrically revolves around the theme of self-esteem while also discussing sex and gender equality. It received mixed reviews from music critics, who viewed the employment of various musical styles incoherent, but praised Aguilera's vocals. The album peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and has sold over 4.3 million copies in the US as of 2014. In the UK, the album has sold two million copies as of 2017 and was the second highest-selling album by an American female artist during the 2000s decade, behind Norah Jones with '' Come Away with Me''. By 2006, ''Stripped'' had sold over 12 million copies worldwide. The second single from the album, the ballad " Beautiful", received universal acclaim for its empowering lyrics about embracing inner beauty, and became an anthem for the
LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...
. It was the album's best-charting single, peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the
46th Annual Grammy Awards The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. They recognized acc ...
in 2004. ''Stripped'' was followed by three other singles: " Fighter", " Can't Hold Us Down", and " The Voice Within", all of which were released in 2003 and entered the top 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. During promotion of ''Stripped'', Aguilera cultivated a new image by adopting the
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
Xtina, dyeing her hair black, and debuting several tattoos and piercings. She co-headlined the Justified and Stripped Tour alongside Justin Timberlake from June to September 2003 in support of ''Stripped'' and Timberlake's album '' Justified'' (2002), before embarking on her solo
Stripped Tour The Stripped Tour, also known as Stripped World Tour and Stripped... Live, was the third concert tour and second world tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, ''Stripped'' (2002), b ...
until December. Aguilera attended the
2003 MTV Video Music Awards The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The ceremony is best remembered for ...
in August, where she and Britney Spears kissed
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
during their performance of " Like a Virgin" and "
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
", which received considerable media attention. She hosted the
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards were held in Western Harbour in Edinburgh, Scotland. The awards ceremony was held in a 6,000-capacity big top arena constructed specifically for the main event. On the night, Justin Timberlake notably received a ...
, where she won Best Female award, in November. ''Billboard'' announced Aguilera as the Top Female Pop Act of 2003.


2004–2009: Marriage, ''Back to Basics'', and first child

In 2004, Aguilera recorded a
revised version The Revised Version (RV) or English Revised Version (ERV) of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version. It was the first and remains the only officially authorised and recognised revision of the King James Versio ...
of Rose Royce's " Car Wash" (1976) with Missy Elliott for the animated film '' Shark Tale'', in which she was a voice actress, and contributed vocals to
Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...
's single " Tilt Ya Head Back". She was a featured artist on
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...
's 2005 cover of
Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...
's "
A Song for You "A Song for You" is a song written and originally recorded by rock singer and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album '' Leon Russell'', which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understandin ...
" (1970), which was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the
48th Annual Grammy Awards The 48th Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 8, 2006, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning from October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005. Irish rock band U2 were ...
in February 2006. During this time, Aguilera started working on her follow-up studio album and embraced a new image inspired by figures of the Classic Hollywood era such as Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, and Mary Pickford, debuting blonde curly hair and retro-styled makeup. Aguilera became engaged to marketing executive Jordan Bratman, who had dated her since 2003, in February 2005. They married on November 19, 2005, at an estate in
Napa County, California Napa County () is a county north of San Pablo Bay located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,019. The county seat is the City of Napa. Napa County was one of the original co ...
. Aguilera released the lead single, " Ain't No Other Man", from her fifth studio album, '' Back to Basics'', in June 2006. The song, like the majority of the album, was inspired by Aguilera's marriage and incorporates elements of early 20th-century soul, blues, and jazz. It reached number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and has sold 1.7 million digital copies in the US as of 2014. Its music video saw Aguilera debuting her new alter ego, Baby Jane, inspired by the thriller film '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' (1962). ''Back to Basics'' was released in August 2006. Aguilera described the record, a
double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...
, as a "throwback" to jazz, blues, and soul music of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s that incorporates "a modern twist." She was much inspired by works of such classic blues and soul singers as Otis Redding, Millie Jackson, and Nina Simone during the recording sessions. ''Back to Basics'' received generally positive reviews from critics, who commented that the retro-oriented production complements Aguilera's vocals. It debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 and has sold 1.7 million copies in the US. At the
49th Annual Grammy Awards The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples Ce ...
in February 2007, Aguilera won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man" and performed " It's a Man's Man's Man's World" as a tribute to the late
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
. ''Back to Basics'' was succeeded by two international top-ten singles: " Hurt" and " Candyman". Two other singles, " Slow Down Baby" and " Oh Mother", were released exclusively in Australia and Europe, respectively. In support of ''Back to Basics'', Aguilera embarked on the Back to Basics Tour, which ran from November 2006 to October 2008. With US$48.1 million grossed, the tour was the highest-grossing solo female tour of 2007. In January 2008, a son named Max was born to Aguilera and Bratman. Later that year, she appeared in the Martin Scorsese documentary '' Shine a Light'' chronicling a two-day concert by The Rolling Stones in New York City's Beacon Theatre, in which Aguilera performs " Live with Me" alongside the band's lead vocalist Mick Jagger. In commemoration of a decade-long career in the music industry, Aguilera released a greatest hits album titled '' Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits'' exclusively through Target in November 2008, in the US. In addition to previous singles, it includes four original
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
-oriented songs, two of which are remade versions of two previous singles. Aguilera commented that the newly recorded tracks' "futurisic, robotic sound" served as a preview for her follow-up studio album. ''Keeps Gettin' Better'' peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200, and its titular single " Keeps Gettin' Better" charted at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ''Billboard'' in 2009 recognized Aguilera as the 20th most successful artist of the 2000s.


2010–2011: ''Bionic'', ''Burlesque'', and ''The Voice''

Aguilera began working on her sixth studio album during her pregnancy when she frequently listened to electronic music. The lead single from the album, " Not Myself Tonight", was released in March 2010. Heavily influenced by electronic genres, the song signaled Aguilera's musical experiments on her forthcoming album. It peaked at number 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The album, titled '' Bionic'', was released in June 2010. Categorized as a R&B-flavored futurepop album by critics, ''Bionic'' lyrically revolves around sexual themes while also discussing feminism. Critical reaction to the album was mixed; reviewers commended Aguilera's experimentation with new styles, but found it forced and unnatural. The album peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200 and has sold 332,000 copies in the US as of 2019. The album spawned one other international single, " You Lost Me". Two other singles from the album, " Woohoo" featuring rapper Nicki Minaj and " I Hate Boys", were released in the US and Europe, and Australia, respectively. Aguilera starred alongside
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
in the musical film ''
Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
''. Written and directed by
Steve Antin Steven Antin (born April 19, 1958) is an American actor, stunt performer, screenwriter, producer, and director. Early life Antin was born in Queens, New York City, the son of British Jewish immigrants. He is the brother of fellow actor Neil ...
, the film was released in theaters in November 2010. Aguilera played Ali Rose, who quits her bar service job and moves to Los Angeles, where she aspires to be a performer in a
burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
club owned by Tess Scali (Cher). ''Burlesque'' grossed US$90 million in the box office and received mixed reviews from critics, who found it
cliché A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was consi ...
d but praised Aguilera's acting. The film received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. Aguilera recorded eight tracks for the film's ten-track accompanying soundtrack, and Cher performed the other two. The soundtrack reached number 18 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. At Super Bowl XLV in February 2011, Aguilera omitted a few lines while performing the US national anthem. She apologized for the incident, saying: "I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place." At the
53rd Annual Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prio ...
, she performed alongside Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams, and Florence Welch in a segment that paid tribute to soul singer
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
. Aguilera finalized her divorce from Jordan Bratman, from whom she had been separated since September 2010, on April 15, 2011. She concurrently started dating Matthew Rutler, an assistant on the set of ''Burlesque''. From April 2011 to December 2012, Aguilera served as a coach on the first three seasons of the television competition series '' The Voice''. During the first season, Aguilera was featured on
Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
's single " Moves like Jagger" upon the invitation of the group's lead vocalist and Aguilera's fellow ''The Voice'' coach
Adam Levine Adam Noah Levine (; born March 18, 1979) is an American singer and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the pop rock band Maroon 5. Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, of which ...
. The single peaked atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was
certified diamond Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA).


2012–2017: ''Lotus'', second child, and television projects

Upon the third season of ''The Voice'' in September 2012, Aguilera released " Your Body" as the lead single from her seventh studio album. The single charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 34. The album, titled ''
Lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...
'', followed in November 2012. Aguilera described the record as a "rebirth" of herself after the personal struggles she overcame. Contemporary reviewers found the album generic and conventional, as opposed to Aguilera's previous experimental ventures. ''Lotus'' peaked at number seven on the ''Billboard'' 200 and has sold 303,000 copies in the US as of 2019. The album was supported by another single, " Just a Fool", featuring Aguilera's fellow ''The Voice'' coach Blake Shelton. In December 2012, Aguilera was replaced by Shakira for the fourth season of ''The Voice'' due to wanting to focus on solo projects. She returned for the fifth season in September 2013. In 2013, Aguilera scored three international top-ten singles. She was featured on rapper
Pitbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
's " Feel This Moment", which peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. She subsequently appeared on Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández's cover of Miguel Gallardo's "
Hoy Tengo Ganas de Ti "Hoy Tengo Ganas de Ti" ( en, "Today I Have Desire for You ") is a song written and performed by Spanish singer-songwriter Miguel Gallardo. It was released in 1976 as the lead single from his debut studio album ''Autorretrato''. The song is abou ...
" (1976), which earned a diamond certification in Mexico. Aguilera collaborated with
A Great Big World A Great Big World is an American musical duo from New York made up of singer/songwriters Ian Axel and Chad King and signed to Epic Records. The group is best known for their single "This Is the New Year", which was performed by the cast in an epis ...
on the ballad " Say Something", which earned a six-time platinum certification from the RIAA and won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
. Aguilera temporarily withdrew from ''The Voice'' for the sixth and seventh seasons, wishing to devote time to her family. She was respectively replaced by Shakira and
Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
during the two seasons. After her engagement to Matthew Rutler in February 2014 and the birth of their daughter Summer in August, she returned for the eighth season in October. Aguilera's last season on ''The Voice'' was the tenth, which she won with her contestant Alisan Porter in May 2016. Aguilera played a recurring role of Jade St. John, a pop singer who tries to venture out to country music, on the third season of ABC's musical drama series ''
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
'' in April 2015. Two promotional singles were released in order to support her appearance: "The Real Thing" and "
Shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
". She and her partner Rutler served as executive producers for a music-based game show, ''Tracks'', which aired on
Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was o ...
in March 2016. On June 16, 2016, Aguilera released a song titled " Change" in which she dedicated to the victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting as well as
Christina Grimmie Christina Victoria Grimmie (March 12, 1994 – June 10, 2016) was an American singer and YouTuber. In 2009, she began posting covers of popular songs onto YouTube. After releasing her debut EP, '' Find Me'' (2011), her YouTube channel reached ...
, who was fatally shot in Orlando the day before the nightclub shooting. The proceeds were donated to the National Compassion Fund to benefit the victims' families. Her other works included recording a
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
song titled "
Telepathy Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic W ...
" featuring
Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
for the soundtrack of Netflix original series '' The Get Down'' (2016), being a voice actress for '' The Emoji Movie'' (2017), and starring in the romantic science fiction film '' Zoe'' released in 2018. In November 2017, Aguilera performed a medley of ''
The Bodyguard A bodyguard is an individual who protects another from harm or threats. Bodyguard may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * The Bodyguard (1944 film), ''The Bodyguard'' (1944 film), a Tom and Jerry short * Bodyguard (1948 film), ...
'' songs during the American Music Awards in honor to celebrate Whitney Houston.


2018–2021: ''Liberation'' and Christina Aguilera: The Xperience

Aguilera started working on her eighth studio album in the summer of 2015. " Accelerate" featuring Ty Dolla Sign and
2 Chainz Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (or Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, al ...
was released as the lead single from the album on May 3, 2018. "Accelerate" became Aguilera's tenth number one song on the US ''Billboard'' Dance Songs Chart. It was followed by the promotional single " Twice" on May 11, and the second single " Fall in Line" featuring
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
on May 16. " Like I Do" featuring GoldLink was released on June 7, 2018, as the album's third and final single. ''Liberation'', was released on June 15, 2018, to favorable reviews. Aguilera heavily incorporated R&B and hip hop on the album to represent her desire for freedom from what she described as the "churning hamster wheel" that was ''The Voice''. ''Liberation'' debuted at number six on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, becoming Aguilera's seventh US top-ten album. At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, "Fall in Line" was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, while "Like I Do" received a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance. Aguilera starred in the romantic science fiction ''Zoe'', which was premiered at the Tribeca Film festival in April 2018, and was later released on July 20 by Amazon Studios. To promote ''Liberation'', Aguilera embarked on her first tour in 10 years, The Liberation Tour, which ran from September to November 2018. and a follow-up European tour, The X Tour, which ran from July to December 2019. She also headlined Christina Aguilera: The Xperience, a 25-date concert residency at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, beginning in May and concluding in March 2020. In October 2019, Aguilera released the soul and blues-inspired song "Haunted Heart" from the soundtrack of the computer-animated '' Addams Family'' film, and a month later " Fall on Me"—her second collaboration with A Great Big World—was premiered. On March 6, 2020, Aguilera released " Loyal Brave True" as a promotional single from the live action remake of ''
Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
''. '' Rolling Stone'' considered it Oscar-worthy while the song was also shortlisted as one of fifteen potential nominees for the
Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...
. She released a re-recording of " Reflection" on August 28. In July 2021, Aguilera performed for two nights at the
Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
with Gustavo Dudamel and the
Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...
. Both shows were sold out. In early October, Aguilera featured on the soundtrack for '' The Addams Family 2'' performing the theme song from the original series. That same week, Aguilera performed two medleys for ABC's Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary special with the songs " Reflection", " When You Wish Upon a Star" and " Loyal Brave True". Later that month, Aguilera performed " River Deep – Mountain High" at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a tribute for Tina Turner. On December 7, 2021, Aguilera was also honored with the first Music Icon award at the
47th People's Choice Awards The 47th ceremony of the People's Choice Awards was held on December 7, 2021, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Hosted by Kenan Thompson, the show was the first to be presented before an in-person audience since 2019. The televis ...
.


2022–present: ''Aguilera'' and upcoming tenth studio album

In early 2021, Aguilera announced that her ninth studio album would be in Spanish, being her first in 22 years, following up '' Mi Reflejo'' (2000). She also announced that the album would be released in three parts, with the first being an extended play titled '' La Fuerza'', eventually released on January 21, 2022. Preceding the EP's release, on October 21, 2021, Aguilera released " Pa Mis Muchachas", with Becky G, Nicki Nicole and Nathy Peluso. Following that, on November 19, Aguilera debuted the second single, " Somos Nada", at the
22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards The 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards was held on Thursday, November 18, 2021, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas to honour the best musical releases within Latin music released from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021. The nominations were announce ...
. On January 20, 2022, alongside the release of ''La Fuerza'', " Santo", a collaboration with Ozuna, was released as the third single. On May 6, 2022, a music video was released for " La Reina". On April 1, 2022, Aguilera performed at the Dubai Expo 2020 and closed the show with a cover of " A Million Dreams". In late May, Aguilera announced '' La Tormenta'', the second extended play apart of her then-forthcoming Spanish-language studio album and its next single, "
Suéltame "Suéltame" () is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera and Argentine singer Tini (singer), Tini for the former's ninth studio and second Spanish-language album, ''Aguilera (album), Aguilera'' (2022). It was written by the performers alon ...
" with Argentine singer Tini. The EP was released on May 30, 2022, after being delayed due to the Robb Elementary School shooting. On May 31, 2022, her ninth studio album, '' Aguilera'', was released on streaming services and featured all the songs from ''La Fuerza'', ''La Tormenta'' and a new duet with Christian Nodal of "Cuando Me Dé la Gana". ''Aguilera'' went on to be nominated for two
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Latin Pop Album and Best Immersive Audio Album and two Latin Grammy Awards for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. On June 11, 2022, Aguilera performed at Los Angeles Pride alongside
Mya Mya may refer to: Brands and product names * Mya (program), an intelligent personal assistant created by Motorola * Mya (TV channel), an Italian Television channel * Midwest Young Artists, a comprehensive youth music program Codes * Burmese ...
, Kim Petras and Paris Hilton. During one segment of the show, Aguilera wore a
strap-on dildo A strap-on dildo (also strap-on) is a dildo designed to be worn, usually with a harness, during sexual activity. Harnesses and dildos are made in a wide variety of styles, with variations in how the harness fits the wearer, how the dildo attach ...
which received both praise and controversy. After her Los Angeles Pride headline show, Agulera embarked on a festival tour, EU/UK Summer Series, which included three festivals in Spain, one in Monaco, three arena shows in United Kingdom, and ended with Brighton Pride. During the show in Liverpool, Aguilera revealed that she had begun working on her tenth studio album, which would be in English. On September 29, 2022, Aguilera performed "La Reina" at the 2022 ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards and received the ''Billboard'' Spirit of Hope Award. ''La Luz'', the third and final EP from ''Aguilera'', was released that same day and featured a spoken intro by Aguilera and "
No Es Que Te Extrañe "No Es Que Te Extrañe" () is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her ninth studio album, '' Aguilera''. It was written by Aguilera, Edgar Barrera, Pablo Preciado, Yasmil Marrufo, Rafa Arcaute and Federico Vindver, and produ ...
". On October 21, 2022, a deluxe 20th anniversary version of ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' was released and featured two new tracks: "I Will Be" (the b-side to " Dirrty") and Benny Benassi's remix to " Beautiful". A new music video for " Beautiful" was also released. In November 2022, ''Aguilera'' won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the
23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards The 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards ceremony was held on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at the Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas to honour the best musical releases within Latin music released from June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2022. The nominations were a ...
. She also performed "Cuando Me Dé la Gana" with Christian Nodal the same night. Aguilera was announced as a headliner of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival festival in
Viña del Mar Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located within the Valparaíso Region, and it is Chile's fourth largest city w ...
.


Artistry


Voice

Critics have described Aguilera as a
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
, possessing a four-octave vocal range (from C3 to C♯7), being also able to perform the whistle register. After the release of her self-titled debut album, Ron Fair — executive of RCA Records — said he was betting on Aguilera due to her "perfect intonation", considering that she had "pipes to be the next Barbra Streisand or Céline Dion". In an article for ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
'', Maura Johnston wrote that although Aguilera works in contemporary pop music, she has "an instrument that despite its ability to leap octaves has a low-end grounding similar to that possessed by opera singers". Highlighting her vocal versatility, Joan Anderman from '' The Boston Globe'' stated that she is "a real singer ..blessed with the sort of breathtaking elasticity, golden tones, and sheer power that separate the divas from the dabblers". Aguilera is also recognized for making use of melisma in her songs and performances; Jon Pareles, writing for '' The New York Times'', analyzed her vocal abilities, emphasizing that "she can aim a note as directly as a missile or turn its trajectory into an aerobatic spiral of leaping, quivering, scalloping melismas". According to critics of '' Rolling Stone'' magazine, she has been modeled her "dramatic and melismatic technique" following steps of artists like
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...
. Throughout her career, her vocal ability has yielded comparisons with other vocalists. As a result of her use of melismatic technique, David Browne associated her with Whitney Houston and
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
, opining that the three form the team of the main proponents of this vocal modality. Sharing the same point of view, Sasha Frere-Jones, columnist for '' The New Yorker'', expressed that the technique was responsible for making her a "serious singer" without needing to "reincarnate the
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...
". Steve Kipner — songwriter of " Genie in a Bottle" (1999) — considered that Aguilera has an "impressive" vocal dexterity, being able to "internalized all the riffs from
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
". Ann Powers, critic from '' Los Angeles Times'', said that Aguilera has a voice "purely powerful as that of Etta James ..and she's moving toward the expressiveness of Gladys Knight, if not
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
"; however, Powers notes that her vocal ability in ballad songs "connects her to Barbra Streisand", in addition to comparing her to
Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...
when she works on songs influenced by rhythm and blues. However, Aguilera has also been criticized for the excessive use of melisma, as well as for oversinging in her songs and concerts. Writing for '' The Huffington Post'', John Eskow stated that she is the main proponent of "oversouling" and, despite recognizing that she has a "great instrument", opined that she " oesn'tseem to know when to stop" with the use of "gratuitous and confected melisma". Lucy Davies, author at BBC Music, acknowledges that Aguilera has a "stunning voice", but indicated that "she could be more varied, simply by cutting out some of the 'y-e-e-eeeh, woah yeh's' in her songs". During the recording session of " Beautiful" (2002), the producer Linda Perry recalled that Aguilera had difficulty avoiding "vocal improvisations", stopping the recording every time she started to "
versing Versing are an indie rock group from Tacoma, Washington, later residing in Seattle. They have released two albums and an LP. History The group met at KUPS, the student radio station at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. The initial lineup ...
. Perry used the first take, saying, "She had a hard time accepting that as the final track. She's a perfectionist. She knows her voice really well and she knows what's going on. She can hear things that nobody else would catch." In an article for '' Entertainment Weekly'', Chris Willman opined that Aguilera's tendency to oversinging is due to the influence of Carey in her vocal abilities, noting "her slightly nasal tone that really only becomes obvious when she's overselling a song".
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
writer Alexa Tietjen added that Aguilera "does tend to take it to the extreme at times ..but Christina's vocal prowess is what's gotten her so far. Love them or hate them, the riffs are a part of who she is as a performer."


Influences

According to Pier Dominguez, the domestic violence that Aguilera suffered during her childhood directly impacted her developing personality. However, the author states that unlike other children who witness the violence at home, she did not show feelings of guilt, emotional disturbance or aggressive behavior towards people; on the contrary, she created an "internal defense mechanism". On the other hand, Chloé Govan comments that the fact that Aguilera had been a victim of bullying at school made her an introverted and insecure person. Her mother's role was crucial in changing this situation, from whom she learned a "message about self-respect". Both authors agree that the learning had a strong influence on Aguilera's behavior in the transition to adulthood and exerted an impact on her early number-one singles in career, " Genie in a Bottle" and " What a Girl Wants" (both from 1999), the lyrics of which can refer to female empowerment. Aguilera states that her biggest influence in music was
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...
: " he'smy all-time favorite singer ..I'll still be as raunchy as I wanna be, and I'll have her memory to back me up. She's what I want to be someday". As her first references to sing and perform, Aguilera credits the musical '' The Sound of Music'' (1959) and its lead actress,
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
; other of the main inspirations cited throughout her career includes Whitney Houston,
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
, Michael Jackson,
Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role i ...
,
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
and the bands Red Hot Chili Peppers and
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
. Furthermore, Aguilera recalls that she started singing her first songs in Spanish during her childhood because of her parents who constantly listened to works by Julio Iglesias. Other musical inspirations for Aguilera include Chavela Vargas and Vicente Fernández. Aguilera described her song " La Reina" from '' Aguilera'' (2022) as a respectful response to Fernández's "
El Rey El Rey, Spanish for The King, may refer to: Locations *El Rey Inn, Santa Fe, New Mexico *El Rey National Park in Argentina *El Rey Theatre, a live music venue in Los Angeles, California *El Rey archaeological site, a Mayan site in Cancun, Mexico ...
". In recognition of what she describes as "positive female artists," Aguilera mentioned
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
and
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
as artistic influences; in 2000, during an interview with ''
Jam! Canoe Jam! was a Canadian website which covers entertainment news. It was part of the Canoe.com online portal, formerly owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division, and now owned by Postmedia Network. Jam! was the only media outle ...
'', she demonstrated her respect for both singers because they have "taken on the stage, the studio and the screen and have been successful in all three ..artists who aren't afraid to take chances and be daring, experimental and sexy".
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
was also highlighted as one of Aguilera's source of inspiration in career as she remembered that saw her for the first time in the music video for " If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989), described as a "pivotal moment" that encouraged her as a "woman who's been there, done everything, before everyone else – who had the guts to do it". Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald were Aguilera's biggest influences on her vocal abilities as a child. Some of her inspirations were portrayed in her artistic work; during the process of developing of her fifth studio album, '' Back to Basics'' (2006), Aguilera revealed that she had been influenced by music records from
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
,
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
, Nina Simone and Otis Redding. In the audiovisual work for " Candyman" (2007), she performed three different roles as an allusion to the interpretation of " Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the group The Andrews Sisters on a brief appearance in the film '' Buck Privates'' (1941). Outside the music industry, she mentioned Marilyn Monroe as a reference, paying tribute to the actress in the music video for " Tilt Ya Head Back" (2004) and in movie ''
Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
'' (2010) — where she recorded one of Monroe's most popular songs, " Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", featured in musical '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1953). Furthermore, Aguilera highlighted her inspirations in the art world, declaring to be an appreciator of works by Andy Warhol,
Roy Lichtenstein Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. Hi ...
and Banksy.


Musical style and themes

Generally referred to as a
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
artist, Aguilera has gone on to experiment with different musical genres throughout her career. She explains that she always tries to bring something new in her projects, "experiment with ervoice" in addition to verbalizing her preference of working with more "obscure" collaborators and that she is not necessarily inclined to contact "the number-one chart-toppers in music" because of their popular demand. Reviewing her artistically, Alexis Petridis, columnist from '' The Guardian'', recognized that her "boldness in reinventing herself" was always "one of her most impressive facets," while Kelefa Sanneh from '' The New York Times'' highlighted her "decision to snub some of the big-name producers on whom pop stars often rely". Aguilera's first two records, ''Christina Aguilera'' (1999) and ''Mi Reflejo'' (2000), were produced with an influsion of teen pop and
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
, with the latter also referencing her incentive through Latin music. She showed artistic growth with ''Stripped'' (2002) which was described as "substantive and mature ..with pleasantly surprising depth," where she showed a range of genres, including R&B, hip hop, rock, and soul, and moved away from the teen niche. On her fifth studio album, ''Back to Basics'' (2006), Aguilera worked with several producers to create a "throwback with elements of old-school genres combined with a modern-day twist ndhard-hitting beats".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
from AllMusic called the project an "artistic statement ..a little crass and self-centered, but also catchy, exciting and unique". In 2010, Aguilera developed the soundtrack for ''Burlesque'', whose content was influenced by '' Cabaret'' (1972) and highlighted several songs that were redone as dance numbers in a fashion similar to '' Moulin Rouge!'' (2001). In the same year, ''Bionic'' saw Aguilera working with producers specialized in electronic music to create a future-pop project with elements taken from electro. Sam Lanksy from MTV Buzzworthy described it as "forward-thinking and even timeless," and praised its "subversive ndambient production". Aguilera explored and heavily incorporated electro-pop on ''Lotus'' (2012). Conversely, in 2018 she contributed with Kanye West and Anderson Paak on ''Liberation'', creating an album inspired by R&B and hip-hop styles which she had included in her previous material. Aguilera had noted that, "There's nothing like an amazing hip-hop beat. At the end of the day, I am a soul singer ..singing soulfully is where my core, my root and my heart really is". Regarding the themes of her music, Aguilera stated that she feels a "sense of responsibility" to reference portions of her personal life so that "people that can relate might not feel as alone in the circumstance". Most of her songs have covered themes of love, motherhood, marriage and fidelity. She has also deal with heavy topics such as
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
and
abusive relationship Relational aggression or alternative aggressionSimmons, Rachel (2002). ''Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls''. New York, New York: Mariner Books. pp. 8–9. . Retrieved 2016-11-02. is a type of aggression in which harm is cause ...
s. Sex has also played a huge part in Aguilera's music. In an interview with '' People'', she stated, "If I want to be sexual, it's for my own appreciation and enjoyment. That's why I like to talk about the fact that sometimes I am attracted to women. I appreciate their femininity and beauty". Recognized for being feministic in her music, Aguilera denounced the double standard for the first time in " Can't Hold Us Down" (2002), explaining that men are applauded for their sexual behaviors, while women who behave in a similar fashion are disdained. Writing for ''The Guardian'', Hermione Hoby noted that she "incites a sisterly spirit of collaboration ndnot shy of the odd feministic declaration herself".


Image

Aguilera has reinvented her public image numerous times during her career. Early in her career, she was marketed as a
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
singer due to the genre's high financial return in the late 1990s, becoming a teen idol. ''
Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
'' wrtier Tom Breihan noted that Aguilera "thought of herself primarily as a ..young
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
-type, but her A&R rep Ron Fair had instead sent erinto the pop zeitgeist" of the times. However, she was accused of cultivating a sexual image, attracting criticism regarding her revealing clothes; in an interview with
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
, Debbie Gibson accused her of "influencing girls out there wearing less and less", considering that "she lives and breathes the sexual image". In response to negative comments, Aguilera stated: "Just because I have a certain image, everyone wants me to be this role model. But nobody is perfect, and nobody can live up to that". Furthermore, her music and image received comparisons to
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
. David Browne, author from '' Entertainment Weekly'', noted that she was "a good girl pretending to be bad" when compared to Spears' music and image. In contrast, Christopher J. Farley of '' Time'' considered her a more impressive artist than Spears. Megan Turner from '' New York Post'' compared the "battle" between both artists in the media with the previous one between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones; however, she highlighted the difference in them, opining that "while Britney has a va-va-voom sexuality ..Aguilera had charm and a youthful appeal". '' Bustle'' writer James Tison labelled Aguilera a " diva" saying she "mastered being one in the best way possible". He added that "one of her best diva qualities is her willingness to embrace her own sexuality". In 2002, Aguilera introduced her
alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differen ...
Xtina, for which she adopted increasingly provocative and extravagant looks. During this period, she dyed her hair black, debuted body piercings and photographed nude for several publications. While analyzing her new visual, '' Vice'' and '' Rolling Stone'' magazines wrote that her new clothes echoed as if she were participating in the '' Girls Gone Wild'' franchise. On the other hand, she reinforced her new visual direction by dressing up as a nun during a performance of " Dirrty" (2002) accompanied by a choir and undressed to reveal what she would wear underneath to serving as the host of the
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards were held in Western Harbour in Edinburgh, Scotland. The awards ceremony was held in a 6,000-capacity big top arena constructed specifically for the main event. On the night, Justin Timberlake notably received a ...
. In a review of her persona, author
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of AllMusic opined that Aguilera reached "maturity with transparent sexuality and pounding sounds of nightclubs". Writing for '' The Daily Telegraph'', Adam White was more positive about her image and recognized that her "embracing of an overtly sexual image in the wake of adolescent stardom was a tried and tested route to adult success". Under a new persona named Baby Jane — a reference to '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' (1962) — Aguilera again transformed her public image in 2006; sticking to the platinum blonde in her hair, she started to dress inspired by actresses from Old Hollywood. However, in 2010, her new looks were highlighted in the international media for comparisons with those used by Lady Gaga. After gaining weight in 2012, she was criticized by several publications; in the following year, she received favorable media attention after a significant weight loss. In the March 2018 edition of '' Paper'', she appeared without makeup and photographic manipulation, receiving praise and attracting attention to artists who would pose the same way on their social media. Aguilera has been cited as a
sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive.Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor to ...
. Through
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
, she was included in the list of the sexiest entertainment artists in 2002 and 2013; in publications from '' FHM'' and '' Complex'', she received similar honors in 2004 and 2012, respectively. In 2003, she was chosen as the sexiest woman of the year by '' Maxim'', stamping the cover of the best-selling issue of the magazine's history. Furthermore, she was mentioned as one of the most beautiful people in the world in 2003 and 2007 in '' People'' editions. Aguilera also is recognized a gay icon; in 2019, she was awarded by the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
for using her "platform to share a message of hope and inspiration to those who have been marginalized ..bringing greater visibility to the LGBTQ community". Her fashion sense has also attracted media attention throughout her artistic life; Jon Caramanica, journalist from '' The New York Times'', concluded that "Aguilera will be remembered for her glamour and her scandalous take on femme-pop", while Janelle Okwodu from '' Vogue'' noted that she "has never been afraid to take a fashion risk ndhas filled her videos with jaw-dropping styles and risqué runway looks". Following her appearance at New York Fashion Week in 2018, '' Dazed'' named her one of the most stylish people of the year. Aguilera has called her fans "fighters", which has become the nickname used on social media to refer to her fanbase. She is one of the most popular musicians on Twitter with approximately 17 million followers, and was one of the most searched artists in the world in 2002, 2004, and 2010 through Google. She was also one of the most popular searches in 2003 by Yahoo! Search. When she became a coach on '' The Voice'', Aguilera became one of the highest-paid American television stars; in 2011, it was reported that she would receive $225,000 per episode, as well as $12 million per season in 2013, $12.5 million in 2014, and $17 million in 2016. In 2007, '' Forbes'' included her on its list of richest women in entertainment with an estimated net worth estimated of $60 million, and estimated that she had earned $20 million that year. In 2021, Yahoo! Finance estimated Aguilera's fortune at $160 million.


Legacy

Various music journalists and authors have noted Aguilera's legacy in the
entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...
and deemed her as one of the greatest artists in pop music. In 2004, she was listed as one of the most influential people in the music market according to '' The Independent'', and was cited as the eight greatest woman in the phonographic industry by
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
. Early in her career, Aguilera was labeled as a teen idol, and has been cited as one of the artists who revived teen pop in the late nineties; '' Time'' magazine stated that she was a "pioneer na different type of teen stardom", crediting her vocal ability as responsible for the phenomenon. Since then, she has been named as one of the greatest singers in contemporary pop music; by
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, she was cited as one of the best voices in music since eighties, while '' Rolling Stone'' and '' Consequence of Sound'' included her in their lists of greatest singers of all time. In 2013, '' Latina'' honored her as the best vocalist of Latin origin in history. With the recognition of her vocal ability and influence in the music industry, she has been referred in media with the titles of "
Princess of Pop Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage producti ...
" and " Voice of a Generation". Upon launching her music career in the late nineties, Aguilera was cited as one of the artists who shaped the "Latin explosion", in addition to contributed to the Latin pop boom in American music in early of the century. Considered one of the greatest artists of the 2000s, she has been classified between the main references of the
Millennials Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000 ...
; writing for '' Vice'' magazine, Wanna Thompson analyzed her impact in the turn of the century, stating that alongside
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, "Aguilera dominated mainstream pop-related discussions. erperfectly packaged music and looks appealed to tweens and teens who wanted to be like the pretty, chart-topping pop stars plastered everywhere". The commercial success of her first projects as a
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
singer caused an effect that influenced record labels to invest in new artists who attracted the same youthful appeal, catapulting names like
Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' Swe ...
and Mandy Moore. Critics also highlighted the impact of her work in popular culture; while ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' (2002) was cited as "the blueprint for divas making the transition from teen idol to adult pop star", Aguilera is credited for "paving the way for a generation of pop singers". Jeff Benjamin from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' stated that the album explored a "process of self-identification and declaration still influencing today's mainstream scene", in addition to "how of today's biggest pop stars have followed a similar path, exploring and incorporating these strategies into their careers". In 2007, her self-titled debut album was added to the definitive list from
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
, being recognized as one of the "history's most influential and popular albums". Since then, Aguilera and her work have influenced various recording artists including
Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...
, Ava Max, Becky G,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, Camila Cabello, Charli XCX,
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
,
Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
, Grimes, Halsey,
Hayley Williams Hayley Nichole Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Paramore. Born and raised in Missi ...
, Iggy Azalea, Karol G, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Lauren Jauregui, Meghan Trainor, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Nicole, Olivia Rodrigo, Rina Sawayama, Rosalía,
Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer and actress. Carpenter made her acting debut with an appearance in the television crime show ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' and had a recurring role on Fox Broadcasting ...
, Sam Smith, Selena Gomez, and Tinashe, and athletes such as figure skater Johnny Weir, ice dancers Zachary Donohue and Madison Hubbell, and swimmer
Dana Vollmer Dana Whitney Vollmer (born November 13, 1987) is a former American competition swimmer, five-time Olympic gold medalist, and former world record-holder. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she won a gold medal as a member of the winning United States ...
. Aguilera has also been praised for emphasizing the importance of feminism in pop music; several journalists agree that her use of sexual imagery has helped catalyze public discourse on the topic. Lamar Dawson, columnist from '' The Huffington Post'', praised her feminist efforts in the music industry and recognized that "while Christina isn't the first pop star to place feminist rhetoric into pop culture, she led the charge at the beginning of the 21st century of influencing the next generation of impressionable teens who were too young for Janet acksonand
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's curriculum". Gerrick D. Kennedy from '' Los Angeles Times'' shared the same point of view and stated that "for a generation who hit puberty during the great 2000 pop explosion, Aguilera was an essential voice with music that tackled self-empowerment, feminism, sex and domestic violence — subject matter her contemporaries were shying away from". Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, co-founder of '' The Vagenda'', opined that the provocative dance routines in Aguilera's music videos was "empowering", as she has been referred to as the forerunner of the '' slutdrop'' dance style. Aguilera's videography impact was also analysed by music critics. While " Dirrty" (2002) has been described as "one of the most controversial videos in pop music history", and one of the greatest music videos of all time, Issy Beech from ''
i-D ''i-D'' is a British bimonthly magazine published by Vice Media, dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. ''i-D'' was founded by designer and former ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'' art director Terry Jones (i-D), Terry Jones in 1980. The ...
'' recognized that the audiovisual work "paved a path for videos like " Anaconda" and " Wrecking Ball" ..paved the way for open sexuality from women in pop". In the video for " Beautiful" (2002), the highlight scene of a gay kiss has been considered one of the most important moments for LGBT culture, in addition to start Aguilera's image as a gay icon. Both works was elected as one of the greatest music videos of the 21st century by editors from ''Billboard'', while she was named one of the greatest women of the video era according VH1. In 2012, her videographic collection and some looks used throughout her career were part of an exhibition by the National Museum of Women in the Arts aimed at illustrating "the essential roles women have played in moving rock and roll and American culture forward". Jon Caramanica from '' The New York Times'' also commented about her contributions to television, observing an expressive number of artists signing with television networks to act as coaches of singing
reality competition Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
after her participation in the American version of ''The Voice'' franchise.


Achievements

Aguilera has accumulated several awards and accolades in her career. At the age of nineteen, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, being recognized by The Recording Academy as one of the youngest singers to receive this award. She has since gone on to win four more Grammys. Furthermore, she has won two Latin Grammy Awards, two
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
, one ''Billboard'' Music Award, one Guinness World Records, and was also nominated with a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
. In 2010, she received a star on
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
in "recognition of her achievements in the recording industry". In 2019, she was also immortalized as a Disney Legend in "honor for her remarkable contributions to the Walt Disney Company". In addition to being often cited as one of the most prominent Latin artists in the
entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...
, Aguilera was elected as one of the
100 most influential people in the world ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...
by '' Time'' in 2013. Aguilera is recognized as one of the world's best-selling music artists, with estimated sales around 75 million records. According to
Nielsen Soundscan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
, she has sold over 18.3 million albums in the United States, and her self-titled debut album (1999) was certified 8x platinum and listed as one of the best-selling in the country by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). Regarding her digital sales, it is estimated that she has sold around 21.4 million tracks in the country until 2014. In the United Kingdom, Aguilera has sold over 9.4 million records as of 2013, which 3.3 million in albums sales and 6.1 million in singles sales. According to The Official Charts Company, her fourth studio album ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' (2002) is one of the few to surpass the 2 million copies sold, becoming the second highest-selling album by an American female artist during the 2000s and one of the best-selling albums of the millennium in the country. Furthermore, " Moves Like Jagger" (2011) — her collaboration with band
Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
— was cited as one of the best-selling singles in Australia, Canada, South Korea,Cumulative sales for "Moves Like Jagger": * * * * * * * the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as one of the best-selling digital singles with over 14.4 million copies. The song was
certified Diamond Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the RIAA in 2021. After being listed as the top female artist of 2000 and 2003, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' classified Aguilera as the twentieth most successful artist of the 2000s. Through the same publication, she was considered one of the most successful artists of the decade on ''Billboard'' 200,
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
, and
Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
charts, and the second best-selling singles artist in the United States, behind
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
. In 2016, she was also nominated as one of the greatest artists in history of the Mainstream Top 40 and
Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
charts. In addition, Aguilera was recognized by the magazine as one of the four female artists in history to have a number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in three consecutive decades. In 2020, she was cited by '' Pollstar'' as one of the top female artists of the 21st century in the concert industry; according to the publication, she sold more than 1.8 million tickets for her performances throughout her career, with an earning exceeding $113.8 million. In Morocco, Aguilera held her largest audience concert, attracting 250,000 people to her performance at Mawazine Festival, becoming the record audience in history of the event.


Other activities


Investments and endorsements

Outside of her projects in the music industry, Aguilera has worked in other activities. In 2016, after founding her own production company, MX Productions, she signed a contract with
Lions Gate Entertainment Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered in ...
to develop a music competition program, named ''Tracks'', which was aired on
Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was o ...
. At the same year, it was reported that she was an investor of multiple companies, including Pinterest, DraftKings, Lyft and MasterClass — for which she also developed a singing class. Throughout her career, she has worked with the sale of your own products; in 2011, she attended São Paulo Fashion Week to unveil her first clothes line which was commercialized at the Brazilian department store C&A. In 2004, she started her perfume line through Procter & Gamble (P&G), which is maintained with annual releases since then; in addition to being awarded numerous times at the FiFi Awards by The Fragrance Foundation, her fragrances ranked among the United Kingdom's best-sellers in 2007 and 2009. In 2016, Aguilera's fragrance business was acquired by Elizabeth Arden, Inc., where it was estimated that the brand had $80 million in sales and $10 million in earnings in January of that year. Aguilera has also been involved in marketing initiatives during her career, endorsing numerous brands, including Sears and
Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, to o ...
(2000), Skechers (2003), Mercedes-Benz, Virgin Mobile (both in 2004), Pepsi, Orange UK, Sony Ericsson (both in 2006), Oreo (2017), and SweeTarts (2021). In 2001, she signed with Coca-Cola to star in a series of television commercials in a deal reported to worth up £50 million. Furthermore, Aguilera inspired a clothing line by Versace in 2003, starring as a model in its advertising campaign; likewise, in 2008, she influenced and appeared in a campaign to promote a collection of sterling silver pieces designed by Stephen Webster. In 2004, it was reported that she earned over £200,000 pounds to open a summer sale at London's department store
Harrods Harrods Limited is a department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, London, England. It is currently owned by the state of Qatar via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. The Harrods brand also applies to other ...
. Following the birth of her first child in 2008, Aguilera was paid $1.5 million to submit her baby pictures to '' People'' magazine, which became the ninth most expensive celebrity baby photograph ever taken.


Philanthropy

Aguilera has done numerous philanthropic works during her career. In 2001, she signed an open letter organized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) destined to South Korea, appealing on national government to ban the consumption of dogs and cats. In 2006, she replaced a costume designed by Roberto Cavalli for her Back to Basics Tour after discovering that he had used fox fur in its composition. In 2010, Aguilera auctioned tickets to her concerts through
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
, earmarking the proceeds to non-profit environmental organizations, including
Conservation International Conservation International (CI) is an American nonprofit environmental organization headquartered in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia. CI's work focuses on science, policy and partnership with businesses, governments and communities. The organ ...
and the Natural Resources Defense Council. She has also worked to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS; in 2004, she was the face of a make-up line by
MAC Cosmetics MAC Cosmetics, stylized as M·A·C, is a Canadian cosmetics manufacturer founded in Toronto, Canada in 1984 by Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo. The company is headquartered in New York City after becoming a subsidiary of Estée Lauder Companies i ...
, profits of which were used to benefit the
Mac AIDS Fund M∙A∙C AIDS Fund (M·A·F) is a public charity established in 1994 to support people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. It donates funds to communities and organizations that offer services to people with HIV/AIDS and help to prevent the disease ...
. In the following year, Aguilera appeared in a photo book which raised funds for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, in addition to starring in a campaign organized by YouthAIDS. In 2003, Aguilera visited and donated over $200,000 dollars to the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, a support center for victims of domestic violence. In 2019, she donated part of the proceeds from her residency concert to an organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Furthermore, she has starred in commercials on the
Lifetime Lifetime may refer to: * Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Lifetime (band), a rock band from New Jersey * ''Life Time'' (Rollins Band album), by Rollins Band * ...
channel calling for an end to violence against women, and collaborated with institutions that fight breast cancer. In 2005, she participated in a gala event designed to raise funds for child support organizations, including
Nelson Mandela Children's Fund The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) is a charitable organisation founded by Nelson Mandela, based in South Africa. Its mission is to help individuals from birth to age 22.Turkish version of the game show '' Deal or No Deal'', where she earned ₺180,000 lire — an amount converted into donations to the country's orphanages. In a '' Montblanc'' initiative, she participated in a charity event promoting children's access to music education in 2010. Aguilera was also involved in campaigns to encourage people to vote. During the
2004 United States presidential election The 2004 United States presidential election was the 55th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. The Republican ticket of incumbent President George W. Bush and his running mate incumbent Vice President Dick Chene ...
, she was featured on advertising panels for Declare Yourself and served as a spokesperson for Rock the Vote in the 2008 presidential election. In 2005, Aguilera donated her wedding gifts to charities in support of families affected by
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. In 2012, as a result of the disaster caused by Hurricane Sandy, she participated in a special organized by
National Broadcasting Company The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
(NBC), where she performed the song " Beautiful" (2002) and asked for donations to the
American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
. In response to the
2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
, she auctioned off a Chrysler 300 and used the money raised to help disaster victims. She additionally appeared on the ''
Hope for Haiti Now ''Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief'' was a charity telethon held on January 22, 2010 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (January 23, 2010 from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. UTC). The telethon was the most widely distribut ...
'' telethon, where donations directly benefited Oxfam America, Partners In Health, Red Cross, and UNICEF. In 2009, she became the global spokesperson for the World Food Program, a branch of the United Nations (UN). Through the program, she traveled to several countries with high rates of malnutrition, such as
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, Ecuador, and
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
. Since then, it is estimated that she has helped raise more than $148 million for the organization and other hunger relief agencies in 45 countries. In 2012, her role in the project earned her the George McGovern Leadership Award, which she received in the White House from former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. In 2016, Aguilera donated proceeds of her single " Change" to the victims and families of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Aguilera noted that, "Like so many, I want to help be part of the change this world needs to make it a beautiful, inclusive place where humanity can love each other freely and passionately".


Discography

Studio albums * '' Christina Aguilera'' (1999) * '' Mi Reflejo'' (2000) * '' My Kind of Christmas'' (2000) * ''
Stripped Stripped may refer to: Music * "Stripped" (song), by Depeche Mode, 1986 * ''Stripped'' (Christina Aguilera album) or the title song, 2002 * ''Stripped'' (Daniel Ash album), 2014 * ''Stripped'' (Macy Gray album), 2016 * ''Stripped'' (Pretty Ma ...
'' (2002) * '' Back to Basics'' (2006) * '' Bionic'' (2010) * ''
Lotus Lotus may refer to: Plants *Lotus (plant), various botanical taxa commonly known as lotus, particularly: ** ''Lotus'' (genus), a genus of terrestrial plants in the family Fabaceae **Lotus flower, a symbolically important aquatic Asian plant also ...
'' (2012) * '' Liberation'' (2018) * '' Aguilera'' (2022)


Filmography

* ''
Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.
'' (2010) * '' The Emoji Movie'' (2017) * '' Zoe'' (2018)


Tours and residencies

Headlining tours * Christina Aguilera in Concert (2000–2001) * The Stripped Tour (2003) * Back to Basics Tour (2006–2008) * The Liberation Tour (2018) * The X Tour (2019) Co-headlining tours * The Justified & Stripped Tour (2003) Residencies * Christina Aguilera: The Xperience (2019–2020) Promotional tours * EU/UK Summer Series (2022)


See also

* List of artists who reached number one in the United States * List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart


References


Sources

* * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aguilera, Christina 1980 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers Activists from New York City Actresses from Los Angeles Actresses from New York City Actresses from Pittsburgh Ambassadors of supra-national bodies American child actresses American child singers American contemporary R&B singers American dance musicians American dancers American expatriates in Japan American female dancers American feminists American film actresses American Latin pop singers American people of Dutch descent American people of Ecuadorian descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Welsh descent American philanthropists American sopranos American soul singers American television actresses American voice actresses American women activists American women pop singers American women record producers American women singer-songwriters Businesspeople from Los Angeles Businesspeople from New York City Businesspeople from Pittsburgh Child pop musicians Dance-pop musicians Dancers from New York (state) Feminist musicians Grammy Award winners Hispanic and Latino American actresses Hispanic and Latino American feminists Hispanic and Latino American musicians Hispanic and Latino American women singers HIV/AIDS activists Judges in American reality television series Latin Grammy Award winners LGBT rights activists from the United States Mouseketeers MTV Europe Music Award winners Music video codirectors Musicians from Pittsburgh People from Rochester, Pennsylvania People from Staten Island RCA Records artists Record producers from California Record producers from Los Angeles Record producers from New York (state) Record producers from Pennsylvania Sex-positive feminists Singers from Los Angeles Singers from New York City Singers with a four-octave vocal range Singer-songwriters from California Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania Sony BMG artists Sony Music Latin artists Spanish-language singers of the United States Television personalities from California Television personalities from New York City Television personalities from Pittsburgh Women in Latin music World Food Programme people World Music Awards winners