Christina Aguilera (album)

Christina Aguilera approached record label RCA Records, then having financial difficulties, and was told to contact Disney.[2] After being given the opportunity to record the theme to the 1998 film Mulan named "Reflection" it was reported she had gained a record deal with RCA with Aguilera saying "I landed a record deal simultaneously as I landed the Mulan soundtrack. I had just turned seventeen years old, and during the same week, I just landed both. I recorded the Mulan soundtrack first and then a few months later I was out in L.A. recording the record for about six months".[3] When asked about the song and Aguilera, RCA executive Ron Fair commented,

"She is a badass genius of singing. She was put on this earth to sing, and I've worked with a lot of singers.... When Aguilera met with us, she didn't care that she was auditioning for a record deal; she got into a performance zone that you see in artist much more mature than she is."[4]

After she was asked to hit a musical note required for "Reflection", she thought that the song could be the gateway into an album deal. Aguilera spent hours recording a cover of Whitney Houston's "Run to You", which included the note she was asked to hit.[2] After successfully hitting the note, which she called "the note that changed my life", she was given the opportunity to record the song. To record the song, she flew to Los Angeles for roughly a week.[5] Despite growing increasingly exhausted during the recording sessions, when she heard that a 90-piece orchestra would be arriving to record the instrumental she begged to stay and witness the event. She later called the experience "amazing".[5] Due to the success around the recording of "Reflection", RCA wished for Aguilera to record and release an album by September 1998 to maintain the "hype" surrounding her at that time.[5] The label laid the foundation for the album immediately and started presenting Aguilera with tracks for her debut album, which they later decided would have a January 1999 release.[5][6] Reflection" was written and produced by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel, whom later co-wrote with Christina Aguilera "We're a Miracle".

Shelly Peiken (left), co-wrote the hit "What a Girl Wants" and the single version of "Come on Over", while Diane Warren (right) wrote "I Turn to You", a cover of the All-4-One song, which became a hit in Aguilera's voice, and "Somebody's Somebody".

Christina Aguilera was recorded between 1998 and 1999, with Ron Fair serving as the album's executive producer. The label reportedly spent $1 million on writers, producers and voice lessons.[7] According to Fair, "She was very much a raw talent, so building a collection of songs that would become her first album was a time-consuming process. We wanted to find the ones that could knock the door down and put her up there."[7] The album was built around pop songs, which was against Aguilera's will, since she wanted a more R&B album. She further explained during an interview for The Washington Post: "I was held back a lot from doing more R&B ad-libbing. They clearly wanted to make a fresh-sounding young pop record and that's not always the direction I wanted to go in. Sometimes they didn't get it, didn't want to hear me out because of my age, and that was a little bit frustrating. Since all the success, it's a little easier to get my opinions across."[7]

One of the first producers of the album was Guy Roche, who produced two tracks ("What a Girl Wants" and "I Turn to You") and co-wrote one of them ("What a Girl Wants"), along with Shelly Peiken. "What a Girl Wants" was later re-recorded for its single release, replacing the "lighter" version for a more "funky" R&B version. Peiken also re-wrote with Roche the single version for the track "Come on Over", first produced by Johan Aberg, Paul Rein and Aaron Zigman.[8] According to herself, "We're going to give it more of an edge, R&B it up a little, maybe rock it out a little, give it a lot of different new directions and get it out there."[9] Peiken also co-wrote ("Don't Make Me Love You", "Too Beautiful For Words" & "Dreamy Eyes"). Aguilera also recorded a cover of All-4-One's song "I Turn to You", written by Diane Warren who also wrote "Somebody's Somebody". Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers (who would eventually break into the scene as the producers who launched Rihanna's career) wrote and produced two tracks ("Love for All Seasons" and "Love Will Find a Way") Travon Potts & Brock Walsh wrote and produced "Blessed", while the then up-and-coming Robin Thicke co-wrote and co-produced "When You Put Your Hands on Me". Franne Golde (who previously worked with Whitney Houston) also wrote a song for Aguilera titled "So Emotional" which was originally written for Selena's album, but unfortunately she died at the age of 23. The track's producer, Ron Harris, revealed that Aguilera in-between recordings "was only listening to Mariah Carey and Brandy, putting on her walk man and practicing their riffs and runs, before she did her ad-libs.[10] At the final stages, producer and songwriter David Frank presented a song called "Genie in a Bottle",[11] which Aguilera almost didn't record, "because there were a lot of other artists out there that were after this song, so we had to fight a little bit to get it," she claimed.[12] With Heather Holley, Aguilera also co-wrote along with producers Heather Holley and Rob Hoffman a track called "I Will Be", which she said was inspired by Mariah Carey's "Vanishing".[13] The duo also wrote and produced the album's final track "Obvious" & "I Come Undone".

Christina Aguilera is a dance-pop and teen pop album;[14] it mainly consists of teen pop songs.[15] Beth Johnson of Entertainment Weekly compared the album's musical styles to those of Tiffany and Whitney Houston.[16] The record opens with "Genie in a Bottle", which uses sexual references to talk about self-respect.[17] Billboard editor Kenneth Partridge wrote that the song features "32nd-note bass-drum pattern that mimics the heart palpitations of a teenager in lust."[18] "What a Girl Wants" is a hybrid of teen pop and R&B which lyrically "[reveals] an independent, strong woman who knows what she wants from a relationship, both sexually and emotionally."[19][20] The cover version of All-4-One's ballad "I Turn to You" is a soul-influenced track.[18] On the song, Aguilera thanks someone for their "faith, strength, support, commitment and tenderness."[21]

"So Emotional", "Love for All Seasons" and "Somebody's Somebody" incorporate strong elements of R&B and soul.[20] "So Emotional" is a midtempo gospel-inspired number talking about a man who has got Aguilera "on the ropes."[18][22] "Love for All Seasons" is a pop track which is musically similar to Carey's "Always Be My Baby" (1996), while "Somebody's Somebody", in which Aguilera sings about being secure in one's arms, features drums snap, bass pops, and a gospel organ in the bridge.[18] Aguilera sings about a woman longing to reveal her true self on "Reflection", which Partridge characterized it as the song that "sums up the album."[18] "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" is deemed the most "sexual" track on Christina Aguilera, a hip hop-influenced song which features a rap verse written by Aguilera herself.[23] "When You Put Your Hands On Me", an R&B song co-written by Robin Thicke, addresses the alchemy of sex: "I just know / when you put your hands on me / I feel sexy / and my body turns to gold."[18] "Blessed" features elements of gospel, while "Love Will Find A Way" features an R&B groove and was compared to Carey's songs "Emotions" (1991) and "Dreamlover" (1993).[20] On the final song, "Obvious", Aguilera wonders whether her confusion about her life is apparent to everyone.[18]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[14]
Billboard	(mixed)[18]
Christgau's Consumer Guide	C+[24]
Entertainment Weekly	B−[16]
The New York Times	(favorable)[25]
PopMatters	(mixed)[15]
Q	[26]
Rolling Stone	[27]
Sonicnet	[28]
Sputnikmusic	[29]

"Christina Aguilera" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised the songwriting and the "clean and uncluttered" production on the project. He eventually commended on Aguilera's vocals, writing that "she not only has charisma, she can actually sing, bringing conviction to these love and heartbreak songs."[14] Although calling it "a frustratingly erratic album", Beth Johnson wrote that "Christina still makes a credible bid to be the late-summer soundtrack to romantic rebound."[16] Sputnikmusic editor Amanda Murray wrote that Christina Aguilera "is an album that is highly representative of the better aspects of the teen pop movement of the late 90s."[29] A reviewer writing for Q said the album "shows off her pretty, but powerful vocals to surprisingly impressive effect."[26] Ann Powers on behalf of The New York Times agreed, writing "Beyond its sleek design, this album hints at a real singer's emergence. She has striking vocal power and range, if not a clue about expressing individuality."[25]

Barry Walters from Rolling Stone criticized the album's theme, calling it "bubble-brained", writing that they "give Aguilera little substance to spin into gold."[27] Robert Christgau said, "like LeAnn and unlike Britney, Christina already has 'adult' grit and phrasing down pat, and so threatens to join Gloria, Mariah, Celine, and LeAnn herself in the endless parade of Diane Warren-fueled divas-by-fiat hitting high notes and signifying less than nothing."[24] Julene Snyder of Sonicnet wrote that "Aguilera has an instinctive grasp of the insipid state of the pop/ dance music scene, especially as it relates to her peers."[28] On behalf of PopMatters, Nikki Tranter said "there are lots of 'oohs' and plenty of 'ahhs' and just enough 'I wants' and 'you likes' to keep the kids happy."[15] Partridge deemed the project "quite listenable"; however, he said the lyrics "tell us precious little about the girl on the cover."[18]

In the United States, Christina Aguilera debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 252,800 copies, beating Puff Daddy's Forever.[30] In its second week, it fell to number 2, selling 218,000 copies.[31] The album was certified octuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeding shipments of eight million copies.[32] According to Nielsen SoundScan, the release has sold 8,300,000 copies in the U.S. as of August 2019 and is among the most certified albums of all time according to the RIAA.[lower-alpha 1][33] Meanwhile, BMG Music calculated that Christina Aguilera has sold an additional 935,000 units through BMG Music Clubs.[34] The project also peaked atop the Canadian Albums Chart.[35] In July 2001, Music Canada certified the project six times platinum for exceeding sales of over 600,000 units in Canada.[36]

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number 21 on October 30, 1999,[37] falling to number 31 the following week.[38] It stayed two weeks inside the top-forty and only re-entered on February 26, 2000, at number 33.[39] The album climbed to number 14 on March 3, 2000, becoming its peak position.[40] The album stayed on the UK charts for 26 weeks.[41] The album was certified platinum by the IFPI for sales of one million copies in Europe.[42] In Australia, the album debuted at number 31 on February 20, 2000, while peaking at number 26 two weeks later, spending 15 weeks on the charts. However, the album re-entered at number 25, on October 29, 2000, and two weeks later, it reached a new position of number 21, spending 13 further weeks on the charts, bringing a total of 28.[43] It was later certified platinum for 70,000 sales in 2000.[44] In New Zealand, the album debuted at number 38, on October 31, 1999, and later climbed to number 27, before re-entering two times, on November 28, 1999 and February 13, 2000. After the latter re-entering, the album peaked six weeks later at number 5, on March 26, 2000.[45] It re-entered an additional six times and was certified platinum in New Zealand, selling over 15,000 copies.[46] The album sold 80,000 copies in Brazil.[47] It remains Aguilera's best-selling album with sales of over 14 million copies worldwide.[1]

"Genie in a Bottle" was the first single of the album, released on June 22, 1999. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who commended the song for being pleasant,[29] sweet, the album's best moment and her signature track.[28] It became one of Aguilera's highest charting singles, getting certified platinum by the RIAA. The song became an overnight hit, making it Aguilera's first number one single. It topped the charts for five weeks straight on Billboard Hot 100 due to strong physical CD sales and airplay, having the longest stay at number one that year.[48] The single made airplay history, becoming one of the most successful airplay-only singles and topped the charts weeks before an accompanying music video was made.[49] It also topped the charts of eight countries, while it charted within the top five in every country it was released in.[50] Its music video was a success, becoming a staple on MTV's Total Request Live with Aguilera enjoying some fun and sexual tension at a beach bonfire.[51] The song received a Grammy Nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. A version of the song in Spanish entitled "Genio Atrapado" was recorded and included in some editions of Christina Aguilera and later on her Spanish-language album, Mi Reflejo and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.[52] It also received a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1st Latin Grammy Awards.[53]

Aguilera performing "What a Girl Wants" during her Back to Basics Tour

"What a Girl Wants" was the second single from the album. Instead of the slower version, Aguilera insisted that a more upbeat mix, with an R&B edge, needed to be created to be released as a single.[54] Released on October 29, 1999 to radio stations,[55] the song received positive reviews from critics, with most praising her vocals in the track,[56] comparing to those of Mariah Carey[5] and Whitney Houston.[28] "What a Girl Wants" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 15, 2000 for two weeks, ending the chart reign of Santana's "Smooth"[57] and becoming Aguilera's second number-one single.[48] The single also topped the New Zealand and Spanish charts, while also peaking at number three in the UK, at number five in Australia and reached the top-twenty in most countries it charted.[58] The song was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 43rd Grammy Awards held on February 21, 2001. A Spanish version entitled "Una Mujer" was also made and included on Mi Reflejo.[59]

"I Turn to You" was the third single form the album, released on April 1, 2000 to U.S radio. It received mixed reviews from critics, who recognized that the track allowed Aguilera's vocals to soar and shine,[29] but called it a cliché ballad.[60] However, the single peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 4 weeks, becoming Aguilera's third top-ten hit. The single also reached the top-ten in Canada,[61] the top-twenty in other three countries, including the UK,[41] and the top-forty elsewhere.[62] The music video was directed by Joseph Kahn, and Christina is seen singing in front of a microphone before walking in the rain with an umbrella, and on a rooftop. The video's storyline follows a young woman getting into an accident, with her mother worriedly waiting for word on where she is at the late hour.[63] A Spanish version entitled "Por Siempre Tu" was released and included on her Spanish-debut album, Mi Reflejo. It peaked at number 6 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming Aguilera's first top-ten Spanish single.[52]

On May 27, 2000, during an interview with Jam! Canoe's Stephanie McGrath, Aguilera revealed plans to release at least two more singles from her debut: "So Emotional" in the fall and "Come On Over" as soon as "I Turn To You", "runs its toll," she said.[9] "So Emotional" indeed had a simple music video, which was available through her YouTube/VEVO account,[64] showing Christina in a casual outfit recording the song in the studio.[65] However, the song was never released and "Come on Over" was chosen instead. For the song's release, Aguilera claimed: "We're going to head back in the studio, give it more of an edge, R&B it up a little, maybe rock it out a little, give it a lot of different new directions and get it out there."[9]

The reworked version, entitled "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", features more hip hop and dance elements as well as "edgy" and "sexual" lyrics,[54] even a rap by Aguilera, and was released on July 11, 2000, as the album's fourth and final single. The song's new version received mixed reviews, with some criticizing the fact that the track "was more like an album track than a hit", but praised the catchy chorus.[66] However, the song was a success on the charts, becoming Aguilera's third number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, spending four weeks at the top, from October 8 to November 4, 2000.[48] It spent twenty-one weeks on the Hot 100, ranked thirty-eight on the Hot 100's 2000 Year-end charts and eventually the RIAA certified the single gold. It was also a success elsewhere, reaching the top-ten in over six countries, including Australia, Canada and the UK.[41][67] The video was considered "bright and colorful," with green, white, and gold backgrounds juxtaposed against a dance choreography.[68] A Spanish version entitled "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)" became a number-one hit on the Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming her first Spanish chart topper.[52]

Aguilera made many appearances on talk shows in order to promote her self-titled debut album. Aguilera appeared on shows such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show[69] and TRL.[70] Aguilera also began traveling to New Zealand while "What a Girl Wants" was topping the charts overseas. In 1999, Aguilera performed "Genie in a Bottle" at the 1999 Teen Choice Awards.[71] Aguilera also attended the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, where she and Fred Durst performed together. Aguilera performed "Come on Over Baby", wearing a tight ruby red outfit with black and red streaks in her hair, and near the end, Durst walked onstage and performed part of his band's song "Livin' It Up" with Aguilera. After eliciting charged reactions from his fans, Durst stated: "I already told you guys before, I did it all for the nookie, man."[72] The feud died weeks later, when Aguilera denied Durst's statement, saying Durst "got no nookie."[73] Later on, in 2000, Aguilera performed at the Super Bowl XXXIV as a halftime performer.[9] During late 2000, Aguilera traveled to Brazil to promote the album, where she did many interviews and performances on Brazilian television, including Domingão do Faustão, Programa Raul Gil and Planeta Xuxa.[74]

In December 1999, Aguilera issued a full-length home video titled Genie Gets Her Wish. The video includes interviews with her from backstage, in the studio and on the road. It also features Aguilera's rendition of Mel Torme's Yuletide classic "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)".[22]

Touring

Main article: Christina Aguilera in Concert

Aguilera performing "Genie in a Bottle" on her Stripped World Tour

On April 28, 2000, Aguilera announced her first tour, which kicked off on July 31, 2000 and would hit 37 cities (and a total of 81 shows). The tour was sponsored by Sears and Levi's.[75] Aguilera released a statement about the tour, saying: "Headlining my own tour means creative control and a high-energy, let-loose show. It's designed with my band and dancers to be a visually exciting mix of my big hits and some special surprises," said Christina. "Plus, my sponsors, Sears and Levi's, are giving fans lots of ways to get involved with the tour, like exclusive CDs and posters, a chance to win a backstage pass to hang with me and a cause-related program called 'Come On Over and Do Something' that was created specifically for the tour."[76] About the tour's setlist, she claimed, "I'll be doing songs from my debut album. But I've changed so much from doing that at 17, so we'll put a whole new twist on things from my album. ... There will be a lot of blues and soul inflections, which is what I've wanted to do more of for a long time."[75] One feature of the shows she described involved getting the crowd excited with her hit "What a Girl Wants" and then switching to a piano-and-vocal-only song by her hero, blues legend Etta James.[75]

Aguilera was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2000: Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Genie in a Bottle", with Aguilera winning the former.[77] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard cited her Grammy win as one of her "10 Biggest Career Moments", stating: "The battle for teen pop supremacy made its way to the Grammy Awards in 2000, when Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were both nominated for the Best New Artist prize. Both singing stars had issued hit albums in 1999, [...] and Aguilera ended up walking away with one of the night's top prizes. "I'm shaking right now!" Aguilera told the audience at the 2000 ceremony, also admitting that she did not have a speech prepared for the event because she didn't think she would win. Aguilera has since taken home four more Grammys, for the songs 'Lady Marmalade,' 'Beautiful,' 'Ain't No Other Man,' and 'Say Something (A Great Big World song)' respectively."[78] Aguilera also received another Grammy nomination in 2001 for "What a Girl Wants" in the "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" category, and according to Time magazine, "both of which helped catapult the album to the top of the charts."[79]

Aguilera's Grammy Award nominations, two back to back number-one singles, magazine gossip, and merchandise released under her name made her the "It girl", according to People.[80] In March 2000, Lori Majewski, entertainment director at Teen People magazine, stated: "If people want to know why Christina is going to be around a decade from now, the answer is very clear: It's pure talent," Majewski said. "When you hear this girl open her mouth, everyone is astounded. I've seen her sing many times, and every time, I'm impressed, but the people who are hearing it for the first time can't even believe it."[81] In an article about the "2013 Most Influential People in the World", in which Aguilera appeared, Canadian singer Celine Dion stated that, "I remember she broke onto the scene at the turn of the millennium, [...] so I got to watch a lot of her TV appearances, especially on the award shows. I remember thinking, This girl's got it all and then some! Unbelievable voice, great dancer and so very beautiful."[82]

The tracks on the album played important roles on Aguilera's legacy. "Genie in a Bottle", the album's lead single, was a number-one hit and Aguilera became the third female artist in 1999 to top the Hot 100 chart with her debut entry, behind Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" and Jennifer Lopez's "If You Had My Love".[51] Allmusic noted that the single incredibly hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 before a music video was even out.[49] "Genie" was listed at number 38 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s,[83] About.com placed it at number two on her "Top 10 Songs",[54] while AOL Radio ranked at number one, calling it her "signature song".[84] While listing the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", Rolling Stone placed Aguilera at number 52, picking "Genie in a Bottle" as one of her "key tracks", writing that "Even in her teen-pop 'Genie in a Bottle' days, she was modeling her dramatic, melismatic technique on old-school soul heroines like Etta James."[85] The song was also covered by contestants of many popular talent shows such as American Idol,[86] The X Factor and The Voice.[87] The success of the follow-up single "What a Girl Wants" solidified her as a strong musical force and earned her several accolades, including five MTV Video Music Awards nominations and a Grammy Award nomination.[84] The song's title inspired the title of the 2000 romantic comedy film "What Women Want", having the track on its soundtrack[88] and on a scene.[89] It also inspired the title of the 2003 comedy film of the same name.[90] "I Turn to You" inspired American singer Lady Gaga, as she stated, "When I was 15, I was singing 'I Turn to You' at the top of my lungs trying to hit all her notes. So she was an inspiration to me to have a wider vocal range."[91] With the album's fourth single, "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", Aguilera managed to have three number-one singles for the same album and four top-ten singles, an achievement she only did with her first album.[48]

Musicians

Production

Bibliography

• Dominguez, Pier (2003). Christina Aguilera – A Star is Made. Amber Communications Group, Inc. ISBN 1-84449-381-4.