Christina Aguilera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christina Aguilera
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Aguilera in 2019
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Christina María Aguilera
December 18, 1980 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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Jordan Bratman
(m. 2005; div. 2011) |
| Partner(s) | Matthew Rutler (eng. 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
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Christina María Aguilera (/ˌæɡɪˈlɛərə/ AG-il-AIR-ə, Spanish: [kɾisˈtina maˈɾi.a aɣiˈleɾa]; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Recognized as an influential figure in music and having received widespread public interest, she is noted for her four-octave vocal range extending into the whistle register and artistic reinventions. Referred to as the "Voice of a Generation", she was also named a Disney Legend, in recognition for her contributions to The Walt Disney Company.
After appearing on The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1993–1994), Aguilera recorded the theme song, "Reflection", for the animated film Mulan (1998) and signed a record deal with RCA Records. She rose to fame in 1999 with her self-titled debut album which gained three number one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 including "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)". In 2002, Aguilera released Stripped, which went on to become one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. After another old-school inspired musical reinvention, she released the critically praised Back to Basics (2006). Throughout these periods, she amassed various worldwide hits including the singles "Lady Marmalade", "Dirrty" and "Beautiful".
During the early 2010s, Aguilera released a string of collaborations which peaked at top ten on the Hot 100 including "Moves like Jagger", "Feel This Moment" and "Say Something"; the first of these topped the chart making Aguilera one of the few artists to reach the number one spot over three decades. She has since performed in two concert residencies. She also starred in the film Burlesque (2010) and contributed to its soundtrack, earning a Golden Globe Award nomination. Her concurrent ventures included a role in the television series Nashville (2015), roles in films The Emoji Movie (2017) and Zoe (2018), becoming an ambassador for the World Food Programme (WFP), co-founding the company Playground, and serving as a coach on the reality competition show The Voice (2011–2016).
Aguilera is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 100 million records sold worldwide. She has been named one of the most successful artists of the 2000s decade by Billboard and has been referred to as one of the greatest vocalists of all time. She has since been regarded as one of the most influential Latin artists in the entertainment industry, having helped shape the "Latin explosion" in the early 2000s. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, two Latin Grammy Awards, six ALMA Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards (VMA), a Billboard Music Award, a Guinness World Record, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Early life and education
Christina María Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Ocean Breeze, New York at Staten Island University Hospital, to Shelly Loraine (née 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 before becoming a Spanish translator.
Due to Fausto's military service, Aguilera's family moved frequently. She lived in Grasmere, New York before moving to New Jersey and Texas. In 1983, they moved to Japan and lived in Sagamihara for at least two years. During her youth in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, Aguilera attended North Allegheny Intermediate High School before leaving there to be homeschooled to avoid bullying she experienced at school.
In 1986, the family returned to the United States, and settled in Pennsylvania, where they welcomed her younger sister, Rachel, in 1986. In 1987, Shelly filed to divorce Fausto and moved with Aguilera and Rachel to her mother's home in Rochester, a suburb of Pittsburgh. She later married James Kearns and had a son with him named Michael. In 2012, following decades of estrangement, Aguilera expressed interest in reconciling with her biological father.
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. She also began to practice singing in public and competing in talent contests. Following numerous contests, she earned a reputation in her neighborhood as the "little girl with a big voice" and received widespread attention from local television and radio programs.
In 1990, she performed the popular song "A Sunday Kind of Love" on the reality competition show Star Search, but was eliminated during the semi-final round. Aguilera was eventually invited to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, Pittsburgh Steelers football, and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games, and at the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals.
Career
1993–1998: Career beginnings
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. 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, Keri Russell, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake. During the show recordings—which included Aguilera performing musical numbers and comedy sketches—she moved with her family to Orlando, Florida. In 1994, it was reported the series would not return for a new season.
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. 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 directed to record labels, including Walt Disney Records, for which she sent a cover of "Run to You" by Whitney Houston. 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. 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. 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.
1999–2001: Breakthrough with debut album
In May 1999, Aguilera released the lead single off her long-awaited debut album, "Genie in a Bottle", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and became the second best-selling single of 1999. The song became an international hit, increasing Aguilera's popularity worldwide, topping the charts in over 20 countries. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
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. It catapulted Aguilera into fame globally and sold over ten million copies in its first year. It was later certified eight times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and it has sold over 17 million copies worldwide. 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. 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".
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. The song was also nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. This was followed with "I Turn to You" which reached number three there, and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" which became Aguilera's third number one song and achieved worldwide success. 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.
In May 2000, Aguilera embarked on her debut concert tour, Christina Aguilera in Concert, which toured North America, Latin America, Europe, and Japan until February 2001. Her success continued to rise with the release of her second studio album, Mi Reflejo, in September 2000 which topped both the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums for nineteen consecutive weeks. The album featured Spanish-language versions of several songs from her debut album along with new songs, and had Latin pop themes. Three singles were release for the album including the Spanish version of "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" titled "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)", "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti" and "Falsas Esperanzas". The latter two were performed at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The album went on to be the best-selling Latin pop album of 2000 and was later 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 album won Best Female Pop Vocal Album.
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. The album received generally polarised reviews at the time but has since gone on to retrospectively receive praise. Aguilera starred in a holiday special, My Reflection, which aired on December 3, 2000, on ABC. Aguilera's commercial success saw her being named the 2000 Top Female Pop Act by Billboard. The same year, she also filed a fiduciary duty against manager Steve Kurtz for "improper, undue, and inappropriate influence over her professional activities". She eventually hired Irving Azoff to manage her career, aiming for control of her career and image.
On January 16, 2001, Aguilera featured on Ricky Martin's "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely", which topped charts internationally and peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100, becoming her fifth top-20 hit in the US. The song was ranked at number 65 on VH1's "100 Greatest Love Songs", and was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. In April of that year, Aguilera featured alongside Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink on "Lady Marmalade" from the soundtrack for the film, Moulin Rouge! (2001). The song received positive reviews and topped the Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, becoming Aguilera's fourth number one. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year.
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). 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.
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 Xtina, dyeing her hair black, and sporting several tattoos and body piercings. Aguilera's new persona was widely criticized by media outlets.
Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped, followed with a release on October 22, 2002. She also executive produced and co-wrote the majority of the songs. 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. 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 second single, "Beautiful", was released to widespread acclaim for its empowering lyrics about embracing inner beauty, also becoming a LGBT anthem. The song reached number two on the Hot 100 and topped the chart in various international countries, including the UK, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. It also reached number one on the US Adult Contemporary chart and the US Dance Club Songs chart. At the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, the single won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. This was followed with the singles — "Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down" and "The Voice Within".
In June 2003, Aguilera co-headlined The Justified & Stripped Tour alongside Justin Timberlake. The joint tour visited North America solely, attracting an audience of 546,483 and grossed over $31.8 million. It ranked sixteenth on Billboard's list of Top 25 Tours of 2003. Later that year, she also embarked on The Stripped Tour in Europe, Asia, and Australia. 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. 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.
In August 2003, at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Aguilera opened the show singing "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" alongside Britney Spears. Halfway through the performance, she was joined by Madonna whom they both kissed, consequently making the performance highly publicized. Various media outlets retrospectively considered it one of the "most iconic" VMAs performances of all time. In 2008, MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moment in the history of MTV Video Music Awards. In November of that year, Aguilera hosted the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards. She was later named Top Female Pop Act of 2003 by Billboard.
In August 2004, Aguilera recorded a cover of "Car Wash" alongside rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack of the DreamWorks film Shark Tale. She also voiced a Rastafarian jellyfish in the film. That September, Aguilera contributed vocals to "Tilt Ya Head Back" with rapper Nelly. The songs respectively reached number 63 and 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2005–2008: Back to Basics
In early 2005, Aguilera embraced a new image inspired by Old Hollywood figures, debuting burlesque-style curly blonde hair and makeup. Her new persona was eventually adopted to promote her subsequent music project. In March 2006, Aguilera released a duet with Andrea Bocelli, "Somos Novios (It's Impossible)", and performed the song together at the Sanremo Music Festival. She also featured on "A Song for You" by Herbie Hancock which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
In June 2006, Aguilera released "Ain't No Other Man" as her then-forthcoming fifth studio album's lead single, which received critical acclaim and was praised by music critics. Critics compared her vocals on the songs to older singers such as Etta James and Aretha Franklin. The song achieved commercial success, peaked at number six on Billboard Hot 100 and has sold 1.7 million digital copies in the U.S. The single eventually earned her the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Aguilera's fifth studio album, Back to Basics, was released as a double album in August 2006. 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". The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 making it Aguilera's first album to top the chart since 1999. It also debuted atop the charts in numerous countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. The album received positive reviews and was nominated a Best Pop Vocal Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was later certified double platinum by the RIAA, and sold over 5 million units worldwide. "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.
In November 2006, Aguilera performed "Steppin' Out with My Baby" at NBC's Tony Bennett: An American Classic special as a duet alongside Tony Bennett. The duo performed the song on Saturday Night Live and at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. Their live performance was nominated a Grammy Award at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Their version was officially recorded in 2012 for Bennett's Viva Duets. That same month, Aguilera also featured on rapper Diddy's song "Tell Me" which topped the UK R&B Singles chart and number eight in the UK.
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. The tour received positive reviews and was divided into acts inspired by juke joints and the circus. With earnings around 48.1 million, the tour was the highest-grossing concert tour by a female in 2007. 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.
In February 2007, Aguilera performed "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards which received widespread praise and has been noted as one of the most memorable Grammy performances of all time. That same month she performed at the halftime show for the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.
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. In September, she released "Keeps Gettin' Better" 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 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 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, 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, 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 "[motivated] her 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 (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 performer in the Steven Antin film Burlesque, released in theaters in November 2010. She received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 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$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 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. Aguilera performed "Express" on the finale of the seventh series of The X Factor UK 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 at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. 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 show The Voice, which aired on NBC. Aguilera later returned to its second, third, fifth, eighth, and tenth season. For the show's first season, Aguilera's duet of her song "Beautiful" with her finalist, Beverly McClellan, debuted at number 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with first-week sales of 42,000 downloads on iTunes. 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" by Maroon 5. They first performed the song during their time on The Voice and also performed it at the 2011 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). The song was also nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. In July 2021, the song was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (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, 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" 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. A month later, on February 22, 2013, Aguilera featured on rapper Pitbull's "Feel This Moment", 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 positive reivews and was performed at the 2012 American Music Awards, 2013 Kids' Choice Awards, The Voice and 2013 Billboard Music Awards. In May 2013, Aguilera appeared on Alejandro Fernández's cover of Miguel Gallardo's 1976 "Hoy Tengo Ganas de Ti" which 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. 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 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. In October of that year, Aguilera also lent her vocals to the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with the song "We Remain". 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. 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 Award ceremony.
In February 2015, Aguilera opened the 2015 NBA All-Star Game alongside The Rockettes and Nas with a New York-themed medley. In April, Aguilera starred in the third season of the musical drama series Nashville, which aired on ABC. She also contributed to the series' soundtrack with "The Real Thing" and "Shotgun" — with the latter reaching number twenty-eight on Hot Country Songs chart. She also performed at the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards alongside the Rascal Flatts.
2016–2020: Liberation and The Xperience
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. A month later, Aguilera released the song "Change". 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 song titled "Telepathy" featuring Nile Rodgers 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 January 2017, Aguilera performed "Stormy Weather" on the ABC television special Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America. In July, she voiced a video-game dancer in The Emoji Movie (2017), with the film also featuring her song "Feel This Moment". She also lent her vocals to the Served Like a Girl documentary film for a song titled "America". In November, Aguilera performed a tribute to Whitney Houston at the 2017 American Music Awards. The tribute received polarized views from fans and critics who praised her vocals but criticized why she was selected over a black artist.
In March 2018, Aguilera announced the completion of her then-upcoming eighth studio album alongside a Paper Magazine cover which received media coverage. Aguilera released her eighth studio album Liberation 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, which became Aguilera's tenth number one song on the US Billboard Dance Songs Chart. Two other singles from the album, "Fall in Line" (with Demi Lovato) 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, which ran from September to November 2018 in the US. The tour received positive reviews from critics who praised Aguilera's vocals and stage presence. 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. She also starred in the romantic science fiction Zoe, which premiered at the Tribeca Film festival and was released in July of that year. At the end of 2018, Aguilera performed a medley of her songs on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.
In May 2019, Aguilera began headlining her first concert residency, Christina Aguilera: The Xperience, a 25-date show at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas which concluded in March 2020. In between the residency, from July to December 2019, Aguilera also embarked on The X Tour, which served as the international counterpart to The Liberation Tour, running throughout Europe and Latin America.
In October 2019, Aguilera released the song "Haunted Heart" from the soundtrack of the animated film, The Addams Family, and her second collaboration with A Great Big World, "Fall on Me", followed a month later. The former received critical acclaim from critics, was nominated for Best Original Song in an Animated Film at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards and topped the US Kid Digital Song Sales chart.
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 – and a re-recording of "Reflection", released in August. That year, she appeared on the ABC television special, The Disney Family Singalong and its follow-up, where she performed "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Remember Me" respectively. In November of that year, Aguilera signed a new management deal with Roc Nation.
2021–present: Aguilera and Voltaire residency
In July 2021, Aguilera performed two sold-out shows at the Hollywood Bowl with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 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" for ABC's Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary special. On December 7, 2021, Aguilera was honored with the People's Music Icon honorific award at the 47th People's Choice Awards.
Aguilera released her ninth studio album, titled Aguilera, originally as a double album on May 31, 2022. The album paid tribute to different genres of Latin music, and consisted of three separately released parts: La Fuerza, 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", "Santo" and followed with "Suéltame" and "No Es Que Te Extrañe". Aguilera received widespread critical acclaim from music critics upon release, and was placed on several year-end lists by publications such as Billboard 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 with the album winning for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The album also received another two nominations for Best Latin Pop Album and Best Immersive Audio Album 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.
On June 11, 2022, Aguilera headlined the Los Angeles Pride festival with guests Mýa, Kim Petras and Paris Hilton. In October 2022, Stripped was reissued for its 20-year anniversary, featuring "I Will Be" (the b-side to "Dirrty") 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 a part of the soundtrack for PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. The same month she performed at the EuroPride concert in Malta. At the end of the month, it was reported that Aguilera would executive produce a stage adaptation of Burlesque. In December, she began her second residency, Christina Aguilera at Voltaire, at The Venetian Las Vegas which ran until August 2024. In May 2024, it was reported that Aguilera had parted ways with RCA and signed with 5020 Records, a label distributed by Sony Music Latin.
In September 2024, Aguilera announced a "Spotify Anniversaries" special performance for the 25th anniversary of her debut album. The special's performances were released on Spotify as a live extended play on September 23. The EP also featured appearances from Machine Gun Kelly and Sabrina Carpenter. The special additionally containted interviews from producer Ron Fair and songwriter Heather Holley, with the latter joining Aguilera for a performance of her song "Obvious". In December, the EP was named one of the best albums of the year by HuffPost.
Artistry
Influences
Aguilera states that her biggest influence in music was Etta James: "[She's] my all-time favorite singer [...] I'll still be as raunchy as I wanna be, and I'll have her memory to back me up. She's what I want to be someday". As her first references to sing and perform, Aguilera credits the musical The Sound of Music (1959) and its lead actress, Julie Andrews; other of the main inspirations cited throughout her career includes Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Pearl Bailey, Beyoncé and the bands Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N' Roses. Furthermore, Aguilera recalls that she started singing her first songs in Spanish during her childhood because of her parents who constantly listened to works by Julio Iglesias. Other musical inspirations for Aguilera include Chavela Vargas and Vicente Fernández. Aguilera described her song "La Reina" from Aguilera (2022) as a respectful response to Fernández's "El Rey".
In recognition of what she describes as "positive female artists," Aguilera mentioned Madonna and Janet Jackson as artistic influences; in 2000, during an interview with Jam! Canoe, she demonstrated her respect for both singers because they have "taken on the stage, the studio and the screen and have been successful in all three [...] artists who aren't afraid to take chances and be daring and experimental". Cher was also highlighted as one of Aguilera's source of inspiration in career as she remembered that saw her for the first time in the music video for "If I Could Turn Back Time" (1989), described as a "pivotal moment" that encouraged her as a "woman who's been there, done everything, before everyone else – who had the guts to do it". Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald were Aguilera's biggest influences on her vocal abilities as a child.
Some of her inspirations were portrayed in her artistic work; during the process of developing of her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006), Aguilera stated to being influenced by music records from Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Otis Redding. In the audiovisual work for "Candyman" (2007), she performed three different roles as an allusion to the interpretation of "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the group The Andrews Sisters on a brief appearance in the film Buck Privates (1941). Outside the music industry, she mentioned Marilyn Monroe as a reference, paying tribute to the actress in the music video for "Tilt Ya Head Back" (2004) and in movie Burlesque (2010) — where she recorded one of Monroe's most popular songs, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", featured in musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Furthermore, Aguilera highlighted her inspirations in the art world, declaring to be an appreciator of works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Banksy.
Voice
Critics have described Aguilera as a soprano, possessing a four-octave vocal range (from C3 to C♯7), being also able to perform the whistle register. After the release of her self-titled debut album, Ron Fair — executive of RCA Records — said he was betting on Aguilera due to her "perfect intonation", considering that she had "pipes to be the next Barbra Streisand or Céline Dion". In an article for Slate, Maura Johnston wrote that although Aguilera works in contemporary pop music, she has "an instrument that despite its ability to leap octaves has a low-end grounding similar to that possessed by opera singers". Highlighting her vocal versatility, Joan Anderman from The Boston Globe stated that she is "a real singer [...] blessed with the sort of breathtaking elasticity, golden tones, and sheer power that separate the divas from the dabblers". Aguilera is also recognized for making use of melisma in her songs and performances; Jon Pareles, writing for The New York Times, analyzed her vocal abilities, emphasizing that "she can aim a note as directly as a missile or turn its trajectory into an aerobatic spiral of leaping, quivering, scalloping melismas". According to critics of Rolling Stone magazine, she has been modeled her "dramatic and melismatic technique" following steps of artists like Etta James.
Throughout her career, her vocal ability has yielded comparisons with other vocalists. As a result of her use of melismatic technique, David Browne associated her with Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, opining that the three form the team of the main proponents of this vocal modality. Sharing the same point of view, Sasha Frere-Jones, columnist for The New Yorker, expressed that the technique was responsible for making her a "serious singer" without needing to "reincarnate the Sarah Vaughan". Steve Kipner — songwriter of "Genie in a Bottle" (1999) — considered that Aguilera has an "impressive" vocal dexterity, being able to "internalized all the riffs from Chaka Khan". Ann Powers, critic from Los Angeles Times, said that Aguilera has a voice "purely powerful as that of Etta James [...] and she's moving toward the expressiveness of Gladys Knight, if not Aretha Franklin"; however, Powers notes that her vocal ability in ballad songs "connects her to Barbra Streisand", in addition to comparing her to Donna Summer when she works on songs influenced by rhythm and blues.
However, Aguilera has also been criticized for the excessive use of melisma, as well as for oversinging in her songs and concerts. Writing for The Huffington Post, John Eskow stated that she is the main proponent of "oversouling" and, despite recognizing that she has a "great instrument", opined that she "[doesn't] seem to know when to stop" with the use of "gratuitous and confected melisma". Lucy Davies, author at BBC Music, acknowledges that Aguilera has a "stunning voice", but indicated that "she could be more varied, simply by cutting out some of the 'y-e-e-eeeh, woah yeh's' in her songs". During the recording session of "Beautiful" (2002), the producer Linda Perry recalled that Aguilera had difficulty avoiding "vocal improvisations", stopping the recording every time she started to "[oversing]". Perry used the first take, saying, "She had a hard time accepting that as the final track. She's a perfectionist. She knows her voice really well and she knows what's going on. She can hear things that nobody else would catch." In an article for Entertainment Weekly, Chris Willman opined that Aguilera's tendency to oversinging is due to the influence of Carey in her vocal abilities, noting "her slightly nasal tone that really only becomes obvious when she's overselling a song". VH1 writer Alexa Tietjen added that Aguilera "does tend to take it to the extreme at times [...] but Christina's vocal prowess is what's gotten her so far. Love them or hate them, the riffs are a part of who she is as a performer."
Musical style
Aguilera's discography is generally categorized as pop, contemporary R&B, soul, and hip-hop. 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". Alexis Petridis from The Guardian considered the "boldness in [continually] reinventing" her music as "one of her most impressive facets" as an artist. 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.
Moving away from the teen niche, Aguilera's post-2000 material mainly incorporated R&B and hip-hop. 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". 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.
The show tune "Lady Marmalade" is noted as Aguilera's first musical transformation, which RCA Records initially felt was "too urban". Despite the renewal in her repertoire, Aguilera continued producing power ballads—which became a signature in her discography—in between her uptempo material. 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". Her sonically drastic ventures include the subversive "galactic pop" on Bionic (2010), electropop club on Lotus (2012), and Mexican ranchera numbers on Aguilera (2022).
Cultural status
Throughout her career, Aguilera has been called a pop icon, a gay icon, a triple threat entertainer, and a fashion icon. She has been ranked among the greatest singers of all time and referred to as the "Voice of a Generation". She has been labeled a "diva" for her stardom and persona, garnering polarized views, and often various comparisons to Mariah Carey. Aguilera has also been noted for her closely affiliation with The Walt Disney Company, being honoured as a Disney Legend in 2019.
She has often received media attention for her reinventions. In the early 2000s, Aguilera rose to fame as a teen idol with her bubblegum pop eponymous debut album. Various images she took on included an old Hollywood image and a futuristic look. She was later ranked as one of the most successful artists of the 2000s decade by Billboard. In the 2010s, Aguilera saw moderate success with her music while spending six seasons as a coach on The Voice. Aguilera's personal struggles were often highlighted in the media. She saw a musical comeback with Liberation (2018).
Throughout her career, Aguilera has faced media attention for her physical appearances with some journalists noting that she has often received body shaming critical comments. She was also named as one of the artists who revived teen pop in the late 1990s. Aguilera has also been a significant figure in helping reshape the "Latin explosion" in the late 1990s and contributed to the Latin pop boom in American music with her album Mi Reflejo (2000), which went on to become the best-selling Latin pop album of all time. She has also been noted for honouring her Ecuadorian roots throughout her career.
Subsequently, Aguilera has influenced and inspired several acts and artists in industries worldwide.
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 receive the award. Aguilera received four other trophies from twenty nominations by The Recording Academy. She is also a recipient of two Latin Grammy Awards, three Billboard Latin Music Awards—including the Spirit of Hope Award—, two MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), two People's Choice Awards—including the inaugural Music Icon Award—, three World Music Awards, and one Guinness World Record. Aguilera is also one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 100 million records sold worldwide. Among other honors, Aguilera received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in "recognition of her achievements in the recording industry".
Other activities
Business ventures
As a businesswoman, Aguilera has been selling her own products and investing in multiple companies. In 2008, she became co-owner of LAX nightclub at the Luxor Las Vegas alongside DJ AM. In 2015, she founded the MX Productions & Investments in partnership with fiancée Matthew Rutler, for which they was included in the investors' group of Pinterest, DraftKings, Lyft and MasterClass enterprises. Aguilera also joined the ownership group of Angel City FC, a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team. In March 2015, Aguilera and Rutler signed a deal with Lions Gate Entertainment to developed both scripted and unscripted projects which eventually was acquired by ABC Family and Spike TV networks. In 2022, she was named chief culture officer of The Fun Wine Company.
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. 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. In January 2016, the line was reported to sold over $80 million. Her fragrances also received numerous accolades, including at the Duftstars Awards and FiFi Awards. During São Paulo Fashion Week in 2011, Aguilera debuted her first clothes line which was mostly sold in Brazilian department stores C&A. In partnership with American Greetings, she featured in customized birthday video cards which was sold online in 2021 and eventually won a Clio Awards.
During her career, Aguilera has been involved in marketing initiatives and endorsed numerous brands including Sears, Levi's, Skechers, Mercedes-Benz, Virgin Mobile, Orange UK, Sony Ericsson, Oreo, SweeTarts, Just Eat, Lieferando, Menulog, and Merz Aesthetics. In 2001, she starred in a series of television advertising to Coca-Cola, which was aired in Latin America and the United States. Media outlets reported the deal signed by Aguilera to worth up £50 million. Aguilera also shot a global scale advertising campaign alongside South Korean singer Rain to promote Pepsi during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Other Aguilera's endorses included a clothing line by Versace in 2003, and a collection of sterling silver pieces designed by Stephen Webster in 2008. On June 28, 2004, she received £200,000 to open the summer sale at the London's department store Harrods. In 2008, Aguilera also was paid $1.5 million to submit pictures of her first child to People, becoming the ninth most expensive celebrity baby photograph ever taken.
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. In addition to starred in television advertisings on the 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 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 Humanitarian Awards and George McGovern Leadership Awards—which she received in the White House from the former 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, earmarking 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.
Aguilera advocated for same-sex marriage in 2008.
Personal life
Aguilera met dancer Jorge Santos backstage, while filming one of her music videos in 2000 and dated him until September 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 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 Liron Bratman, in 2008. In September 2010, the couple had separated. She filed for divorce in October 2010, which was finalized in April 2011.
In November 2010, Aguilera began dating production assistant Matthew Rutler, whom she met while filming the musical Burlesque. In 2014, they became engaged on Valentine's Day. Later that year, Aguilera gave birth to their daughter, Summer Rain Rutler.
After being raised Catholic, she was learning about Judaism in the mid-2000s.
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. 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 2000, Aguilera was among the biggest moneymakers in the music business with over £65 million earned with albums sales, merchandising and licensing deals according to VH1. In January 2008, she was ranked 19th on 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)
- Mi Reflejo (2000)
- My Kind of Christmas (2000)
- Stripped (2002)
- Back to Basics (2006)
- Bionic (2010)
- Lotus (2012)
- Liberation (2018)
- Aguilera (2022)
Filmography
- Burlesque (2010)
- The Emoji Movie (2017)
- Zoe (2018)
Theater
- Burlesque (2024); producer, co-composer and lyricist
Tours and residencies
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Headlining tours
Co-headlining tours
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Residencies
Promotional tours
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See also
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- List of best-selling 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