Every day I see myself I love me even more
Ain’t nobody got shit on me, I’m the best for sure
In the early days of the new millennium, back before songstresses like Taylor Swift, Nicole Scherziner, Tulisa and Beyonce, there were 2 blonde bombshells from across the pond who were making waves like an Enrapture Totem Styler in the pop world. Both former Mouseketeers from the infamous US Mickey Mouse Club, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera brought a hefty dose of girl power to the music world that hadn’t been seen since the Spice Girls. Britney was the wholesome, southern belle and all round girl next door in her crop tops, pigtails and could be found hanging off the arm of NSYNC (and now legendary sex symbol) Justin Timberlake. And Christina?
After a short but sweet record company controlled bite of the Britney Spears shaped cherry, she came into her own with the release of her fourth studio album “Stripped” in 2002. Now in control of her own image and musical direction, the video for the first single from the record “Dirrty” portrayed Aguilera grinding in leather chaps in a boxing ring, shaking what her momma gave her and was absolute filth. As the title of the song would suggest, the song itself was anything but wholesome. With lyrics such as “shake a little something on the floor, I need that to get me off, sweating till my clothes come off…” this was a million miles away from where she started.
It was this song set the tone for Christina songs to come. Embracing her new found sexual liberation, Christina became the definition of hoochie ghetto pin up girl and experimented with her look, becoming the definition of style evolution as she up her image for every video while still saying true to her roots. Through the release of her Stripped album, she gave the soundtrack to my teenage years. The softer (but equally as ballsy) track “Beautiful” became the theme tune for an entire generation of women (and provided yet another song to be slaughtered by someone on karaoke after one too many gins while she points at her equally as drunk friend in the corner “YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!”)
The reason I love Christina? Quite simply? She’s a bad ass bitch (from the Moulin Rouge). Through her risque but clever lyrics, she made it acceptable for women to embrace being female and be proud of being sexual in a way that 50 Shades has done for the current “generation” of women. I think that sometimes females are seen in black or white as Christina said on the intro for her album “Sorry I’m not a virgin, sorry I’m not a slut” – its 2013, the world is multi coloured and covered in glitter. A woman can be sexual and confident in her own skin, exude confidence and be open about sex but it doesn’t automatically her a slut. I think “Get Mine, Get Yours” (where she sings quite simply a fuck buddy situation “we make love, but don’t fall in love”) “Can’t Hold Us Down” (how women can no longer be held down in society) down and “Still Dirrty” (basically her saying, I’ve grown up, I have a child, I’m married – but that doesn’t make me boring, I’m still sexual and I’m still all those things I said I was… bitch) are perfect examples of Christina challenging this preconception of women. In my eyes she opened up the doors for girls like me growing up to accept that there isn’t actually a taboo about being confident in your own skin and exuding confidence.
My favourite song by Christina is this one, Vanity. Feel good, tongue in cheek, but a heavy dosage of “screw you, I’m amazing”, its X-Tina at her best (and I have to admit, its my “dance around in your knickers infront of the mirror when you need a boost of confidence” song – oh come on, everyone has one! – whats yours?)
Great post! I loved the Stripped album when it came out! After I knackered out the burnt copy I was given, I had to buy my own one! Fighter was the ultimate song on the album for me, it came out right when I needed it.
Jeez I remember being desperate for hair like hers, but as a 10 year old with a brunette bob…maybe not.
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Christina was the role model for my teenage years, and I absolutely still think she was the best pop icon to look up to at the time. I remember it was an interview where she said “Why is it okay to call me a slut, but call a man a stud?” and from that day onwards I never used that word to describe another woman again.
It’s also why as a fully grown woman I own my sexuality and refuse to let it define who I am.