Christina María Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in
New York City, to Shelly Loraine (
née Fidler) and Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera.[3] Her father is an
Ecuadorian emigrant from
Guayaquil while her mother has German, Irish, Welsh, and Dutch ancestry.[4][5] Fausto Aguilera was a
United States Army sergeant, and Shelly Loraine was a violinist in the
American Youth Symphony before becoming a Spanish translator.[6][7]
In 1986, the family returned to the United States, and settled in
Pennsylvania, where they welcomed her younger sister, Rachel, in 1986.[12] Aguilera has spoken out about her father's physically and emotionally abusive behavior.[13] She noted that this is what made her turn to music, noting that, "growing up in an unstable environment and whatnot, music was my only real escape".[14] In 1987, Shelly filed to divorce Fausto and moved with Aguilera and Rachel to her mother's home in
Rochester, a suburb of
Pittsburgh.[15] She later married James Kearns with whom she had a son named Michael.[16] In 2012, following decades of estrangement, Aguilera expressed interest in reconciling with her biological father.[17]
Aguilera moving to her grandmother's home allowed her to explore her grandmother's records, which featured mostly soul and blues singers and increased her interest in music.[18] She also began to practice singing in public and competing in talent contests.[19] Following numerous contests, she earned reputation in her neighborhood as the "little girl with a big voice" and received widespread attention from local television and radio programs.[20][21]
In 1991, Aguilera auditioned for a position on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club (MMC), aired on the
Disney Channel. She ran against 400 candidates, and while she made the shortlist she was ultimately rejected for not meeting the minimum age requirement.[25] 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.[26] Her fellow cast members included
Ryan Gosling,
Keri Russell,
Britney Spears, and
Justin Timberlake.[27] During the show recordings—which included Aguilera performing
musical numbers and
comedy sketches—she moved with her family to
Orlando, Florida.[28] In 1994, it was reported the series would not return for a new season.[29]
Aiming to begin a music career, Aguilera moved to Japan in 1997. She was selected to record a duet with Japanese singer
Keizo Nakanishi, with whom she performed in concert shows around the country.[30] Their song, "All I Wanna Do", was released as a single but failed to reach commercial success.[20] 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.[31]
Seeking a recording contract, Aguilera recorded numerous
demo tapes directed to record labels, including
Walt Disney Records, for which she sent a cover of "
Run to You" by
Whitney Houston.[32] She eventually was chosen to record "
Reflection", the theme song from the animated film Mulan (1998), which reached number 15 on the
Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[33] Following the attention she received with "Reflection", Aguilera caught the ear of
Ron Fair, the
A&R executive from
RCA Records, who consequently signed Aguilera to the label.[8] In late 1998, she began to record her debut studio album into which producers reportedly invested over $1 million worth of writers, producers and vocal lessons.[8]
1999–2001: Breakthrough with debut album
In May 1999, Aguilera released "
Genie in a Bottle", the lead single off her long-awaited debut album, which topped the
Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and became the second best-selling single of 1999.[34] The song became an international success, increasing Aguilera's popularity worldwide, topping the charts in over 20 countries.[35] The single also attracted the attention of conservatives 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.[36][37] Due to the criticism,
Radio Disney replaced the song with a censored version.[38] The song was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.[39]
Aguilera's self-titled debut album, Christina Aguilera, was released on August 24, 1999, to critical praise, debuting at number one on the
Billboard 200.[40] It catapulted Aguilera into fame globally and sold over ten million copies in its first year.[41] It was later certified eight times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[42] and it has sold over 17 million copies worldwide.[43][44] Originally, Aguilera's desire was to create material directly inspired by
R&B and
soul, but the label opted for a more
teen pop production due the genre's high financial return in the late 1990s.[45] At the
42nd Annual Grammy Awards, Aguilera won the
Best New Artist category for which Time credited the award for "[helping] certify her credentials as a real singer".[46]
I was completely blown away, shocked, overwhelmed and thrilled. I didn't expect it. I've dreamed of that since I was eight years old. I was rambling off the top of my head, my knees were shaking and I'm still floating on air because of it!
After the album's release, "
What a Girl Wants", topped the Hot 100 and is recognised as the first new number one entry on the chart for the 2000's decade.[48] The song was also nominated for
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the
43rd Annual Grammy Awards.[48] This was followed with "
I Turn to You" which reached number three there,[40] and "
Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" which became Aguilera's third number one song and achieved worldwide success.[49] She also released a cover of "
The Christmas Song" in November 1999 which peaked at number 18 and became the second highest charting position of the song after the original in 1944.[50]
In October 2000, Aguilera also released her third studio album, My Kind of Christmas, her first
Christmas album, which reached number one on the US
Top Holiday Albums chart.[60][61] The album received generally polarised reviews at the time but has since gone on to retrospectively receive praise.[62][63] Aguilera starred in a holiday special, My Reflection, which aired on December 3, 2000, on
ABC.[64] Aguilera's commercial success saw her being named the 2000 Top Female Pop Act by Billboard.[65] The same year, she also filed a
fiduciary duty against manager Steve Kurtz for "improper, undue, and inappropriate influence over her professional activities".[66] She eventually hired
Irving Azoff to manage her career, aiming for control of her career and image.[66]
In August 2001,
Warlock Records released Just Be Free, a
demo album 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).[75] She filed a suit against the label and the album's producers aiming to stop the release of the album; however, 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.[76]
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.[77] She cultivated a new image by adopting the
alter ego Xtina, dyeing her hair black, and sporting several tattoos and body piercings.[78] Aguilera's new persona was widely criticized by media outlets.[79][80][81] In September 2002, she released the controversial song, "
Dirrty", which garnered mixed reviews and peaked as number 48 on
Billboard Hot 100.[45] The song's accompanying music video generated controversy for depicting overtly
sexual fetishes,[82] and attracted the attention of conservative organizations and moralists who sought to have the video banned on
MTV.[83] The video also sparked protests in Thailand and was eventually banned on the country's local television.[84][85] Despite the backlash, "Dirrty" topped the charts in the UK and Ireland,[86] and has gone on to become a cult classic.[87]
Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped, followed with a release on October 22, 2002.[88] She also
executive produced and co-wrote the majority of the songs.[88][89] Upon release, the album received generally mixed reviews but found commercial success and debuted at number two on the
Billboard 200, and eventually was
certified five times platinum by the RIAA.[90][42] In the UK, Stripped sold over two million copies and became the second highest-selling album by an American female artists in the 2000s.[91][92] Since then, it was reported the album sold 12 million copies globally.[93][94]
In June 2003, Aguilera co-headlined
The Justified & Stripped Tour alongside
Justin Timberlake.[99] The joint tour visited North America solely, attracting an audience of 546,483 and grossed over $31.8 million.[100] It ranked sixteenth on Billboard's list of Top 25 Tours of 2003.[101] Later that year, she also embarked on
The Stripped Tour in Europe, Asia, and Australia.[102] 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.[102] In early 2004, it was reported that she would return to North America to perform a second leg of her tour but was eventually canceled due to a vocal cord injury.[103]
In August 2003, at the
2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Aguilera opened the show singing "
Like a Virgin" and "
Hollywood" alongside
Britney Spears.[104] Halfway through the performance, she was joined by
Madonna whom they both kissed, consequently making the performance highly publicized.[105] Various media outlets retrospectively considered it one of the "most iconic" VMAs performances of all time.[106] In 2008, MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moment in the history of MTV Video Music Awards,[107] while Blender magazine cited it as one of the twenty-five sexiest music moments on television history.[108] In November of that year, Aguilera hosted the
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards.[109] She received widespread media attention for dressing up as a
nun and being undressed to reveal her underclothes while performing the
slutdrop dance style.[110] She was later was named Top Female Pop Act of 2003 by Billboard.[111]
In August 2004, Aguilera recorded a cover of "
Car Wash" alongside rapper
Missy Elliott for the
soundtrack of the
DreamWorks film Shark Tale.[112] She also voiced a Rastafarian jellyfish in the film.[113] That September, Aguilera contributed vocals to "
Tilt Ya Head Back" with rapper
Nelly.[114] The songs respectively reached number 63 and 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.[67]
Aguilera's fifth studio album, Back to Basics, was released as a
double album in August 2006.[122] The album was inspired by
1920s–
1950s music and was described as a "throwback with elements of old-school [music] combined with a modern-day twist".[123] The album debuted at number one on the US
Billboard 200 making it Aguilera's first album to top the chart since 1999.[124] It also debuted atop the charts in numerous countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.[125] The album received positive reviews and was nominated a
Best Pop Vocal Album at the
49th Annual Grammy Awards.[126][127][128][129] The album was later
certified double platinum by the RIAA,[42] and sold over 5 million units worldwide.[130][131] "
Hurt" and "
Candyman" were released as singles following the album's release and became top-ten hits on various international charts, and peaked top-thirty on Hot 100.[132][67]
At the end of November 2006 until October 2008, Aguilera embarked on the
Back to Basics Tour which visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.[138] The tour received positive reviews and was divided into acts inspired by
juke joints and the
circus.[139]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".[140] With earnings around 48.1 million, the tour was the highest-grossing concert tour by a female in 2007.[141] Additionally, the performances at the
Adelaide Entertainment Centre were taped, broadcast on
VH1 and sold as a video album under the title Back to Basics: Live and Down Under.[142]
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" with
Mick Jagger.[150] In September, she released "
Keeps Gettin' Better" set to feature on her first then-upcoming
greatest hits album of the same name.[151] 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,[152] and has since sold 1.156 million digital copies in the US.[153] She performed the song live at the
2008 MTV Video Music Awards alongside a medley.[154]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.[155][42] The compilation added two original songs (its title track and "Dynamite") and also featured remakes of "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful".[156][157] By late 2008, Aguilera stated that she had begun working on a new album.[158]
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, and was nominated for the
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Act Ever.[159][160] At the end of 2009, Aguilera stated that her then-forthcoming sixth studio album originally titled Light & Darkness would be released in March 2010.[161] However, by February 2010, Aguilera stated that the album would be retitled and would be released in June.[162] In April 2010, Aguilera released the lead single, "
Not Myself Tonight" which peaked at number 23 on the
Billboard Hot 100.[163][67] She performed the song live on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[164] This was followed by the album's second single, "
Woohoo" featuring rapper
Nicki Minaj.[163] A music video was planned but was eventually scrapped.[citation needed]
Aguilera released her sixth studio album, Bionic, on June 6, 2010 which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and topped the European and the UK charts.[165][166] 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 "[motivated] her to want to play and have fun".[167] It received generally mixed reviews by critics who called it "strong, but only in parts".[168] It was later
certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and sold approximately over one million copies globally.[42][169] "
You Lost Me" and "
I Hate Boys" were released as singles in the following month of June.[163] A tour was planned for the album but was postponed and later cancelled due to prior commitments.[170]
In early 2011, Aguilera omitted a few lines while performing "
The Star-Spangled Banner" at
Super Bowl XLV, which led to extensive media coverage.[183] 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".[184] That same month, Aguilera performed a tribute to
Aretha Franklin at the
53rd Annual Grammy Awards.[185] After the performance, Aguilera's heels got caught on her train and she nearly fell.[186]
During the
third season of The Voice in September 2012, Aguilera debuted "
Your Body" as the lead single from her then-upcoming seventh studio album.[201] The song received critical acclaim and reached reached number one on the US
Dance Club Song chart and 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.[202] The album, titled Lotus, followed in November 2012, in which Aguilera described the record as a "rebirth" of herself after the personal struggles she overcame.[203] Contemporary reviewers found the album generic and conventional, as opposed to Aguilera's previous experimental ventures.[204][205] Despite this, Lotus peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200 and has sold 303,000 copies in the US as of 2019.[206] "
Just a Fool" with
Blake Shelton was released as the album's second single and received positive reviews.[207] The two performed the song live on The Voice and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[208]
In March 2018, Aguilera announced the completion of her then-upcoming eighth studio album alongside a Paper Magazine cover which received media coverage.[248] 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.[249][250]
To further promote Liberation, Aguilera embarked on her first tour in 10 years,
The Liberation Tour, which ran from September to November 2018.[265] The tour was set in the US and received positive reviews from critics who praised Aguilera's vocals and stage presence.[266]Billboard named the tour one of the best 2018 live shows, and it was ranked at 132 on Pollstar's 2018 Year-End Top 200 North American Tours chart with a total gross of $8.7 million with an attendance of 77,854.[267][268][269] This tour was followed by
The X Tour, which served as the international counterpart to its predecessor, running in Europe and Mexico from July to December 2019.[270] In between the tour, Aguilera headlined her first concert residency,
Christina Aguilera: The Xperience,[271][272][273][274][275] a 25-date show at the
Zappos Theater at
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas, beginning in May 2019 and concluding in March 2020.[276]
Musicians such as
Mariah Carey (left),
Etta James (center) and
Whitney Houston (right) were cited among Aguilera's main influences. She later recalled shaping her singing voice after them in her early years.[335]
Aguilera was also influenced by Latin music. She later recalled singing her first songs in Spanish during childhood, saying: "I grew up hearing [Spanish] being spoken in my household [and] hearing a lot of
Julio Iglesias on the record player".[343] Some of her other inspirations in Latin music include
Chavela Vargas,
Vicente Fernández, and younger artists such
Rosalía.[344][345] As a performer, Aguilera credits
Madonna and
Janet Jackson as major inspirations for being "positive female artists [who] aren't afraid to take chances, be daring, experimental and sexy".[346]Cher also encouraged her to being a performer and "a woman who has the guts to do [everything]".[347]
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".[348] Her music has also paid homage to many artists from this genre, including
Aretha Franklin,
Marvin Gaye,
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 [kind of music] ... [It] has so much pain, so much beauty of raw emotion and passion".[13] Her other influences in the genre was added for Liberation (2018), including
Michael Jackson in "Maria" and
Janis Joplin in "Sick of Sittin'".[349][253]
Critics have described Aguilera as a
soprano,[14][359] possessing a four-octave
vocal range.[360] She is also able to perform the
whistle register.[361]Maura Johnston, a journalist with Slate, 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".[362]The Boston Globe columnist Joan Anderman highlighted her vocal versatility: "[She] is a real singer ... blessed with the sort of breathtaking elasticity, golden tones, and sheer power that separate the divas from the dabblers".[363] In addition to sustain high notes, Aguilera is recognized for making use of the
melismatic technique.[357]Jon Pareles from The New York Times emphasized that "she can aim a note as directly as a missile or turn its trajectory into an aerobatic spiral of leaping, quivering, and scalloping melismas".[253]Ron Fair—
A&R executive from
RCA Records—was impressed by her "perfect intonation", and concluded: "She's got the pipes to be the next
Barbra Streisand or
Céline Dion".[339]
Aguilera's singing technique also yielded comparisons to other singers. Journalist
David Browne suggested that, alongside
Mariah Carey and
Whitney Houston, she "forms the team of the main proponents" of the melismatic technique.[358] Richard Harrington from The Washington Post also noticed similarities with both artists: "She has a genuinely powerful voice that's evoked comparisons [to them], though it for the most part avoids those singers' ornamental mannerisms".[364]The New Yorker columnist
Sasha Frere-Jones also credited the technique by making her become "a serious singer without needing to reincarnate the
Sarah Vaughan".[365] Songwriter
Steve Kipner praises Aguilera's vocal dexterity, including her ability to "internalize[d] all the riffs from
Chaka Khan".[339]Los Angeles Times music critic
Ann Powers wrote that she possesses a "voice purely powerful as that of
Etta James [...] and she's moving toward the expressiveness of
Gladys Knight, if not
Aretha Franklin". Powers also associated her vocal ability with
Donna Summer when she performs records influenced by
rhythm and blues.[366]
Aguilera, however, has also been criticized for the excessive use of melisma, as well for
oversinging during her concerts shows.[367][127]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 "[doesn't] seem to know when to stop" with the use of "gratuitous and confected melisma".[368] 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".[369] 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".[370] Alexa Tietjen from
VH1 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".[371]
Aguilera's discography is generally categorized as
pop,
contemporary R&B,
soul, and
hip-hop.[373][374] According to critics, she has also experimented with other musical genres in her works. In a 2008 interview, she explained that she is "always inspired by new things" in music and enjoys "experimenting with [her] voice".[156] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian considered the "boldness in [continually] reinventing" her music as "one of her most impressive facets" as an artist.[375] Initially established as a
bubblegum pop singer, she mixed
teen pop and
dance-pop on her first records, Christina Aguilera (1999) and Mi Reflejo (2000), with the latter also taking inspiration from numerous genres in
Latin music.[364][376]
Moving away from the teen niche, Aguilera's post-2000 material mainly incorporated R&B and hip-hop.[373][77] Listed as an
executive producer on Stripped (2002), she mixed both genres with
Latin pop,
rock,
neo-soul,
gospel, among others, while Back to Basics (2006) was described as a "throwback with elements of old-school genres combined with a modern-day twist [and] hard-hitting beats".[377][122] She continued merging R&B with other musical styles on Burlesque (2010), as well on Liberation (2018), which also features hip-hop, soul and blues elements.[378][379]
The
show tune "Lady Marmalade" is noted as Aguilera's first musical transformation. Referred to as "too urban" by
RCA Records executives, the song transitioned her music "from teen pop to a more mature sound".[114][380] Despite the renewal in her repertoire, Aguilera continued producing
power ballads—which became a signature in her discography—in between her uptempo material.[381]Kelefa Sanneh, music critic from The New York Times, observed the continuous modification in her music, in addition to highlighting her "decision to snub some of the big-name producers on whom pop stars often rely".[382] Her notable sonically drastic ventures include the subversive
futurepop on Bionic (2010),[383]electropop club on Lotus (2012),[384] and Mexican
ranchera numbers on Aguilera (2022).[385]
Lyrical themes
The themes in her music portrays women as full human beings with subjectivity and renders women agency in owning their thoughts, speaking their mind, and practicing self-empowerment. This empowering cultural narrative acknowledges and empowers women to embrace their subjectivity, realize their value, and own their power in controlling their life.
Aguilera's music has been the subject of analysis. Critics have acknowledged
domestic violence experienced during childhood as one of the main topics in her music.[387][388] Mary Anne Donovan, author of Christina Aguilera: A Biography (2010), noted that she "channeled her fear and sadness away from the abuse in her family to instead create the music that became her art and her livelihood".[389] It also influenced Aguilera's transition to adulthood and impacted many of her songs, whose lyrics reference
female empowerment.[390][391] In a 2006 interview, she commented: "I feel a responsibility to share some of these things that aren’t kind of the brighter sides of my life. People [who] can relate might not feel as alone in the circumstance".[392]
Aguilera has also often defended the
sex-positive movement and denounced social
double standards in her music.[94] Reviewing Stripped (2002), Sophie Wilkinson from Vice opined that its music "explores nuanced articulations of sexual desires and fears while highlighting the social double standards", in addition to giving "any woman the confidence to take charge of her sexuality and ownership of her body".[393] Jennifer K. Armstrong, author of Sexy Feminism: A Girl's Guide to Love, Success, and Style (2013), opined that her music has "reject[ed] the double standards set forth by sexism and patriarchy".[394]
Chin Wai Wong from
Hollins University also observed topics such as romance, introspection of vulnerability, gratitude for support, and sexual liberation in Aguilera's music, representing "multi-dimensional aspects of life [and] different social responsibilities a woman experiences".[386] While critics noted the feminist message in her works, Aguilera was acknowledged for her "refusal to sanitize her own sexuality to meet either the norms of mainstream gender politics or mainline
Feminism's resistance".[395]The Guardian journalist Hermione Hoby opined that she "incites a sisterly spirit of collaboration [and] is not shy of the odd feministic declaration herself".[396] Other themes addressed in her lyrics include self-respect,
body image, and
LGBT rights, in addition to "fighting for creative freedom and gender equality".[397][398]
Cultural status
Public image
Publications have called Aguilera a
pop icon, a
triple threat entertainer[399][400] and has often been labeled a
diva for her stardom and persona.[401]Bustle writer James Tison noted comparisons to
Mariah Carey adding that "[Aguilera] has mastered being a diva in the best way possible".[401] Her vocal abilities often also distinguished her from her peers.[402] Her fan-base is named the "
Fighters" drawing inspiration from her 2003 single "
Fighter".[403] She is one of the most popular musicians on
Twitter[404] with approximately 17 million followers,[405] and was one of the most searched artists in the world in 2002, 2004, and 2010 through
Google.[406] She was also one of the most popular searches in 2003 by
Yahoo! Search.[407]
Aguilera is also recognized as a
gay icon;[408][403][409] in 2019, she was awarded by the
Human Rights Campaign 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".[410] Her 2002 song "
Beautiful" has been called an
anthem for the LGBT community, with UK
LGBT rights charity
Stonewall 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".[411] In 2023, Aguilera was honored for her LGBTQ allyship and for advocating for the queer community at the
Stonewall National Monument.[412][413]
Aguilera's style and fashion has attracted significant media attention throughout her career,[414][415] and she has been named a
fashion icon.[416][417]Jon Caramanica, journalist from The New York Times, concluded that "Aguilera will be remembered for her glamour and her scandalous take on femme-pop",[418] while Janelle Okwodu from Vogue noted that she "has never been afraid to take a fashion risk [and] has filled her videos with jaw-dropping styles and risqué runway looks".[419] Following her appearance at
New York Fashion Week in 2018, Dazed named her one of the most stylish people of the year.[420] Aguilera's influence on fashion has been noted by several publications.[421][422][423][424] Samantha Sutton of InStyle noted Aguilera's influence on the rising fashion trends of 2021.[425] Writing for Vogue in 2022,
Christian Allaire said that Aguilera was "ahead of her time" when it came to her 2002 image.[426]
Since the beginning of her career, Aguilera has attracted criticism for her revealing clothes,[427] and has been called a
sex symbol.[365][6] In an interview with
MTV News,
Debbie Gibson accused her of "influencing girls out there wearing less and less", considering that "she lives and breathes the sexual image".[428] 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".[429]VH1, included in the list of the sexiest entertainment artists in 2002 and 2013;[430][431] in publications from FHM and Complex, she received similar honors in 2004 and 2012, respectively.[432][433] 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,[434] and she was named one of the most beautiful people in the world in 2003 and 2007 by People.[435][436]
Reinventions and personas
Aguilera has been called a "Queen of Reinvention" as she is noted for having reinvented her public image numerous times throughout her career.[115][437][438]Stereogum writer Tom Breihan noted that she originally "thought of herself primarily as a [...] young
Mariah Carey-type",[439] but was instead marketed as a
bubblegum popteen idol due to the genre's popularity in the late 1990s,[440][441][14] following the success of
Britney Spears's
debut album.[8][442]David Browne of Entertainment Weekly felt that Aguilera was "a good girl pretending to be bad" when compared to Spears' image.[443] In contrast, Christopher J. Farley of Time considered her a more impressive artist than Spears.[46] Aguilera's vocals set her apart from her bubblegum pop peers.[444]
Aguilera departed from the teen idol image with the release of Stripped in 2002, by dyeing her hair black, getting
body piercings, and posing nude for several publications.[78] This was attributed to her provocative and extravagant
alter ego named Xtina.[445] Serving as the host of the
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards, 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.[110] 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 Wildfranchise.[446][447] In a review of her persona, author
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
AllMusic opined that Aguilera reached "maturity with transparent sexuality and pounding sounds of nightclubs".[448] 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".[449]
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).[450] The image drew inspiration from actresses of the
Golden Age of Hollywood, such as
Marilyn Monroe, to go with the album's 1920s–1950s musical direction.[451] In 2008, she adopted a futuristic image, which drew comparisons to the image of then-newcomer,
Lady Gaga.[452][453] In 2012, she drew
criticism over her weight gain from several publications;[454] the following year, she received favorable media attention after a significant weight loss.[455][456] In March 2018, Aguilera appeared on the cover of the spring 2018 issue of Paper, titled "Transformation".[457][458] Photographed by Zoey Grossman, the images featured Aguilera with minimal
makeup and no
photographic manipulation, debuting her freckles.[459][460] Her appearance in the pictures received significant media attention and widespread praise.[461][462][463][464] This led to other celebrities who had posed similarly receiving attention.[465][466] Starting in 2021, Aguilera began showing off a
red-haired look for the promotion of her ninth studio album, Aguilera (2022).[467]
Legacy
Various music journalists and authors have noted Aguilera's legacy in the
entertainment industry[402][377][468] and deemed her as one of the greatest artists in
pop music.[469][470] In 2004, she was listed as one of the most influential people in the music market according to The Independent,[471] and was ranked as the eight greatest woman in the phonographic industry by
VH1.[472] Early in her career, Aguilera was labeled as a
teen idol,[440][473] and has been named as one of the artists who revived
teen pop in the late 1990s;[474][475]Time magazine stated that she was a "pioneer [in] a different type of teen stardom", crediting her vocal ability as responsible for the phenomenon.[46] Since then, she has been named as one of the greatest singers in contemporary pop music;[476][477] by
MTV, she was ranked as one of the best voices in music since the 1980s,[478] while Rolling Stone and Consequence of Sound included her in their lists of greatest singers of all time.[479][480] In 2013, Latina honored her as the best vocalist of Latin origin in history.[481] With the recognition of her vocal ability and influence in the music industry, she has been referred in media with the titles of "
Princess of Pop"[482][483] and "
Voice of a Generation".[484][485][486]
Upon launching her music career in the late 1990s, Aguilera was named as one of the artists who shaped the "Latin explosion",[487][488] having contributed to the
Latin pop boom in American music in early of the century.[489] Considered one of the greatest artists of the 2000s,[123][490] she has been classified between the main references of the
Millennials;[491] writing for Vice magazine, Wanna Thompson analyzed her impact in the turn of the century, stating that alongside
Britney Spears, "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".[492] The commercial success of her first projects as a
bubblegum pop 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.[493][494]
Aguilera has also been praised for emphasizing the importance of feminism in pop music;[397][530] several journalists agree that her use of sexual imagery has helped catalyze public discourse on the topic.[446][531] 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] and
Madonna's curriculum".[532] 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".[374] Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, co-founder of The Vagenda, opined that the provocative dance routines in Aguilera's music videos were "empowering",[531] as she has been referred to as the forerunner of the slutdrop dance style.[533][534]
Aguilera's videography impact was also analysed by music critics. While "
Dirrty" (2002) has been described as "one of the most controversial videos in pop music history",[535][468] and one of the greatest music videos of all time,[536] Issy Beech from i-D recognized that the audiovisual work "paved a path for videos like "
Anaconda" and "
Wrecking Ball" [...] paved the way for open sexuality from women in pop".[537] 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,[538][539] in addition to start Aguilera's image as a
gay icon.[540] Both works was elected as one of the greatest music videos of the 21st century by editors from Billboard,[541] while she was named one of the greatest women of the video era according to VH1.[542] 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".[543][544]
Elected as top female artist in 2000 and 2003, Aguilera was classified as the twentieth most prosperous artists of the 2000s, according Billboard.[567] She was also listed as one of the most successful singers of the decade on
Billboard 200,
Hot 100, and
Mainstream Top 40 charts—whose she also was ranked among the greatest of all time.[568] With a total of 10
Dance Club Songs chart-toppers, Aguilera became the thirty-fifth most successful artist in the chart history.[569] 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.[196][570]Mi Reflejo (2000) also remains as one of the
longest albums to chart at number one on
Top Latin Albums.[571] 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 industry, having sold more than 1.8 million tickets for her performances, according Pollstar.[572] 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.[573]
In 2007, Aguilera signed a long-term deal with
Procter & Gamble (P&G) and created the
Christina Aguilera Fragrances, which has been sold in North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe.[581][582] In addition to scents, the brand manufactures
body lotions,
body sprays, and
deodorants whose products was ranked among the United Kingdom best-sellers in 2007, 2009 and 2010.[583] In January 2016, the line was reported to sold over $80 million.[584] Her fragrances also received numerous accolades, including at the
Duftstars Awards and
FiFi Awards.[585][586] During
São Paulo Fashion Week in 2011, Aguilera debuted her first clothes line which was mostly sold in Brazilian department stores
C&A.[587] In partnership with
American Greetings, she featured in customized birthday video cards which was sold online in 2021 and eventually won a
Clio Awards.[588]
As a
LGBT rights activist, Aguilera was lauded for calling out myths around
HIV/AIDS, in addition to raising awareness about the virus and raising funds for the
Mac AIDS Fund and the
Elton John AIDS Foundation.[615][616] In 2008, she advocated for
same-sex marriage and spoke out against
Proposition 8. During an interview with
MTV News, 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".[617] 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.[618] During
The X Tour (2019), Aguilera visited Russia and "blessed" a gay marriage proposal in the backstage, contrary to the
country's laws against "gay propaganda".[619]
Personal life
Aguilera met dancer Jorge Santos backstage, while filming one of her music videos in 2000 and dated him until September 2001.[620] She began dating music executive Jordan Bratman in late 2002. Their engagement was announced in February 2005.[621] On November 19, 2005, they married in a private ceremony on an estate in
Napa County, California, during a
traditional Jewish ceremony.[622] Aguilera wore a flamenco-style wedding dress by
Christian Lacroix and they exchanged wedding bands designed by jeweller
Stephen Webster.[623][624] She gave birth to their son in 2008.[625] In September 2010, the couple had separated.[626] She filed for divorce on October 14, 2010.
In November 2010, Aguilera began dating production assistant Matthew Rutler, whom she met while filming the musical Burlesque.[627] Aguilera was arrested for
public intoxication in March 2011, while Rutler was booked for
driving under the influence.[628] However, the charges were dropped against Rutler the following month.[629] In 2014, they became engaged on
Valentine's Day.[630] Later that year, Aguilera gave birth to their daughter.[631]
Aguilera was raised
Catholic, although she was learning about
Judaism in the mid 2000s.[632] In 2022, she opened up about
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".[633] Aguilera has also been sharing about insecurity and struggling with
body image early in her career.[634]
In 2007, Aguilera purchased a
Mediterranean-style mansion in
Beverly Hills for $11.5 million, which she sold for $13.5 million in March 2013.[635] 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.[636] In 2000, Aguilera was among the biggest moneymakers in the music business with over £65 million earned with albums sales, merchandising and licensing deals according
VH1.[637] In January 2008, she was ranked 19th on Forbes' list of Top-Earning Women in Music of 2007 with earnings of $20 million.[638] The previous year, she was also included on their list of richest women in entertainment industry, with an estimated net worth of $60 million.[639] In August 2022, Aguilera's net worth was reported to be $160 million.[640]
^Hampp, Andrew (September 21, 2012).
"Christina Aguilera: Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2023. As a vocalist it brought me back to, "Yeah, that's what I used to do to my Whitney Houston record and my Mariah Carey record and my Etta James record." It brings you back to a place where it becomes your personal responsibility to infuse the next generation with more information about learning every intricate note. That's why a song called "Sing for Me" is special song. It's one of those singer's songs where if you're not a vocalist you can't mess with that song.
^Pinfold, Michael (2006).
"Christina Aguilera". In Gerstner, David A. (ed.). Routledge International Encyclopedia of Queer Culture (1 ed.).
Routledge. p. 16.
ISBN9780415306515. Retrieved June 15, 2022.