Christina Aguilera - Stripped

Christina Maria Aguilera is an American Grammy Award winning pop singer and songwriter. She was signed to RCA Records after recording "Reflection" for the film Mulan. Her debut album Christina Aguilera in 1999 was a commercial success, earning her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2000. A Latin Pop album Mi Reflejo, which won a 2001 Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and a Christmas album My Kind of Christmas released during this period, also sold strongly. Christina Aguilera has sold over 30 million records internationally since her debut. Christina Aguilera received mixed reviews with her second studio album Stripped, which was released in 2002. Stripped earned Christina Aguilera a Grammy Award. Her third studio album Back to Basics (2006) included elements of soul, jazz and blues music. It was released to good sales and positive critical reception, and earned Christina Aguilera two Grammy nominations

1998-2001: Pop music beginnings and Christina Aguilera

In 1998, she sang the High "E" in full voice (E5) on a cover of Whitney Houston's "Run to You" which she recorded with a tape recorder in her bathroom. She was then selected to record the song "Reflection" for the Disney production of Mulan (1998). Recording "Reflection" led to Aguilera earning a contract with RCA Records the same week. "Reflection" peaked within the top twenty on the Adult Contemporary Singles Chart, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Song" in 1998.



Under the exclusive representation of Steve Kurtz, Aguilera's self-titled debut album Christina Aguilera was released on August 24,1999. It reached the top of the Billboard 200 and Canadian album charts, selling eight million copies in the U.S. and over 13 million copies worldwide. The album is also included in the Top 100 Album of All Time list of The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) based on album sales in the US.
Her singles "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants" and "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" topped the Billboard Hot 100 during 1999 and 2000, and "I Turn to You" reached #3. According to the album's songwriters who appeared on the documentary Driven, Aguilera wanted to display the range and audacity in her voice during the promotion of the album, and performed acoustic sets and appeared on television shows accompanied only by a piano. She ended the year on MTV's 2 Large New Year's Special, as she performed and was MTV's first artist of the millennium. Aguilera won the "Best New Artist" award at the 2000 Grammys, and she was nominated for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for "Genie in a Bottle".



Later in 2000, Aguilera first emphasized her Latin heritage by releasing her first Spanish album, Mi Reflejo on September 12,2000. This album contained Spanish versions of songs from her English debut as well as new Spanish tracks. Though some criticized Aguilera for trying to "cash in" on a Latin-music boom that included Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Marc Anthony, the album still managed to peak at #27 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Latin album charts. In 2001, it won Aguilera a Latin Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Album". The Album has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide and has been certified Gold (500,000) in the USA and 3x Platinum (600,000* Latin album) under the RIAA's Los Premios de Oro y Platino program. She also won the World Music Award as the best selling Latin artist that year. Aguilera also released a Christmas album on October 24, called My Kind of Christmas. It peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200, has sold over 3.2 million copies worldwide, and has been certified Platinum (1 million) in the USA. Ricky Martin asked her to duet with him on the track "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" from his album Sound Loaded; released in 2001 as the album's second single, which reached #1 on the World Chart.



In 2001, Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink were chosen to remake Patti LaBelle's 1975 single "Lady Marmalade" for the film Moulin Rouge! and its soundtrack. The Missy Elliott produced single hit number one on the Hot 100 for five weeks and reached number one in eleven other countries, and it earned all four performers a Grammy Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". Aguilera's appearance in the music video was compared to that of Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. The video won two MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year in 2001, where Aguilera accepted the award saying, "I guess the big hair paid off."
That year a single emerged into record stores called "Just Be Free", one of the demos Aguilera recorded when she was around fifteen years old. When RCA Records discovered the single, they advised fans not to purchase it and had German authorities pull the single off shelves. Months later, Warlock Records was set to release Just Be Free, an album which contains the demo tracks. Aguilera filed a breach of contract and unfair-competition suit against Warlock and the album's producers to block the release. Instead, the two parties came to a settlement to release the album. Aguilera lent out her name, likeness and image for an unspecified amount of damages. Many of the details of the lawsuit remain confidential. When the album was released in August 2001, it had a photograph of Aguilera when she was fifteen years old.

Although Aguilera's debut album was very well received, she was dissatisfied with the music and image her management had created for her. Aguilera was marketed as a bubblegum pop singer because of the genre's upward financial trend. She mentioned plans of her next album to have much more depth, both musically and lyrically. Aguilera's views of Steve Kurtz's influence in matters of the singer's creative direction, the role of being her exclusive personal manager and overscheduling had in part caused her to seek legal means of terminating their management contract.



In October 2000, Aguilera filed a Breach of Fiduciary Duty lawsuit against Kurtz for improper, undue and inappropriate influence over her professional activities, as well as fraud. According to legal documents, Kurtz did not protect her rights and interests. Instead, he took action that was for his own interest, at the cost of hers. The lawsuit came about when Aguilera discovered Kurtz used more of her commissionable income than he was allotted, and had paid other managers to assist him. She also petitioned the California State Labor Commission to nullify the contract. After terminating Kurtz's services, Irving Azoff was hired as her new manager.
Kurtz countersued later that month for breach of contract, claiming that the singer violated the same agreement she had sued to void. In the lawsuit, he included others close to Aguilera, alleging their intent to sabotage his business relationship with her. He also singled out Azoff for being in violation of the terms of Kurtz's contract. During this time, while she was also working on her second album, she later revealed that she was betrayed by several friends, and hit rock bottom. She used her then-upcoming album as therapy, saying "this record saved me from insanity."



2002–2003: Stripped era

On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera's second full-length English album, Stripped, was released, selling more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike previous work, the album showcased Aguilera's raunchier side. The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed a global music publishing contract with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, balladry, pop rock,hip hop, and jazz. Upon initial release, the album was very well-received by critics, although Aguilera's vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image. After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines such as Maxim, Rolling Stone, and CosmoGirl!. Many of these photographs featured her nude or semi-nude. It was during this time Aguilera referred to herself as "Xtina", even getting a tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings.



Initially, the raunchy image had a negative effect on Aguilera in the U.S., especially after the release of her controversial "Dirrty" music video. She denied that this change was a matter of publicity, claiming that the image better reflected her true personality than did the image she cultivated back in 1999. While the video for "Dirrty" became very popular on MTV, it disappointed on the U.S. singles chart. However, the single was a hit worldwide, reaching number one in the UK and Ireland. The album reached the top five on the U.K., U.S. and Canadian album charts, though it was initially considered a "sophomore slump." The second single, "Beautiful", became highly successful on the radio and earned her another Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Three more singles from the album ("Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down" featuring Lil' Kim, "The Voice Within") were released in the following two years and were hits that helped the album stay on the charts for the next two years - "Infatuation" was only released as single in Spain instead of "The Voice Within". Stripped stayed on the U.S. and UK album charts well into 2004, and went on to be certified four-times platinum in the U.S. with over 10 million copies sold worldwide. It appeared at number ten on Billboard's year-end album chart. Kelly Clarkson's second single "Miss Independent" was co-written by Aguilera, having been half-finished for Stripped.



Aguilera joined Justin Timberlake that June on t he final leg of his international Justified tour, held in the U.S. This portion of the tour became a co-headliner called the Justified & Stripped Tour. In August, an overhead lighting grid collapsed from the ceiling of the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, causing major damage to the sound and video equipment below. Because the collapse occurred hours before the show, only a few stagehands were injured, but a few shows were cancelled or postponed. In the fourth quarter of that year, Aguilera continued to tour internationally without Timberlake, and changed the name of the tour to the Stripped World Tour. She also dyed her hair black. It was one of the top-grossing tours of that year, and sold out most of its venues. Rolling Stone readers named it the best tour of the year. She became the muse and model for fashion house Versace. She also topped Maxim's Hot 100 list, setting record sales for the issue later saying, "We had fun working with certain clothes, or the lack thereof".



In light of the tour's success, another U.S. tour was scheduled to begin in mid 2004 with a new theme. The tour however was scrapped because of the vocal cord injuries Aguilera suffered shortly before the tour's opening date. In a tribute to Madonna's performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards, Aguilera performed a kiss with the singer-actress at the 2003 edition of the ceremony in August. The incident occurred during the opening performance of Madonna's songs "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with fellow popstar Britney Spears.

Favourite Album: "Christina Aguilera" Original Release Date: August 24, 1999 Favourite Songs:

1. Genie In A Bottle

2. What A Girl Wants

3. I Turn To You

4. So Emotional

5. Come On Over (All I Want Is You)

6. Reflection

7. Love For All Seasons
8. Somebody's Somebody

9. When You Put Your Hands On Me

10. Blessed

11. Love Will Find A Way

12. Obvious

2004–2005: Post-Stripped activities

Aguilera later decided to embrace a more mature image; this move was met with more praise than criticism, with articles using punch lines such as "From Crass to Class". She eventually dyed her hair cherry blonde and recorded a jingle, "Hello", for a Mercedes-Benz ad, becoming the new face of Mercedes-Benz. However, the jingle was never completed, as Aguilera has already started working on new material. Shortly after , she dyed her hair blonde and cut it short, and took on a Marilyn Monroe look; many of her fans believe she is one of the main proponents (along with Dita Von Teese, Gwen Stefani, the Puppini Sisters and Ashley Judd) in bringing back the 1920s-1940s Hollywood glamour look.

In the run-up to the 2004 United States presidential election, Aguilera was featured on billboards for the "Only You Can Silence Yourself" online voter registration drive run by the nonpartisan, non-profit campaign "Declare Yourself". In these political advertisements, shot by David LaChapelle, Aguilera was shown with her mouth sewn shut, to symbolize the effects of not voting. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the importance of voting.

In late summer 2004 Aguilera released two singles. The first, "Car Wash", was a remake of the Rose Royce disco song recorded as a collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the film Shark Tale. The second song was also a collaboration, but this time as a second single from one of Nelly's double-release albums, Sweat, titled "Tilt Ya Head Back". Both singles failed commercially in the U.S., but did considerably better in other parts of the world. After much delay, Aguilera's first DVD live-recording from a concert tour, Stripped Live in the UK, was released in November 2004. In late December she officially released a fragrance, Xpose, which has only been available in a few European count ries. Aguilera collaborated with jazz artist Herbie Hancock on a cover of Leon Russell's "A Song for You" recorded for Hancock's album Possibilities, released in August 2005. Aguilera and Hancock were later nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". Aguilera went back to her Mickey Mouse Club roots when she helped open the 50th Anniversary for Disneyland by performing "When You Wish Upon a Star", and she also collaborated with Andrea Bocelli on the song "Somos Novios" for his album Amore, released in early 2006. In late 2005, she performed at "Unite of the Stars", a charity banquet in aid of Unite Against Hunger in Johannesburg, South Africa, with stars such as Diana Ross and Westlife. She also performed at the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund at the Coca-Cola Dome in November.



2006–2007: Back to Basics

In March 2006, Aguilera signed a contract with European cell phone operator Orange topromote the new Sony Ericsson Walkman phone. She was featured in a Pepsi commercial alongside Lebanese singer Elissa, as well as Korean pop singer Rain in May. The spot aired during the 2006 World Cup.

She posed nude for a Marilyn Monroe-inspired photoshoot in the May 2006 issue of GQ magazine. In the issue she expressed disappoint ment in fellow singer Mariah Carey, saying, "She was never cool to me... to the point that one time we were at a party, and I think she got really drunk, and she had just really derogatory things to say to me." In response, Carey issued a press release saying, "It is sad yet predictable that she would use my name at this time to reinvent past incidents for her promotional gain." Aguilera then released her own statement claiming, "My intentions were not to upset Mariah with any statements that were published or taken out of context. I have all the respect in the world for her."

Aguilera's third English studio album, Back to Basics, released August 15, 2006, went to #1 in thirteen countries. The critically-acclaimed lead single "Ain't No Other Man" was a substantial success, reaching #2 on the United World Chart, #6 in the U.S., and the top 5 in Europe. Aguilera described the double CD as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist." Producers on the album included DJ Premier, Kwamé, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson. One track, "F.U.S.S.", was written as a response to the animosity between Aguilera and Scott Storch during the recording of Stripped. In the interview with Maxim, she said, "That’s a way of burying my experience with him. We did great work on Stripped... When I tried to work with him again, he made uncalled-for demands. It was disappointing that someone would get affected like that." She received writing credit for every track and was the executive producer for the album, which debuted at number one in the U.S. and the U.K. The follow-up singles did very well in different regions, "Hurt" in Europe and "Candyman" in the Pacific. She co-directed both music videos, the former with Floria Sigismondi who directed her "Fighter" video, and the latter, "Candyman", with director/photographer Matthew Rolston which was inspired by The Andrews Sisters. The Back To Basics album has sold 4.3 million copies around the world as of 2007.
In late 2006 Aguilera collaborated with Sean "Diddy" Combs on a track, titled "Tell Me", from his album "Press Play". The single reached the top 10 in the UK and peaked at #47 in the U.S.



The "Back to Basics Tour" began late 2006 in Europe followed by a 41-date North American tour in early 2007. After this, she toured Asia and Australia, where it was supposed to end on August 3, however she canceled her dates in Melbourne and her final two in Auckland due to an illness. Her extravagant arena tour included cabaret, three-ring circus and juke joint sets with her 10 piece costumes designed by Roberto Cavalli. It was the most successful US tour by a female in 2007.
At the 49th Grammy Awards, Aguilera again won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man". She made a noteworthy performance at the ceremony paying tribute to James Brown with her rendition of his song "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" In January 2007, she was named the 19th richest woman in entertainment by Forbes, with a net worth of US$60 million.
Aguilera performed Steppin' Out With My Baby with Tony Bennett on the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. That same evening, Bennett won 2 Emmys for Tony Bennett: An American Classic, which Aguilera was a part of. In addition, the Saturday Night Live episode in which Aguilera was the musical guest won an Emmy. "Steppin' Out" is nominated for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, along with a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance nomination for her third single "Candyman".





One of the most accomplished performers of the last decade, Christina Aguilera has sold well over 25 million albums worldwide and cultivated a fan base that crosses generational, racial and gender lines. Now, segueing from the audacious sexuality of her second studio album, Stripped, the chameleon-like performer pays tribute to the music that has inspired her with the August 15th release of Back To Basics (RCA Records).




2008-present Future:

fourth album Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant, announced that in 2008, Aguilera will get a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In June 2007, Aguilera said that she was gathering inspiration for her next album, which she said would be "short and sweet" and "completely different" from Back to Basics, although she did not elaborate on what the style of the album would be. In an interview with Blender magazine Aguilera stated that recording a song with her once rival Eminem is on her agenda. She will appear in the upcoming Martin Scorsese documentary Shine A Light from a Rolling Stones concert performance where she performed with Mick Jagger.



Christina Aguilera is one of those artists who most people feel guilty about. Sure, she may at times dress like an Urban street [walker] but yet her incredible voice can mezmarize you at the same time. Deep and throaty, she reminds you of a young Whitney Houston. The leading single "Dirrty" failed to gain her reputation as a respectable artist, but the next single "Beautiful" proved all the doubters wrong. Laced with strings and piano, "Beautiful" takes her Diane Warren-penned "I Turn To You" to another level, this time a pop ballad written by Former 4 Non-Blondes member Linda Perry. With such inspirational tunes as "Loving Me 4 Me" and "Soar" it's hard not to like "Stripped." Don't get me wrong however, as "Stripped" does come with it's flaws. "Get Mine, Get Yours" seems as if it was written in a rush, but the music is still pretty decent. "Underappreciated" starts off really good but the verses are lackingUnderneath all Christine Aguilera's coy affectations and vocal gymnastics lurks a rare talent. With her second album, Aguilera allows it to flower by abandoning all pretense at courting the teenage market. Stripped is a seemingly effortless move into weightier adult territory. Using her extraordinary voice as a much subtler instrument, Aguilera sings movingly and with grit and anger about the disintegration of a relationship; she's ultimately stronger for the pain. But that's not her whole agenda. Aguilera also extols the power of women on "Can't Hold Us Down," which features Lil' Kim. Other guests include Dave Navarro, Redman, and Alicia Keys. Aguilera cowrote most of the songs on the disc and produced one cut. She also partnered with former 4 Non Blondes leader and Pink collaborator Linda Perry on four songs, which gives Aguilera a rock edge that she has never before displayed. Her self-titled debut album was released on August 24th, 1999, and sold more than 250,000 copies within one week of being released. With only one hit single under her belt at the time of the Grammys, Christina won the Grammy Award for Best New Female Artist. We had yet to hear the other two hit singles that were coming our way -- the dance-pop tune "What a Girl Wants" and the ballad "I Turn to You."In less than a year since the release of ""Genie in a Bottle," Christina has performed a duet with B.B. King and performed "The Christmas Song" for Bill Clinton on the TV special Christmas at the White House (which led to an invitation by the President to sing on his Millennium TV special, but Christina had to decline); she performed at MTV's New Year's Eve broadcast at Times Square; performed a duet at the Super Bowl Half Time Show with Enrique Iglesias; and she was the only female guest at VH1's Men Strike Back special. The honors she has received include: named one of the most fascinating women of 1999 on Ladies Home Journal's TV special; received the award for Best Artist at the ALMA Awards, which honors the best entertainers from the Hispanic-American community; and named one of People magazine's hottest stars under 25. As for her love life, Christina has been allegedly linked to Enrique Iglesias, Fred Durst and MTV's Carson Daly. She was less than thrilled about Eminem's mention of her "relationship" with Carson Daly and Fred Durst in his song "The Real Slim Shady," and has publicly expressed her feelings of disgust towards the shady rapper. She's now dating one of her tour dancers, Jorge Santos, apparently pulling a Jennifer Lopez (or is it the other way around?). If you don't like her and the reason is simply based on the way she looks and wears, then you might be wrong. Her music will absolutely change your mind.
Source: Amazon.com



Personal life

In 2000, Aguilera was rumored to have dated MTV VJ Carson Daly. The relationship was the subject of much discussion after the release of Eminem's song "The Real Slim Shady", in which Eminem satirically suggests that Aguilera had performed fellatio on both Daly and Fred Durst, the lead singer of Limp Bizkit, and had given the rapper himself a venereal disease. Aguilera called the song's innuendo "disgusting" and "untrue." Aguilera and Eminem reportedly resolved the issue three years later backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards.
She dated Puerto Rican-born dancer Jorge Santos, he appeared on her tour and music videos throughout 2000. They dated for nearly two years until the relationship ended in September 2001. He remained her dancer well into 2002.



In early 2002, Aguilera began dating music marketing executive Jordan Bratman. Their engagement was announced in February 2005, and they married on November 19, 2005, in the Napa Valley. The couple celebrated their one year anniversary in Dublin, Ireland where she was on tour at the time. E! News reported that they are expecting their first child together.[99] Producer Dallas Austin alleged in a video interview with SOHO Magazine that Aguilera had sex with him and several of his friends. He also alleged details about Bratman, who Dallas referred to as his old best friend. Several days following the incident, Dallas issued an apology stating, "My statement about Christina Aguilera was a reaction to an incident I care not to discuss in any forum - I do owe an apology to Christina." Aguilera's rep responded with, "She's not commenting on such ridiculous statements, and we are consulting a lawyer to explore her options."

On September 9, 2007, Paris Hilton confirmed that the singer is currently pregnant, saying, "Congratulations to the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world." Aguilera, however, had not yet publicly confirmed her pregnancy at the time. On November 4, 2007, Aguilera confirmed her pregnancy in an interview with "Glamour" magazine by saying "That'll be about the time I enter into mommyhood, so... I'm hoping to have started a beautiful family with my husband!." She said about her husband's feeling on the pregnancy, "Oh, he's thrilled! He's just great."