NOVEMBER 2003
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�TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2003 |
Teen People Readers' Choice Awards
Teen People polled thousands of readers to figure out who they thought was tops in 2003 for their Fifth Annual Readers' Choice Awards. Here are the categories Christina won or placed in, along with some comments from voters.
BEST TOUR
38% Justified And Stripped, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera
21% Rock The Mic, Jay-Z and 50 Cent
17% American Idol
14% Vans Warped Tour
05% John Mayer and Counting Crows
BEST BOOTY-SHAKIN' SONG
29% "Dirrty," Christina Aguilera
25% "Crazy In Love," Beyonc� featuring Jay-Z
18% "Get Busy," Sean Paul
11% "Bump Bump Bump," B2K featuring P. Diddy
08% "In Da Club," 50 Cent
"'Dirrty' definitely makes you want to shake your booty! Christina is such an awesome singer and performer."
�Sarah Danielson, 17, Santa Barbara, Calif.
BEST SONG LYRIC
46% "I love you like a fat kid love cake," 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg ("21 Questions")
30% "I am beautiful, no matter what you say," Christina Aguilera ("Beautiful")
17% "Stacy's mom has got it goin' on," Fountains of Wayne ("Stacy's Mom")
04% "I got a headache and it's not a tumor," Missy Elliott featuring Ludacris ("Gossip Folk")
03% "I do yoga and Pilates and the room is full of hotties," Madonna ("American Life")
MOST EMPOWERING ANTHEM
36% "Can't Hold Us Down," Christina Aguilera featuring Lil' Kim
18% "Miss Independent," Kelly Clarkson
15% "I Can," Nas
14% "Lose Yourself," Eminem
10% "So Yesterday," Hilary Duff
BEST IMAGE 180�
31% Christina Aguilera
25% Bow Wow
21% Kelly Clarkson
15% Clay Aiken
07% Jewel
"Some people say she's slutty, but I think her clothes are great. My friends and I always say, if you got the bod, you can show the booty and the boobs."
�Meg McManus, 13, Hebron, Conn.
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How Christina Lost Her Weight
She's a fighter! After several weeks of training, Christina Aguilera beat the bulge and reclaimed her slim shape
By Caroline Schaefer
Sure, Christina Aguilera was surrounded by a gaggle of hardbodied hunks in kilts. But when the 22-year-old singer appeared on stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards on November 7, it was her newly slimmed physique that had people talking.
"Christina has leaned out a lot over the past few months," her trainer, Ashley Borden, tells Us. "She's decreased her body fat, and she looks and feels better than ever."
Indeed, the five-foot-two diva, once known for her rail-thin frame, put on some excess pounds during early 2003. "Her metabolism had slowed, plus she was on Depo-Provera [an injectable contraceptive that may cause weight gain]," says Borden. "Once she made some key exercise and eating changes, her body shaped up quickly."
� Her Workout: To jump-star Aguilera's weight loss, Borden put the singer through an 11-day boot camp in preparation for the MTV Video Music Awards in August. Aguilera sweated through two workouts a day: In the morning, she had hit the treadmill for an hour, mixing walking (at 3.6 miles per hour on a 7 percent incline) with running (at 5.5 miles per hour). At night she did 60 minutes of boxing followed by weight-lifting. Now that she's back in shape, Aguilera does four workouts a week.
� Her Diet: Bye, bye, fries! The singer ditched fast foods for lean protein (think turkey), veggies and tons of water (her Coke cravings have been canned). Says Borden, "Her new eating plan has made a huge difference."
The Skinny On Her Diet
"The one rule is no fried food and no soda," say Borden, who has helped Aguilera -- an admitted McDonald's addict -- tame her junk food habit. "Christina has learned to eat smarter." Here's how:
� Being carb-conscious: With her breakfast of scrambled eggs, Aguilera has hash browns. "I tell her to have starch in the morning, so she burns it off all day," says Borden. At dinner, the star sticks to chicken or steak and salad.
� Snacking smart: Between meals, Aguilera maintains her energy with 12 almonds and a piece of fruit.
� Allowing for treats: Chocolate, wine, even KFC are OK -- as a tradeoff. "If she has a hamburger," says Borden, "she can't have fries."
Source: Us Weekly
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Teens Name Thanksgiving Fantasy Guests
Thanksgiving usually means dinner with a lot of cousins and aunts and uncles -- but no one famous.
If dreams could come true, readers of Teen People online said the No. 1 celebrity they'd make room for at their Thanksgiving table is "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson.
Here's the full Top 10, as voted on by the readers:
1. Kelly Clarkson
2. Orlando Bloom
3. Clay Aiken
4. Justin Timberlake
5. Beyonc�
6. Ashton Kutcher
7. Christina Aguilera
8. Hilary Duff
9. Bow Wow
10. Adam Brody
Source: AP
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Christina Makes NME Cool List 2003
Justin Timberlake is officially is the coolest person on the planet according to the NME Cool List, beating the likes of Beyonc�, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Dizzee Rascal to the top spot.
Now in its second year, The NME Cool List features incredible 38 new entries and a fantastic array of female icons. Also on the list are The Distillers' Brody Dalle and White Stripes' Meg White. Kylie, and Christina Aguilera also all make it into the definitive list of cool.
Conor McNicholas, editor of the NME, said: "The NME Cool List is a reflection of how exciting the music scene is right now. Whether it is wearing the right clothes, being magnetically charismatic or deliberately trashing their talent for the sake of it, all of the entries in this years list have one thing in common - the X factor."
Meanwhile the 'Fool List' names and shames those that have been anything but cool over the past 12 months.
To get the definitive list pick up the year's coolest NME in London today (November 25) and tomorrow nationwide (26).
Source: NME
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Christina High On Holiday Gift-Giving List
Boca Raton, Fla. (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Music ranks high on the holiday shopping list of over 1,200 college students and young adults aged 16 to 30, according to results of a new survey conducted by SOUL, a creative leader in MP3 players, and Student Advantage, Inc., a leading integrated media and commerce company focused on the higher education market.
"Music is viewed as a popular gift to give by an overwhelming 90% of the primarily college-aged respondents because it's convenient and always welcome," reports Keith Kravitz, Vice President of U.S. Operations for SOUL. "We know that traditionally music is an important gift item, and we wanted to compile current stats on 2003 holiday gift plans in the young adult age range to better serve their needs."
Musical artists who top the charts for gift-giving this holiday season include:
1. Beyonc�
2. Dave Matthews
3. Outkast
4. Matchbox Twenty
5. Christina Aguilera
6. Eminem
7. Dido
8. Sting
9. Nelly
10. Limp Bizkit
In addition to the top 10 artists listed above, respondents cast write-in votes for almost 200 artists. 50 Cent, Evanescence, Justin Timberlake, P. Diddy and Clay Aiken are just a few of the dozens of performers mentioned who will find their music in the online and in-store shopping baskets of this primarily Gen Y group (1981+), according to survey results.
This SOUL survey was conducted online nationally between October 21 and November 3, 2003 and drew 1,277 respondents aged 16-30 years old from 50 states. The survey was hosted online at http://www.studentadvantage.com.
The survey has a 95% confidence level and a 1.4% margin of error based on the universe of visitors to the Student Advantage website. The survey questions and response data are available at http://www.soulplayers.com/script/news.asp.
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OMNI 1 Adds Sizzle & Sass To Sunday Night
At 9pm ET on Sunday, November 30, following The Bernie Mac Show, Canada's OMNI 1 viewers are invited to stay tuned for an up-close-and-personal, all-access pass to the Christina Aguilera's Stripped Tour with a special one-hour concert presentation - Christina Aguilera Stripped In London.
Fresh from her smashing success as host of the MTV Europe Music Awards this month, pop music sensation Christina Aguilera headlines a special concert highlighting 14 songs from her current best-selling album 'Stripped'. Shot at historic Wembley Arena in London, this special showcases the talent of one of today's hottest musical artists.
Christina has topped the charts and won fans around the world with hits like What a Girl Wants, Come on Over, and I Turn to You - in Canada alone she has sold 1 million albums. Her smash single Genie in a Bottle went to the top of the US charts in July 1999, and stayed there for 5 weeks, making it the biggest selling US single of the year.
Christina's latest album 'Stripped', featuring the hit singles Dirrty, Beautiful, Fighter, and The Voice Within, has sold 7 million copies worldwide so far - a number that keeps on rising! Christina is currently 6 months into an 8 month sold out world tour.
Source: OMNI TV
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�THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2003 |
Billboard Chart Update
The Billboard 200:
� 'Stripped' jumps from 94 to 87 after 55 weeks on
The Billboard Hot 100:
� "Can't Hold Us Down" falls from 39 to 42 after 18 weeks on
� "The Voice Within" debuts at 62 this week *Hot Shot Debut*
Top 40 Tracks:
� "Can't Hold Us Down" falls from 16 to 19 after 18 weeks on
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Tour DVD Release In January
Christina will release Stripped...Live In The UK on DVD on January 13. You can get a taste of what will be on the DVD by watching the London concert special on The WB, November 30th.
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Stripped In London Sweepstakes
Don't miss your up-close-and-personal, all-access pass to the Christina Aguilera Stripped Tour on Sunday, November 30th at 9/8c with a special presentation of Christina Aguilera Stripped In London on The WB.
Enter for your chance to win an autographed Stripped Tour Pack from Christina! CDs will also be given away!
(1) Grand Prize will be awarded:
An exclusive signed Stripped In London Tour Pack from Christina that includes a CD, tour bag and t-shirt, a 2003 tour book and poster and more!
(50) First Prizes:
Christina Aguilera "Stripped" CD
ENTER HERE
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Vote In The MTV Asia Awards
Christina has received two nominations for the MTV Asia Awards 2004.
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST
Beyonce
Christina Aguilera
Dido
Jennifer Lopez
Michelle Branch
FAVORITE VIDEO
Coldplay "The Scientist"
Linkin Park "Somewhere I Belong"
Radiohead "There There"
Justin Timberlake "Cry Me A River"
Christina Aguilera "Beautiful"
You can vote on the winners at www.mtvasiaawards.com/India. Registration is required before voting. Click HERE to sign up for free.
The MTV Asia Awards 2004 will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on February 14, 2004, and will be broadcast to over 150 million homes across the region, with portions of the programming to be aired on MTV's global network.
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Style Star: Christina Aguilera
Show: Style Star
Episode: (#030) Christina Aguilera
Network: (STYLE) Style Network
Date: Saturday - November 29, 2003
Time: 08:00 pm - 08:30 pm ET
Brazen, Outrageous & Unrepentant, Christina Aguilera takes no prisoners. Like it or not, she is a force to be reckoned with and so is her over-the-top style -- crazy red carpet costumes that no one else even dares to try on. Except for maybe Cher who Christina seems to share a closet with. Style Star takes a look at this talented ex-Mouseketeer - who transformed herself from a squeaky clean pop princess to a Dirty diva all before she turned 21.
Source: RockOnTV
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The Good, The Bad and The Dirrty
From Blender magazine, December 2003:
By Nick Duerden
"Bring him over," she says to her personal assistant as Blender arrives at the front door. She, incidentally, is naked on her bed except for a sheet clutched to her breast. "I want to say hello."
It is a little after 10 o'clock on a misty Tuesday night in September, high in the Hollywood Hills. Christina Aguilera's secluded home�opulent enough to suggest that her wealth is vast, her decorative taste eclectic and her love for scented candles boundless�is teeming with people on her payroll. The reason for tonight's gathering may be a little bizarre for everyday folk to appreciate, but such is the life of an international superstar.
Yesterday, Blender's Woman of the Year dyed her hair from one shade of brunette to another. Consequently, the world's media want to see immediate photographic proof, so she has arranged for a photographer friend to record the evidence and then distribute it. Blender is led through the coterie of photographers, assistants, makeup artists, PRs, PAs, and Aguilera's two constantly yapping dogs, Stinky and Chewy (both aptly named), for a welcoming handshake that is firmer than you might expect. "I'll be out in a little while," she coos. "Make yourself at home. Go for a tour of the house�it's a beautiful place."
She is not wrong. Set at the end of a tree-lined cul-de-sac, with movie stars' houses nearby, the Aguilera residence perfectly illustrates her career arc these past few years (her self-titled 1999 debut sole 8 million copies; her current album, Stripped, is 5 million high and rising). It is not huge, her place, but rather comfortably ample; three bedrooms, two living rooms, a kitchen, a basement screening room, a swimming pool, a waterfall. A framed photograph of two of her latest heroes, twentieth-century Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, adorns the wall. The lighting is set to ambient; the view from the garden�Los Angeles twinkling under the night sky�is cinematically seductive; and in the bathroom, the toilet paper is very soft.
"Nice, huh?" She says when she emerges from the bedroom a half-hour later. She is dressed�and we use that word loosely�in a small hooded dressing gown that stops a millimeter below her pubic bone. It reveals more flesh than it conceals, and every time she bends down to pick up her coffee cup, it falls open at the chest.
The first thing you notice about her in person is that she is prettier than photographs suggest. Up close, she looks less like Marilyn Manson and absolutely nothing like a porn queen. Mostly, she seems delicate, vulnerable, and tiny. Her hands and feet are doll-like, her body slight. Later, when she boasts that she is proud of her womanly curves�as if, when she looks down, she sees Jennifer Lopez�your reaction is: What curves? God alone knows where that enormous voice comes from. More than anything else, she looks young. But the 22-year-old candid and flamboyantly outspoken, sure talks like a grownup.
"Before this year, I suffered in life. I'd been burned and hurt a hell of a lot, repeatedly. This was the year I finally grew into myself and became an adult. Stripped was all about me taking the reins and assuming full-control of my career. I'm not an entertainer anymore, I am," she says and here she pauses while she reaches for her coffee, allowing the pause to become pregnant with expectation, "an artist." She says all this while maintaining full eye contact that defies you to disbelieve her. Not once does she blink.
****
The story of Christina Aguilera's remarkable success is a story of resolve over adversity, talent over self-doubt and assless chaps over bare midriff.
Like Pink, Aguilera comes from a broken home, and to this day she carries the mental and physical scars of a violent father. A military man, Fausto Aguilera was posted all over the world, and for the first five years of his daughter's life, the family was stationed in Tokyo. The singer's sole memories of Japan are unpleasant ones: Dad beating Mom and, occasionally, beating her as well. Things got so bad that her mother took to sleeping with a canister of Mace under her pillow to use as protection. Whenever another fight began, young Christina would hide in her room and sing to her stuffed animals to drown out the shouts and screams.
"It's just the way I coped," she says. "I would hide under the bed, just singing and thinking to myself, 'One day, I'm going to get out of this and become a famous singer.'"
By the time she turned 6, her mother had filed for divorce and returned, with Christina and her younger sister, to the United States, settling in Pittsburgh. At age 12, Christina was a Mouseketeer alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Five years later, with a modern pop classic�"Genie in a Bottle"�under her belt, she had fulfilled those early dreams.
"You'd think I'd be happy, right?" she says, the accompanying frown suggesting otherwise. "But I was playing a part dictated by my then manager and my record company. I hated who I was back then, and I knew if I was going to continue in this business, I had to do things for myself next time. Stripped had to be a truly experimental record and a true representation of me. I didn't care if I sold one or 1 million copies. It just had to be real."
Stripped is indeed real. It's also a stark, sometimes shocking, contrast to the pastel palette of her debut. It's an album of battle scars ("Fighter," about the father she has rarely seen since Tokyo; "Walk Away," about her ex-boyfriend Jorge Santos) and defiant self-belief ("Keep on Singing My Song" and the lush "Beautiful," which goes, "I am beautiful no matter what they say/ Words can't bring me down/ So don't you bring me down today").
Tellingly, she enlisted the talents of former 4 Non Blonde front woman Linda Perry to help stage this radical reinvention, just as Pink had for the 5 million-selling M!ssundaztood. The musical bedrock of Stripped is not teen-pop but soul, gospel, rap and rock, highlighting not just Aguilera's independent spirit but a vocal style Whitney Houston would applaud. Much of it is radio-friendly, but, at her insistence, its first single was "Dirrty," the raucous duet/clash with hip-hop's Redman, a song that would subsequently terrify radio. Further obliterating her PG-13 image was the video: a David LaChapelle-directed clip that featured Aguilera hosting a post-apocalyptic orgy. On the guest list? Sexually-up-to-the-minute plushies and furries and bare asses (oh, my!). The result was shock and outrage from a moral American that wondered where exactly the prom queen who emerged in 1999 had gone.
"I love 'Dirrty'," she says with fierce pride. "It's a great song, even more so because it came from a girl who 'Genie in a Bottle.' I like to shock�I think it's inspiring. I love to play and experiment, to be as tame or as outlandish as I happen to heel on any given day."
The single's commercial failure, she insists, bothered her little.
When you are bold and open, artistically speaking, in music and video, a whole bunch of people automatically feel threatened by you, especially Middle America. That's just the way it goes. OK, I may have been the naked-ass girl in the video, but if you look at it carefully, I'm also at the forefront. I'm not just some lame chick in a rap video; I'm in the power position, in complete command of everything around me. To be totally balls-out like that is, for me, the measure of a true artist."
Make no mistake about this: Christina Aguilera sees herself as much more than a mere pop star. She'll impress this upon you at length, comparing herself to a range of artists whose careers, shall we say, have little in common with the former Mouseketeer's at first glance.
"Look at Van Gogh," she says. "He couldn't sell a painting to save his life while he was alive. The poor guy had to give them away. Same with Basquiat. They used to call him 'Basket Case.' Really! But if that's what it takes to be a true artist, then I'm prepared to suffer."
Critical opprobrium toward "Dirrty" was widespread. Many of Aguilera's fellow artist, from Shakira to Jessica Simpson, considered her image a step too far. Kelly Osbourne rarely missed an opportunity to bitch about her in public; and Saturday Night Live mocked the R-rated, heavily pierces, newly christened Xtina with voracious glee.
"Of course the criticism hurt. I'm only human, after all." She says, a little testily. "I thought the SNL sketch was pretty lame, actually. I could have made a funnier script out of it. But who cares? Being in the position is all about rolling with the punches, and believe me, I can roll with the punches."
No one, she says, is bold the way she is bold.
"Look at people like Beyonc� or Britney. They're desperate to come across as sweet, good little girls, but then you see them in photo shoots that are extremely sexual�tight little booty shorts, and not much else. SO why do they try to be virginal in interviews?" She holds her finger to her mouth, Lolita-like, and affects a note-perfect Spears impersonation. "'Oh, gosh, I haven't kissed a boy in I don't know how long!'"
The finger drops away and her top lip curls into an Elvis sneer. "Come on, girls, stop contradicting yourselves! If you want to do those magazine covers and those videos, then fine, more power to you. But don't revert to innocence afterwards." She shakes her head. "I will not hide behind anything, ever. I'm a sexually strong female, and I'm proud to be one. If anyone had a problem with that, tough."
Nevertheless, the Xtina backlash did induce a certain amount of panic�if not in Aguilera herself, then certainly in her record company and management, who quickly hired the famously protective powerhouse PR firm PMK to help right the ship. Gone were the leather and handcuffs; in came a sweeter, more serene Christina. Her next single was the ballad "Beautiful." The result was a resounding success: a number 1 hit, relief all around.
Aguilera, however, strongly denies any suggestion of an about-face.
"'Beautiful' was always scheduled as the second single because I thought it was a perfect contrast to 'Dirrty'," she says. "It's a very vulnerable song and I wanted to show that side of me. To suggest that it was rush-released to rescue my career...well, that's bullshit.' She glowers. "Bullshit."
****
Christina Aguilera has a favorite word right now, and she employs with the frequency of an addict: edgy. It pops up in many of her conversations, sometimes with purpose, other times at will. She describes herself, for example, as an "edgy" artist, and she admires the "edgy" acting of Angelina Jolie. The reason she responded to Madonna's last-minute invitation to appear alongside her and nemesis Britney Spears at MTV's Video Music Awards back in August, meanwhile, was because it sounded�you guessed it�edgy. It turns out, however, that in the end, the performance didn't quite live up to Aguilera's high expectations.
"The VMAs were so...so vanilla." She says. "So safe, so predictable, no edge. Apart from Madonna, Mary J. Blige, and myself, I cannot think of another female performer who had her mic switched on. That is very disappointing to me. I agreed to do it in the first place only because Madonna had told me that it was mandatory to sing live."
Something palpable happens to Aguilera when she talks about Spears. She loses eye contact, focuses on her cuticles, and grows visibly uncomfortable, as if wary of saying too much. But her dissatisfaction clearly needs a voice, and she duly gives out. She suggests that although Spears sang live during rehearsals, when the show went on the air, she was lip synching.
"Who knows what happened, exactly," Aguilera says sighing. "She was supposed to, but somewhere along the line....I don't know. Maybe some money changed hands under the table?..." She trails off awkwardly, and then charges back. "I'd much rather just wash my hands of the whole nonsense, actually. These people aren't artists; they're just performers�fake and superficial, like the entire event. I'm very disappointed with MTV. Just look at the way they handled the kiss."
What's she's referring to, of course, is the kiss. Mid-song, Madonna swapped saliva with both singers, diving both into both mouths tongue-first. The following day, however, it was her smacker with Spears that made the front pages. Aguilera's hardly got a mention.
"MTV didn't even screen my kiss properly�they cut away instead for Justin [Timberlake's] reaction shot. How predictable�let's see the ex-boyfriend's response. Pathetic."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Spears and Aguilera's lips never came into contact.
"Actually, I was up for kissing Britney," Aguilera says, "but Britney wasn't. She was...she seemed very distant, even during rehearsals. Every time I tired to start a conversation with her�well, let's just say she seemed nervous the whole time. I wanted to reach out to her, because I feel she needs somebody in her life right now to help guide her."
And Aguilera�the woman who has just spent the summer on a joint tour with Timberlake�is ideal for the job?
"Well, I feel I've grown a lot this year, and we did used to be friends once, after all. She seems to me like a lost little girl, someone who desperately needs guidance. But who knows�maybe I'm not the right person to offer it. We're very different people, aren't we? In our world, there are different types of entertainers. You have your artists and you have your regular performers, I'm an artist, and, well...."
As another sentence about Spears goes unfinished, she permits herself a private smile. Later, she will complain about the press insistently keeping the apparent rivalry alive, as if she herself plays no part in it. But she often seems to fan the flames.
Recently, Aguilera has done some modeling, first for her good friend Donatella Versace and now for Sketchers, the same brand of sneakers Spears promoted two years ago. Presumably this is a coincidence?
"Absolutely!" she insists. "I don't do things based on what she does or doesn't do, you know. And anyway, she did some kind of roller-skating thing for them. I'm not planning on doing any of that kind of shit." Instead, her ad campaign will have, she says firmly, "much more edge to it."
****
Let us now leave the thorny subject of Britney Spears and move instead to happier topics. After the slow mending of her heart, broken last year by the aforementioned Jorge Santos, Aguilera is in love again, this time with a 25-year-old music management-company employee named Jordan Bratman. Reluctant to discuss any particular aspect of their life together, all she will say is that they are happy�very happy.
"He has an amazing spirit, and he is everything I need in my life right now. With him, my life is perfect." She smiles openly, and in doing so she resembles the girl she once was.
Her current satisfaction may have been hand-won, but it is undeniably deserved. In the past 12 months, Christina Aguilera has completed the most startling pop reinvention since Madonna's. That fact in itself is worthy of celebration, and so is this: Finally, her life has achieved some sort of peace.
"Things are good right now," she says, "and I have no regrets about anything in my life�even the stuff I went through with my father, because in many ways it made me who I am today." Her father recently wrote to her, congratulating her on her success and confessing his feelings of paternal pride. His daughter appreciated the sentiment, but she rules out any chance of a reunion.
"My father is really close to his brother, my uncle, who is basically this slimy scumbag who keeps trying to sell stories to the tabloids." Her face becomes rigid. "I've suffered too much hurt in my life to go back to that place again," she says, "I'm through being a victim."
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�THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2003 |
Billboard Chart Update
The Billboard 200:
� 'Stripped' falls from 75 to 94 after 54 weeks on
The Billboard Hot 100:
� "Can't Hold Us Down" falls from 25 to 39 after 17 weeks on
Top 40 Tracks:
� "Can't Hold Us Down" falls from 10 to 16 after 17 weeks on
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Final Two UK Tour Dates Cancelled
Christina Aguilera has cancelled the final two dates of her UK tour due to acute bronchitis.
The American star apologised to fans who were expecting to see her perform at the Telecast Arena in Newcastle and at Manchester's MEN Arena.
The 22-year-old singer, who stole the show dressed as a nun at last week's MTV Europe Music Awards in Edinburgh, said she had enjoyed her British tour.
"I am terribly sorry for any inconvenience caused but my doctor has ordered me to my bed and told me I cannot perform for at least 10 days," she said.
She added: "I've so enjoyed this British tour.
"The fans have been fantastic. I'm so sorry we've had to cancel these last two dates but look forward to coming back to the UK soon."
Due to prior commitments in the Far East, the dates could not be rescheduled this year, a spokesman said.
Full refunds for tickets will be made from point of purchase.
Source: Sky News
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'Christina Aguilera Stripped In London' To Air On The WB
The WB takes viewers overseas for an all-access pass to Christina Aguilera's 'Stripped' Tour, including performances and behind-the-scenese footage
BURBANK, CA - The WB is giving its viewers an up-close-and-personal, all-access pass to the Christina Aguilera 'Stripped' Tour on Sunday, November 30 at 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET with the special presentation of Christina Aguilera Stripped In London. The network filmed a November performance at London's Wembley Arena, and the one-hour special will feature actual performance filmed at the live concert, including re-mixed and re-tooled version of her signature song "What A Girl Wants," as well as many of her hits such as her new album's first single "Dirrty" and "The Voice Within."
"We are always looking for ways to expand on the viewing experience for our audience, particularly through the use of popular music," said Jordan Levin, Co-CEO of The WB Network. "Christina Aguilera is one of the most exciting performers in pop music and has a great relationship with our target audience."
The special was filmed earlier this month and celebrates the release of her second hit album, 'Stripped.'
Aguilera has sold more than 10 million albums and won a Grammy Award as Best New Artist. The album "Stripped" was recorded over eighteen months, with Aguilera personally making sure the project portrayed her in the image she wished. "Stripped" not only boasts Aguilera's breathtaking stylistic diversity, but is also a resonant and revealing look into the mind and emotions of a young woman on the verge of personal and professional liberation.
Source: The WB
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Timberlake Winner, But Aguilera Steals The Show
By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Correspondent, PA New
Justin Timberlake was the big winner at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards but it was host Christina Aguilera who stole the show.
Timberlake scooped three awards � Best Male, Best Pop and Best Album for Justified.
Aguilera was crowned Best Female at last Thursday's awards bash in Edinburgh, beating Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Madonna and Pink.
And as host of the ceremony, the pop diva made sure she was the undisputed star of the show.
As the curtain went up, the 22-year-old singer made her entrance dressed as a nun.
She then ripped off her habit to reveal a barely there top and leather chaps, before launching into her hit single Dirrty.
It was the first of many costume changes for the star, who regularly tops the worst dressed celebrity list.
Most outrageous of all was a white cardboard basque which drew gasps from the audience.
"This is my show and if anyone's going to be getting the award for showing the most skin, it's me," she said.
Later she carried out an on-stage inspection of a group of male models to discover what Scotsmen really wear under their kilts.
And she joked: "I guess when they said 'Wee Scottish laddies' they weren't kidding."
Aguilera has a history of shocking behaviour at the MTVs � at the Video Music Awards in New York earlier this year, she was involved in the night's most memorable moment when she and Britney Spears kissed Madonna on stage.
The awards were held at the Ocean Terminal Arena in Leith and were broadcast live to a worldwide audience of up to a billion people.
Beyonce looked put out when Aguilera beat her to the Best Female crown.
Aguilera made up for the non-appearance of Britney Spears, who dropped out citing ill-health.
This was the biggest showbiz event in Scotland's history and has brought in an extra �4 million for the Edinburgh economy.
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Justin's Night As Christina, Kelly Osbourne Fight
Lots of pop stars who are huge in Europe never succeed in the United States, but judging by last Thursday's MTV Europe Music Awards, Europeans can't seem to get enough of American idols.
Justin Timberlake, Beyonc� Knowles and Christina Aguilera were the big winners at this year's racy, profanity-laden EMAs, held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Eight of the 12 awards were presented to U.S. residents.
The host of the show, Christina Aguilera, took home Best Female, one of four awards she was up for.
Viewers had something to take away with them as well. The running interplay between longtime rivals Kelly Osbourne and Aguilera was fierce and catty. During the pre-show, Aguilera refused to walk the red carpet if Osbourne � a guest VJ for the event � was present. Kelly responded by calling Aguilera's music "crap" and saying she was a "cow."
Later, a skit was aired of Aguilera throwing darts at a board decorated with a picture of Osbourne. This irked the Ozzy offspring, who voiced her disapproval when she came onstage to present an award. "If Christina Aguilera has to resort to throwing darts at my head after everything she's achieved and everything she's done, then she's a really sad, sorry person," Kelly said. "And I take it as a complete compliment."
"Honey, if you can dish it out, you've got to learn how to take it back. You gotta learn sweetie," Aguilera later retorted with a voice of mock sympathy.
If that wasn't fiery enough, there was full-frontal nudity to keep viewers glued to their sets. During Travis' performance of "Beautiful Occupation," an assembly of nude protesters marched onstage with signs that covered their naughty bits. At the end of the song, they lifted the signs. And near the end of the show, Aguilera marched a line of men in kilts onstage and asked them lift their outfits to display their wares so she could decide who to take to the party after the show. She earned the privilege, dancing in the opening and changing outfits 12 times over the course of the show.
�Jon Wiederhorn
Source: MTV News
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Aguilera Sensation At MTV Awards
By Paul Majendie
EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Cheered on by up to one billion pop fans around the world, American heart-throb Justin Timberlake was the big star of the MTV Europe Awards last Thursday night when he landed three top prizes.
One of the biggest sensations of the night was pop diva Christina Aguilera who arrived on stage demurely dressed as a nun and then stripped down to one of her notoriously skimpy outfits that leave very little to the imagination.
Aguilera, who has been touring with Timberlake, hosted the extravaganza and certainly did not go away empty-handed from one of the biggest "Pop Oscar" shows of the year -- she was named Best Female Artist.
She proudly showed off one of her more understated outfits and then, taking a dig at the tabloids and paparazzi who pursue her so relentlessly, said: "I'm sure I'll find out what's wrong with it in the papers tomorrow. But I don't give a f**k."
She teased Timberlake on stage by asking "Didn't you leave something on our tour bus?" and then presenting him with a life-size inflatable doll.
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Christina Steals The MTV Show
There was enough glamour and glitter to brighten any winter's night.
And as the stars sashayed or stomped into the auditorium, adoring fans screamed. But it wouldn't have been the MTV Europe Awards without some sort of controversy. And last night, that was provided by Christina Aguilera.
The 22-yearold American dazzled the crowds when she arrived by stalking up the red carpet in a sensational white net see-through dress.
But she stepped straight into a row with Kelly Osbourne, daughter of British rocker Ozzy, who claimed the singer had shoved her off the red carpet.
Then on stage in the Ocean Terminal Arena, the singer appeared in a full nun's habit to perform her hit Dirrty - ripping off the ecclesiatical garb to reveal leather chaps, panties and a top slashed to the navel.
Miss Aguilera - who is known for her attention-grabbing antics and recently shared a lesbian kiss with Madonna - hosted the ceremony and was also named Best Female Artist.
Source: femail.co.uk
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Allan: I Carried Christina On Stage
By Anthony Haggerty
HUNKY Allan Russell became the first St Mirren player to star in front of a billion people with a role at the MTV awards.
The footballer carried sexy Christina Aguilera on stage at the glittering show last Thursday.
But Saturday Allan, who was watched by a massive worldwide TV audience, will turn out in front of a crowd of just 3000 when the Buddies play Brechin City at Love Street.
His supporting role with Christina in Edinburgh was one in the eye for Rangers star Peter Lovenkrands who was desperate for a date with the star.
Allan, 22, told how she helped him to beat his nerves as his legs turned to jelly before stepping out in front of the crowd and the colossal global TV audience on Thursday.
The �250-a-week player joked: "I gotakickoutofseeing Peter leaving the do after I'd been chatting up Christina."
Allan won the job after a top-secret casting for the Model Team Scotland, for whom he works part-time.
And he was the envy of every Scotsman when he was handpicked to carry the "Dirrty Girl" on to the stage.
He walked on bare-chested and in Scottish national dress carrying sexy Christina shoulder high.
He also rubbed shoulders with rich and famous and revealed how he got to present a blow-up doll to superstar Justin Timberlake as part of a wind-up between the stars.
The former Accies player couldn't resist having a pop at Rangers' star Lovenkrands who earlier in the week declared that he wanted a date with Aguilera.
Allan said: "I must admit I got quite a kick out of that and I actually saw Peter Loevnkrands leaving the do."
The star later chose him to be her escort to the showbiz party.
He explained: "Christina turned to us and asked us to show us what we had in our lockers and all the guys whipped their kilts off to reveal a tiny G-string. You can guess who got chosen."
But he admits it was just a laugh, he is happy with model girlfriend Sophie.
Allan admitted he had nerves on the night and added: "When I went to lift the chair to carry Christina on to the stage and I could feel my right leg shaking completely out of control ... but I regained my composure.
"Christian Aguilera was very nice, she is unfairly labelled a diva.
"During rehearsals, she chatted away and was cutting about in her slippers and without make-up on.
"Mingling with the jet-set and superstars was a brilliant experience ... But my main aim is to help St Mirren to three points against Brechin."
Source: Daily Record
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Christina Named Latina Magazine's #3 Woman Of The Year
Christina Aguilera, The Fighter
Criticized by the press and her fellow Latinos, she keeps on making music her way.
She has been belittled for her too revealing clothes (leather chaps over thong underwear), for her too "Dirrty" lyrics, and even for trying to promote herself as Latina to capitalize on the surging Latin music market. All nonsense, we argue -- and so does Christina. "For a long time, I had been uncomfortable with the image that had been built around me," the Grammy-winning pop star recently said. "I'm not that girl." Instead, she's the kind of mujer we can respect: one who thrives in a tough industry (witness her sold-out tour with Justin Timberlake this past summer, or her onstage performance with Madonna and Britney Spears at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards) by letting her music do the talking. "After all you put me through, you'd think I'd despise you/ But ... you made me that much stronger," go the lyrics to her 2003 hit "Fighter." So critics, keep on swinging -- Christina isn't about to go down for the count. �G.E.
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Help Christina In VH1's Big In 2003 Show
VH1's Song Survivor asks you to decide what was the Big Song of '03. Vote off one song every day. Each afternoon at 4PM they'll remove the song that got the most "kill" votes over the previous 24 hours. The last song standing on November 30th becomes the Big Song of 2003!
Christina is one of the choices with "Beautiful," so make sure you DON'T vote for it, as you are voting for the song you DON'T want to win.
Visit http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/big_in/2003/song.jhtml to vote. The show will air on Sunday, November 30 at 9:00pm ET/PT on VH1.
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Spike TV Video Game Awards Nomination
Christina received a nomination for Spike TV's Video Game Awards in the category of Best Performance By A Human for her likeness in The Sims Superstar. Here's the complete list of nominees for the category:
Christina Aguilera - The Sims Superstar (EA Games)
Christopher Walken - True Crime: Streets of LA (Activision)
David Duchovny - XIII (Ubi Soft)
DMX, Method Man & more - Def Jam Crew (EA Big)
Eve - XIII (Ubi Soft)
Giovanni Ribisi - Call of Duty (Activision)
Jada Pinkett-Smith - Matrix (Atari)
Jenna Jameson - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar Games)
Ray Liotta - Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Rockstar Games)
Snoop Dogg - True Crime: Streets of LA (Activision)
You can vote online at SpikeTV.com. The show will air on Thursday, December 4 at 9:00pm ET/PT on Spike TV.
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Xtina Is Manchester's Number One
Paul Cockerton
THREE of the world's most popular female singers have visited the M.E.N. Arena in quick succession - but Manchester rates one head and shoulders above the rest.
In one of ManchesterOnline Entertainment's most popular polls, Christina Aguilera finished streets ahead of the pack, picking up almost three times as many votes as the second placed diva Mariah Carey, with Destiny's Child's Beyonce Knowles in third place.
The result was mirrored by the singing sensation's ticket sales too - while Xtina has sold out a second night at the Arena on Tuesday, November 11, Mariah Carey launched a two-for-one ticket offer and Beyonce reduced the price of some tickets from �45 to �20.
Shania Twain, who will herself be playing the M.E.N. Arena in February 2004, received the fourth highest number of votes, closely followed by Britney Spears.
Further down the list Kylie Minogue and Madonna tied for sixth place, while Ms Dynamite, Celine Dion and Pink brought up the rear.
Full results of the poll were:
Christina Aguilera - 33%
Mariah Carey - 12%
Beyonce Knowles - 11%
Shania Twain - 10%
Britney Spears - 9%
Madonna - 7%
Kylie Minogue - 7%
Ms Dynamite - 4%
Celine Dion - 4%
Pink - 3%
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�TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2003 |
Aguilera Excited To Host MTV Europe Awards
There are just three days to go until Europe's biggest televised music event, the 2003 MTV European Music Awards, take place in Edinburgh, Scotland. And this year's host is pop diva Christina Aguilera.
"It's going to be a big night. I'm hosting and am nominated, so on both counts am honoured. It's going to be an exciting night. I will be running the show," said the pop star.
The 22-year-old singer has been nominated for four awards, including best female artist, and best song.
Aguilera has courted controversy ever since she exploded onto the music scene back in 1999 and has continued to do so. Often accused of producing sexually provocative pop videos and lambasted on occasions for being the worst dressed woman in pop.
It is estimated that up to a billion people could tune in for this year's awards. The tickets for the star-studded event sold out in less than 14 minutes.
"I'm always in the spotlight for what I wear, and sometimes for what I don't wear. But the show will be fun," said Aguilera.
Constantly changing her image and her career, it remains unknown where she will step next; and that's exactly the way she wants it to be.
Source: NDTV
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'Voice' Rings Loud And Clear
RCA recording artist Christina Aguilera let her inner voice ring out loudly and clearly last week, as "The Voice Within" won Most Added honors at both Pop and AC radio. The song, the latest from the pop princess' three-times Platinum album Stripped, also acheived New & Active status on R&R's AC chart. Aguilera is currently touring overseas and will host the MTV Europe Music Awards, where she's up for four honors, set to take place Nov. 6 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Source: Radio & Records
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Christina Aguilera On Her Brutal Childhood
EXCLUSIVE
By Eva Simpson
ON the outside, Christina Aguilera appears to be one of the most confident women in pop.
With 20 million album sales under her belt, she's loud, outspoken and self-assured.
Out of the showbiz spotlight, however, she is tormented by memories of a brutal childhood in New York.
She grew up seeing her Ecuadorian father Fausto regularly beat her Irish mother Shelly, and says the experience has left her emotionally scarred.
And, despite having men throwing themselves at her feet, the star says the shattered relationship with her soldier dad has definitely affected her love life.
"In the past it has created a defence mechanism in me. I never took love all that seriously," she says.
"I wanted to play the tough role and I was like 'no guy's ever going to break my heart, I'm never going to be helpless to a guy', to a point where I was like, I don't even get what love is about. What the hell is that? I don't even want to be a part of it.
"I've learned a lot and I've learned to try and break down some of my walls that I have up."
Aguilera, who turns 23 next month, has been linked with singers Justin Timberlake, Fred Durst and Enrique Iglesias; MTV presenter Carson Daley and dancer Jorge Santos.
Although she says she is in a relationship at the moment, don't expect wedding bells to peal just yet: "It doesn't exactly sound like it will be the romance of the century," she says.
Christina, who had a nervous breakdown last year, says she still has "issues" with her dad and believes it will be some time before they even begin to get close to a proper father-and-daughter relationship.
She regularly saw her dad beat up her mother and would sing loudly in her bedroom to drown out her mother's screams. He also took his fists to Christina and her siblings, once splitting her lip so badly she was scarred for life.
"When success first really hit, my father did the whole trying to come back into my life. But I'm a smart girl and I'm a no-bullshit girl. I can smell it from a mile away and if you haven't been in my life before then basically I'm not going to be too keen on letting you in now.
"But there is always room for forgiveness and I do forgive him for the past, but a relationship is something I will have to think about.
"I learnt a lot from witnessing what I did and it was a lot. It was rough witnessing that. Sometimes, without even realising, you can fall into the same traps, maybe not physically but emotionally, and I've been hurt before.
"But on the positive side, I thank God for all the times I've been hurt, because it forces you to fight your way out of a rough situation and I have definitely come out a stronger and wiser person from it. You need those hard times in your life to better yourself as a person, you really do."
Christina isn't what you would call the shy and retiring type. Her wild outfits and outrageous hairstyles regularly earn her places on "worst-dressed" lists while her outspokenness has led to showbiz spats, including well-publicised ones with Eminem and Kelly Osbourne.
NOR is it likely that she's about to stop all that now.
While she insists she has patched things up with Eminem and won't be drawn on the subject of Osbourne, who once threatened to "chuck her across the room", it seems another feud is brewing with fellow singer Pink.
I ask her what she thinks about Pink's recent kissing antics with Terminator 3 actress Kristanna Loken at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo so soon after her now infamous snog with Britney Spears and Madonna at the MTV Awards in New York.
She huffs and sighs before sharpening her claws and sniffing: "When has Pink not been copying me? In her fashion and so on, it's always like 'Gosh, I just wore that last week.'
"But I would kiss a girl again. The Madonna thing was a one-off but girls are nice to kiss, nice and soft.
"I'm sure Pink and this girl got whatever they did on camera and I'm sure that was the inspiration for it."
If she's afraid of the backlash she might get from her chart rival, then Aguilera's certainly not showing it. In fact I think she relishes it.
She is, after all, renowned for being confrontational, saying what she thinks and setting tongues wagging. And nowhere does that apply more keenly than her appearance.
In just four short years since her first album came out, she has gone from squeaky-clean blonde to sexy diva who delights in wearing skimpy costumes.
Last year she appeared naked on the cover of Rolling Stone and then wore a bikini and chaps for the Dirrty video.
So when she takes to the stage to host next Thurday's MTV Europe Awards, all eyes will be on what she is - or is not - wearing. But far from being upset by the criticism of her unique style, she positively loves it.
It's a style that got her noticed by Donatella Versace, the fashion designer who made Aguilera the face of her label earlier this year.
"I'm a risk taker and I've always been like that, especially when it comes to fashion. I was actually disappointed this year because I wasn't on the People magazine worst-dressed list. I mean what is the world coming to? In fact I'm a little angry about it.
"Why wasn't I on it? Is it because now I'm a Versace poster girl they don't put me on it? That's not fair. The fashion world is a bunch of nonsense anyway.
"I love Bjork because she's outlandish and crazy and interesting to watch. But the interesting ones are always on the worst-dressed list and if that's what it takes then that's the list I'd rather be on.
"I mean, how easy and boring is it to wear a gown and stand on the red carpet with a smile on your face? Of course you get on the best-dressed list that way because that's all it consists of.
"I don't think my outfits are that wild and it certainly doesn't turn off guys. I definitely don't have any problems where that is concerned."
Ever since she first burst on to the music scene in the summer of 1999 with Genie In A Bottle, one thing has always been clear - because of her amazing voice, Aguilera was more than just another teeny pop star.
SHE may be around the same age as Britney but she was definitely not cut from the same cloth.
It didn't take her long to ditch the squeaky clean image which, she says, was forced on her by her record company. Stripped, the album she released last year and which has sold seven million copies worldwide, proves she has grown up fast.
"The image of me for Genie In A Bottle was definitely something the label wanted to push but it was fake and unreal.
"I came out of the height of the teen-pop explosion. Businesswise it did what they wanted it to do and I was happy. I can't knock it - it got my foot in the door and enabled me to do what I love to do.
"But as it went on and I grew as a person I started feeling like a robot - I'm an artist, not a robot. It was a very personal and important album for me to make to set the record straight.
"I'm an artist and I have feelings and opinions and I'm voicing them now and this is the beginning of the new me, the real me.
"I couldn't think of a better word than Stripped for the title of the album that would represent all my feelings. It strips away every layer of everything in my character - this is me laying myself on the line."
CHRISTINA Aguilera hosts the MTV Europe Awards on Thursday. A new single, The Voice Within, will be released on December 8 in the UK.
Source: The Mirror
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Fair Warning
Long before she was a genie in a bottle, Christina Aguilera charmed local audiences with her amazing vocal talent. Now she's putting her magic to work for the benefit of the Pittsburgh Police Department and lost pets.
Teaming up with online concert service StubHub.com, the Wexford native is auctioning several autographed items of clothing to buy special scanners that locate lost dogs and cats carrying embedded tracking microchips. Up for grabs are a leather skirt, a more demure denim skirt and an extra wide leather belt.
To place a bid, log on to Pittsburghlive.StubHub.com through November.
Source: PittsburghLIVE