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Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Referred to as the " Voice of a Generation", she is noted for her four-
octave In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
vocal range and signature use of melisma. She is recognized as an influential figure in popular music, having been credited with paving the way for pop artists who incorporate controversial themes such as feminism,
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
, and LGBT culture into their music. Aguilera rose to fame in 1999 with her self-titled debut album. Its singles " Genie in a Bottle", " What a Girl Wants" and " Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" reached the top of the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and Aguilera won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. She found continued success with (2001), ''
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) and the critically acclaimed '' Back to Basics'' (2006). The latter two constituted a departure from her teen idol image, with ''Stripped'' becoming one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. She also amassed numerous international hits, including the number-one single " Lady Marmalade", as well as " Beautiful", "
Dirrty "Dirrty" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album ''Stripped''. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, sh ...
", "
Can't Hold Us Down "Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album ''Stripped'' (2002). It was released by RCA Records on July 8, 2003, as the fourth single from the album. The t ...
", " Fighter", " Ain't No Other Man" and " Hurt". Throughout the 2010s, Aguilera featured on the successful singles "
Feel This Moment "Feel This Moment" is a song by the American rapper Pitbull, featuring American singer Christina Aguilera. The song was released on February 22, 2013, as the fourth single from the album by Mr. 305, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records ''Global Warm ...
", " Say Something", and "
Moves like Jagger "Moves like Jagger" is a song by American band Maroon 5 featuring American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 21, 2011, as the fourth and final single from the re-release of the group's third studio album '' Hands All Over'' (201 ...
"; 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. Aguilera was a cast member of the television show ''
The All-New Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...
'' (1993–1994) as a child. She recorded " Reflection", the
theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (arts), the unifying subject or idea of the type of visual work * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical ...
for the 1998
animated film Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
''
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 ...
'', and later re-recorded the track for its 2020 live-action remake. In 2019, for her contributions to the Walt Disney Company, Aguilera was honoured as a
Disney Legend The Disney Legends Awards is a Hall of Fame program that recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1987, the honor was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...
. In 2010, she 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. Her subsequent ventures included a role in the 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), roles in the films '' The Emoji Movie'' (2017) and '' Zoe'' (2018), becoming an ambassador for the World Food Programme (WFP), performing a concert residency and serving as a coach on the
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). Aguilera is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 100 million records sold worldwide. Considered a
pop culture icon 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 a triple threat entertainer, she has been named one of the greatests vocalists of all time by publications such as '' Rolling Stone'' and '' Consequence of Sound''. In 2009, ''
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 ...
'' named her the twentieth most successful artist of the 2000s, she and was ranked 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 ...
. 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 ...
. Her accolades include 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 Awards, six ALMA 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) ...
(VMA), one ''Billboard'' Music Award, one ''Guinness World Record'', and 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 ...
.


Early life

Christina María Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in New York City,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, to Shelly Loraine (
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 Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera. Her father is an Ecuadorian emigrant from Guayaquil while her mother has German, Irish, Welsh, and Dutch ancestry. Fausto Aguilera was a United States Army sergeant, and Shelly Loraine was a violinist in the
American Youth Symphony The American Youth Symphony (AYS) is an orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States, It was founded in 1964. Carlos Izcaray was announced as the third music director in the orchestra's history in 2016. History AYS was founded in 1 ...
before becoming a Spanish translator. Due to Fausto's military service, the Aguilera family moved frequently, living in New Jersey and Texas. In 1983, they moved to Japan and lived in
Sagamihara is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 723,470, with 334,812 households, and a population density of 1,220 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Sagamihara is the third-most-populous city ...
for at least two years. The family returned to the US and ultimately settled in Pennsylvania, where they welcomed her younger sister, Rachel, in 1986. Aguilera has spoken out about her father's physically and emotionally abusive behavior. She eventually used music to escape her turbulent household. In 1987, Shelly filed to divorce Fausto and moved with her children to her mother's home in Rochester, a suburb of Pittsburgh. She later married James Kearns with whom she had a son named Michael. In 2012, following decades of estrangement, Aguilera expressed interest in reconciling with her biological father. During childhood, Aguilera explored her grandmother's personal records—which featured mostly soul and blues singers—which increased her interest in music. She also began to practice singing and competing in talent contests. Followed numerous contests, she earned reputation in the neighborhood as the "little girl with a big voice" and received attention from local television and radio programs. In 1990, she performed the popular song "
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
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 '' Star Search'', but was eliminated during the semi-final round. Aguilera eventually was invited to sing " 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, as well during 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 ...
. During her youth in
Pittsburgh metropolitan area Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, ...
, she attended North Allegheny Intermediate High School before leaving there to be homeschooled to avoid bullying she experienced at school.


Career


1993–1998: Career beginnings

In 1991, Aguilera auditioned for a position on ''
The All-New Mickey Mouse Club ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and returned to social media in 2017. Created by Walt Disney and produced by Walt Disney Productions, the program was first televised fo ...
'' (MMC), aired 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 ...
. She ran against 400 candidates, and while she made the shortlist she was ultimately rejected for not meeting the minimum age requirement. One year later, in 1992, Aguilera received a call from one of the show's producers asking if she was still interested in becoming a " Mouseketeer". She once again competed for a spot (this time, against 15,000 candidates) and was selected to join the variety program the following year. Her 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 ...
. During the show recordings—which included Aguilera performing
musical number In music, number refers to an individual song, dance, or instrumental piece which is part of a larger work of musical theatre, opera, or oratorio. It can also refer either to an individual song in a published collection or an individual song or d ...
s and comedy sketches—she moved with her family to
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
. In 1994, it was reported the series would not return for a new season. Aiming to beginning a music career, Aguilera moved to Japan in 1997. She was selected to record 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 ...
, with whom she performed in concert shows around the country. Their song, "All I Wanna Do" was released as a single but failed to reach commercial success. In June 1997, Aguilera went on to Romania to represent the United States in a singers contest during the Golden Stag Festival, but she failed to win over the audience. Seeking a recording contract, Aguilera recorded numerous
demo tapes A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...
directed to record labels, including Walt Disney Records, for which she send a cover version of " Run to You" by Whitney Houston. She eventually was given the opportunity to record " Reflection", theme from 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), which charted on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary chart at number 15.


1999–2001: Breakthrough with debut album

Following the attention received with "Reflection", Ron FairA&R executive from RCA Records—offered to Aguilera a deal with the label. In late 1998, she started recording her debut studio album into which producers had reportedly invested $1 million worth of writers, producers and voice lessons. Although Aguilera's desire to create material directly inspired by R&B, the label opted for a teen pop production due the genre's high financial return in the late 1990s. Her self-titled debut album, '' Christina Aguilera'', was released in August 1999, and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. It catapulted Aguilera into fame globally and sold over ten million copies in its first year of release. It was later 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 sold over 17 million copies worldwide. " Genie in a Bottle" served as the album's lead single, and topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. It also rise Aguilera's popularity worldwide, leading charts in over 20 countries. The single attracted the attention of conservative people including celebrities such as Debbie Gibson that spoke out against its lyrical content, and was eventually considered "too provocative" to be sung by a teen idol. Due to the criticism,
Radio Disney Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within the Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California. The network broadcast music programming ...
replaced the original version with a censored one. Other of the album's singles, " What a Girl Wants" and " Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", also topped the Hot 100 chart, while " I Turn to You" reached number three there. 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 ...
, Aguilera won the Best New Artist category, which received wide media coverage. '' Time'' credited the award for " elpingcertify her credentials as a real singer". In mid 2000, she embarked on Christina Aguilera in Concert—which toured North America, Latin America, Europe, and Japan. Aguilera's success continued to rise with the release of her second studio album, , in September 2000. It features Spanish-language songs and was produced as a
Latin pop Latin pop (in Spanish and in Portuguese: Pop latino) is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. Originating in Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin po ...
material. The album topped both the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums for nineteen consecutive weeks and later was certified six times Latin platinum by the RIAA. ''Mi Reflejo'' also reached the platinum stats in Argentina, Mexico, and Spain. At the
2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards The winners of the Second Annual Latin Grammy Awards were announced during a press conference on Tuesday, October 30, 2001 at the Conga Room in Los Angeles, California. The conference, which was broadcast live on the internet, was hosted by Jimmy ...
, 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 ...
. In October 2000, she also promoted a third record, ''
My Kind of Christmas ''My Kind of Christmas'' is the third studio album and first Christmas album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 24, 2000, by RCA Records. The album was recorded from late 1999 to mid 2000, while Aguilera was tourin ...
'', and later starred in a holiday special, ''
My Reflection ''My Reflection'', also known as ''Christina Aguilera: My Reflection'' or ''My Reflection: Live'', is a television special starring American singer Christina Aguilera, that premiered on Sunday, December 3, 2000 on ABC. It was directed by Lawrenc ...
'', which aired on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
. Aguilera's commercial success saw her being named the 2000 Top Female Pop Act 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 ...
''. The same year, she filed a fiduciary duty against manager Steve Kurtz for "improper, undue, and inappropriate influence over her professional activities". She eventually hired
Irving Azoff Irving Azoff (; born December 12, 1947) is an American entertainment executive and chairman of Full Stop Management, which represents recording artists. In the mid-1980s, he brought success to MCA Records. Since September 2013, he has been chai ...
to manage her career, aiming for a new artistic direction and control of her own image. In early 2001, Aguilera reached commercial success with collaboration singles. While " Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" with Ricky Martin peaked number thirteen on Hot 100, " Lady Marmalade" with
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 ...
, Mýa, and Pink topped the chart for five consecutive weeks. The later, included on ''Moulin Rouge!'' soundtrack, earned her the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year, as well the
Grammy Award for 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 ...
, for which she was also nominated with "Nobody's Want to Be Lonely". In August 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 ''Just Be Free'' is a demo album released by Warlock Records featuring music recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera. After finishing her run on ''The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'', a then fifteen-year-old Aguilera began recording the album ...
'', a
demo album Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
recorded by Aguilera between 1994 and 1995 while she was looking for a recording deal following the end of ''The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' (MMC). She filed a suit against the label and the album's producers aiming to stop the release of the album. Both 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.


2002–2004: New image with ''Stripped''

With a new management, Aguilera started moving away from her teen pop niche and began working on a new project. She 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 sporting several tattoos and body piercings. 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 ...
'', was released in October 2002. Containing numerous musical genres, including R&B, hip-hop, flamenco, and
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, it was described by her as "a new beginning, a re-introduction of erselfas a new artist", for which she also contributed as
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. The album debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, and eventually was certified five 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). In the UK, ''Stripped'' sold over two million copies and became the second highest-selling album by an American female artists in the 2000s. Since then, it was reported the album sold 12 million copies globally. The album's lead single, "
Dirrty "Dirrty" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album ''Stripped''. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, sh ...
", peaked number 48 on ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Its accompanying music video generated controversy for depicting overtly
sexual fetishes Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has ''a fetish'' for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regard ...
, attracting the attention of conservative organizations and moralists sought to have the video banned on
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 ...
. The music video sparked protests in Thailand and eventually was banned in the country's local television. Aguilera's new persona was widely criticized by media outlets and it began to overshadow her music, while '' Entertainment Weekly'' described her image as "the world's skeeziest reptile woman". In spite of the backlash, "Dirrty" topped the charts in Ireland and the UK. The second single, " Beautiful", reached number two on the Hot 100. It received widespread acclaim for its empowering lyrics about embracing inner beauty, and became a
LGBT anthem A gay anthem is a popular song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the gay community, although some of these songs have also become anthems for the wider LGBT community. Not all songs labelled as "gay anthems ...
. 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 ...
, the single won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The following singles of ''Stripped''—" Fighter" and "
Can't Hold Us Down "Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album ''Stripped'' (2002). It was released by RCA Records on July 8, 2003, as the fourth single from the album. The t ...
"—also reached top twenty on Hot 100, while " The Voice Within" peaked at number thirty three there. In Summer 2003, Aguilera co-headlined
The Justified & Stripped Tour The Justified & Stripped Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American recording artists Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. It was launched in support of Timberlake's debut studio album, '' Justified'' (2002), and Aguilera's fourth stu ...
alongside
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 ...
, whose supported also his solo debut album, '' Justified'' (2002). The joint tour visited North America only, attracting an audience of 546,483 and grossing over $31.8 million. It ranked sixteenth on ''
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 ...
''s list of Top 25 Tours of 2003. Later that year, she also embarked on
The 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 ...
which went to Europe, Asia, and Australia. In early 2004, it was expected she would return to North America to perform in a second leg of the tour. However, the dates were canceled last-minute due to a vocal cord injury. Her performances at the Wembley Arena were taped, broadcast on WB Network and eventually sold as a video album under the name ''
Stripped Live in the U.K. ''Stripped Live in the U.K.'' is the second concert DVD by Christina Aguilera, and documents the premiere UK performances of The Stripped Tour. The DVD does not include "Make Over" which was situated after "Can't Hold Us Down". An extended versio ...
'' Aguilera received widespread media coverage due to her televised music performances. At 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 ...
, she joined
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 ...
to performing " 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, ...
", where both ended up kissing
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 ...
. Various media outlets retrospectively considered it one of the "most iconic" VMAs performances of all time. During 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 ...
—which was hosted by herself—she made a live presentation of "Dirrty". Wearing a nun's habit, Aguilera was accompanied by a choir and eventually undressed to reveal her underclothes while performing the ''
slutdrop Slutdrop is a dance move. The move involves squatting as quickly and as low as possible and immediately popping back up. A hand is often put straight up to steady oneself, and the move is often performed whilst grinding a dance partner that the dro ...
'' dance style. Late that year, she was named 2003 Top Female Pop Act by ''Billboard''. In 2004, she recorded " Car Wash" with
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
which was released as single from ''Shark Tale'' soundtrack, and contributed vocals to "
Tilt Ya Head Back "Tilt Ya Head Back" is a song by American recording artists Nelly and Christina Aguilera, taken from Nelly's album ''Sweat'' (2004). The song was released to US radio stations on September 15, 2004, as the second single from the album. Written ...
" with rapper
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 ...
.


2005–2008: ''Back to Basics''

In early 2005, Aguilera embraced a new image inspired by
Old Hollywood Classical Hollywood cinema is a term used in film criticism to describe both a narrative and visual style of filmmaking which became characteristic of American cinema between the 1910s (rapidly after World War I) and the 1960s. It eventually b ...
figures, debuting burlesque-style curly blonde hair and makeup. Her new persona was eventually adopted to promote her subsequent music project. Described as a "throwback with elements of old-school usiccombined with a modern-day twist", '' Back to Basics'', was released as 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 ...
in August 2006. Lyrically inspired by Aguilera's husband, Jordan Bratman, it received generally positive reviews by critics due its retro-oriented production. AllMusic editor
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 ...
called it "catchy, exciting, and unique ... an album to build a career upon". It debuted at number one in numerous countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. In the U.S, it scored the top on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming her second material to lead the chart. ''Back to Basics'' was later certified double 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 sold over 5 million units worldwide. " Ain't No Other Man" served as the album's lead single and was praised by music critics. '' The Morning Call'' opined that "it put
guilera Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana. The municipality extends over , and contains t ...
at
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 ...
's doorstep". The single peaked number six on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and has sold 1.7 million digital copies in the U.S. Its accompanying video featured Aguilera under 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 ...
Baby Jane—which was also adopted during the ''Back to Basics'' promotion campaign. The single eventually earned her the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Other of the album's singles, " Hurt" and " Candyman", became top-ten hits on international charts, and peaked top-thirty on Hot 100. In 2006, Aguilera also contributed vocals to singles "
Somos Novios (It's Impossible) "Somos Novios" (Spanish for "We Are Lovers") is a song first recorded by Mexican songwriter Armando Manzanero in 1968. Originally a French song " J'ai le mal de toi", different versions with unrelated lyrics in different languages have been writte ...
" with Andrea Bocelli and "
Tell Me Tell Me may refer to: * '' Tell Me...'', a 1979 album by Jimmy Knepper * Tell me (advertisement), a 2005 Chinese-language newspaper ad calling for universal suffrage in Hong Kong * ''Tell Me'' (TV series), a 2019 South Korean quiz show * Tellme ...
" with rapper Diddy, which reached number eight in the UK. In November 2006, Aguilera embarked on the Back to Basics Tour—which visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania—and ran until October 2008. Being divided in acts such as juke joint and circus, '' Rolling Stone'' highlighted its "numerous sets and costumes changes" emphasizing Aguilera's "evolution from bubblegum starlet to dirrty vixen to her current incarnation as retro-styled soul siren". With earnings around 48.1 million in 2007, it eventually became the highest-grossing concert tour by a female of the year. Aguilera's image and "overtly sexual themes" on tour demanded the concert show in Shanghai was submitted for prior approval by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China. Her performances at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre were taped, broadcast on
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 ...
and sold as a video album under the title '' Back to Basics: Live and Down Under''. In February 2007, Aguilera performed " It's a Man's Man's Man's World" 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 ...
which received critical acclaim and has been noted as one of the most memorable Grammy performances of all time. That same month she performed at the
halftime show A halftime show is a performance given during the brief period between the first and second halves, or the second and third quarters, of a sporting event. Halftime shows are not given for sports with an irregular or indeterminate number of div ...
for the
2007 NBA All-Star Game The 2007 NBA All-Star Game was an Exhibition game, exhibition basketball game that was played on February 18, 2007, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2006–07 NBA season, 2006–07 season. It was the 56th edition of the NBA All-S ...
. In April 2008, Aguilera appeared in Martin Scorsese's documentary, '' Shine a Light'' (which chronicled a two-day concert by The Rolling Stones at the Beacon Theatre), where she performed "
Live with Me "Live with Me" is a song by the Rolling Stones from their album ''Let It Bleed'', released in December 1969. It was the first song recorded with the band's new guitarist Mick Taylor, who joined the band in June 1969, although the first record ...
" with Mick Jagger. In September, she released "
Keeps Gettin' Better "Keeps Gettin' Better" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her first greatest hits album, ''Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits'' (2008). It was released as the album's lead Single (music), single on September 22, 2008, by RC ...
" set to feature on her first then-upcoming greatest hits album of the same name. The song received mixed reviews but found commercial success debuting at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 making it her highest debut on the chart at the time, and has since sold 1.156 million digital copies in the US. She performed the song live at the
2008 MTV Video Music Awards The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008, live from Paramount Pictures Studios (which, like MTV, is owned by Viacom), honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were a ...
alongside a medley. '' Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits'' was released in November 2008 to positive reviews, debuting at number nine on ''Billboard'' 200 and was later certified gold by the RIAA. The compilation added two original songs (its title track and "Dynamite") and also featured remakes of "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful". By late 2008, Aguilera stated that she had begun working on a new music album.


2009–2011: ''Bionic'', ''Burlesque'' and ''The Voice''

In 2009, at the end of the 2000s, Aguilera was named the twentieth best "Artist of the Decade" 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 ...
'', and was nominated for the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Act Ever. At the end of 2009, Aguilera stated that her then-forthcoming sixth studio album originally titled ''Light & Darkness'' would be released in March 2010. However, by February 2010, Aguilera stated that the album would be retitled and would be released in June. In April 2010, Aguilera released the lead single, " Not Myself Tonight" which peaked at number 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She performed the song live on '' The Oprah Winfrey Show''. This was followed by the album's second single, " Woohoo" featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. A music video was planned but was eventually scrapped. Aguilera released her sixth studio album, ''
Bionic Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. The word ''bionic'', coined by Jack E. Steele in August 1 ...
'', on June 6, 2010 which debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, and topped the European and the UK charts. The album was inspired by electronic music, and was described by her as a project "about the future" noting that it was inspired her her son who " otivatedher to want to play and have fun". It received generally mixed reviews by critics who called it "strong, but only in parts". It was later certified gold 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 sold approximately over one million copies globally. " You Lost Me" and " I Hate Boys" were released as singles in the following month of June. A tour was planned for the album but was postponed and later cancelled due to prior commitments. Aguilera landed her first starring role as a waitress turned
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.
performer in the
Steven 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 ...
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.
'', released in theaters in November 2010. She received her 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 ...
the same week in which the film premiered. While the film received generally mixed reviews from critics, Aguilera's portrayal of the main character garnered positive reviews, and the film grossed
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
90 million in the box office. The film also received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. In addition to starring in the film, Aguilera recorded eight tracks for the film's ten-track accompanying soundtrack, while
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 ...
performed the remaining two. The soundtrack reached number 18 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Her song "Bound to You" received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 68th Golden Globe Awards while the album itself was nominated for the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the
54th Annual Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...
. Aguilera performed "Express" on the finale of the seventh series of ''
The X Factor UK ''The X Factor'' is a British reality television music competition, created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's Thames and Cowell's production company Syco Entertainment for ITV, as well as simulcas ...
'' which received criticism for its raunchy content. In early 2011, Aguilera omitted a few lines while performing " The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XLV, which led to extensive media coverage. She apologized for the incident saying, "I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place ..I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through". That same month, Aguilera performed a tribute to
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 ...
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 ...
. After the performance, Aguilera's heels got caught on her train and she nearly fell. In April 2011, Aguilera became 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'', which aired on NBC. Aguilera later returned to its
second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
,
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...
, fifth, eighth, and tenth season. For the show's first season, Aguilera's duet of her song " Beautiful" with her finalist,
Beverly McClellan Beverly McClellan (July 6, 1969 – October 30, 2018) was an American singer and a contestant in the first season of the American TV series ''The Voice'', reaching the final four. At age four, McClellan started playing the piano and later lea ...
, debuted at number 74 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with first-week sales of 42,000 downloads on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
. A year later, for the second season, Aguilera's duet of " The Prayer" with her contestant, Chris Mann, also reached 85 on the chart. In late 2011, she featured on the song "
Moves like Jagger "Moves like Jagger" is a song by American band Maroon 5 featuring American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 21, 2011, as the fourth and final single from the re-release of the group's third studio album '' Hands All Over'' (201 ...
" by
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 ...
. They first performed the song during their time on ''The Voice'' and also performed it at the
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
American Music Awards. The song received positive reviews and topped the Hot 100 for four non-consecutive weeks making Aguilera the fourth female artist to top the chart over three decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s). In July 2021, the song was certified diamond 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).


2012–2015: ''Lotus'' and other projects

During the third season of ''The Voice'' in September 2012, Aguilera released " Your Body" as the lead single from her then-upcoming seventh studio album. The song received critical acclaim and reached reached number one on the US Dance Club Song chart and 34 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. 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, in which 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. Despite this, ''Lotus'' peaked at number 7 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and has sold 303,000 copies in the US as of 2019. "
Just a Fool "Just a Fool" is a duet recorded by American singer songwriters Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton for Aguilera's seventh studio album, '' Lotus'' (2012). The track was written by Claude Kelly, Wayne Hector, and its producer Steve Robson. "Just ...
" with Blake Shelton was released as the album's second single and received positive reviews. The two performed the song live on ''The Voice'' and on '' The Ellen DeGeneres Show''. On January 9, 2023, Aguilera performed " Blank Page" at the
39th People's Choice Awards The 39th People's Choice Awards ceremony, honoring the best in popular culture for 2012, was held January 9, 2013 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, and was broadcast live on CBS and simulcast over Xbox Live at 9:00 pm EST. The ceremony was hos ...
. A month later, on February 22, 2013, Aguilera 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 "Feel This Moment" is a song by the American rapper Pitbull, featuring American singer Christina Aguilera. The song was released on February 22, 2013, as the fourth single from the album by Mr. 305, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records ''Global Warm ...
", which became the first of various international top-ten singles she would achieve that year, peaking at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 becoming Aguilera's tenth top-ten hit, and was later certified platinum by the RIAA. The song garnered critical acclaim and was performed at the 2012 American Music Awards,
2013 Kids' Choice Awards The 26th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on March 23, 2013, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California. Actor Josh Duhamel hosted the ceremony. The "Orange Carpet" was set up in front of Galen Center on the sidewalks of Jef ...
, ''The Voice'' and
2013 Billboard Music Awards The 2013 ''Billboard'' Music Awards ceremony was held on May 19, 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was aired on ABC at 8:00/7:00 PM central. The show was hosted by Tracy Morgan. Performances Presenters *Shania Twain ...
. In May 2013, Aguilera appeared on Alejandro Fernández's cover of Miguel Gallardo's 1976 "
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 ...
" which also received critical acclaim and earned them a diamond certification in Mexico. On November 4, 2013, Aguilera featured on a duet version of " Say Something" 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 ...
. The song became an instant success receiving universal acclaim from critics who praised Aguilera's stripped back vocals. The song became Aguilera's second top-tenth hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 peaking at number 4 and also became the second time she achieved multiple top-ten songs in a calendar year since 2000. They performed the song live on the fifth season of ''The Voice'' and
2013 American Music Awards The 41st Annual American Music Awards was held on November 24, 2013 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums of 2013. It was broadcast live on ABC and CTV with Simultaneous substitut ...
. The song earned them various awards and nominations including 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 ...
. In October of that year, Aguilera also lent her vocals to the soundtrack for '' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'' with the song "
We Remain "We Remain" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera, taken from '' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'', the soundtrack to the 2013 American science-fiction adventure film '' The Hunger Games: Catching ...
". She performed the song live with her contestant Jacquie Lee on ''The Voice''. On January 1, 2014, Aguilera featured on the remix for " Do What U Want" by Lady Gaga to replace the original version with
R. Kelly Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwid ...
after his sexual abuse allegations. In May of that year, she performed a medley of hits at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. In November, Aguilera performed at the
Breakthrough Prize The Breakthrough Prizes are a set of international awards bestowed in three categories by the Breakthrough Prize Board in recognition of scientific advances. The awards are part of several "Breakthrough" initiatives founded and funded by Yuri Mi ...
Award ceremony. In February 2015, Aguilera opened the
2015 NBA All-Star Game The 2015 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 15, 2015, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season. It was the 64th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Madison S ...
alongside The Rockettes and
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...
with a
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
-themed medley. In April, Aguilera starred in the third season of the 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 ...
'', which aired on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
. She also contributed to the series' soundtrack with "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 ...
" — with the latter reaching number twenty-eight on
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
chart. She also performed at the
50th Academy of Country Music Awards The 50th Academy of Country Music Awards were held on April 19, 2015, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The ceremony was hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton. Nominations for the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards were announced on Jan ...
alongside the Rascal Flatts. At the end of the year she performed "
New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
" with
Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. He is the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orville'' (since 2017), and co-creator ...
at the ''Sinatra: Voice for a Century'' tribute concert.


2016–2021: ''Liberation'' and residency

In May 2016, Aguilera exited ''The Voice'' following its tenth season, which she won with her contestant Alisan Porter. On the season finale, she performed " I Have Nothing" and " Dangerous Woman"; the latter with
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 ...
. A month later, Aguilera released the song " Change", in which she dedicated to the victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting. The ballad received positive reviews and debuted at number five on ''Billboard''s Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. In August 2016, Aguilera recorded 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 a Netflix original series, '' The Get Down'' (2016). Her vocals were praised by critics and the song reached number one on the Dance Club Songs chart. In July 2017, Aguilera voiced a video-game dancer in '' The Emoji Movie'' (2017). She also lent her vocals to the ''
Served Like a Girl ''Served Like a Girl'' is a 2017 documentary film about the lives of female United States military veterans as they compete for the crown of Ms. Veteran America, directed by Lysa Heslov. The film was produced by Seth Gordon. Soundtrack The fil ...
'' documentary film for a song titled "America". In November, Aguilera performed a tribute to Whitney Houston at the
2017 American Music Awards The 45th Annual American Music Awards took place on November 19, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. It was broadcast on ABC and was hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross. Performances Notes * Broadcast live from Capital One Aren ...
. In March 2018, Aguilera announced the completion of her then-upcoming eighth studio album alongside a '' Paper'' Magazine cover which received media coverage. In April, Aguilera starred in the romantic science fiction '' Zoe'', which premiered at the Tribeca Film festival and was released in July of that year. Aguilera released her eighth studio album ''
Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...
'' on June 15, 2018, to favorable reviews. The album had been in the works since the summer of 2015 and incorporated R&B and hip-hop elements. ''Liberation'' debuted at number six on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, becoming Aguilera's seventh US top-ten album. The album was promoted with multiple singles, including the preceding lead single, " 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 ...
, which became Aguilera's tenth number one song on the US ''Billboard'' Dance Songs Chart. Two other singles from the album, "
Fall in Line "Fall in Line" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera for her eighth studio album ''Liberation'' (2018), featuring guest vocals from American singer Demi Lovato. It was released as the album's second single on May 16, 2018 by RCA Recor ...
" (with
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 ...
) and " Like I Do" were nominated at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Rap/Sung Performance respectively. To further promote ''Liberation'', Aguilera embarked on her first tour in 10 years,
The Liberation Tour The Liberation Tour may refer to: * The Liberation Tour (Christina Aguilera tour) The Liberation Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched in support of her eighth studio album, ''Liberation'' ...
, which ran from September to November 2018. This tour was followed by The X Tour, which ran in Europe and Mexico 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 2019 and concluding in March 2020. In October 2019, Aguilera released the song "Haunted Heart" from the soundtrack of the computer-animated '' Addams Family'' film, and her second collaboration 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 ...
, " Fall on Me", followed a month later. In early 2020, Aguilera recorded two songs for Disney's live action remake of ''Mulan'' (2020): " Loyal Brave True" – released in March 2020 as a promotional single to positive reviews, eventually being shortlisted as one of the 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 ...
– and a re-recording of " Reflection", released in August. That year, she appeared on the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
television special, '' The Disney Family Singalong'' and its follow-up, where she perfomed " Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "
Remember Me Remember Me may refer to: Film and television Film * Remember Me (1979 film), ''Remember Me'' (1979 film), an American documentary short by Dick Young * Remember Me (1985 film), ''Remember Me'' (1985 film), an Australian TV movie * Remember Me? (f ...
" respectively. In November of that year, Aguilera signed a new management deal with Roc Nation. In July 2021, Aguilera performed two sold-out shows 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 ...
. She also recorded " ''The Addams Family'' Theme", which was featured on '' The Addams Family 2'' soundtrack. In October, she performed " Reflection", " When You Wish Upon a Star" and " Loyal Brave True" in
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
's Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary special. On December 7, 2021, Aguilera was honoured with the People's Music Icon honorific 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''

Aguilera released her ninth studio album, titled '' Aguilera'', originally as 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 ...
on May 31, 2022. The album paid tribute to different genres of Latin music, and consisted of three separately released parts: ''
La Fuerza ''La Fuerza'' () is the debut solo and Spanish-language extended play (EP) by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released through Sony Music Latin on January 21, 2022 as the first part of her ninth studio and second Spanish-language albu ...
'', '' La Tormenta'', and '' La Luz''. The full album was released in its complete form on September 30, 2022. The album was preceded with the singles " Pa Mis Muchachas", "
Somos Nada "Somos Nada" () is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her ninth studio and second Spanish-language album, ''Aguilera (album), Aguilera'' (2022). It was written by Aguilera, Federico Vindver, Mario Domm, Sharlene Taulé, and ...
", " Santo" and followed with "
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 ...
" 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 ...
". ''Aguilera'' received widespread critical acclaim from music critics upon release, and was placed on several year-end lists by publications such as ''
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 ...
'' and the '' Houston Chronicle''. The album was promoted through the EU / UK Summer Series promotional tour, which consisted of five festival shows throughout Europe and three arena concerts in the United Kingdom. The promotional tour received critical praise. ''Aguilera'' and its songs received seven nominations 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 ...
with the album winning for
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album is an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in several categories are presented ...
. The album also received another two nominations for
Best Latin Pop Album The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Latin pop genre. Honors in ...
and
Best Immersive Audio Album The Grammy Award for Best Immersive Audio Album (until 2018: ''Best Surround Sound Album'') was first awarded in 2005, as the first category in a new "Surround Sound" field. This field currently holds the Best Immersive Audio Album award as its s ...
at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. "No Es Que Te Extrañe" was also nominated for Record of the Year at the
24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards The 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards took place on November 16, 2023 at the FIBES Conference and Exhibition Centre in Seville, Spain. The awards honored recordings released between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. It marked the first time that t ...
. On June 11, 2022, Aguilera headlined the Los Angeles Pride festival with guests Mýa,
Kim Petras Kim Petras (born 27 August 1992) is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republ ...
and Paris Hilton. The use of 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 ...
during the set was the subject of polarized reception. In October 2022, ''
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 reissued for its 20-year anniversary, featuring "I Will Be" (the b-side to "
Dirrty "Dirrty" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album ''Stripped''. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, sh ...
") and Benny Benassi's remix of " Beautiful". A new music video for "Beautiful" was also released. On November 10, 2022, Time Studios announced a partnership with Roc Nation to produce an upcoming documentary about Aguilera. On September 22, 2023, Aguilera released "Learning to Fly" as apart of the soundtrack for '' PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie''. The same month she performed at the EuroPride concert in Malta.


Artistry


Influences

Aguilera has named
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 ...
as a "role model", and said " At Last" made a major impression on her. She later stated, "I'll still be as raunchy as I wanna be, and I'll have
tta TTA may refer to *Tan Tan Airport, Morocco, IATA code *Teacher Training Agency, former name of the Training and Development Agency for Schools, England * Technical Theatre Awards, UK *Terran Trade Authority, the setting for a series of science-fict ...
s memory to back me up. She's what I want to be someday". As a young girl, '' 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 ...
, became her early references to sing and perform, in addition to broadening her interest on Broadway. Aguilera's other major influences include 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 ...
, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. She has also cited rock bands as an influence, specifically the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, and
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
. Aguilera was also influenced by Latin music. She later recalled singing her first songs in Spanish during childhood, saying: "I grew up hearing panishbeing spoken in my household ndhearing a lot of Julio Iglesias on the record player". Some of her other inspirations in Latin music include Chavela Vargas,
Vicente Fernández Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente" (short for Vicente), "El Charro de Huentitán" (The Charro from Huentitán), "El Ídolo de México ...
, and younger artists such Rosalía. As a performer, Aguilera credits
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 major inspirations for being "positive female artists hoaren't afraid to take chances, 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 ...
also encouraged her to being a performer and "a woman who has the guts to do verything. Aguilera's childhood visits to records stores moulded her taste and led to an appreciation for blues and soul music, which she called "music that really had heart". Aguilera has also paid hommage to many artists from this genre in her music, including
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 ...
,
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 ...
, Nina Simone, and Otis Redding. Her album ''Back to Basics'' (2006) features inspirations of musicians from the early 20th century. As she later commented: "I was just so drawn to that ind of music... thas so much pain, so much beauty of raw emotion and passion". Her other influences in the genre was added for ''Liberation'' (2018), including Michael Jackson in "Maria" and
Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and musician. One of the most successful and widely known Rock music, rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage ...
in "Sick of Sittin'". Outside of the music industry, Aguilera was inspired by actresses from the
Old Hollywood Classical Hollywood cinema is a term used in film criticism to describe both a narrative and visual style of filmmaking which became characteristic of American cinema between the 1910s (rapidly after World War I) and the 1960s. It eventually b ...
. She later stated, "I'm fascinated with the golden age of film. I wanted to capture the authenticity of the glam era", after which she cited examples such as Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, Veronica Lake, and the pin-up models. Her "Tilt Ya Head Back" music video also recreated Monroe's signature look, while the video for "Your Body" includes a directly reference to Lucille Ball. The video for "Ain't No Other Man" presented Aguilera under 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 ...
Baby Jane, which was inspired by Bette Davis's character in psychological horror film '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' (1962). Her other inspirations mostly came from contemporary art, including 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.


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). She is also able to perform the whistle register. Maura Johnston, a journalist with''
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. ...
'', called Aguilera's voice "an instrument that despite its ability to leap octaves has a low-end grounding similar to that possessed by opera singers". '' The Boston Globe'' columnist Joan Anderman praised her vocal versatility, stating, " heis a real singer ... blessed with the sort of breathtaking elasticity, golden tones, and sheer power that separate the divas from the dabblers". In addition to sustain high notes, Aguilera is recognized for making use of the melismatic technique. Jon Pareles from '' The New York Times'' emphasized that "she can aim a note as directly as aa missile or turn its trajectory into an aerobatic spiral of leaping, quivering, and scalloping melismas". RCA Records music executive Ron Fair praised her "perfect intonation", and opined she has "pipes to be the next Barbra Streisand or Céline Dion". Several critics have compared Aguilera's technique to that of other singers. Journalist David Browne suggested that, alongside
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 ...
and Whitney Houston, she "forms the team of the main proponents" of the melismatic technique. Richard Harrington from '' The Washington Post'' also compared her to these artists, but suggested she sounds even better: "she has a genuinely powerful voice," he writes, "that's evoked comparisons oMariah Carey and Whitney Houston, though it for the most part avoids those singers' ornamental mannerisms". Sasha Frere-Jones, columnist of '' The New Yorker'', also credited the technique by making her become "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 ...
", while songwriter Steve Kipner praised her vocal dexterity, including her ability to "internalize 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 ...
". '' Los Angeles Times'' music critic Ann Powers wrote that Aguilera possesses a "voice purely powerful as that of
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 ...
..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 ...
". Powers also associated her vocal ability with
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 performs records influenced by rhythm and blues. Aguilera, however, has also been criticized for the excessive use of melisma, as well for oversinging during her concerts shows. '' The Huffington Post'' columnist John Eskow called her as "the main proponent of oversouling". Eskow recognizes Aguilera's voice as a "great instrument", although she " oesn'tseem to know when to stop" with the use of "gratuitous and confected melisma". Lucy Davies, music critic from BBC Music, raved about her "stunning voice", but offered that "she could be more varied, simply by cutting out some of the 'ye-e-eeeh, woah' in her songs". Writing for '' Entertainment Weekly'', Chris Willman credits Aguilera's tendency to oversinging as an influence of Mariah Carey, noting "her slightly nasal tone that really only becomes obvious when she's overselling a song". Alexa Tietjen from
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 ...
acknowledged that Aguilera "does tend to take it to the extreme at times ..but her vocal prowess is what's gotten her so far. Love them or hate them, the riffs are a part of who she is as performer".


Musical style

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 to her projects, "experiment ngwith 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" just because they are in 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 Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
, 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 Futurepop is an electronic music genre that has been characterized as a blend of synthpop, electronic body music, EBM and dance beats, based on Trance music, trance and techno.Peter Matzke, Tobias Seeliger: ''Das Gothic- und Dark-Wave-Lexikon.'' ...
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 Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Anderson .Paak (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer. He released his debut mixtape, ''O.B.E. Vol. 1,'' in 2012 and went on to rel ...
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".


Lyrical themes

Regarding the lyrical themes in her music, Aguilera stated that she feels a "sense of responsibility" to reference her personal life so that "people that can relate might not feel as alone in the circumstance". While the bulk of her songs are rooted in light-hearted themes like love, motherhood, marriage, and fidelity, she does not evade serious and controversial subjects 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 ...
,
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,
female empowerment Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several ways, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training.Kabeer, Naila ...
, and
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
in her discography. According to Pier Dominguez, Aguilera's personality was likely impacted by the domestic violence she witnessed during her childhood, but unlike some other children who witness violence at home, she did not act out but created an "internal defense mechanism". Chloé Govan qualifies this claim, saying that Aguilera's experience with bullying at school made her an introverted and insecure person. Aguilera's mother played a crucial role in building her self-confidence, and taught her a "message about self-respect". Both authors agree that this message had a strong impact on Aguilera's behavior in the transition to adulthood and also found expression in some of her early number-one singles, " Genie in a Bottle" and " What a Girl Wants" (both from 1999), the lyrics of which can refer to
female empowerment Women's empowerment (or female empowerment) may be defined in several ways, including accepting women's viewpoints, making an effort to seek them and raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy, and training.Kabeer, Naila ...
. Sex is a recurring subject throughout Aguilera's lyrics, and this has occasionally stirred up controversy. Aguilera herself tends to emphasize that her goal is not necessarily to provoke, but simply to express herself. 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 the use of feminism in her music, Aguilera denounced the double standard for the first time in "
Can't Hold Us Down "Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album ''Stripped'' (2002). It was released by RCA Records on July 8, 2003, as the fourth single from the album. The t ...
" (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".


Cultural status


Public image

Publications have called Aguilera a pop icon, a triple threat entertainer, and a diva. Her vocal abilities distinguished her from her peers, and she has been referred to as the " Voice of a Generation". Her fan-base is named the "
Fighters Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to: Combat and warfare * Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict * Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...
" drawing inspiration from her 2003 single " Fighter". 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. Aguilera is also recognized as 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 2002 song " Beautiful" has been called an
anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...
for the LGBT community, with UK LGBT rights charity
Stonewall Stonewall or Stone wall may refer to: * Stone wall, a kind of masonry construction * Stonewalling, engaging in uncooperative or delaying tactics * Stonewall riots, a 1969 turning point for the modern LGBTQ rights movement in Greenwich Village, Ne ...
naming it the most empowering song of the decade for lesbian, gay and bisexual people and for having "inspired millions of young people around the world". In 2023, Aguilera was honored for her LGBTQ allyship and for advocating for the queer community at the Stonewall National Monument. Aguilera's style and fashion has attracted significant media attention throughout her career, and she has been named a fashion icon.
Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, Caramanica received his ba ...
, 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's influence on fashion has been noted by several publications. Samantha Sutton of '' InStyle'' noted Aguilera's influence on the rising fashion trends of 2021. Writing for '' Vogue'' in 2022, Christian Allaire said that Aguilera was "ahead of her time" when it came to her 2002 image. Since the beginning of her career, Aguilera has attracted criticism for her revealing clothes, and has been called 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 ...
. 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".
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 ...
, 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, and she was named one of the most beautiful people in the world in 2003 and 2007 by '' People''. Aguilera was on the original panel of coaches from the
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''. More generally, she has been recognized for her contributions to American television and music competitions. '' The New York Times'', for example, noted that "She should also be remembered as the person who almost single-handedly reshaped music competition reality programming" while journalist
Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, Caramanica received his ba ...
pointed out that this was done at a time where numerous pop stars were becoming coaches and judges from '' American Idol'' and '' The X Factor''. As a coach on ''The Voice'', Aguilera was listed among the highest-paid American television stars, receiving $225,000 per episode in 2011, $10 million per season in 2012, $12 million in 2013, $12.5 million in 2014, and $17 million in 2016.


Reinventions and personas

Aguilera is noted for having reinvented her public image numerous times during her career. ''
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 ...
'' writer Tom Breihan noted that she "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 was instead 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 ...
teen idol due to the genre's popularity in the late 1990s, following the success of
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 ...
's debut album. David Browne of '' Entertainment Weekly'' noted that Aguilera 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 differentiated between Spears and Aguilera primary on the basis of image, suggesting that "while Britney has a va-va-voom sexuality ..Aguilera had charm and a youthful appeal". Aguilera departed from the teen idol image with the release of ''Stripped'' in 2002, by dyeing her hair black, getting
body piercing Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word ''piercing'' can refer to ...
s, and posing nude for several publications. This was attributed to her provocative and extravagant
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 ...
named Xtina. 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 ...
, Aguilera opened the show dressed as a nun, accompanied by a choir singing the lead single from ''Stripped'', "Dirrty", before showing off a more revealing outfit. 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. 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". For the release of ''Back to Basics'' in 2006, Aguilera adopted a new persona named Baby Jane, named after Bette Davis's character in '' What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' (1962). The image drew inspiration from actresses of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, such as Marilyn Monroe, to go with the album's 1920s–1950s musical direction. Starting in 2008, she adopted a futuristic image, which drew comparisons to the image of then-newcomer, Lady Gaga. In 2012, she drew Social stigma of obesity, criticism over her weight gain from several publications; the following year, she received favorable media attention after a significant weight loss. In March 2018, Aguilera appeared on the cover of the spring 2018 issue of '' Paper'', titled "Transformation". Photographed by Zoey Grossman, the images featured Aguilera with minimal Cosmetics, makeup and no Photograph manipulation, photographic manipulation, debuting her freckles. Her appearance in the pictures received significant media attention and widespread praise. This led to other celebrities who had posed similarly receiving attention. Starting in 2021, Aguilera began showing off a Red hair, red-haired look for the promotion of her ninth studio album, '' Aguilera'' (2022).


Legacy

Various music journalists and authors have noted Aguilera's legacy in the show business, entertainment industry 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 ranked 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 named as one of the artists who revived teen pop in the late 1990s; '' Time'' magazine stated that she was a "pioneer [in] a 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 ranked as one of the best voices in music since the 1980s, while '' Rolling Stone'' and '' Consequence of Sound'' included her in their lists of greatest singers of all time. In 2013, ''Latina (magazine), 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 "Honorific titles in popular music, Princess of Pop" and "Honorific titles in popular music, Voice of a Generation". Upon launching her music career in the late 1990s, Aguilera was named as one of the artists who shaped the "Latin explosion", having contributed to the Latin American music in the United States#2000s Latin pop boom, 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; 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. [Her] perfectly 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 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 called "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, Christina Aguilera (album), her self-titled debut album was added to the definitive list from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 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 ...
, Doja Cat, Dua Lipa, Grimes (musician), Grimes, Halsey (singer), Halsey, Hayley Williams, Iggy Azalea, Karol G, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Lauren Jauregui, Meghan Trainor, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Nicole, Olivia Rodrigo, Rina Sawayama, Rosalía (singer), Rosalía, Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Smith, Selena Gomez, K. Michelle, and Tinashe, and athletes such as figure skater Johnny Weir, ice dancers Zachary Donohue and Madison Hubbell, and swimmer Dana Vollmer. 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 Jackson, Janet [Jackson] and
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 were "empowering", as she has been referred to as the forerunner of the ''
slutdrop Slutdrop is a dance move. The move involves squatting as quickly and as low as possible and immediately popping back up. A hand is often put straight up to steady oneself, and the move is often performed whilst grinding a dance partner that the dro ...
'' dance style. Aguilera's videography impact was also analysed by music critics. While "
Dirrty "Dirrty" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album ''Stripped''. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, sh ...
" (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'' recognized that the audiovisual work "paved a path for videos like "Anaconda (Nicki Minaj song), Anaconda" and "Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus song), 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 to 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".


Achievements

Aguilera has accumulated numerous awards and honorary accolades throughout her career. At the age of 19, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, becoming one of the youngest artists to earn such an honor. Aguilera received other four trophies from twenty nominations by The Recording Academy. She is also a recipient of two Latin Grammy Awards, three Billboard Latin Music Awards, ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards—including the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award, Spirit of Hope 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) ...
(VMAs), two People's Choice Awards—including the inaugural 47th People's Choice Awards#Other, Music Icon Award—, three World Music Awards, and one Guinness World Record. Among other of her honors, Aguilera 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" and was immortalized as a
Disney Legend The Disney Legends Awards is a Hall of Fame program that recognizes individuals who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Established in 1987, the honor was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...
due "her remarkable contributions to the Walt Disney Company". Referred to as one of the most proeminent Latin artists in the entertainment industry, she was also elected as one of the Time 100, 100 most influential people in the world by '' Time'' in 2013. With estimated sales around 100 million records, Aguilera is recognized as one of the world's List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists. In the United States, she has sold 41.9 million albums and singles until 2014, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As of 2022, 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) certified over 54.2 million records, of which 17.5 million units came from her albums. While ''Christina Aguilera'' (1999) is certified RIAA certification, eight times platinum, it was listed as one of the best-selling in the country. In 2013, Aguilera's sales reached 9.4 million records in the United Kingdom, according to the Official Charts Company. ''Stripped'' (2002) was also recognized as one of the few to surpass 2 million copies sold, becoming one of the List of best-selling albums of the 21st century in the United Kingdom, best-selling albums of the 21st century in the country. Her collaboration with Maroon 5, "Moves Like Jagger", also was ranked among the List of best-selling singles in Australia, best-selling singles in Australia, List of best-selling singles in Canada, Canada, List of best-selling singles in South Korea, South Korea, the List of best-selling singles in the United Kingdom, United Kingdom, and the List of best-selling singles in the United States, United States, as well one of the List of best-selling singles#Best-selling digital singles, best-selling digital singles with over 14.4 million units. Elected as top female artist in 2000 and 2003, Aguilera was classified as the twentieth most prosperous artists of the 2000s, according ''
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 ...
''. She was also listed as one of the most successful singers of the decade on ''Billboard'' 200, Billboard Hot 100, Hot 100, and Mainstream Top 40 charts—whose she also was ranked among the greatest of all time. With a total of 10 Dance Club Songs chart-toppers, Aguilera became the thirty-fifth most successful artist in the chart history. In 2009, she was recognized as the second best-selling solo artist on ''Billboard'', and she was also the fourth female artist to top the Hot 100 chart over three consecutive decades. ''Mi Reflejo'' (2000) also remains as one of the Billboard Top Latin Albums#Top 20 Albums with Most Weeks at Number-One, longest albums to chart at number one on Billboard Top Latin Albums, Top Latin Albums. Aguilera had earned over US$113.8 million from tickets sales of her concert tours throughout her career. In 2020, she was classified among the top female artists of the 21st century in the concert, concert industry, having sold more than 1.8 million tickets for her performances, according ''Pollstar''. Her largest audience concert was held during Mawazine Festival, in Morocco, attracting 250,000 people which eventually became the record in the event's history.


Other activities


Business ventures

Outside of her projects in the music industry, Aguilera has developed, endorsed, and invested in numerous brands, including Sears, Levi's (both in 2000), Skechers (2003), Mercedes-Benz, Virgin Mobile (both in 2004), Pepsi, Orange UK, Sony Ericsson (both in 2006), Oreo (2017), SweeTarts (2021), and Xeomin (2023). 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. Following the birth of her son, Max, in 2008, Aguilera was paid $1.5 million to submit her baby pictures to '' People'' magazine, which became the List of most expensive celebrity photographs, ninth most expensive celebrity baby photograph ever taken. In 2016, it was reported that Aguilera was an investor of multiple companies, including Pinterest, DraftKings, Lyft and MasterClass — for which she also developed two singing classes, "Christina Aguilera Teaches Singing" (2016), and "Elevate Your Singing and Stage Presence" (2022). Outside of endorsements, Aguilera has also produced and developed her own products. In 2007, she introduced her perfume brand, Christina Aguilera Fragrances, which operated under 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. The brand 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 2016. In 2011, she unveiled her first clothing line at São Paulo Fashion Week, which was commercialized at the Brazilian department store C&A. In 2016, Aguilera and her fiancé, Matthew Rutler, founded their own production company, MX Productions, developing with Lionsgate the music competition program ''Tracks'' (2016), which aired on Spike TV. In 2023, Aguilera was announced as the co-founder and chief brand advisor of sexual wellness brand, Playground.


Philanthropy and activism

Referred to as a humanitarian, Aguilera has done philanthropic works during her career. In 2003, she visited the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh and provided a donation over $200,000 in support for victims of
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 ...
. In addition to starred in television advertsings on the Lifetime (TV network), Lifetime network calling for the end of violence against women in 2007, she partnered with Verizon in a campaign to awareness about violence domestic in 2015. She later destined proceeds from the Christina Aguilera: The Xperience (2019–2020) residency to The Shade Tree, a women and children's center in Las Vegas, Nevada. In October 2019, Aguilera efforts against domestic violence earned her the The Shade Tree#History, Bonnie Polley Community Hero Award. In 2009, Aguilera became the global spokesperson for the World Food Program, a branch of the United Nations (UN). She visited countries with high rates of malnutrions, including Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti and Rwanda. As of 2013, it was reported she helped raise over $148 million to the organization and other hunger relief agencies in 45 countries. Aguilera's efforts eventually earned her the Muhammad Ali Center, Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards and World Hunger Relief#History, George McGovern Leadership Awards—which she received in the White House from the former United States Secretary of State, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. Her other philanthropy initiatives included donations of her wedding gifts to charities in support of families affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and concerts to urges donations to the American Red Cross due Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In 2010, Aguilera auctioned tickets to her concerts through Christie's, earmaking the proceeds to non-profit environmental organizations, including Conservation International and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she auctioned off a Chrysler 300 and destined proceeds to support disaster victims and their families. Additionally, Aguilera appeared on the ''Hope for Haiti Now'' telethon, whose donations directly benefited Oxfam America, Partners In Health, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and UNICEF. She also was praised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for signed an open letter destined to Government of South Korea appealing to the ban of consumption of dogs and cats, and for using fake fox fur in concerts costumes. As a LGBT rights activist, Aguilera was lauded for called out myths around HIV/AIDS, in addition to awares about the virus and raising funds for the Mac AIDS Fund and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. In 2008, she advocated for same-sex marriage and spoke out against 2008 California Proposition 8, Proposition 8. During 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 ...
, she stated "Why would you put so much money behind something [aimed at] stopping people from loving each other? I just don't understand it". In June 2016, Aguilera release single " Change", which was aimed to raise proceeds to the victim's families and survivors of the Orlando nightclub shooting. During The X Tour (2019), Aguilera visited Russia and "blessed" a gay marriage proposal in the backstage, contraring the LGBT rights in Russia, country's laws against "gay propaganda".


Personal life

Aguilera met dancer Jorge Santos backstage, while filming one of her music videos in 2000 and dated him until 2001. She began dating music executive Jordan Bratman in late 2002. Their engagement was announced in February 2005. On November 19, 2005, they married in a private ceremony on an estate in Napa County, California, during a Jewish wedding, traditional Jewish ceremony. Aguilera wore a flamenco-style wedding dress by Christian Lacroix and they exchanged wedding bands designed by jeweller Stephen Webster. She gave birth to their son, Max, on January 12, 2008. In September 2010, it was reported the couple had separated. She filed for divorce on October 14, 2010, which was finalized in April 2011, and included joint custody of their son. In November 2010, Aguilera began dating production assistant Matthew Rutler, whom she met while filming the musical ''
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.
''. Aguilera was arrested for public intoxication in March 2011, while Rutler was booked for driving under the influence. However, the charges were dropped against Rutler the following month. In 2014, they became engaged on Valentine's Day. Later that year, Aguilera gave birth to their daughter, Summer Rain, on August 16. Aguilera was raised Catholic, although she was learning about Judaism in the mid 2000s. In 2022, she opened up about depression (mood), depression and anxiety, stating "I experienced a lot of trauma in my childhood ..I've definitely had struggles in the past with depression and anxiety. It's a constant battle to overcome a mind that is anxious, a mind that is always second-guessing". Aguilera has also been sharing about insecurity and struggling with body image early in her career. In 2007, Aguilera purchased a Mediterranean Revival architecture, Mediterranean-style mansion in Beverly Hills for $11.5 million, which she sold for $13.5 million in March 2013. Shortly afterwards, she acquired a house in the Mulholland Estates' private enclave, at the Santa Monica Mountains, for $10 million and currently resides with her family. In January 2008, she was ranked 19th on ''Forbes (magazine), Forbes'' list of Top-Earning Women in Music of 2007 with earnings of $20 million. The previous year, she was also included on their list of richest women in entertainment industry, with an estimated net worth of $60 million. In August 2022, Aguilera's net worth was reported to be $160 million.


Discography

Studio albums * '' Christina Aguilera'' (1999) * (2000) * ''
My Kind of Christmas ''My Kind of Christmas'' is the third studio album and first Christmas album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 24, 2000, by RCA Records. The album was recorded from late 1999 to mid 2000, while Aguilera was tourin ...
'' (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 Bionics or biologically inspired engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. The word ''bionic'', coined by Jack E. Steele in August 1 ...
'' (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 Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...
'' (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 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 ...
(2003) * Back to Basics Tour (2006–2008) *
The Liberation Tour The Liberation Tour may refer to: * The Liberation Tour (Christina Aguilera tour) The Liberation Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched in support of her eighth studio album, ''Liberation'' ...
(2018) * The X Tour (2019) Co-headlining tours *
The Justified & Stripped Tour The Justified & Stripped Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American recording artists Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. It was launched in support of Timberlake's debut studio album, '' Justified'' (2002), and Aguilera's fourth stu ...
(with
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 ...
) (2003) Residencies * Christina Aguilera: The Xperience (2019–2020) Promotional tours * EU / UK Summer Series (2022)


See also

* Honorific nicknames in popular music * List of best-selling music artists * List of best-selling female music artists * List of artists who reached number one in the United States * List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart * List of highest paid American television stars


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aguilera, Christina Christina Aguilera, 1980 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singer-songwriters 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 21st-century American dancers American expatriates in Japan American female dancers American feminists American film actresses American Latin pop singers American LGBT rights activists American people of Ecuadorian descent American philanthropists American sopranos American soul singers American television actresses American voice actresses 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 women singers HIV/AIDS activists Judges in American reality television series Latin Grammy Award winners Mouseketeers MTV Europe Music Award winners Music video codirectors Singers from Pittsburgh People from Rochester, Pennsylvania Musicians from Staten Island RCA Records artists 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