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Wednesday 20 January 2016

Five fast facts about Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera is an accomplished entertainer. She may be young, however she has worked most of her life. She has performed with some of the biggest names in the music industry and holds her own. Not only does she have a successful career, but she is a wife and mother. Below are five facts about the beautiful Christina Aguilera.

Kết quả hình ảnh cho about Christina Aguilera

Multicultural background
Christina Maria Aguilera was born Dec. 18, 1980. Her racial background is a little of everything. She is Irish, Ecuadorian, German, French and Dutch. She has been singing professional since she was a child.

Diva alert
She is a diva and a control freak. Justin Timberlake reported that when they were on “Mickey Mouse Club House” as a child, she was already demanding. They affectionately nick named her, ‘the diva.’ In 2007, photographer David LaChappelle blacklisted Aguilera claiming she is difficult to work with.

Beef with Britney Spears
There have been many reports, claiming that Aguilera was jealous of Spears career. There were multiple reports that she would have a breakdown when Britney got a gig she wanted and vice versa. The two squashed the rumors when they present an award together for the MTV Video Music Awards.

Scared of the dark
Aguilera revealed that she has always been scared of the dark. She felt there was something evil about the darkness. In recent years, she changed her mind. She now finds some sort of strange comfort in the dark. She no longer is scared of the dark.

Family
Christina Aguilera was married to music executive Jordan Brateman. She said he helped inspire her love songs. She admitted she never wanted to produce any love songs, but she wanted to share the love she felt for him with her devoted fans. The couple divorced in 2010 after five years of marriage. They share one child together Max Liron, seven years old. She had a daughter, Summer Rain, seven months old with her fiancée Matthew Rutler.

Christina Aguilera is a pop icon. She is an actress songwriter, entertainer and mother. She has worked most of her life, and even with a family is not slowing down. Recently, she became one of the hosts of “The Voice.” Christina Aguilera is on her way to becoming a music legend.

Christina Aguilera - A Voice for the Hungry

One of the biggest names in pop music today, Christina Aguilera is also a WFP Ambassador Against Hunger, lending her voice to WFP and the fight against hunger.

Christina just visited Rwanda where she spent time at a refugee camp. She was deeply moved hearing from the refugees about escaping violence in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

After the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the five-time Grammy award winner was among artists who headlined for the "Hope for Haiti Now" Telethon, one of the most widely syndicated fundraising events in history, raising over $66 million in relief aid.

As the official spokeswoman for the Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief Campaign, From Hunger to Hope, she has used her fame and success to raise over $148 million for WFP and other hunger relief agencies in 45 countries.

Christina debuted in this role with a moving public service announcement that shows her serenading onlookers at a busy street corner in Los Angeles with her hit ballad Beautiful


Recently in Rawanda, Christina visited one of the schools where children get a daily hot meal - and got a rousing welcome from the children. The school meal programme is one of the best ways of giving kids a chance for the future: combining education and a healthy meal so the children can concentrate and grow up strong and smart.

In May 2010, Christina travelled to quake-stricken Haiti to see how food assistance is helping the nation recover and rebuild. Read about Christina's trip to Haiti >>

In August 2009, Christina caught another glimpse of hunger first hand during a field trip to Guatemala where she met with poor mothers surviving on WFP food aid

Christina Aguilera Biography


Date of Birth: 18 December 1980, Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name: Christina Maria Aguilera
Nicknames: Chrissy, X-Tina, Baby Jane, Candy
Height 5' 2" (1,57 m)

Kết quả hình ảnh cho about Christina Aguilera

Mini Bio 
Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980, in Staten Island, New York, to Shelly Loraine (Fidler) and Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera. Her father is Ecuadorian and her mother, who is American-born, has English, Scots-Irish, and German ancestry. Her parents divorced when she was young and she lived with her mother, although they moved around quite a bit. Christina's goal almost since birth was to be a singer, and at age 12 she was invited to audition for MMC (1989). She wound up getting the part and stayed there for a few years, until the show ended. In 1999 she had her breakthrough hit, "Genie in a Bottle". Since then she's made millions of fans, sold millions of records and has won many awards, including a Grammy for best new female artist. She has even made a Latin album and released a Christmas album.

Aguilera is a bilingual singer. She has received many honors including Grammy Nominations and a win for Best New Artist. 2 MTV Video Music Awards, a Radio Music Awards, 2 VH1 Awards, and a Teen Choice Award with Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink and the smash hit "Lady Maramalade". She was on MMC (1989) with *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. Her musical influences include Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.

Trade Mark 
Known for her powerful voice and her ability to sing acapella
Wears bright blue contact lenses, even though her eyes are already naturally blue (albeit a darker blue).
Platinum blonde hair
Wartime pinup/classic Hollywood glamour, as seen in such videos as "Ain't No Other Man," "Candyman" and "Hurt," as well as live performances prior to and following the release of her Back to Basics album.

Trivia 
Won a Grammy for "Best New Artist" in February 2000.
Made the Top 20 in FHM Magazine's 100 Sexiest Women.
Announced that she will star in TV commercials for Coke, which were slated to appear in the United States in May 2001 and continue throughout the summer. The Coke campaign also offered a $1,000,000 grand prize for a sweepstakes as well as the opportunity to meet the pop princess and hang out with her during a video taping. Christina previously starred in commercials for Coke which aired solely in Latin America. The ads were such a success that Coca-Cola decided to run new ads featuring Christina Aguilera in the U.S. [March 2001]

Attended North Allegheny High School up until the 9th grade in Wexford, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Sued Warlock Records, Platinum Recording Group and producers Robert Allecca and Michael Brown to prevent them from releasing "Just Be Free", a demo compilation she recorded when she was just 14 years old. [May 2001]

Won the world's best selling Latin female artist at the World Music Awards. Christina also performed her #1 world-wide smash hit "Nobody wants to be lonely" with Ricky Martin at the ceremony.

Formerly dated backup dancer Jorge Santos. Christina co-wrote the songs "Infatuation" and "Loving Me 4 Me" about the relationship.

For two seasons, Christina appeared on MMC (1989) which furthered her desire to record an album before she graduated from high school.

Nominated for 6 MTV Video Music Awards. So far in her career she has received 11 nominations. [July 2001]

In 1994, several labels, including RCA, passed on the opportunity to sign Christina Aguilera. Undaunted, she left for Japan to jump-start her career on distant shores.

With co-performers Lil' Kim, Pink and Mya, won two awards at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards for "Lady Marmalade." One was for the prestigious 'Best Video Of The Year' award and the other for the 'Best Song From A Movie Soundtrack' award (Moulin Rouge).

Host of the second annual Latin Grammy awards show. [September 2001]

(October 26, 2001) Co-hosted the 2001 Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas with Ricky Martin.

Voice range is four octaves.

After wowing the crowd at a Pittsburgh charity banquet, 11-year-old Christina landed offers to sing the national anthem for the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers.

Her contract requests she gets various health foods and Flintstones chewable vitamins. Also soft drinks such as Coca Cola and Nesquik but not Pepsi or anything diet.

Although she is half-Ecuadoran and has released a Spanish album, she is not fluent in Spanish.

Attended Marshall Middle School in Wexford, Pennsylvania.

She won the 2002 Grammy (best collaboration) with Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink for her work in the Moulin Rouge! (2001) song, "Lady Marmalade".

Appeared in the musical "The Pussycat Dolls".

Co-wrote fourteen songs on her latest album, "Stripped".

Attended Rochester Area Elementary School in Rochester, Pennsylvania.

Has 4 siblings: a younger half-brother Michael (born 1996), step-brother Casey, younger sister Rachel (born 1986) and step-sister Stephanie.

Above all sports, she prefers baseball and volleyball.

Considers Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Etta James and Billie Holiday as her most important musical influences.

Was named Godmother, "Madrina", for the second generation of students on the Mexican TV reality-talent show called, "La Academia".

Her parents met while attending college at Brigham Young University in Utah.

Has two papillon dogs, Chewy and Stinky.

Nominated for 4 MTV Video Music Awards for her "Dirrty" video including, Best Female Video, Best Dance Video, Best Pop Video and Best Choreography in a Video.

Has her own shoe line, which is manufactured by ES Orginals. The shoe box that has her picture on it, can be used as a CD holder or picture frame.

Step-dad is: Jim Kearns

Co-wrote Kelly Clarkson's hit single, "Miss Independent".

Ranked #1 on Maxim's Hot 100 Women of 2003.

Is the host of MTV's 2003 Europe Music Awards.

Her parents were married in the LDS Temple in Washington D.C.

Debuted on national TV at age 8 on Star Search (1983).

At 11, she was the youngest person to perform the national anthem at a major sporting event at that time

Nominated for five 2003 Grammys, Song of the Year, "Beautiful", Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, "Beautiful", Best Pop Collaberation with Vocal, "Can't Hold Us Down" (with Lil'Kim), Best Pop Vocal Album, "Stripped" and Best Remixed Recording, "Beautiful"(Peter Rauhofer, Remixer.)

Nominated for five 2004 Grammys, Song of the Year, "Beautiful", Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, "Beautiful", Best Pop Collaberation with Vocal, "Can't Hold Us Down" (w/ Lil'Kim), Best Pop Vocal Album, "Stripped" and Best Remixed Recording, "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer, Remixer.)

Has a Cadillac SUV and a Range Rover.

Nominated for the 2004 Echo Awards Best International Female.

Her "Stripped" tour with Justin Timberlake came in first in the Rolling Stone 2003 Readers' Poll for Best Tour.

Received 3 BRIT Award nominations, Best International Female Solo Artist, Best International Album, and Best Pop.

Has joined forces with Fetish, the cosmetic line to come out with a line of her own.

Won the 2004 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, with her song, "Beautiful".

Her much talked about, ground-breaking, record-setting video "Dirrty" cost an estimated $5 million dollars to make.

In the year 2003 she made an estimated $29.7 million in album sales and endorsement campaigns.

Her video, Fighter, has six nominations for the 2004 Music Video Production Association awards for best pop video, best hair and best makeup, best cinematography, best styling and best direction of a female artist.

Ranked #3 on Maxim's Hot 100 Women List of 2004.

Released an album, "Stripped", in October 2002. The first single from her album was released in mid-September.

One of Teen Peoples 25 Hottest Under 25 (2004).

She was named Glamour's very first Woman of the Year (2004).

She has four tattoos; on the back of her neck - "Xtina", on her left waist, on her left wrist and on her arm - "Te Amo Siempre".

Her infamous satin thong from her cover of a Maxim Magazine, was fetched by a lucky bidder on ebay for $1,542.69. The treasured thong was obtained from BBC Radio 1 personality Scott Mills, who got them from a pal at Maxim, according to the online description. The winner got more than the thong that once adorned the backside of Aguilera. The total ebay deal incuded a bottle of the pool water, a note from Mills, a note from a BBC producer, a letter from Maxim that included pointers from Aguilera and a copy of the racy Magazine itself.

Ranked #14 on VH1's The 50 Geatest Women of the Video Era.

Stated in a recent interview that she had all her piercings removed with the exception of the one in her right nipple.

She has asked the US Patent and Trademark Office to approve over 450 items. Among the list are lingerie, crayons, skiwear, ropes and handcuffs.

Rolling Stone Magazine wrote that her video, Dirrty, is the most played music video of all time.

Is close friends with Lil' Kim.

Her mom, Shelly Kearns, was voted #2 for best showbiz mom, according to an In Touch magazine poll. She was out-voted by Justin Timberlake's mother, Lynn Harless.

On 21 December 2003, she visited and donated $200,000 to the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh in Oakland, a domestic abuse shelter.

Recorded a remake of the disco classic "Carwash" with Missy Elliott.

Recorded a duet with Nelly of "Tilt Ya Head Back".

Ranked #13 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002).

She is a spokesperson for Fetish (cosmetics), Coca-cola, Versace, Sketchers, MAC-cosmetics, Virgin-mobile, Mercedes, Declare Yourself.com, Xpose (perfume)

She is mentioned in the song "Riot Girl" by Good Charlotte.

Her husband Jordan Bratman is a music executive.

Graduated from North Allegheny High School in Wexford, Pennsylvania (1999)

Attended Marshall Middle School in Wexford, Pennslyvania.

Is mentioned in Eminem's song "The real Slim Shady" and is spoofed in the song's music video

Her last name is Spanish for "Eyrie".

150,000 FHM Music TV fans decided that "Dirrty" is the sexiest video of all time (2005).

Us Weekly Young Hollywood Hot 20 list (2005).

She's an NPC (non playable character) in The Sims: Superstar, an expansion pack for The Sims.

Named #16 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 Women of 2005 list.

Husband Jordan Bratman asked for Christina's hand in marriage with a 5-carat diamond and platinum Stephen Webster ring.

Sharon Stone and Justin Timberlake were among the 130 guests at her wedding toJordan Bratman.

Her mother, Shelly Loraine (Fidler), is American-born, and has English, German, Irish, Scots-Irish (Northern Irish), and distant French and Dutch, ancestry. Her father, Fausto Xavier Aguilera, is Ecuadorian.

Named #27 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)

Ranked #8 in Maxim Magazine's "Hot 100 women of 2002" supplement.

Was best friends with Britney Spears when they performed together on MMC (1989)

Her father Fausto was an Ecuador-born U.S. army sergeant, who split from her mom Shelly when Christina was 6.

Her idol is legendary singer Etta James.

Named #37 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).

Ranked #62 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

Had appeared on every one of Maxim magazine's Hot 100 of the year lists, for 11 years in a row. From 2000 until 2011, she appeared somewhere on the list, including taking the number 1 spot in 2003. However, she didn't appear on the 2012 list, which was the first time the list was fan-voted and not chosen by the editors of the magazine. Her 11 year streak is likely a record now.

Ranked #4 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 Women of 2007 list.

Will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Other inductees include Brooks and Dunn, Ricky Martin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, George Harrison, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett, Tim Robbins, Stan Lee and Howie Mandel.

Is good friends with Korean singer Jung-hyun Lee.

Lived in Japan for three years, before she starred on MMC (1989).

In January 2008, she sold the first photos of her newborn Max for $1,500,000.

Has sold over 17 million records since her first record, self-titled, Christina Aguilera, came out in August 24, 1999.

Ranked #8 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 Women of 2008 list.

Was offered the role of Stephanie Necrophuros in Nine (2009), but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts with her upcoming album recording. Kate Hudson was cast instead.

She pronounces her last name as "Ah-GEE-leh-ra" (not "Ah-Gwe-leh-ra"/ "Ah-Guh-leh-ra").

Returned to work 3 months after giving birth to her son Max in order to begin recording her fourth studio album "Bionic".

Ranked #18 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 Women of 2010 list.

Released her fourth studio album, Bionic, on June 8, 2010.

Released a greatest hits album, Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits fall of 2008.

Released her third album, Back to Basics, on August 15, 2006.

Released her second album, Stripped, on October 29, 2002.

Released her first album self entitled Christina Aguilera, on August 24, 1999.

Sang the National Anthem wrong at Super Bowl XLV. (Feburary 6, 2011).

Has sold 50 million albums worldwide.

Her second studio album "Stripped" has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.

Ranked #48 Sexiest Woman by the Spanish version of DT magazine (2011).

She was best friends with actress and singer Brittany Murphy for many years until Murphy's death on December 20, 2009 from pneumonia aged 32.

Made UK chart history in 2010 when her fourth studio album "Bionic" registered the largest weekly decline by a UK number one album by slipping 28 places to number 29. It also had the lowest first week sales for a number one album in eight years with just 24,000 copies sold.

Has an older half-sister named Ceres, who ran away to Bahia (Brazil) in the '80s to study marine biology, married and stayed there. Nowadays, divorced, she lives in Abrolhos, Bahia and is engaged in preserving the jubarte whale species.

One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World (2013).

Cancelled her North American summer tour with, Chingy, due to strained vocal cords. [May 2004]

touring her latest album "Stripped", in Europe, Australia,and Japan [October 2003]

Cardiff, Wales: Set to perform in a concert being planned to honor The King of Pop on October 8, 2011 at Millennium Stadium, along with Robinson, Smokey, Green, Cee Lo and others. [August 2011]

Is on tour with Justin Timberlake for their 2003 "Justified- Stripped Tour" [May 2003]

Released her third, highly-anticipated album, 'Back to Basics' on August 15th. [August 2006]

Working on her fourth studio album. [August 2008]

In the studio working on her fourth album! [August 2005]

Gave birth to her 1st child at age 27, a son named Max Liron Bratman on January 12, 2008. Child's father is her now ex-husband, Jordan Bratman.

Gave birth to her first child down the hall from Nicole Richie who was also giving birth to her child.

Is in a relationship with Matthew D. Rutler since 2010 and they became engaged on Valentine's Day 2014. They have a daughter together.

Ranked #15 on Maxim's "Hot 100" of 2014 list.

Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 33, a daughter named Summer Rain Rutler on August 16, 2014 at Los Angeles Cedars Sinai via C-section. Child's father is her fiancé, Matthew D. Rutler.

Returned to work 3 months after giving birth to her daughter Summer to resume mentoring on The Voice (2011).

Personal Quotes
There is no truth to the rumors that we hate each other. I have no ill feeling for [Britney Spears] and vice versa. I am proud of all the achievements she has made in her career, she is a very hard-working person. I have nothing but love for her.

I like to be edgy, I like to be different. I'm a little bit of rebel.

It's funny how society places such strict standards upon young blonde females. We're supposed to play the clean-cut view the public wants of us. But I am not your little cookie-cutter virgin.

It's human nature to have a sexual side.

I think that whatever size or shape body you have, it's important to embrace it and get down! The female body is something that's so beautiful. I wish women would be proud of their bodies and not dis other women for being proud of theirs!

You can take it or leave it, but I'm not going to change, not for anyone.

It's been quite a roller-coaster ride, But I think I've grown and learned a lot about myself. In this business, it's often all about hype, record sales, and a crazy schedule of traveling, performances, and it can be easy to get lost in all that. But for me, the greatest thing is being able to interact with fans and touch peoples' lives. I know that's a greater accomplishment than selling records. For that I give thanks. I simply love the job I'm doing.

Hold your head high and sway your hips when you walk!

Power is making a statement about who you are.

My parents divorce and hard times at school, all those things combined to mold me, to make me grow up quicker. And it gave me the drive to pursue my dreams that I woundn't necessarily have had otherwise.

I have grown up now and have no need to dress like that anymore. I want my music to speak for me rather than the dress or lack of dresses I wore.

Confidence is the hugest thing - once you exude that, guys catch on.

[pn why she wrote the song "I'm OK", which is her take on her father Fausto Aguilera's abusive behavior before her parents separated] It is such a hush-hush topic because it happens in the home. I definitely wrote that song not to badmouth him at all, but one, for a healing process for myself, and two, to give people hope or a voice to relate to. To know that you can get through it and that it will be OK.

Be a strong female - don't be afraid of the flack that goes along with that.

Obviously, all the positives are very flattering and being compared to [Mariah Carey], and I get a lot of [Britney Spears] comparisons as well, and she's extremely talented, but we are two different artists and even when I'm doing radio interviews and stuff they want to ask me very personal questions about her and you have to be a little protective of yourself and what you say because there are so many people wanting to get you to say things and pulling you in so many directions.

My inspiration, I've had many, again, starting with Julie Andrews at a young age. But, growing up, I sang Whitney Houston songs in talent shows. But, when I discoveredMariah Carey and "Vision Of Love", that was a breath of fresh air and I adored her from that moment on and idolized her. It's really amazing that in articles I've been compared to her. It's truly unbelievable because, whenever I was younger, I would ask my mom, "Do you think I'll ever be as big and sing as well as Mariah Carey?" And now that it has happened, my mom says, "I knew it would happen".

I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing clothes that covered my entire body.

[on her childhood] I never really had this father figure, which never bothered me. I had my mom, I had people that did love me and care for me.

[on not having her father to walk her down the aisle at her wedding] I'm a performer. I can totally walk myself down the aisle. I just realized it would be really nice to have that male protector in your life, to have felt that your entire life, and to have that one person give you away to the next man that's going to take care of you.

[on having kids with her husband of one year, Jordan Bratman] In five years time I'd probably like to start thinking about a child.

Scrapbooking - I just love it! I could sit on the floor for weeks and put together collages, keepsakes and photos."

[about Sade]: When it comes to sexy, smooth, elegant R+B music, Sade IS the standard. I can't wait to hear her new work.

I felt caged by my childhood. And unsafe: Bad things happened in my home; there was violence. The Sound of Music (1965) looked like a form of release. I would open my bedroom window to sing out like Maria. In my own way, I'd be in those hills. Sometimes, I still feel like going to the window and singing out all my troubles.

[on her emotional state preceding the recording of 'Stripped']: People betrayed me and I had a really hard time. That, along with what I'd been through with my family and my father and hard times at school meant I was knocked down. It was too much and I felt I'd been through the wringer - I was like a punch bag. I think talking to people is important and my family have helped me through it. I'd definitely be open to going to a therapist. I went when I was younger. But making this record ('Stripped') has been therapeutic. It's a tough record, it's personal and it's made me feel vulnerable. It's honest. Emotionally I've laid myself bare - it's what's in my heart. I've been writing a lot of poems and I wanted to disappear from the public eye and live life for a minute. I didn't want to play it safe.

People spend money on beauty potions, but a good night's rest makes all the difference.

[on her fluctuating weight/weight gain and body] I've been on all spectrums. I've been in this (business) for a long time. I came out on the scene when I was 17 years old. You can never be too much of anything. You can never be too perfect, too thin, too curvy, voluptuous this, that. I've been on all sides of the spectrum as far as any female in this business. You got to be a strong, powerful, very confident woman. Women, we are definitely under a microscope and under massive scrutiny. As long as I am happy in my own skin, that is all the confirmation I need. I have a boyfriend that loves my body. I love my body, my son is healthy and happy and that is all that matters.

[on her fluctuating weight] I've been through my highs, I've been through my lows; I've been through the gamut of all things in this business. Being too thin. Being bigger. I've been criticized for being on both sides of the scale. It's noise I block out automatically.

I have certain physical features that I favor over others. We all have our areas. When I worked on Burlesque, I lost so much weight that I was too skinny. I don't weigh myself - it's all about how I feel in my clothes. What looks good on one person might not look good on another body type. I happen to be very confident in my own skin. It takes time to get to that place, but it's all about embracing yourself and your body.

It's hard not having the consistency of a partnership on a daily basis. It's a struggle. But I can't single out my ex-husband [as the problem] because he's a devoted father and great with my son. We always make sure that we put Max first. I have help from family and good people around me in support of my career. I couldn't do what I do without a strong team behind me.

(on some people saying she is not Latina enough) I've dealt with that my whole life. I don't speak the language fluently. And I'm split right down the middle, half Irish and half Ecuadorian. I should not have to prove my ethnicity to anyone. I know who I am.

When my son Max looked at me and said, 'Mommy, you look so pretty,' was a mommy moment I will never forget.

I'd rather do what I love and get tomatoes thrown at me than get up there and be fake and get applause. I've got to be me.

When I sing, I believe it is the only time I can be myself and express all of me and who I am. I find a home in music, and I hope my music and my voice allows others to find a home as well. That's why this is so important to me and so special.

Salary
The Voice (2011) $225.000 per episode (2011-2012)
The Voice (2011) $225.000 per episode (2012-2013)





Christina Aguilera's 'Bionic' Turns 5: Revisit the 2010 Billboard Cover Story


On June 4, 2010, Christina Aguilera unveiled her controversial fourth album. Revisit the 'Bionic' era by reading our 2010 cover story on the pop superstar!

This story was originally published in the May 22, 2010 issue of Billboard Magazine.

Inside a soundstage at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles last week,Christina Aguilera is talking about the inspiration behind her 2006 album, Back to Basics, on which she paid tribute to the soul and blues artists who originally inspired her to sing.

Or at least that was what she was talking about. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, she's describing the impetus that led to Bionic, her futuristic new disc.

"Sorry," Aguilera the 200 or so audience members gathered for this taping of VH1'sStorytellers. "I get ahead of myself sometimes. But they can edit this. Cut and paste!"

As it happens, "cut and paste" goes a long way toward describing the choppy postmodern vibe on Bionic, due June 4 from RCA. A pronounced about-face from the warmly retro-fied Back to Basics -- which has sold nearly 1.7 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- the 18-track set contains gleaming, beat-driven collaborations with a host of edgy dance-music acts, including M.I.A., Le Tigre, Peaches and Switch; more mainstream talent appears, as well, in the form of Polow Da Don, Tricky Stewart and longtime Aguilera confidante Linda Perry.

To be sure, Bionic comes loaded with the requisite number of radio-bait hooks, not to mention a handful of stately ballads destined to appeal to fans of the singer's 2002 smash, "Beautiful." (That single's parent album, Stripped, has sold more than 4.2 million copies, while Aguilera's 1999 self-titled debut has sold nearly 8.2 million. Keeps Gettin' Better, a 2008 greatest-hits set originally available exclusively at Target, is at 351,000). Yet with its grinding synth scales and throbbing dance-punk grooves, Bionicalso serves as a characteristically bold artistic statement from one of pop's least apprehensive superstars. As Aguilera puts it in "Not Myself Tonight," the album's lead single, "I feel brand new/And if you don't like it, fuck you."

"There's some rebellion to it," Aguilera says with a laugh, curled up in an armchair at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills a few weeks prior to the Storytellers taping. The singer, 29, has just finished a day of on-camera interviews, and at long last the heels have come off and the hair has come down. "But there's no proving element to me," she's quick to add. "At this point in my career, I'm over any and all weird comparisons or negativity."

Much of the early online reaction to "Not Myself Tonight" (and its racy, S&M-inspired video) wondered whether Aguilera was feeling the need to play catch-up with Lady Gaga, who's more or less come to dominate the dance-diva space in the years sinceBack to Basics. "In these post-Gaga times," a post on New York magazine's Vulture blog asked, "can Aguilera carve out her piece of the pop-star pie?"

"I'm in it for the long haul, and a decade later in my career, I have nothing to prove," Aguilera says. "To anyone who wants to be negative, it's like, 'I'm obviously relevant enough to you for you to care and to talk and to evoke negative feelings inside of you.'"

Rather than reflecting a desire to keep up with her successors, the singer says the new album is an expression of her femininity in all its forms: wife, mother, singer, actress. (After marrying Jordan Bratman nearly five years ago, Aguilera gave birth to the couple's first son, Max, in 2008.) "Bionic to me is the definition of the superhuman abilities we as women have in everyday life," she says, adding that the outré spirit of much of the music is a reaction to "feeling stifled" by the supposed exclusivity of any of those roles. "I've grown and changed, and I've learned so much. I've never felt more confident, more secure, more sexy in my life than I do now."

There's no doubting that change: From an early stint on The All New Mickey Mouse Club (alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake) to the boy-crazy bubble gum of "Genie in a Bottle" to the supremely raunchy "Dirrty" to the Andrews Sisters homage "Candyman," Aguilera's career has been a study in contrast.

"For me this album is simply a continuation of Christina's genius," says Aguilera's manager, Live Nation Entertainment chairman Irving Azoff. "Every time she breaks new ground and does amazing stuff. And she has the courage to sit there and say, 'What's good for the longtime brand? What's going to work in the live show?' She doesn't play the game of trying to create a record of what someone might expect. She grows as an artist every time, and this one is just another indication of that."

"There's two things you need to know about Christina Aguilera," says Polow Da Don, whose credits on the album include "Not Myself Tonight" and an especially spirited number called "I Hate Boys." "The first is that, as far as her singing goes, she's a professionally trained animal. And the other is that she knows exactly, absolutely what she wants."
Christina Aguilera Makes First Appearance on Hot Country Songs Chart

Sia Furler, an Australian singer/songwriter (and former Zero 7 member) who co-wrote several songs on "Bionic," says she didn't perceive any anxiety on Aguilera's part in regard to the album's relatively left-field roster. "I don't think she thought it was a risk," Furler says. "She was just excited to get to work with the artists she loves. There's this misconception that she's a middle-America kind of person. But she's a little hipster. You go back to her house and sit by the fire with some wine, and what's playing over the sound system? The Knife and Arthur Russell. She doesn't listen to pop music."

"I get off on working with creative energy," Aguilera says emphatically, her hands punctuating her point. "That's when I'm most at home and feel happiest. And all these people brought about new sides of me. It was a big collaboration-fest, and it felt so good and rewarding in the end, because I was just so happy with the work and the new territories that I ventured out to."

The singer describes her love of Le Tigre's records, which she calls "loud and fun and in your face," and says her collaborations with Furler -- particularly "You Lost Me," a stripped-down tear-jerker -- constitute "the heart of the album." According to Aguilera, she assembled the album not through RCA's A&R department but by contacting her partners directly -- in several cases only after Bratman convinced her they'd pick up the phone. ("I get starstruck about people I love," she says a little sheepishly.) Azoff calls the process "a good networking thing," though he allows that Polow Da Don "was a label suggestion."

"Going into [each of these partnerships], I said, 'I'm a really big fan of yours, and I'm interested in stepping into your world and what you do,' " Aguilera says. " 'I want to combine that with my sound, and let's see what happens.' I feel like I can do so much with my voice. I would be so bored sitting on a stool singing ballad after ballad just because I can."

Though she admits that having had huge hits during her career is precisely what enables her to insist they're not important to her, Aguilera says, "I promised myself after my first record I would never put out something that I couldn't feel and that didn't come from an honest, genuine place."

Which isn't to say that Bionic is some kind of impenetrable art-music experiment -- far from it. "I do have songs on there where I went into them saying, 'OK, let's make a more commercially driven record,' " Aguilera acknowledges. "That's maybe where 'Not Myself Tonight' comes from. But I always have to have an integrity factor with it. There was actually a song that the label really wanted me to record, and I just said 'no,' because it didn't fit on the album -- it wasn't creatively inspiring to me. They said, 'It's a hit, it's a hit!' And absolutely it's a hit for someone. But it's not for me, because when it jeopardizes my integrity too much I can't do it. The hit thing . . .," she trails off with a sigh. " 'Who Let the Dogs Out' was a fucking hit, you know what I mean?"

Not surprisingly, RCA's Bionic campaign projects an image of Christina the Superstar, not Christina the Little Hipster. "Christina Aguilera fans are excited about Christina," RCA Music Group GM Tom Corson says. "They want her to make records that inspire and compel them. It's always interesting when an artist stretches; that's what they have to do from an artistic standpoint. And the real fan is definitely interested in that as part of her discography. But I think the casual fan cares more about how great the records are than about the stories behind them."

"This is a fierce, strong, sexy, feel-good album, and I think the various collaborations represent Christina flexing her artistic muscles," senior VP of marketing and artist development Scott Seviour adds. "But ultimately what they did was to help bring out the different sides of her." He laughs. "I think the main message of our marketing campaign is: 'It's a Christina Aguilera record.' "

According to Seviour, the label's rollout began in mid-March on Aguilera's website with a slow reveal of the single's title, lyrics and cover art. "Then after a week we flipped the site from black to white, presented the album cover and streamed a 15-second snippet of 'Not Myself Tonight.' That took us from zero to 60 in a quick amount of time," Seviour says. "The blogs picked it up and all the fans were chattering. Instead of going to radio and saying, 'Here's your song,' we wanted to build a base for it, since it had been a second since the last single. That way we re-energized the fans and they felt like they were a part of it."

Christina Aguilera's Top 20 Billboard Hits

"Not Myself Tonight" shipped to radio March 30, earning most-added honors at top 40 and rhythm in its first week on the air. "Pop radio really celebrated her return," RCA Music Group executive VP of promotions Richard Palmese says. "They acknowledge that she's a special artist, a worldwide superstar who heats up their playlists." He adds that the choice of "Not Myself Tonight" as the album's lead single was an easy one. "Radio today demands tempo -- at times probably more than we would like them to," he says. "So especially going into the spring and summer, we knew early on that we wanted the first single to be tempo-driven."

Hype Williams' video for the cut premiered April 30 on Vevo, and it's currently embedded at Aguilera's website. Seviour says the site is set to relaunch May 20 with a social-networking element and a direct-to-consumer store that will sell music, fragrances, exclusive pieces of Stephen Webster jewelry -- "basically anything and everything in Christina land," as Seviour puts it.

"We've definitely made a conscious effort to make a lot of noise," Corson says. "You can't take anything for granted in this marketplace. It's punishing, and many other artists have come into the Christina slot, for lack of a better word. So you're only as good as your last hit. I think an artist like Christina has more equity than that; she's not completely hit-driven. But you've got to be competitive. You've got to come back to win."

Fortunately for his client, Azoff says, "it's real easy to find people who want to work with Christina Aguilera. There's a lot of respect for her out there. And the great thing for us is to sit down and see everything that's available in the time period, sift through all the offers and, without cloning her, you do as much as possible."

Seviour lays out what he calls a "wall-to-wall schedule of release-week TV" that begins June 6 with a performance at the MTV Movie Awards; includes appearances on Today,Late Show With David Letterman, Live! With Regis and Kelly and The Early Show; and ends June 13 on VH1 with back-to-back episodes of Storytellers and Behind the Music. Additionally, Aguilera appeared May 7 on The Oprah Winfrey Show and is reportedly set to perform on this season's American Idol finale May 26. (An RCA representative declined to confirm the latter booking.)

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"She's in demand constantly," Corson says. "She's an old-timer and everyone recognizes that. Hopefully this will provide an opportunity for people to rediscover, 'Oh, my God, I forgot that she doesn't need Auto-Tune!' She's one of our great performers, looks amazing, thinks through everything. Many artists are compared to her, not the other way around."

On July 15 Aguilera will launch a 20-date North American tour at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.; other stops on the Live Nation-produced trek include the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, N.Y., and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, Calif. Leona Lewis will open all shows, and fans who purchase tickets at LiveNation.com through June 4 will receive a code to download Bionic.

Aguilera will also make her movie debut later this year in Burlesque, a musical directed by Steven Antin (brother of Pussycat Dolls creator Robin Antin) that co-stars Cher, Stanley Tucci, Kristen Bell and Alan Cumming. Aguilera plays a struggling dancer who moves to L.A. to follow her dreams and soon discovers -- well, you can probably imagine where it goes from there.

"The idea of sensuality and women being expressive of that and looking at an old 1920s art form -- it was like, 'Hello, sign me up!' " Aguilera says. "It had my name written all over it."

"Christina's had plenty of movie offers in the past, but this was the first one that made sense," Azoff says. "And it's a very different look for her. You'll be pleasantly shocked."

But will Aguilera's fans be shocked by the new sounds she samples on Bionic? Sia Furler isn't worried. "Christina could shit in a bottle and her fans would still love it," she says with a laugh. "They're rabid motherfuckers, totally crazy cakes. I mentioned her once on my Twitter and had like 5,000 more followers within minutes. If this album sells less than the last one, it's not a reflection of the record -- it's a reflection of the industry."

Kathleen Hanna of Le Tigre thinks that Aguilera's hipster-approved collaborators might even earn the singer a few new fans in indie-identified Pitchfork country.

"People have been super-supportive of us working with her," says Hanna, who spent most of the '90s fronting the seminal riot grrrl band Bikini Kill. "A few years ago there was a rumor going around that we were working with Paris Hilton, and people were ready to kill us. Obviously, Christina and Paris Hilton are totally different entities. But people seem genuinely excited about this. It's like maybe it gives them permission to admit they like Christina."

In Corson's view, Aguilera's dance-punk outing is just one of many avenues he sees her exploring during the course of her career. "If you ask people in our industry, 'Will Christina Aguilera be singing in 20 years?,' they'll all say 'yes.' It wouldn't surprise me if we see her do a standards album, a jazz album, a blues album. It just depends on where her creative whims take her."

Back at Sony Pictures Studios, Aguilera's winding her way through one of the longest stories she's told all night. It began during a brief Q&A session when a fan asked her if she was glad "Genie in a Bottle" had been her first single. Somehow, though, Aguilera's gotten a long way from home.

"They told me to talk," she says after several minutes, pointing toward the VH1 execs at the back of the room. "So sorry if I keep going on and on." The crowd's response? A roar of encouragement.

CHRISTINA AGUILERA IS 35! BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS SHOW AMAZING POST-BABY WEIGHT LOSS, SO WHAT ARE HER DIET AND EXERCISE SECRETS?


Photo: Splash News

Christina Aguilera is 35! And the birthday girl's post-baby body looks amazing! Before and after photos reveal how much weight she has lost since giving birth to Summer Rain. So what are Aguilera's diet and exercise secrets?

Christina Aguilera is 35! And the birthday girl is looking better than ever after having her second baby in August 2014. Her before and after pictures show a major transformation. So what are her diet and exercise secrets?

Aguilera explained to Extra TV back in 2013 that her dramatic weight loss was thanks to “laughter, happiness, breathing,” and ”some yoga.” She also found fun ways to work out like playing with paintball guns.

She wound up losing a reported 35 pounds in 2013. She even faced rumors of possible liposuction or plastic surgery. But sources slammed these reports, saying her transformation was all thanks to hard work, dedication to yoga and a healthy diet. Aguilera limited her carbs and ate high-quality fats like avocado, lean proteins like chicken breast and fish, and healthy snacks like almond butter and celery.

                                                          
Christina Aguilera has lost a ton of weight since she gave birth (credit: Splash News).

And it didn't take her long to get her body back after she gave birth to Summer Rain. It definitely helped that she had healthy habits throughout her pregnancy. Sources told E! News that she was “very dedicated to yoga” and never even stopped while she was pregnant. “And Christina has already been working hard on getting her bod back in shape!” a source said. “She is doing private yoga sessions and loves how it makes her feel.”
Aguilera has also credited her amazing weight loss to running around after her son Max, breast-feeding, and “eating clean and watching her portions.”

                                                        Christina Aguilera looked sexy and slim in her latest Twitter pic that showed The Voice judge seductively in bed.