JUNE 2003
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Billboard Chart Update
The Billboard 200:
� 'Stripped' jumps from 41 to 35 after 34 weeks on
The Billboard Hot 100:
� "Fighter" falls from 29 to 35 after 13 weeks on
Adult Contemporary:
� "Beautiful" holds at 5 after 28 weeks on
Top 40 Tracks:
� "Fighter" falls from 12 to 18 after 14 weeks on
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Aguilera Skillfully Blends Her Two Sides
By DOUG ELFMAN
REVIEW-JOURNAL
We got Madonna, who was a dancer first and a singer second. Then we got Britney, who was a dancer first and a lip-syncer second. Now we have Christina, who is a phenomenal singer, yet she is viewed mostly as a dirty little ****.
Christina Aguilera is dirty and little but not a ****. She just wears the hypersexuality of someone who is unfortunately dressed. American society still can't deal with that rationally, except on cable TV and the Internet, where we can all be perverts in private.
The two sides of Aguilera (The Voice/the trailer clothes coupled with a black dye of frizz) collided perfectly in the middle of her concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday:
One of Aguilera's beefy male dancers had pulled off her skirt and left her bottom looking barely legal. This was a skit. She chided him, then concluded: "If that would ever happen again, it would only happen" -- pause for effect -- "if I let you."
Then came the real showstopper. Aguilera sang the hell out of "Infatuation," a sumptuous, midtempo, Spanish trail of love. Like her best songs, and unlike most pop songs, it would have been impressive even as an instrumental.
She showed range, too. She belted out a long climax of her idol Etta James' "At Last" and crooned the gorgeous ache of her own waltz ballad, "Walk Away."
But her sexual imagery got equal time. Bob Fosse's spirit must have been directing the backup dancers to simulate the four major food groups of sexual and oral positions.
That was fine, really, but the spectacle threatened to overshadow Aguilera's incredible 22-year-old voice and her well-penned songs. And little should have come between her and her audience when she rocked out "Make Over," a lush, midtempo pop-rock song with the rhythmic trot of a Spanish spaghetti Western.
More stripped-down images may or may not suit her bank account. But as long as she never succumbs to vast histrionics and adds more subtleties with age, she ought to become even more vocally graceful.
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Two For The Show
Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera make a surprising transition as artists -- without many of the growing pains associated with teen celebrity
By Dave Ferman
Star-Telegram Pop Music Critic
OK,we're confused: Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera are selling millions of CDs? And drawing thousands and thousands of people to what Rolling Stone magazine has officially told us is the sexiest tour of the year?
What year is it, anyway?
After all, as we all know, teen pop stars come and teen pop stars go -- and usually quickly. One day you've got 14-year-old girls screaming at you and adorning their bedrooms with your photo, and a year or two later you're a trivia question at a beer bash, old news as your former fans get out of high school and discover new favorites.
But no, it really is 2003, and Justin and Christina -- whom we first saw as cute, bubbly kids back in 1998 and 1999, respectively -- have totally defied the usual pop music one-and-done/rocket-ride-to-nowhere story: The pair's current co-headline tour is doing solid, if not sell-out, business in most markets.
Moreover, their recent solo CDs -- Justified and Stripped -- have each sold more than 2 million copies and spawned several hit singles: Justin has had a top-5 hit with Rock Your Body, and Christina currently has two high-charting tracks, Beautiful and Fighter.
Just as significantly, the pair have become genuine pop-culture figures: Justin through his tabloid-ready romance with Britney Spears, a more sophisticated R&B/hip-hop sound and collaborations with urban music heavy-hitters; and Christina through an ever-shifting display of hair and clothing styles and raunchy videos.
"It's easy to understand," says Amy Doyle, MTV's vice president of music and talent programming. "Both of them came back after riding the new pop wave with a new look and a new sound. Justin incorporated more soulful vocals, which is what people want. His timing was perfect.
"And Christina came back pushing the envelope with Dirrty and got noticed, and people respected her for not being put in a box with all the other young singers, the Jessica Simpsons and the Mandy Moores."
Doyle, and others, agree that part of what separates the pair from the pack of late-'90s pop acts, such as Simpson and O-Town, is both an eye for reinvention and actual talent.
In both cases, the reinvention reflected their core audience's maturation from teen-agers to young adults. Suddenly both seemed, well, more adult and less like little kids -- at the very time their early fans were growing out of being little kids themselves.
Spears, for all her sales, does not have as strong a voice as Aguilera, and her transition from kid to adult -- detailed on her latest CD, 2001's Britney -- often sounded forced. Aguilera's willingness to try a variety of styles has made her appear to have more musical maturity.
And clearly their audiences appreciate their efforts.
"Justin is just the ultimate sex symbol now," says Searcy Knissen, a 17-year-old who will be a senior at Fort Worth Country Day School. "He's such a nice guy and he has the dance moves and he's a gentleman -- even my mom likes him. Watching Christina evolve is interesting to the public -- she went from America's sweetheart and came out with totally different dancing, changed outfits, and each song on her CD is different."
But will the gains they've made in popularity last? On the negative side, both have harsh critics, people who say Timberlake sounds too much like vintage Michael Jackson and that Aguilera is selling sex to generate sales.
Serena Kim, Vibe magazine's features editor, says both are "here to stay -- maybe at some point Christina will settle down and find herself and realize she doesn't have to be so ostentatious."
Greenwald says both are now "more celebrities than musicians," but he also thinks that Aguilera, who can "make her voice work in a variety of styles," could be the one with true staying power.
"She really has a voice, and a voice that sounds good on the radio," he says. "And you can't ever count out someone like that. In many ways she's on a path to a better career than Britney -- she's already pushed through the rockiest part of her career. She's a diva now."
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Alien Ant Farm Crash Justin And Christina Tour
LOS ANGELES � A rock band crashes the Justin and Christina tour to play their new single? It might sound like an episode of "Jackass" or "Punk'd," but it's not. It's the setup for Alien Ant Farm's next video.
Late last week, the bandmembers piled their gear onto a flatbed truck and headed for the parking lot of the Los Angeles Staples Center as fans filed in to see Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. "We sent out scouts to take notice of security patterns," Corso said, laughing. "At a certain time the security guards go inside to take tickets. And there's still a ton of kids outside. And they're like, 5- to 15-year-old girls with their parents."
"It was so scary," Corso said of the moments leading up to their arrival. "I was in the back of the truck looking up and I could see the 'Staples Center' sign and I was like, 'Dude, I don't think anyone's ever done anything like this, have they?' "
As the truck parked, an Ant Farm agent planted in the crowd tore the fake "KAAF" radio station banner from the side and exposed the band, who ripped into "These Days."
"These kids looked like a UFO landed," Corso said. "I was trying to perform and watch people at the same time. I would see security guys on their radios. I'm almost positive that 80 percent of the security population � including the police � thought it was some kind of radio promotion that was supposed to happen. And we weren't supposed to be there at all! We finished the song, we waved, Dryden threw a microphone out, and then we [left]."
�Ryan J. Downey
Source: MTV News
New Exclusive Target CD Single
A new CD single of Christina & Justin Timberlake is being released exclusively through Target stores. Christina & Justin have also reportedly shot a commercial together for Target to begin airing in the coming weeks.
The CD includes a new Christina track called "That's What Love Can Do" which Christina wrote with Glen Ballard, who also produced the song. Audio and Lyrics for the song are up now.
Also included on the CD is the Valentin Club Mix of "Beautiful" and the Freelance Hellraiser Remix of "Fighter." Thanks to Mikey_17 for these cover scans: SCAN1, SCAN2
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New Video Available On AOL
The "Can't Hold Us Down" video is now also available on America Online at Keyword: Music Videos or Keyword: Christina Aguilera. The video will premiere on MTV's TRL on Thursday, June 26 at 1:00pm ET.
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Top Of The Pops Magazine Scans
Christina is featured on the cover of the June 2003 issue of the UK's Top Of The Pops magazine. Scans from the issue have been posted in the Photos section.
Billboard Chart Update
The Billboard 200:
� 'Stripped' falls from 37 to 41 after 33 weeks on
The Billboard Hot 100:
� "Fighter" falls from 24 to 29 after 12 weeks on
Adult Contemporary:
� "Beautiful" holds at 5 after 27 weeks on
Top 40 Tracks:
� "Fighter" falls from 11 to 12 after 13 weeks on
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Watch 'Can't Hold Us Down' Online Now!
The video will premiere on MTV's TRL next week.
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Macy's 4th of July Special
Christina will appear on NBC's annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular this year. The special will air on July 4th at 9:00pm ET. Christina's performance will be a pre-taped segment from the Justified And Stripped Tour.
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2003 Teen Choice Award Nominations
America Online and Teen People have announced the nominees for the 2003 Teen Choice Awards: the fifth annual awards show that allows America's teens to cast their vote for the hottest celebrities in film, television, music, and sports. Teens can vote exclusively at AOL Keyword: Teen Choice Awards--which is available to both AOL and AOL for Broadband members. Teen People readers can go to TeenPeople.com, available through AOL, to vote. The 2003 Teen Choice Awards program is scheduled to air Wednesday, August 6 (8:00-10:00pm ET/PT) on FOX.
Christina received four nominations in the following categories:
CHOICE MUSIC SINGLE
"All I Have" Jennifer Lopez
"Beautiful" Christina Aguilera
"Bump Bump Bump" B2K and P. Diddy
"Cry Me A River" Justin Timberlake
"In Da Club" 50 Cent
"Sk8er Boi" Avril Lavigne
"Underneath It All" No Doubt
"Work It" Missy Elliot
CHOICE MUSIC ALBUM
"Any Given Thursday" John Mayer
"Get Rich or Die Tryin" 50 Cent
"Justified" Justin Timberlake
"Let Go" Avril Lavigne
"Stripped" Christina Aguilera
"The Eminem Show" Eminem
"This Is Me...Then" Jennifer Lopez
"The Young & The Hopeless" Good Charlotte
CHOICE MUSIC FEMALE ARTIST
Christina Aguilera
Kelly Clarkson
Missy Elliot
Norah Jones
Beyonce Knowles
Avril Lavigne
Jennifer Lopez
Pink
CHOICE MUSIC HOOK UP
50 Cent/Nate Dogg ("21 Questions")
Christina Aguilera/Redman ("Dirrty")
Jay-Z/Beyonce ("03 Bonnie and Clyde")
Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow ("Picture")
Jennifer Lopez/LL Cool J ("All I Have")
Nelly/Kelly Rowlands ("Dilemma")
Santana/Michelle Branch ("The Game of Love")
Justin Timberlake/Timbaland ("Cry Me A River")
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It's Ladies' � And Lady's � Night
Timberlake has the tunes, but Aguilera wins with eye-popping entertainment and a mighty wail.
By BEN WENER
The Orange County Register
The Justified & Stripped Tour, the teaming of pop superstars Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, sold out the Los Angeles Staples Center on Monday night and was on its way toward doing the same Tuesday.
Fans certainly lapped up the lascivious moves here, perhaps more from Justin than Christina - though that's probably an outgrowth of the disproportionately female audience, which teemed with curvaceous young women in tight clothes, everyday not-so- young women who shouldn't wear such things, and enough jailbait to give R. Kelly apoplexy. Single men would have been wise to attend.
No doubt they would have been bored with Justin's beatboxin'-and-breakin' routine, just as they would have gotten horny over Xtina's revealing cat suit with orange exploding out of her, uh, naughty parts. But possession of a Y chromosome isn't the only reason I'd favor Aguilera's sex-appeal feast over Timberlake's club jam, even if I'd rather hear the latter's Neptunes-juiced Jacko soul while getting a lap dance.
Christina is simply a more well-rounded entertainer, the quintessential triple-threat that "Fame" currently seeks. Her mane of jet-black hair swept back � la Cher, she delivered a full-tilt diva delight in an array of approaches - the slithering Fosse-esque opening of "Dirrty," the Arabian erotica applied to a metallic retooling of "Genie in a Bottle" and set pieces that evoked a debauched Spanish Harlem, a French Quarter brothel (for "Lady Marmalade," natch), a peep show and the sort of dark and grimy d�cor one finds in extreme porn.
Not that it was all about flesh and desire. OK, so it's a stretch to say "Stripped," the title of her second album, signifies anything deeper than her apparent distaste for clothing. She screams about being a "Fighter" (here accompanied by Dave Navarro on guitar) and how we're all "Beautiful," but in trying to be taken seriously, she has resorted to trading on looks before talent.
Still, let it never be said that she can't sing. Indeed, she can wail. She still apes Mariah too much, which left two Etta James covers and an Alicia Keys knockoff overdone. If she ever grasps the value of understatement and the uselessness of fast fashion, she might measure up to the greats.
Until then, she at least realizes that an hour of fluff requires eye-zapping entertainment, which she provided in outfits alone: a '50s jazz chanteuse dress, nearly nonexistent booty shorts that let everyone examine her newly fuller physique, a trench coat get-up that left her looking like the long-lost sister of Keanu Reeves' Neo character.
Full story...
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Access On Tour: Justin & Christina
Summer's dynamic duo Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera have kicked off their tour and Access Hollywood was backstage. Two of the biggest names in pop music are letting us take viewers inside a world their fans never get to see.
Justin was pulling pranks in the midst of his and Christina's cross-country 40-city trek, the biggest undertaking of his career.
"When you hit the stage, it's probably hard to explain, but what is the rush like?" asked our own Pat O'Brien. "You just get to lose it and lose yourself in the crowd. Lose yourself in the audience and just feed off what's going on behind you and in front of you," said Christina. "And it�s hot! There's a heat wave. It's 2003 and you're in Middle America, baby," added Justin.
Our Access Hollywood cameras captured the pre-show frenzy just minutes before they hit the stage at their very first concert in Phoenix. Backstage the pressure was mounting -- facing them was 15,000 screaming fans.
It was clear by Christina's nervous energy backstage that she was feeling the heat. "Oh my God, I am going to pee in my pants," said Christina. Justin, on the other hand, couldn't appear more calm. He's the clean-cut heartthrob with the devastating moves. She's the "dirrty" diva with the devastating voice. They are two unique talents and as Pat discovered, they are two very different people.
"What is the one thing you guys have learned about each other during this thing?" Pat asked the duo. "My sarcastic humor always wants to run away with me. I have the worst sarcastic dirty little jokes," said Christina. "No, that's cool, you can kick me, stab me, go ahead," joked Justin.
So just what does it take to pull off the elaborate tour? The double extravaganza took 16 trucks full of equipment and the hard work of over 100 crewmen. It also takes weeks and weeks of grueling rehearsals. "Between going through dance steps and what not and then coming over here and doing vocals and the live stuff, we're keeping pretty busy," Christina told Access.
For Justin, gearing up for the U.S. Tour meant stops in Europe, including an electrifying performance for the crew in Manchester, England.
But when these two pop powerhouses came together one important decision had to be made. Who would go first? "Justin has a good line for this," Christina told Pat. "Well, see in the South the ladies always go first and so the lady will go first," said Justin.
There's plenty of fuel on the Justin and Christina tour, but is that solo career fueling the end of *NSYNC? When asked about the group's future, Justin told Pat: "No, *NSYNC is not breaking up. I know that we all five have a commitment to go back into the studio and make another record towards the end of this year or beginning of next year. Where it goes, no one knows. I can't make any promises on what it is going to sound like or if we're happy enough with it to even put it out. I mean, I have faith in what we can do as a group."
Billboard Chart Update
The Billboard 200:
� 'Stripped' falls from 27 to 37 after 32 weeks on
The Billboard Hot 100:
� "Fighter" falls from 20 to 24 after 11 weeks on
Adult Contemporary:
� "Beautiful" falls from 4 to 5 after 26 weeks on
Top 40 Tracks:
� "Fighter" falls from 10 to 11 after 12 weeks on
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Aguilera, Timberlake Cancel Vancouver Show
Canadian Press
VANCOUVER (CP) -- Pop stars Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera said they were held up so long at the Canada-U.S. border they simply weren't left with enough time to set up for their elaborate show in Vancouver.
Crushing legions of preteen fans, House of Blues, the concert promoter for the world-famous singers, sent out an announcement on Wednesday afternoon that the show had been cancelled.
"We really were looking forward to performing in Vancouver tonight and are disappointed that due to circumstances beyond our control it will not be possible," Aguilera and Timberlake said in a statement. "We regret any inconvenience to our fans and sincerely hope that we have the opportunity to perform in Vancouver soon."
Coralie Hummel, a marketing agent with House of Blues, said 16 trucks are used to cart the set for the Justified and Stripped tour and they simply couldn't get them processed at the border in time.
"It takes them about 10 hours to set up the show," she explained.
"It's really disappointing because the Vancouver show was one of the best sellers."
The tour recently kicked off and is still working out glitches. Hummel said nothing can be rescheduled now, because the stars are committed to other dates for most of summer.
Refunds for the 11,000 tickets, which sold for between $65 and $95, would be available from the retailers where they were purchased, House of Blues said.
Hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas did make it across the border and were set to perform a separate show at the Commodore Ballroom.
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Christina On Z100's Reality Radio
Z100, New York's #1 hit music station, turns over the station to the stars when it's time for Reality Radio! Their celebrity DJs take over the Z100 airwaves one at a time. This uncensored program will allow listeners to hear what goes on at Z100 when celebrities play what they want for an entire hour and start acting real!
This weekend's episodes featuring Christina:
Friday - 7:00pm
Saturday - 10:00am & 9:00pm
Sunday - 4:00pm
Aguilera Gets Down And 'Dirrty' In Tacoma
By Pamela Sitt
Seattle Times staff reporter
Almost as entertaining � and versatile � as Christina Aguilera's voice is her infamous wardrobe.
The perpetual and unapologetic fashion victim didn't disappoint � vocally or otherwise � in her 75-minute concert at a near-capacity Tacoma Dome last night, a double bill with fellow "we-were-in-the-Mickey-Mouse-Club-but-we're-all-grown-up-now" pop star Justin Timberlake.
The 22-year-old Aguilera opened the show in full "Dirrty" mode, gyrating on a jungle gym in a halter top slashed to the navel and skintight black-and-hot-pink leather pants.
At the end of her 75-minute set, she scampered off stage in jeans and a white T-shirt after crooning the uplifting ballad, "Beautiful."
The star tried on multiple personas in between, but not one of them resembled the blond "Genie in a Bottle" who helped revive teen pop several years ago. (The few hits she performed from her debut album were repackaged and nearly unrecognizable � "Come On Over" as an acoustic jam and an Eastern-style "Genie in a Bottle" you could charm a snake to.)
Aguilera is raven-haired now. She flaunts her newly voluptuous body and, with huge ratted hair and big hoop earrings, looks like a cross between a Gypsy and a Jersey Girl.
Flanked by eight backup dancers � four males and four females � Aguilera veered from sexy to sultry to playful to rock star. She strutted to "Lady Marmalade" in skimpy Moulin Rouge gear moments after channeling Etta James (during a cover of "At Last") in a silky red dress.
She giggled frequently and flirted with her dancers, telling one male: "Just because my album is called 'Stripped,' doesn't mean you can take my clothes off." (This was after he had ripped off the skirt she wore during two Spanish-language songs, revealing tiny denim boy-cut shorts underneath.)
The cheeky star � no "Dirrty" chaps jokes, please � sang while strapped to a giant "X" (for "Xtina," her new moniker), straddled a pink motorcycle and clambered atop a glossy piano. Highlights included her hit singles "Fighter" and "Beautiful," as well as an energetic version of "What A Girl Wants" that was alternately rock, pop and hip-hop.
Full story...
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Timberlake, Aguilera Take New Sound To Tacoma Dome
By ELLEN A. KIM
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
When Justin Timberlake last hit the Tacoma Dome in March 2002, he had to share audience screams with the other members of 'N Sync.
Now as a solo artist, the youngest (and arguably most charismatic) member of that band, got to hoard the attention for himself, bringing his new sound to the Dome on a double bill with fellow ex-Mouseketeer Christina Aguilera, who, like Timberlake, has been trying to break out of the teen-pop mold that launched her career.
Perhaps signaling success, Sunday night's full house was made up of a fair share of young men and adult women (with no kids) as well as the expected adolescent girls and their good-humoring boyfriends.
Aguilera kicked off her part of the evening with "Dirrty," the first single off her "Stripped" album, wearing a black jumpsuit plunging down to her navel and dancing on an industrial playground structure. The 22-year-old former blonde (she recently dyed her hair raven-black) sang the pants off much of her album's female-empowering tracks, also taking time to compliment the audience ("I like your hat").
Many of the tracks were full-fledged, hard-edged production numbers, including "Lady Marmalade" and the upbeat "Can't Hold Us Down," performed on a motorcycle as female dancers led males on dog leashes. "Walk Away," which featured a male striptease, was way too adult for younger members of the audience.
Aguilera also belted new versions of her previous hits "Genie in a Bottle" and "Come on Over" as well as a tribute to her Latin heritage (her father is Ecuadorean), then to blues legend Etta James (singing "At Last" and "I Prefer You").
Frequently running off to change before the final notes of her songs, the tiny girl with the big voice paraded about mostly in bustiers and hot pants, revealing the much-gossiped-about weight gain that only makes her look healthier. She closed with current hits "Fighter" and "Beautiful."
Full story...
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Christina And Justin Dazzle Fans
ERNEST A. JASMIN
The News Tribune
Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake have taken similar career paths, from "The New Mickey Mouse Club" to becoming mainstays on MTV's "TRL."
And at 22, both have overcome their not-so-distant bubble-gum pasts to mount successful R&B crossovers.
So, the financial ramifications aside, it's no wonder the two paired up for the "Stripped and Justified" tour, the most high-profile pop tour in a summer decidedly low on pop tours.
About 12,000 screaming, dancing, arm-waving fans seemed to love every minute Sunday night at the Tacoma Dome as their favorite artists showcased their newer, more mature sounds.
Aguilera's set began with a short film, featuring the flamboyant diva handcuffed, blindfolded and sitting in a chair as the words "scandal," "gossip" and "lies" flashed across the screen - likely her statement about how much stories about her clothes (or lack thereof) and alleged flings have gotten above and beyond her music.
The screen fell away with a pyrotechnic burst to reveal Aguilera and the eight dancers who accompanied her most of the night, sprawled across a three-tiered platform.
Aguilera - dressed in a revealing red jumpsuit, the first of many outfits - got the show started with her gritty club hit, "Dirrty."
Throughout her set, Aguilera showcased a vocal range that sets her head and shoulders above pop peers like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson. It was most notable during the a capella introduction of her ballad "Beautiful" and a pair of Etta James songs, "At Last" and "I Prefer You."
Aguilera stuck to the new album for most of her time onstage. But when she revisited her early hits she did them with a twist.
Four songs into her set, she was wheeled onto the stage for a funked-up version of "Genie in a Bottle." She sat on a stool as her band gathered around and performed "Come On Over" as a mellow R&B number in contrast to the original pop dance version.
Toward the end of the set came "What a Girl Wants," with a raucous, hip-hop dance segment, complete with silver confetti spewing from the stage.
Full story...
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Maturing Teen Idols Deliver Grown-Up Thrills In Oakland
By Marian Liu
Mercury News
Pop stars can grow up, too -- even dirty ones -- as Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera proved at their concert Saturday night at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.
These 22-year-olds were the same age as their audience, setting them apart from Timberlake's famous ex, Britney Spears, and Avril Lavigne, whose audiences are barely teenagers.
"Thank you so much for growing up with me," said Aguilera. As proof of their coming of age, Aguilera is now "Xtina" and Timberlake, "JT."
Not to say it wasn't a pop show anymore. Eye candy still abounded, with plenty of pyrotechnics and leather costume changes. This time, however, it moved from a PG-13 rating to an R, with explicit lyrics and bare skin, expressing the "X" in Aguilera's name.
While Aguilera talked a lot during her show, expressing her growth and self-esteem, Timberlake simply performed, leaving his energy to dancing.
His concert co-star, Aguilera, showed she could hold her own against the pop prince. She broadcast her voice and her body, which went from barely covered in a Cher- esque black-and-pink leotard that left nothing to the imagination, to a full-on suit and '50s-style dress. And she was more believable than Jennifer Lopez, offering her brand of feminism and equality in sex and art in "Can't Hold Us Down."
Her choice of songs showed her path toward growing up, from pop to Latin to rock and R&B. She had a metal version of "Genie in the Bottle," an acoustic version of "Come on Over (All I Want Is You)," and a hip-hop version of "What a Girl Wants" with DMX's line, "X Gonna Give It to Ya."
She also gave a lovely tribute to Etta James with "At Last" and "I Prefer You," making you wonder what the next decade will hold for this woman.
But the best song of the night was Aguilera's "Beautiful." Clad in street clothes -- a gray T-shirt that read "God Sees No Color" and jeans -- she sang the inspirational anthem for people everywhere. This song may even outlast her.
Full story...
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Aguilera, Timberlake Aging Well
Sexy, soulful show in Oakland
By Neva Chonin
Chronicle Pop Music Critic
Facing a screaming Friday night audience in her black leather dominatrix overcoat, Christina Aguilera summed up the hopes of teen-pop icons everywhere with a simple statement.
"I'm 22 years old now," she told the crowd packing the Arena in Oakland. "I'm grown up." Cheers shook the arena. She grinned, adding, "Thanks so much for growing up with me."
Aguilera and 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake, co-headliners on the Stripped/Justified tour, have indeed grown up and out of their teenage stardom, when pre-sexual ballads were enough to send millions of young fans into record-buying hysteria. Those fans have now barreled into post-adolescence, and their icons are determined to come along for the ride.
Of all the pop kids struggling to climb on board the twentysomething bandwagon, Aguilera and Timberlake have enjoyed the most success. Sales of Aguilera's "Stripped" and Timberlake's solo debut "Justified" don't match those of their teen peak, but they're still in the double-platinum range, and in the media their comely faces and bodies are ubiquitous.
Timberlake's new rough-edged, soulful rent-boy persona and Michael Jackson- influenced R&B has sent several generations swooning; Aguilera's new hard-core homegirl image and hip-hop soul vocals have made her pinup queen for the Maxim- reading public. Rolling Stone just dubbed their road show "the sexiest tour on earth."
Live, the two stars don't measure up to their neo-sophisticated images. They do throw their hearts into their performance, though, courting fans with the fervor of "American Idol" finalists. And Friday's near-capacity audience -- ethnically and culturally mixed, straight and gay, composed mostly of young women, with a healthy smattering of men -- rewarded them with appreciative shrieks.
Aguilera opened her 80-minute set by emerging from what appeared to be an industrial jungle gym to deliver her hit single, "Dirrty."
Beginning with a torso-baring black ensemble, a shock of dark hair exploding from the back of her head, Aguilera made multiple costume changes as she morphed from '80s-damaged Cher impersonator to classic torch singer. A five-piece band and eight dancers followed her lead.
The stage props were embarrassing. Among them: a spark-shooting motorcycle for "Can't Hold Us Down"; a tiny chain-link fence for "Make Over"; and a giant portable "X" (for Aguilera's nickname, X-tina) during a rocked-out "Genie in a Bottle" with the singer spread-eagled across it like a crucified cover girl.
Lamentably, the gratuitous frippery drew attention from Aguilera's surprisingly powerful voice. Running through tracks from "Stripped" and a few older favorites, she reinterpreted "Come on Over (All I Want Is You)" as acoustic soul and delivered a funky solo take on her ensemble hit, LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" (off the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack). She did justice to Etta James' "At Last" and closed with a torchy version of "Beautiful."
Timberlake can't match Aguilera's vocals and his dancing slides when it should snap, but he knows how to work his considerable sex appeal.
Timberlake and Aguilera just want respect and viable adult careers. They know their fans have grown up and they are eager to let those fans know that they've grown with them, and they'll do what it takes -- strip, dance with fireworks, even play a guitar -- to prove they can go from ephemeral stars to lasting artists.
Full story...
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Christina Is Focus Of 'The Osbournes' Season Premiere
By DAVID HINCKLEY
New York Daily News
The primary topic of conversation [in "The Osbournes" third season kick off episode] seems to be an uncomplimentary remark Kelly made about Christina Aguilera last Christmas.
Seems Kelly didn't like the way Christina was looking.
Then Christina said she didn't like the way Kelly looked, either.
Cynics might say this is a way to drop another famous name into the show. Let's be charitable and take it for what it's worth, which is a couple of lines in gossip columns.
When Kelly discusses it with her mother, making it sound like it's a matter of actual importance, Sharon suggests that in the future, if Kelly is asked about another female singer, she should just say, "She's great."
That's the common-sense advice most mothers would give. But the Osbournes have another consideration: If they ever adopted that attitude, they would lose their jobs. Much as fans insist that good-hearted warmth is the program's appeal, a show in which everybody says nice things is no show at all.
"But I don't think she is (great)," Kelly says. "Why should I lie?"
That's the show's dramatic highlight, though not the end of the story. Kelly and Jack then get into a fight, when Kelly accuses Jack of betraying her by refusing to say he also hates Christina Aguilera.
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Christina Aguilera Dirrty Diva
She's half Ecuadorean, but is she really Latina enough? We know there's been plenty of flap over this is-Christina-just-posing issue, so here's our take.
When she debuted in 1999, her record label pushed her to change her last name to something less, shall we say, ethnic. Most Americans, the music execs feared, would get tongue-tied and turned off by having to pronounce "Aguilera."
A teenager at the time, the young singer stood up to the powers that be and said no way -- then proceeded to record Mi Reflejo, which includes the Spanish version of her megahit "Genie In A Bottle."
"I'm half Hispanic, half American Irish." My father is from Ecuador, so I am proud of my Latin roots," she has said. She adds that singing in Spanish "is an entirely different sensation and vibe for me. It is a language that transmits a lot of passion, much more passion than anything in English. I can definitely feel it."
Since her debut, Christina has sold more than 10 million albums, won three Grammys -- including one for best new artist and a Latin Grammy -- and climbed to the top of the charts with her latest CD, Stripped. Not to mention that she single-handedly changed her image from squeeky-clean former Mousketeer to "dirrty girl" with serious attitude -- once again standing up to a world that criticized her for it.
So could she be just another entertainer jumping on the oh-so-hot Latino commercial bandwagon? Perhaps. But in the meantime we give her props for speaking her mind, for being bold, and for fiercely holding on to who she really is.
Source: Latina Magazine
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Christina Aguilera Blasts Her Old Songs
Christina Aguilera, who kicked off her co-headlining tour, Justified & Stripped, with Justin Timberlake last week, is blasting some of the songs that made her famous. She told the British magazine, Top Of The Pops, that she didn't believe in many of the songs she used to sing. She said the music on her second album, Stripped, is a lot more personal and represents the real Christina more than her earlier material ever did.
"I come from a huge teen-pop phenomenon, which I think at the time was in a really poor state," she told TOTP magazine. "It wasn't about lyrics that were real, it was about catchy pop tunes that were more fun than innovative and inspiring. It was hard 'cause so many people had views and ideas about who I should be and inside I was screaming, 'I'm not really this person!'"
So what does that mean for fans who fell in love with Christina because of those early hits? Christina told the magazine, "I can't knock 'Genie In A Bottle.' It got my foot in the door. As much as I loved having fans for the first time who were singing my lyrics and being in magazines--I just blew up after a while. I was growing up and it all became superficial and a bore to me. I was getting up and doing things I didn't wholeheartedly believe in or even see the point of. So with Stripped, I changed everything. Being innovative, inspiring others to be different, to be daring. That's the kind of artist I want to be."
Source: LAUNCH
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Aguilera: On Her Raunchy Image
Pop babe Christina Aguilera insists she strips off for raunchy magazine spreads to express her sexuality - and hits back at those who claim it's a move to sell more records.
The Dirrty singer has been widely criticized for her sexy photoshoots and flesh-baring on-stage image, but the 22-year-old is happy to push the boundaries - and she doesn't mind if she's loved or hated for it.
She says, "When I pose for a magazine or when I make a video, that's entertainment and I don't feel that I have to do anything. All I could do is pretty much sit on a stage with a piano and a stool and sing and be covered from head to toe. Sometimes I am, like when I sing BEAUTIFUL.
"But it's different for different songs and moods and I definitely don't do anything to try and sell more records. This is about expression. I like to be bold and push the envelope a little bit and sometimes people love you for it or hate you. You can't please everybody with what you do.
"I respect artists who are brave enough to go out and do their own thing - regardless of what people say and do. If a man went out and did it no one would really say anything, because there's such a male and female double-standard as far as sexuality goes.
"But if a woman poses for a magazine and is playing a part, she is labelled for it and can be put down for it. It can be said that she is not respected. What I am trying to say is that you can still come across as sexy and should still be respected."
Source: World Entertainment News Network
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Sun Micro To Use Christina As Push For Java
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sun Microsystems Inc., aiming to push its Java computer language beyond the confines of software programmers, plans to spend tens of millions of dollars to build Java into a full-fledged consumer brand.
Sun, the network-computer, will at its JavaOne conference this week unveil plans for an advertising campaign and new Web sites, featuring singer Christina Aguilera toting a Java-enabled cell phone that plays games, Sun executives said.
"We are just sitting on this incredible asset," said Ingrid Van Den Hoogen, a senior director of Java marketing for Santa Clara, California-based Sun. "I felt like we had a consumer brand in our midst and we just hadn't realized that."
Java is a programming language, introduced by Sun in 1995, that can be used to run software programs on many different computers and operating systems.
Timberlake, Aguilera Hit Oakland
By Jim Harrington, STAFF WRITER
Let's get one thing straight: The pairing was an inspired piece of genius.
But it was an inspired piece of genius in a very Melrose Place way, with bits of The New Mickey Mouse Club thrown in for good measure.
Britney's former boyfriend teams up with Britney's biggest rival? Wow. How come the creative forces behind Beverly Hills 90210 didn't come up with something like that first?
Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera -- who are both, along with Britney Spears, former members of the The New Mickey Mouse Club -- brought their much-anticipated Justified and Stripped tour to the Oakland Arena on Friday. The pair will return to the Bay Area for a date at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Saturday.
Besides their shared connection to Spears, the two share other similarities as well. Most importantly, they are both trying to distance themselves from their teen pop pasts -- Timberlake with N Sync and Aguilera with such glossy pop ditties as Genie in a Bottle -- and establish themselves as more serious adult artists. Mostly, the singers who are still just 22 showed positive signs at this concert that they are making progress toward reaching that goal. After an opening video segment that showed the singer breaking free from the bonds that held her to a chair in a none-too-subtle reference to her belief that she has been the victim of rumors, scandals, unfair expectations and media scrutiny Aguilera burst on to the stage with Dirrty, the hit single from her new album, Stripped. It was a striking visual statement, but its hard to feel sorry for the woman who has come to be known as Xtina, since she has put herself in this position. Its likely that nearly as many people saw Aguilera in various states of undress thanks to many revealing pictorials in magazines like Rolling Stone as who saw Mt. Rushmore in the last 12 months.
Add roughly 15,000 people to that number. At Oakland, Aguilera performed in a number of skimpy outfits including one with a neckline that cut well-below the navel that might have made Cher blush. The Cher analogy is an apt one. With her focus on outrageous costume changes, explosive stage show and her new dark black frizzy hairdo, Aguilera seems to be channeling Cher these days. But, perhaps, Cher isn't a bad role model for the young performer. But she isn't the only role model.
Working on a very urban, yet futuristic, set that resembled a cross between Road Warrior and Rent, Aguilera journeyed to the end of a short catwalk that extended into the audience and was groped by her dancers, a la Madonna, during "Get Mine, Get Yours." She sounded like Mariah Carey in the inspirational ballad The Voice Within and got all Pink on us with a roughed up version of "Genie in a Bottle."
In all, the show would have been better if she had just stripped. No, not that kind of stripped. Get the mind out of the gutter. The concert would have benefited from a reduction in glitz, glamour and theatrics. That way the crowd could have focused on her true gift an amazingly strong and clear voice. Full story...
Source: Almeda Times-Star
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I'm A Fighter, Not A Lover
By Rick Fulton
DIRRTY girl Christina Aguilera won't try to snag the world's most eligible bachelor on their joint tour - because they are like brother and sister.
Despite forecasts that Christina, 22, and Justin, 22, will fall in love over the course of their 45-date US tour the singer laughs it off as they've known each other since they were 12 year olds starring in Disney's The New Mickey Mouse Club.
She said: "Justin and I go back a long way as friends. It's a real long- time friendship.
"We are anything but romantically involved. It's a musical collaboration for this tour and a lifelong friendship."
Recently, Christina's been seen on the arm of Jordan Bratman, a partner in Irving Azoff Management, the company that handles her.
But still the claims persist - especially as the Justified & Stripped tour kicked off in Phoenix, Arizona yesterday.
Even when Christina claims Justin and his former girlfriend Britney Spears will get back together again.
But for now they are gearing up for their mamouth American tour which won't be coming to the UK.
The pair won't be bringing the summer tour to the UK, but Christina, who releases new single Fighter on Monday, has gone one better than Justin by announcing a gig at Glasgow's SECC on October 28.
There have been persistent rumours that Justin is planning to play a Scots venue in December, but it's Christina who will get here first.
She adds: "I can't wait to play in Scotland. It's a way of thanking my fans for supporting me."
Since her debut No.1 in 1999, Genie In A Bottle, her career has had more troughs than peaks.
She was compared to Britney and at first didn't match up to the pop princess in the UK. What A Girl Wants got to No. 3, I Turn To You, No. 19, Come On Over Baby to No. 7 and Nobody Wants To Be Lonely at No. 4.
Then came Lady Marmalade in 2001 - a No.1 and a drastic change of image.
She says: "It was the first time I was able to say `I do have a sexuality'."
While Christina hit a nerve with the public and topped the UK charts with Dirrty Girl and Beautiful, Britney's last UK single I Love Rock And Roll only managed No.13 last November.
Now it's Christina who is feted. Not only by Justin, but by Donnatella Versace, who was so inspired by the Staten Island singer she's based her new collection on Christina.
Despite some crazy outfits and hairdos, including the poodle perm from the 2001 Blockbuster Awards and the Dirrty chaps and dreadlocks, it seems she's become a fashion icon.
Christina laughs: "I follow my own instinct. I like doing things differently and wouldn't be caught dead in the best- dressed sections of magazines. They are so boring to me.
"But I don't go to dinner in my Dirrty chaps or anything."
The singer reveals the fascinating meeting with garish fashion designer Donatella Versace.
She says: "She approached my people and she wanted to get to know me personally first, which I respct. She flew me out to Milan and let me stay at her house there.
"I went to her fashion show in Milan and that's when we announced the news that I was going to do the Versace ad campaigns for the winter.
"We did the shoot in New York with Steven Meisel and her top people. It was a different world for me. I know about my music and I know about videos, but I'm no model."
It was after working with Versace she dyed her famous blonde locks black. She said: "I've just been blonde for a really long time and I think I've done everything I can possibly do with blonde hair - from colour to braiding to cornrows - because I'm the type of person that needs that change in my life all the time.
"The Versace ad was the last thing I had to be blonde for and after that I wanted to go black. Black hair always intrigued me a little bit - it's a little mysterious and it brought out finally my Latin roots."
She is the daughter of an Ecuadorian father, Fausto, and an Irish mother, Shelly. Christina moved around quite a bit as a child because her father was in the military including Japan, Florida, Texas and New Jersey.
Her parents separated when Christina was seven, and she moved to Wexford, Pennsylvania, with her mum and sister Rachel. She has admitted in the past being beaten by her dad.
Christina began performing at age six in school talent shows, and at eight she appeared on the nationally syndicated Star Search. At the age of 10, she sang the National Anthem for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
She claims she was bullied because of it and was definitely an outsider. Even now she still feels alienated.
Christina adds: "I have my days of feeling insecure and my past of feeling alienated from the other kids just because of my singing.
"I still feel like I don't fit in all the time. That's why I want to encourage people to just be themselves and try and write songs with positivity."
Her new single, Fighter, features the guitar playing of Dave Navarro. She says: "It's written from a bad experience with someone on my life that took advantage of things that were going on in my life with my career and really back-stabbed me.
"But instead of being negative or bitter about it, I actually thank God for it because it made me stronger and wiser for next time.
"It taught me how to fight my way through a bad situation and it taught me how to be a fighter."
It seems she's always been a fighter. When she was still a teenager she heard that Disney was looking for a singer to record a song for the animated film Mulan.
Christina cut a one-take demo using the boombox in her living room. The demo was delivered to Disney and 48 hours later she was in a Los Angeles studio recording Reflection for Mulan. Within the week, RCA signed her to a major label record contract.
Despite her sassy image, she admits having her own fashion style and opinions isn't easy.
She says: "It's hard at times because you're totally open and that means you're not the kind of artist that plays it safe, plays it by the book. But I don't regret being outspoken even when I'm confronted by my sexuality. There are such double standards between men and women.
"Men being allowed to be that way and women being suppressed and being taught from such an early age to be that way that we're not really allowed to have those sexual thoughts and feelings.
"Sex And The City was part of the birth for a lot of women who were suppressed like that in thinking that sex was a naughty word. If we're living and breathing, we have those thoughts, we have those feelings."
Thecriticism that hurt her has been the sniping about her weight.
She adds: "Before they were saying I was too skinny and now I've got hips. I have no problem with it - it's part of my Latina side, but what are my girl fans supposed to think when I'm being slammed for having a little bit of thigh?
"My body changed while I was out of the public eye making Stripped. But when a girl gains weight it becomes a big deal but when a guy does it, it's okay. He can be the sexiest guy out there, but he doesn't really have to be in shape or anything."
This is one Dirrty girl who is a real Fighter and definitely ready to take on all comers.
Source: 192
Billboard Chart Update
The Billboard 200:
� 'Stripped' jumps from 36 to 27 after 31 weeks on
The Billboard Hot 100:
� "Fighter" holds at 20 after 10 weeks on
Adult Contemporary:
� "Beautiful" drops from 3 to 4 after 25 weeks on
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Rolling Stone Issue Out Today
The new issue of Rolling Stone magazine featuring Christina and Justin Timberlake on the cover hits stores today. Visit www.rollingstone.com/justinchristina for behind the scenes video of their photo shoot, previews of the article, a photo gallery and more.
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Timberlake, Aguilera Launch Tour With Power And Soul
Larry Rodgers and Laurel Miller
The Arizona Republic
Reinvented pop superstars Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera launched their 45-city "Justified and Stripped Tour" in Phoenix on Wednesday, and their new, more mature images and music received a strong thumbs-up from the near-sellout crowd.
In staging the only huge pop tour of the summer, the pair of former bubblegum singers showed off their newest albums, which lean toward R&B, rap and, in Aguilera's case, some rock.
However, Timberlake moved even more toward stripped-down, old-school soul in his 80-minute set, which kept the America West Arena crowd on its feet most of the time.
Although the 22-year-old Timberlake kept the crowd in a constant frenzy (he had the advantage of an audience that was 90 percent female), Aguilera held her own on the co-headlining bill with her former fellow Mousketeer.
Aguilera led off the evening with a powerful set from her wide-ranging "Stripped" CD, on which she discarded the clean-cut image of a few years ago. With her newly-darkened hair put up in a frizzy ponytail, Aguilera took the stage wearing a black leather, halter-style cat suit adorned with provocatively placed florescent-pink strips. The outfit had minimal material on front and back, but some fashionable tape kept things from becoming R-rated.
Fittingly, Aguilera opened with the "Stripped Intro" which segued into the raw beats of "Dirrty."
"I have not been onstage like this for a long time," she said, referring to her lengthy layoff from touring. The crowd, which was populated with fans in their teens through 30s, reacted warmly to that statement and to the rest of Aguilera's show.
The tiny, 22-year-old singer's dazzling voice is her main calling card, and she had fans in awe several times during songs such as "Impossible" (which she recorded with Alicia Keys), "Soar" and a classy cover of Etta James' "At Last."
Although she has moved past the teen-queen image of her 1999 debut album, Aguilera made a few nods to some early hits. "Genie In a Bottle" was shortened, "What a Girl Wants" was funkified, and "Come on Over (All I Want Is You)" received a smooth, jazzy makeover.
At times, she played up her new sexy image by having one of her male dancers rip her skirt off at one point, crawling around the stage as she watched another male dancer do a semi-striptease, and parading in a red-and-white-sequined corset during "Lady Marmalade" from the film "Moulin Rouge."
However, she emerged for her final number wearing a T-shirt that said "God Sees No Color" and a pair of jeans, performing a partly a cappella version of her inspiring ballad "Beautiful."
Full story... / Also: Popsters' new images a hit
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Christina Does Her Cher Impression At Tour Kickoff
PHOENIX � With ice on both ears, Justin Timberlake set out to prove that on his own he can accomplish the mission that was set for 'NSYNC � to generate a little respect for pop.
On Wednesday, the crowd at the sold-out America West Arena turned the venue into a balls-out dance club for the opening night of Timberlake and Christina Aguilera's Justified and Stripped Tour. The fans, most of whom were women in their late teens and early 20s, screamed at Justin and Christina's every move and word.
Aguilera's set began with images of her on a video screen showing her distaste for tabloid rumors and gossip. She ripped off each piece of clothing � an obvious homage to her album title, Stripped. When the curtain dropped, the songstress strutted out, inadvertently, perhaps, doing her best Cher imitation � big curly black locks, a black and hot-pink halter with belly-baring plunging neckline, pants and spiked heels � for the opener, "Dirrty."
The concert was Aguilera's first major chance to show off her more mature image and lyrics, all of which the crowd ate up. Fans sang along with songs from Stripped as well as stripped-down versions of older songs like "Come on Over (All I Want Is You)." The 22-year-old, sounding like a seasoned veteran of decades, called the song one that she took "out of the closet, dusted it off."
"Thank you so much for coming. ... I have not been on a stage like this in a long time. I'm getting that feeling again and it's a blessing," Aguilera said. "Yes, I've grown up a little bit. Now I'm 22. ... I'm so happy you've grown with me."
Her set focused primarily on her vocals and backup dancers and included several remixes of her hits. For the Egyptian-turned-metal version of "Genie in a Bottle," Aguilera rolled onstage tied to a giant "X" (that'd be for her nickname, X-tina) with hot pink straps attached to her outfit. She slowly unraveled herself as the "genie" in her song provocatively danced her way out of the bottle.
The "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack cut "Lady Marmalade" was a playful romp between male dancers dressed as sailors and female members of the troupe in lingerie. She changed into a silky empire-waisted red dress to channel her favorite singer, Etta James, for "At Last" and the sultry "I Prefer You." A male dancer ripped off her skirt during a Latin number, to which she saucily responded, "Just because my album name is Stripped, it doesn't mean you can take my clothes off."
Although she claimed her sexy, multipierced new image represents her "true" self, she seemed most at ease wearing jeans and a T-shirt emblazoned with "God sees no color" for the closer, "Beautiful."
While Aguilera's set focused on her supernatural voice, Timberlake showcased his beat-box and dancing talents. Full story...
�Christina Fuoco
Source: MTV News
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Full Justified And Stripped Setlist
The following is the complete set of songs Christina performs during her portion of the Justified And Stripped tour:
- Stripped Intro (video)
- Dirrty
- Get Mine, Get Yours
- The Voice Within
- Genie In A Bottle (shortened, new mix)
- Can't Hold Us Down
- Make Over
- Contigo En La Distancia/Falsas Esperanzas
- Infatuation
- Come On Over Baby (acoustic)
- Impossible
- At Last (Etta James cover)
- I Prefer You (Etta James cover)
- Lady Marmalade (shortened)
- Walk Away
- Fighter
- What A Girl Wants
- Beautiful (encore)
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KATU Speaks With Justin And Christina
Pop star Justin Timberlake is making his way to Portland with Christina Aguilera.
Christina and Justin were in Phoenix preparing for the first show of their combined tour Wednesday night.
They took a few moments to speak with KATU's Anna Song - about their history together, their roles in society, and - what all young girls will want to hear about, their upcoming visit to Portland.
Watch the interview
Justin and Christina will be in Portland a week from Tuesday, June 10 at the Rose Garden.
Source: KATU.com
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Dream Looking To Land A Spot On Justified & Stripped Tour
P. Diddy's fierce female foursome, Dream, will release their sophomore album on August 12 on Bad Boy Records. The first single is called "Crazy," and it features rapper Loon.
Dream member Diana Ortiz said the girls have a busy summer ahead of them, which may include some opening dates on Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera's Justified & Stripped tour.
"We were hoping to get on the Justin and Christina tour and also Justin's going to have his own tour after the Christina and Justin tour, and we were hoping to get on that too," Ortiz said. "And that's probably going to go overseas. This summer we're going to be doing like summer jams (for) different radio stations, like heading out and doing that. And hopefully we'll get on the B2K tour that's starting in July."
Dream also has a new member. Kasey Sheridan has replaced original Dream member Melissa Schuman who left to pursue an acting career.
Source: LAUNCH
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Dotmusic 'Fighter' Review
Released on: Mon 9 Jun 2003 (UK)
She's a smart girl is our Xtina. "Dirrty" was an inspired role reversal (and a great pop song) but just as her fans were lamenting the loss of their prom queen to some seedy underground boxing cartel, she bounced back with "Beautiful" (another great pop song) proving she still had a heart. Albeit somewhat battered and bruised.
And now she's releasing "Fighter" - what is it with her and violence? - in which little Christina punches above her weight yet again with a feisty display of bareknuckle musical fisticuffs. Dave Narravo's on hand for some epic geeetar to match the ball-crushing crescendo.
After these warnings, you'd be foolish to mess with Christina Aguilera. Did we mention that "Fighter" is a great pop song?
9/10
�Chris Heath
