Hypnotic Celebrities Blog

Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), who performed under the mononym Aaliyah, was an American recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At an early age, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah was signed to Jive Records and Blackground Records by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number. The album sold two million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed to Atlantic Records.

Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold two million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film’s soundtrack, which spawned the single “Try Again”. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. “Try Again” earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.

After filming Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah filmed her part in Queen of the Damned. She released her third and final album, Aaliyah, in 2001. On August 25, 2001, Aaliyah and eight others were killed in an airplane crash in The Bahamas after filming the music video for the single “Rock the Boat”. The pilot, Luis Morales III, was unlicensed at the time of the accident and had traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system. Aaliyah’s family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackhawk International Airways, which was settled out of court. Since then, Aaliyah has achieved commercial success with several posthumous releases. Selling over 24 million records worldwide, she has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop and has been named the “Queen of Urban Pop”.

Life and career

1979–1990: Early life

Aaliyah Dana Haughton was born on January 16, 1979, in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Born of African American and Native American descent, she was the second and youngest child of Diane and Michael Haughton. At a young age, Aaliyah was enrolled for voice lessons by her mother. When she was five years old, her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she was raised along with her older brother, Rashad. She attended a Catholic school, Gesu Elementary, where she received a part in the stage play Annie in first grade; from then on, she was determined to be an entertainer. Aaliyah’s mother was a vocalist, and her uncle, Barry Hankerson, was an entertainment lawyer who was previously married to Gladys Knight. As a child, Aaliyah traveled with Knight and worked with an agent in New York to audition for commercials and television programs, including Family Matters; she went on to appear on Star Search at the age of nine. She then auditioned for several record labels and appeared in concerts alongside Knight at age 11.

1991–1995: Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number

After Hankerson signed a distribution deal with Jive Records, he signed Aaliyah to his Blackground Records label at the age of 12. Hankerson later introduced her to recording artist and producer R. Kelly, who became Aaliyah’s mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of the album, which was recorded when she was 14. Released in June 1994, the album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and sold over two million copies in the United States. Aaliyah’s debut single, “Back & Forth”, topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for three weeks and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The second single, a cover of The Isley Brothers’ “At Your Best (You Are Love)”, peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and was also certified Gold by the RIAA. The title track, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number”, peaked at number 75 on the Hot 100.

With the release of Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number, rumors began to circulate of a relationship between Aaliyah and Kelly. Shortly after, rumors of a secret marriage began with the release of “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number” and the adult content that Kelly had written for Aaliyah. Vibe magazine later revealed a marriage certificate that listed the couple allegedly married on August 31, 1994, in Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, Illinois. Aaliyah, who was 15 at the time, was listed as 18 on the certificate; the illegal marriage was reportedly annulled in February 1995 by her parents. The pair continued to deny marriage allegations, stating that neither was married.

1996–1999: One in a Million

In 1996, Aaliyah left Jive Records and signed to Atlantic Records. She worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott, who contributed to her second studio album, One in a Million. The album yielded the single “If Your Girl Only Knew”, which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for two weeks. It also generated the singles “Hot like Fire” and “4 Page Letter”. The following year, Aaliyah was featured on Timbaland & Magoo’s debut single, “Up Jumps da Boogie”. One in a Million peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200, selling over two million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide.

Aaliyah attended the Detroit High School for the Performing Arts, where she majored in drama and graduated in 1997 with a 4.0 grade point average. Aaliyah began her acting career that same year; she played herself in the police drama television series New York Undercover. She then released “The Thing I Like” from the soundtrack of A Low Down Dirty Shame; it peaked at number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. Aaliyah appeared on the soundtrack album for the Fox Animation Studios animated feature Anastasia, performing a cover version of “Journey to the Past” which earned songwriters Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Aaliyah performed the song at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony and became the youngest singer to perform at the ceremony.

2000–2001: Romeo Must Die and eponymous album

In 2000, Aaliyah landed her first major movie role in Romeo Must Die. A loose adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Aaliyah starred opposite martial artist Jet Li, playing a couple who fall in love amid their warring families. It grossed $18.6 million in its first weekend, ranking number two at the box office. In addition to acting, Aaliyah served as an executive producer of the film soundtrack, where she contributed four songs. “Try Again” was released as a single from the soundtrack; the song topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Aaliyah the first artist to top the chart based solely on airplay; this led the song to be released in a 12″ vinyl and 7″ single. The music video won the Best Female Video and Best Video from a Film awards at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist. The soundtrack went on to sell 1.5 million copies in the United States.

After Romeo Must Die, Aaliyah began to film for her second film, Queen of the Damned. She had the role of an ancient vampire, Queen Akasha, which she described as a “manipulative, crazy, sexual being”. She was scheduled to film for the sequels of The Matrix as the character Zee. Aaliyah went on to release her eponymous album, Aaliyah, in July 2001. Produced primarily by Timbaland, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 187,000 copies in its first week. The first single from the album, “We Need a Resolution”, peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Plane crash, death and wrongful death lawsuit

On August 25, 2001, at 6:45 pm (EST), Aaliyah and various members of the record company boarded a twin engine Cessna 402B (N8097W) at Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, The Bahamas, to travel to an airport in Opa-locka, Florida, after they completed filming the music video for “Rock the Boat”. They had a flight scheduled the following day, but with filming finishing early, Aaliyah and her entourage were eager to return to the United States. They made the decision to leave immediately. Against the advice of baggage handlers and the pilot, all the equipment from the shoot was loaded on the plane. Therefore, the aircraft exceeded the standard weight and balance tolerance limit provided by Cessna.

The plane crashed shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet (60 m) from the runway. Aaliyah, pilot Luis Morales III, hair stylist Eric Forman, Anthony Dodd, security guard Scott Gallin, video producer Douglas Kratz, stylist Christopher Maldonado, and Blackground Records employees Keith Wallace and Gina Smith were killed. According to findings from an inquest, conducted by the coroner’s office in The Bahamas, Aaliyah suffered from “severe burns and a blow to the head”, in addition to severe shock. The coroner theorized that, even if Aaliyah had survived the crash, her recovery would have been virtually impossible given the severity of her injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report stated that “the airplane was seen lifting off the runway, and then nose down, impacting in a marsh on the south side of the departure end of runway 27.” It also indicated that the pilot was not approved to pilot the plane he was attempting to fly. Morales falsely obtained his Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) license by showing hundreds of hours never flown, and he may also have falsified how many hours he had flown in order to get a job with his employer, Blackhawk International Airways. Additionally, an autopsy performed on Morales revealed traces of cocaine and alcohol in his system.

Further investigations determined the plane was over its total gross weight by 700 pounds and was loaded with one more passenger than it was allowed to carry. John Frank of the Cessna Pilots Association stated that the plane was “definitely overloaded”. The NTSB reported that the total gross weight of the plane was “substantially exceeded”, which caused the center of gravity to be pushed too far aft. Aaliyah’s funeral was held on August 31, 2001, at the Saint Ignatius Loyola Church in New York, which was attended by over 800 mourners. After service, 22 white doves were released to symbolize each year of her life. Aaliyah was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery.

The day of the crash was Morales’ first official day with Blackhawk International Airways, an FAA Part 135 single-pilot operation. In addition, Morales was not registered with the FAA to fly for Blackhawk. As a result of the accident, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed by Aaliyah’s parents and was later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Barry & Sons, Inc., a corporation formed in 1992 to develop, promote and capitalize Aaliyah and to oversee the production and distribution of her records and music videos, brought an unsuccessful lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Instinct Productions LLC, the company that was hired in August 2001 to produce the music video for “Rock the Boat”. The case was dismissed due to New York’s wrongful death statute only permitting certain people to recover damages for wrongful death.

2001–2005: Posthumous career

The week after Aaliyah’s death, her third studio album, Aaliyah, rose from number 19 to number one on the Billboard 200. “Rock the Boat” was released as a posthumous single. The music video was premiered on Black Entertainment Television’s Access Granted; it became the most viewed and highest rated episode in the history of the show. The song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was also included on the Now That’s What I Call Music! 8 compilation series; a portion of the album’s profits were donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund. The following two singles from Aaliyah, “More than a Woman” and “I Care 4 U”, peaked within the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified double Platinum by the RIAA and sold 2.5 million copies in the United States.

She went on to win two posthumous awards at the American Music Awards of 2002; Favorite Female R&B Artist and Favorite R&B/Soul Album for Aaliyah. Her second and final film, Queen of the Damned, was released in February 2002. Before its release, Aaliyah’s brother, Rashad, re-dubbed part of her lines during post-production. It grossed $15.2 million in its first weekend, ranking number one at the box office. In December 2002, a collection of previously unreleased material was released as Aaliyah’s first posthumous album, I Care 4 U. A portion of proceeds was donated to the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, a program that benefits the Revlon UCLA Women Cancer Research Program and Harlem’s Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 280,000 copies in its first week. The album’s lead single, “Miss You”, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In August of the following year, clothing retailer Christian Dior donated profits from sales in honor of Aaliyah.

Aaliyah was signed to appear in several future films, including Honey (recast to Jessica Alba). Some Kind of Blue and a Whitney Houston-produced remake of the 1976 film Sparkle were canceled due to Aaliyah’s death. Before her death, Aaliyah had filmed part of her role in The Matrix Reloaded and was scheduled to appear in The Matrix Revolutions as Zee. The role was later recast to Nona Gaye. With the release of the Matrix Ultimate Collection series, clips of Aaliyah were included in the tribute section.

In 2005, Aaliyah’s second compilation album, Ultimate Aaliyah was released in the UK by Blackground Records. Ultimate Aaliyah is a three disc set, which included a greatest hits audio CD and a DVD. Andy Kellman of Allmusic remarked “Ultimate Aaliyah adequately represents the shortened career of a tremendous talent who benefited from some of the best songwriting and production work by Timbaland, Missy Elliott, and R. Kelly.”

Musical style and image

Aaliyah had a vocal range of a soprano. With the release of her debut single “Back & Forth”, Dimitri Ehrlich of Entertainment Weekly expressed that Aaliyah’s “silky vocals are more agile than those of self-proclaimed queen of hip-hop soul Mary J. Blige.” Aaliyah described her sound as “street but sweet”, which featured her “gentle” vocals over a “hard” beat. Though Aaliyah did not write any of her own material, her lyrics were described to be in-depth. She incorporated R&B, pop and hip hop into her music. Her songs were often uptempo and melancholy, revolving around “matters of the heart”. Her songs have been said to have “crisp production” and “staccato arrangements” that “extend genre boundaries” while containing “old-school” soul music. When experimenting with other genres, such as Latin pop and heavy metal, writers panned the attempt.

As her albums progressed, writers felt that Aaliyah matured, calling her progress a “declaration of strength and independence”. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described her eponymous album, Aaliyah, as “a statement of maturity and a stunning artistic leap forward” and called it one of the strongest urban soul records of its time. She portrayed “unfamiliar sounds, styles and emotions”, but managed to please critics with the contemporary sound it contained. Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone felt that Aaliyah reflected a stronger technique, where she gave her best vocal performance. Others felt that she was “satisfying rather than extraordinary”, stating that she added little to modern R&B.

As an artist, Aaliyah often voiced that she was inspired by a number of performers. These include Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Sade, En Vogue, Nine Inch Nails, ‘N Sync, Korn, Britney Spears, The Notorious B.I.G., Prince, Naughty by Nature, Johnny Mathis and Janet Jackson. Aaliyah expressed that Michael Jackson’s Thriller was her “favorite album” and that “[n]othing will ever top Thriller.” She stated that she admired Sade because “she stays true to her style no matter what… she’s an amazing artist, an amazing performer… and I absolutely love her.” Aaliyah expressed Janet Jackson—whom she had drawn frequent comparison to over the course of her career—was someone she had always desired to work with, stating “I admire her a great deal. She’s a total performer… I’d love to do a duet with Janet Jackson.” Jackson reciprocated Aaliyah’s affections, commenting “I’ve loved her from the beginning because she always comes out and does something different, musically.” Jackson also stated she would have enjoyed collaborating with Aaliyah.

Since the beginning of her career, Aaliyah focused on her public image. She often wore baggy clothes and sunglasses, stating that she “wanted to be me”. She described her image as being “important… to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack”. She often wore black clothing, which led women in the United States and Japan to utilize her look. Aaliyah participated in fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger’s All America Tour and was featured in Tommy Jean ads, which depicted her in boxer shorts, baggy jeans and a tube top. Hilfiger’s brother, Andy, called it “a whole new look” that was “classy but sexy”. When she changed her hairstyle, Aaliyah took her mother’s advice to cover her left eye, much like Veronica Lake. In 1998, Aaliyah hired a personal trainer to keep in shape. She exercised five days a week and ate diet foods. Aaliyah was praised for her “clean-cut image” and “moral values”.

Legacy

Aaliyah has been credited for helping redefine R&B and hip hop in the 1990s, “leaving an indelible imprint on the music industry as a whole.” Steve Huey of Allmusic wrote Aaliyah ranks among the “elite” artists of the R&B genre, as she “played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late ’90s.” Described as one of “R&B’s most important artists” during the 1990s, her second studio album, One in a Million, became one of the most influential R&B albums of the decade. According to Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine, Aaliyah provided a “missing link between hip-hop and electronica”. Having sold 8.1 million albums in the United States and over 24 million records worldwide, Aaliyah has been named the “Queen of Urban Pop” and “prove[d] she was a muse in her own right”. Ernest Hardy of Rolling Stone dubbed her as the “undisputed queen of the midtempo come-on”.

Aaliyah was honored at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards by Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Ginuwine and her brother, Rashad, who all paid tribute to her. In the same year, the United States Social Security Administration ranked the name Aaliyah one of the 100 most popular names for newborn girls. Aaliyah was ranked as one of “The Top 40 Women of the Video Era” and “100 Sexiest Artists” in VH1’s 2003 The Greatest series. She was also ranked at number 18 on BET’s “Top 25 Dancers of All Time”. In memory of Aaliyah, the Entertainment Industry Foundation created the Aaliyah Memorial Fund to donate money raised to charities she supported.

Discography

Studio albums Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number (1994) One in a Million (1996) Aaliyah (2001)

Compilations I Care 4 U (2002) Ultimate Aaliyah (2005)

External links

• Official website
• Aaliyah at the Internet Movie Database
• Aaliyah at Find a Grave

Style and image

The New York magazine described Rihanna’s early look as a cookie-cutter teen queen and that she has the ability to shift looks so dramatically and with such ease. Since the release of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, [Rihanna's] has become a sex symbol and also set herself apart from other R&B starlets, opting for designer couture over belly-baring crop tops. Sonya Magett of Black Voices reported that Rihanna’s style has become quite risqué since she burst on the scene 4 years ago. In 2008, she constantly surprised, switching from pretty and sweet in pastels on the red carpet to dominatrix-leaning wear on stage and at awards shows. Rihanna’s fashion and style also landed her on the list of People’s 10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008. Glamour also awarded Rihanna with the seventeenth most glamorous woman of 2009 out of fifty. Glamour also commented on Rihanna’s style saying “rockstar of leading ladies” and “She almost can’t make a style mistake right now.” They also said her “little-bit-punky, very-much-girly look still entrances readers.” They also commented on Rihanna’s fashion risks saying “If style risks could be measured in miles, Rihanna would have criss-crossed the globe a thousand times over already.”

Rihanna’s image has also been identified as a sex symbol. Regal of the Associated Content stated that Rihanna quickly garnered a more mature and definitely sexier look. In 2007, she ranked #8 in Maxim’s 2007 Hot 100 list; she then ranked #15 on 2008 Hot 100 list the following year. In June 2007, Rihanna was named 2007 Venus Breeze’s “Celebrity Legs Of A Goddess” by Gillette. Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly wrote an article entitled “Rihanna: Diva of the year” which he refers to her breakout success of 2008. In 2009, Maxim awarded Rihanna as the number 8th most sexiest woman on earth. This made Rihanna the only female of African descent in the top ten or top twenty for that matter.

Rihanna’s tattoos have drawn much media attention. One of her first tattoos was music note on her ankle and a Pisces sign behind her right ear. Her most visible and popular tattoo is her trail of stars going down her back. Rihanna has a total of twelve known tattoos, including music note tattoo on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear, a Sanskrit prayer going down her hip, a star in her left ear, the word ‘love’ on her left middle finger, an Arabic phrase on her ribcage area, meaning ‘Freedom is God,’ a trail of stars going down the back of her neck, a skull with a pink hair bow, the phrase ’shhh…’ on her right index finger, the date ‘4.11.1986′ on top of her left shoulder and a henna-style dragon claw, complete with Hawaiian hibiscus flowers. Her most recent gun tattoo was planned to be just below her shoulders but changed it to her ribcage. Although, she was likely to be criticised for her tattoo, BangBang, the tattoo artist, was quick to explain that the image simply “represents strength and power”.

Relations with Barbados

Rihanna is heavily involved in the marketing of her native country of Barbados. She began by including the flag and trident in many of her videos, also shooting her album packaging for A Girl Like Me there. In September 2007, she became the official face of tourism for Barbados, being included in many of their ad campaigns. She currently holds an honourary title of Ambassador for Culture and Youth in Barbados. She additionally was honored by the Prime Minister David Thompson, who presented her several gifts at a national concert on 20 February 2008 in Barbados, called “Rihanna Day”.Regardless, In February 2008, Rihanna thanked her country and honoured them during the acceptance speech for her win of “Best Rap/Sung Collaboration” at the Grammy Awards. Although Rihanna is heavily involved in the promotion of her country and works with the government in Barbados to do so, she is constantly criticized and ridiculed for everything from her music, her successes and for wearing “skimpy clothes”. Rihanna speaking on the incident, “I went to the beach and I had on a one-piece swimsuit with jeans, They took the picture and they made it look like a top that was really revealing. There were radio programmes about it. It was a big deal for, like, three weeks straight – talking about I’m not setting a good example.”

They also mentioned that Rihanna was too young for Def Jam to push her as a “sex symbol”, making a plea that she cover up. The media and The Nation newspaper constantly make personal attacks and have shown lack of support and encouragement. Rihanna spoke out against the scrutiny to Entertainment Weekly stating, “They all hate me. I didn’t have to talk about them. I didn’t have to even mention that I’m from Barbados. But I do and people kind of take it for granted. They hate me. They talk shit about me all the time. But I’m like, ”Whatever. I’m still doing this cause I love to do it and you’re not going to stop me”. Media fought back with letters to Rihanna publicly via there national newspaper, “[what she said] sounds as if though she is doing us a favour. If God didn’t give us a Rihanna, he would have given us someone else. So don’t ever for a second get to thinking you are irreplaceable, Rihanna” and “Her putting Barbados on the map is nonsense. Barbados was well on the map before she came along; and will be when she is gone”. Her mentor and music producer Evan Rogers spoke out to the media stating that Rihanna subsequently “formed her impression of any Bajan dislike from the reception she received at the recent Barbados Music Awards where,” according to Rogers, “It was disappointing the way some people reacted as if they were almost rooting against her”.

External links

• Official website
• Rihanna at MySpace
• Rihanna at Island Def Jam Music Group
• Rihanna’s Believe Foundation
• Rihanna at the Internet Movie Database

Musical style and influences

Volume 65 of the Contemporary Black Biography book series notes that “Rihanna is the rare rhythm and blues (R&B) diva to emerge from the Caribbean world.” Becoming an international sensation, Rihanna is known for blending R&B with Caribbean music, such as reggae and dancehall.^76] Peter Coulter of the Antrim Times, commented that “[Rihanna] has an amazing voice which showed during her acoustic set, she just needs to work on her audience engagement during live shows.” At the time of her debut, reviewers referred to her as a “bubblegum queen” and her music to “teen pop.” Larry Meyler of The Sun stated that Rihanna going bad is very good and that she had shook off any ‘teen pop’ image as she rocked the stage. While performing at the Ottawa Bluesfest in 2006, Denis Armstrong of Canadian Online Explorer commented on her performance saying “her show was a Disney-esque choreographed fantasy of non-stop hip-swivelling, sassy attitude and personal endearments and a string of funky, sugar-free hits.” After revealing a new image while headlining her first tour, she was likely to be criticize for her tight leather outfit during each show. A review in the The Times compared Rihanna’s stage wardrobe styling to that of Janet Jackson. He also described her outfit as “a vision of Ann Summers couture in thigh-high boots and a few scraps of black PVC.” However, Stuart Derdeyn of The Province commented that “even with the whole haute couture B&D clearly firing on all points, she’s still got a ways to go to become the new Janet Jackson.”

Music and themes

Rihanna’s musical style has changed during the release of her last three albums. She was originally marketed as a reggae singer since she burst on scene in 2005, with a styles of pop, R&B and dancehall. Her music also include various styles of musical genres, including contemporary R&B, dance-pop, pop rock and the Caribbean music styles of reggae, soca, and dancehall. With the release of her debut album Music of the Sun and its lead single “Pon de Replay”, Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic described Rihanna’s musical style as “synthesize Caribbean rhythms and beats with standard-issue urban dance-pop: Caribbean-inflected urban, if you will.” Rihanna is also described as utilizing “dancehall-lite beats and a reggae vocal cadence.” NME describes the singer as a “heady mix of dancehall, reggae and contemporary R&B.” During the release of her sophomore album, many critics felt that Rihanna’s sound and substance was too heavily similar to that of Beyoncé’s. The media even made negative reviews comparing her music, music videos, performances and even her image to Beyoncé, which garnered Rihanna much criticism. Some media even unfairly claimed that Jay-Z fashioned her to be a replica of Beyoncé. Barry Walters of Rolling Stone considers Rihanna’s A Girl Like Me to be “lightweight dancehall and R&B jams.” After the release of Good Girl Gone Bad, Allmusic’s Andy Kellman credits Rihanna to be “as pop as pop gets.” Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times described her hit “Umbrella” as a lightweight pop confection with a heavy hip-hop backbeat, a breezy love song enriched by those unexpectedly goth-sounding keyboards and by the incongruous hint of anguish in Rihanna’s girlish voice.

Her debut album featured a refreshing touch from pop veterans Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken of Syndicated Rhythm productions, who first discovered her. Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers have collaborated with Rihanna many times, including with her debut single “Pon de Replay”, which helped launch her career with the tradition of reggae and dance pop and also collaborated on her sophomore album. Rihanna then enlisted into the pop and contemporary R&B working with music producer Stargate and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo on “Unfaithful” and sampling the key section, bass line, and drum beat from Soft Cell’s 1981 single “Tainted Love” on “SOS”. The concept of her third studio album was to head in a new direction with the help of music producers Timbaland, will.i.am and Sean Garrett, and also to re-imagine her album compositions with fresh, uptempo dance tracks. While recording the album, Rihanna stated that she wants to keep people dancing but still be soulful at the same time. She then commented “You feel different every album, and [at] this stage I feel like I want to do a lot of uptempo [songs].” She also began taking voice lessons from Ne-Yo for the third album. With songs like “Kisses Don’t Lie” and “Shut Up and Drive”, her music style became more pop rock oriented. Unlike Music of the Sun or A Girl Like Me, her third album contained a more dance-pop sound and less of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles of her previous albums. She has included various styles of music from uptempo pop-reggae with “Pon De Replay”, to an 80’s new wave fueled club banger “SOS” to the whiff of gothic horror in a love song “Unfaithful”. Most of her love subject ballads contain a mid-tempo pop sound, with an R&B influences that uses of a gently strummed acoustic guitar with the production of Stargate and the songs written by Ne-Yo. Some of her up-tempo dance-pop songs include production from Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart and J. R. Rotem. She has also taken to the music industry tradition of sampling songs from other artist like Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” on “SOS”, New Order’s “Blue Monday” on “Shut Up and Drive” and 70’s original song “Soul Makossa” of Manu Dibango with a part of the chorus from Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” on “Don’t Stop the Music”.

Influences

One of Rihanna’s major influence and idol is Mariah Carey, whose song “Hero” she covered while performing at a school talent show. She says, “I looked up to [Mariah] a lot and I still do. I admire her as an artist, and to [compete with her] was a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life.” She then stated that her song, “Vision of Love” made an impact on her. Rihanna has also named Beyoncé Knowles a major influence, citing that she was inspired to start her career after watching Knowles on television as part of a Destiny’s Child performance . Her other musical influences include Bob Marley, Alicia Keys, Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child, Celine Dion, Brandy, and Gwen Stefani. Her music also contains strong influences of caribbean music and says that it has influenced her tremendously. Her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artist Fefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to, having a fellow artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves. In a interview, Rihanna stated, that while growing up in Barbados, she grew up listening to reggae music and when she came to the United States she was exposed to many different types of music. Rihanna also considers Madonna as one of her biggest influences. She mentioned that she respects her ability to reinvent herself and aspires to be just as successful.

Videography

Jon Bream of the Star Tribune commented “[i]n the tradition of Madonna and Janet Jackson, Rihanna has become the video vixen of the ’00s … Rihanna has perfected the pout, the long-legged strut and trend-setting hairdos that keep women and men alike checking her out on YouTube.” George Epaminondas of InStyle considers Rihanna’s music videos to be “cinematic” due to her “blend of lush island rhythms and swinging pop and … mischievous sensuality.” Rihanna commented that Marilyn Monroe and vintage clothing served for visual inspiration for the music video “Hate That I Love You” and “Rehab”; in contrast, the “dark, creepy” scenes of “Disturbia” have drawn comparison to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. The music video also ranked number five on the “Top Five Most Paranoid Music Videos” published by MTV Buzzworthy.

Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop musician. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel’s television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994. Aguilera signed to RCA Records after recording “Reflection” for the film Mulan. She came to prominence following her debut album Christina Aguilera (1999), which was a commercial success spawning three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. A Latin pop album, Mi Reflejo (2001), and several collaborations followed which garnered Aguilera worldwide success, though she was displeased with her lack of input in her music and image.

After parting from her management, Aguilera took creative control over her second studio album Stripped (2002), which received mixed reviews and produced substantial sales. The second single, “Beautiful”, was a commercial success and sustained the album’s sales amidst controversy over Aguilera’s sexual image. Aguilera’s third studio album Back to Basics (2006), included elements of soul, jazz, and blues music, and was released to positive critical reception.

Aside from being known for her vocal ability, music videos and ever-changing image, musically, she includes themes of dealing with public scrutiny, her childhood, and female empowerment in her music. Apart from her work in music, she has also dedicated much of her time as a philanthropist for charities, human rights and world issues. Aguilera’s work has earned her numerous awards, including four Grammy Awards and one Latin Grammy Award, amongst eighteen nominations. She has become one of the most successful recording artists of the decade, selling more than 42 million records worldwide.

Early life and career

Aguilera was born in Staten Island, New York, to Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera, a Sergeant in the U.S. Army at the time, and Shelly Loraine (née Fidler), a teacher of the Spanish language. Aguilera’s father was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and her maternal grandmother emigrated from County Clare, Ireland. Her father was stationed at Earnest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Japan. Aguilera lived with her father and mother until she was seven years old. Aguilera grew up hearing Spanish and thus understands the language, although she is more fluent in English.

When Aguilera’s parents divorced, her mother took her, and her younger sister Rachel, to her grandmother’s home in Rochester, Pennsylvania, a town outside of Pittsburgh. According to both Aguilera and Fidler, her father was very controlling, as well as physically and emotionally abusive. She later wrote about her difficult childhood in the songs “I’m OK” in Stripped, and “Oh Mother” in Back to Basics. Although her father has written to Aguilera, she has ruled out any chance of reuniting with him. Since then, Fidler has married a paramedic named Jim Kearns, and changed her name.

As a child, Aguilera aspired to be a singer. She was known locally as “the little girl with the big voice”, singing in local talent shows and competitions. According to VH1’s Driven, whenever competitors learned they would be up against her in any given week, they would immediately withdraw, prompting insiders to claim it was “like sending a lamb to the slaughter.” Her peers soon became jealous of her and would frequently subject her to ridicule, ostracism, and, in one gym class, attempted assault. Acts of vandalism around her house included the slashing of the tires on the family car. Eventually, the family relocated to another suburb in the Pittsburgh area (this time, Wexford) and took to secrecy about Aguilera’s talent lest another backlash occur. She attended Marshall Middle School near Wexford and North Allegheny Intermediate High School until she was later home schooled.

On March 15, 1990, she appeared on Star Search singing “A Sunday Kind of Love”, but lost the competition at number 2. Soon after losing on Star Search, she returned home and appeared on Pittsburgh’s KDKA-TV’s Wake Up with Larry Richert to perform the same song. People remarked that the then ten-year-old “sounded 20.”

Throughout her youth in Pittsburgh, Aguilera sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, Pittsburgh Steelers football and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games. Her first major role in entertainment came in 1993 when she joined the Disney Channel’s variety show The New Mickey Mouse Club. Her co-stars included Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell, the show lasted another year until its cancellation. According to the documentary Driven, Aguilera’s co-stars called her “the Diva”. One of her most notable performances was of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing”.

At the age of fourteen, Aguilera recorded her first song, “All I Wanna Do”, a hit duet with Japanese singer Keizo Nakanishi. In 1997, she represented the United States at the “Golden Stag” International Festival with a two-song set.

Music career

1998–2001: Pop music beginnings and Christina Aguilera

In 1998, Aguilera sang the High “E” in full voice (and again on the song “Candyman” from her Back To Basics album for a full 8 seconds) (E₅) on a cover of Whitney Houston’s “Run to You” which she recorded with a tape recorder in her bathroom. She was then selected to record the song “Reflection” for the Disney production of Mulan (1998). Recording “Reflection” led to Aguilera earning a contract with RCA Records the same week. “Reflection” peaked within the top twenty on the Adult Contemporary Singles Chart, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for “Best Original Song” in 1998. Under the exclusive representation of Steve Kurtz, Aguilera’s self-titled debut album Christina Aguilera was released on August 24, 1999. It reached the top of the Billboard 200 and Canadian album charts, selling eight million copies in the U.S. and over sixteen million copies worldwide. The album is also included in the Top 100 Albums of All Time list of The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) based on US sales. Her singles “Genie in a Bottle”, “What a Girl Wants” and “Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)” topped the Billboard Hot 100 during 1999 and 2000, and “I Turn to You” reached #3. According to the album’s songwriters, Aguilera wanted to display the range and audacity in her voice during the promotion of the album, and performed acoustic sets and appeared on television shows accompanied only by a piano. She ended the year on MTV’s New Year’s Special, as she performed and was MTV’s first artist of the millennium. At the 42nd Grammy Awards Aguilera received a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance nomination for “Genie in a Bottle” and despite earlier predictions, she won the award Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Aguilera’s manager Kurtz told MTV that Christina was talking about recording a Spanish-language album even before she recorded her debut album. In 2000 Aguilera started recording with producer Rudy Pérez in Miami. Later in 2000, Aguilera, first emphasized her Latin heritage by releasing her first Spanish album, Mi Reflejo on September 12, 2000. This album contained Spanish versions of songs from her English debut as well as new Spanish tracks. Though some criticized Aguilera for trying to cash in on the Latin music boom at the time. According to Pérez, Aguilera was only semi-fluent, while recording. She understood the language, because she has grown up with her father, who is a native of Ecuador. He added “Her Latin roots are undeniable”. The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Billboard Latin charts for 20 weeks. In 2001, it won Aguilera a Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. The album went Gold in the US. She also won the World Music Award as the best selling Latin artist that year. Aguilera also released a Christmas album on October 24, 2000 called My Kind of Christmas. It peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200, and has been certified Platinum in the US. Ricky Martin asked Aguilera to duet with him on the track “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” from his album Sound Loaded; released in 2001 as the album’s second single. The single reached number one on the World Chart.

In 2001, Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mýa, and Pink were chosen to remake Labelle’s 1975 single “Lady Marmalade” for the film Moulin Rouge! and its soundtrack. The single Missy Elliott produced hit number one on the Hot 100 for five weeks and was the most successful airplay-only single in history. It also reached number one in eleven other countries amd earned all four performers a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Aguilera’s appearance in the music video was compared to that of Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider. The video won two MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year in 2001, where Aguilera accepted the award saying, “I guess the big hair paid off.”

That year a single emerged into record stores called “Just Be Free”, one of the demos Aguilera recorded when she was around fifteen years old. When RCA Records discovered the single, they advised fans not to purchase it. Months later, Warlock Records was set to release Just Be Free, an album which contains the demo tracks. Aguilera filed a breach of contract and unfair competition suit against Warlock and the album’s producers to block the release. Instead, the two parties came to a settlement to release the album. Aguilera lent out her name, likeness and image for an unspecified amount of damages. Many of the details of the lawsuit remain confidential. When the album was released in August 2001, it had a photograph of Aguilera when she was fifteen years old.

Although Aguilera’s debut album was very well received, she was dissatisfied with the music and image her management had created for her. Aguilera was marketed as a bubblegum pop singer because of the genre’s upward financial trend. She mentioned plans of her next album to have much more depth, both musically and lyrically. Aguilera’s views of Steve Kurtz’s influence in matters of the singer’s creative direction, the role of being her exclusive personal manager and overscheduling had in part caused her to seek legal means of terminating their management contract. She revealed while recording her then upcoming album, “I was being overworked. You find out that someone you thought was a friend is stealing money behind your back, and it’s heartbreaking. I put faith in the people around me, and unfortunately, it bit me in the butt.” Kurtz was terminated and Irving Azoff was hired as her new manager.

2002–2003: Stripped era

On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera’s second full-length English album, Stripped, was released, selling more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike previous work, the album showcased Aguilera’s raunchier side. The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed a global music publishing contract with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including contemporary R&B, gospel, soul, balladry, pop rock, and hip hop. The majority of the album was produced by Scott Storch and singer-songwriter Linda Perry who produced her more personal records. Rockwilder and singer Alicia Keys also contributed a track each. Upon initial release, the album was very well-received by critics, although Aguilera’s vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image. After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines, many of these photographs featured her nude or semi-nude. Her cover for Rolling Stone, featured the singer only wearing boots and a well-placed electric guitar. It was during this time Aguilera referred to herself as “Xtina“, even getting a tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings.

Initially, the raunchy image had a negative effect on Aguilera in the U.S., especially after the release of her controversial “Dirrty” music video. She denied that this change was a matter of publicity, claiming that the image better reflected her true personality than did the image she cultivated back in 1999. While the video for “Dirrty” became very popular on MTV, it disappointed on the U.S. singles chart. However, the single was a hit worldwide, reaching number one in the UK and Ireland. The second single, “Beautiful” received critical praise. The classically influenced ballad reached number one in several countries and peaked at #2 in the US. “Beautiful” earned Aguilera the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Three more singles (“Fighter”, “Can’t Hold Us Down” featuring Lil’ Kim, “The Voice Within”) were released in the following two years and were hits that helped the album stay on the charts for the next two years. Stripped stayed on the U.S. and UK album charts well into 2004, and went on to be certified four-times platinum in the U.S. with over twelve million copies sold worldwide. It appeared at number ten on Billboard’s year-end album chart. Kelly Clarkson’s second single “Miss Independent” was co-written by Aguilera, having been half-finished for Stripped.

Aguilera joined Justin Timberlake that June on the final leg of his international Justified tour, held in the U.S. This portion of the tour became a co-headliner called the Justified/Stripped Tour. In August, an overhead lighting grid collapsed from the ceiling of the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, causing major damage to the sound and video equipment below. Because the collapse occurred hours before the show, only a few stagehands were injured, but a few shows were cancelled or postponed. In the fourth quarter of that year, Aguilera continued to tour internationally without Timberlake, and changed the name of the tour to the “Stripped World Tour”. She also dyed her hair black. It was one of the top-grossing tours of that year, and sold out most of its venues. Rolling Stone readers named it the best tour of the year. She was a special guest performer with the Pussycat Dolls’ dance troupe and appeared on a Maxim spread alongside them. Her second Maxim cover that year set record sales for the issue, by the end of the year she topped the annual Hot 100 list later saying, “We had fun working with certain clothes, or the lack thereof.”

After much delay, Aguilera’s first DVD live-recording from a concert tour, Stripped Live in the UK, was released in November 2004. In light of the tour’s success, another U.S. tour was scheduled to begin in mid-2004 with a new theme. The tour however was scrapped because of the vocal cord injuries Aguilera suffered shortly before the tour’s opening date. In a tribute to Madonna’s performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards, Aguilera performed a kiss with the singer-actress at the 2003 edition of the ceremony in August. The incident occurred during the opening performance of Madonna’s songs “Like a Virgin” and “Hollywood” with fellow popstar Britney Spears.

2004–2007: Artistic development and Back to Basics

Aguilera later decided to embrace a more mature image; this move was met with more praise than criticism, with articles using punch lines such as “From Crass to Class.” She eventually dyed her hair cherry blonde and recorded a jingle, “Hello”, for a Mercedes-Benz ad. Shortly after, she dyed her hair flaxen blonde and cut it short, and took on a Marilyn Monroe look; she is one of the main proponents (along with Dita Von Teese, Gwen Stefani, and Ashley Judd) in bringing back the 1920s-1940s Hollywood glamour look.

In late summer 2004, Aguilera released two singles. The first, “Car Wash”, was a remake of the Rose Royce disco song recorded as a collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the film Shark Tale. The second song was also a collaboration, but this time as a second single from one of Nelly’s double-release albums, Sweat, titled “Tilt Ya Head Back”. Both singles failed commercially in the U.S., but did considerably better in other parts of the world. Aguilera collaborated with jazz artist Herbie Hancock on a cover of Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” recorded for Hancock’s album Possibilities, released in August 2005. Aguilera and Hancock were later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. She helped open the 50th Anniversary for Disneyland performing “When You Wish upon a Star”, and she also collaborated with Andrea Bocelli on the song “Somos Novios” for his album Amore.

Aguilera’s third English studio album, Back to Basics, released August 15, 2006, debuted at #1 in the U.S., the U.K. and eleven other countries. Aguilera described the double CD as “a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist.” Although critics commented on the album’s length saying, “At one disc, this would have been nothing short of masterful.” The critically acclaimed lead single “Ain’t No Other Man” was a substantial success, reaching #2 on the World Chart, #6 in the U.S., and #2 in U.K. Producers on the album included DJ Premier, Kwamé, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson. One track, “F.U.S.S.”, was written as a response to the animosity between Aguilera and her former producer Scott Storch. In an interview she said, “That’s a way of burying my experience with him. When I tried to work with him again, he made uncalled-for demands. It was disappointing that someone would get affected like that.” She received writing credit for the album and was the executive producer. The follow-up singles did very well in different regions, “Hurt” in Europe and “Candyman” in the Pacific. She co-directed both music videos, the former with Floria Sigismondi who directed her “Fighter” video, and the latter, “Candyman”, with director/photographer Matthew Rolston which was inspired by The Andrews Sisters. According to Sony BMG, Back to Basics has sold over 4.5 million units worldwide.

In late 2006 Aguilera collaborated with Sean “Diddy” Combs on a track, titled “Tell Me”, from his album Press Play. She also began the “Back to Basics Tour” in Europe followed by a 41-date North American tour in early 2007. After this, she toured Asia and Australia, where it was supposed to end on August 3, however she canceled her dates in Melbourne and her final two in Auckland due to an illness. Her extravagant arena tour included cabaret, three-ring circus and juke joint sets and 10 piece costumes designed by Roberto Cavalli. It was the most successful US tour by a female in 2007. In early 2008, she released her concert DVD Back to Basics: Live and Down Under.

At the 49th Grammy Awards, Aguilera again won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Ain’t No Other Man”. She made a noteworthy performance at the ceremony paying tribute to James Brown with her rendition of his song “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”. In January 2007, she was named the 19th richest woman in entertainment by Forbes, with a net worth of US$60 million.

Aguilera performed “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” with Tony Bennett on his NBC special Tony Bennett: An American Classic and on Saturday Night Live. They performed at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards where both specials received Emmys. “Steppin’ Out” was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

2008–present: Keeps Gettin’ Better and forthcoming album

In 2008 Aguilera was featured on the soundtrack to the film, Shine a Light, from a live recording of the song “Live With Me” with the Rolling Stones. The film’s soundtrack was released on April 1, 2008. To commemorate Aguilera’s ten years in the music industry, RCA Records released, Keeps Gettin’ Better: A Decade of Hits on November 11, 2008 exclusively at Target stores. The greatest hits included her first three number one singles, and other songs released from her previous three albums. The album’s lead single, “Keeps Gettin’ Better” was premiered at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and was her highest debut peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Australian singer-songwriter Sia, was one of the first of confirmed producers. The following year she launched her online radio station which is part of Clear Channel’s iheartradio revealing details about her upcoming projects. There she revealed that she worked with M.I.A., Santigold and Ladytron adding, “The overall versatility of this record is truly something special for me. The result was just crazy magic. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy on the record.” She will also be working with Goldfrapp and Tricky Stewart who revealed that the album is finished adding, “She’s mixing it up again. She’s singing R&B again, she’s doing pop. She’s doing it all, but she’s found a way to make it all meet in the middle because she’s so many different things. She’s a real serious musician.” He also revealed that the album is set for release next year due to her upcoming musical film, Burlesque set for filming this year.

Artistry

Vocal ability

Aguilera who is a soprano, has rivaled many of her other contemporaries and has been referred to as the “voice of her generation” and a blue eyed soul singer. In the MTV special All Eyes on Christina, John Norris said that Aguilera “has a four-octave vocal range”. Aguilera also topped COVE’s list of the 100 Best Pop Vocalists with a score of 50/50 and came fifth in MTV’s 22 Greatest Voices in Music. Aguilera has also been known to sing in the whistle register. A review in an Entertainment Weekly article mentions her “tackling that dog-whistle high note” at the 3:20 mark in the song “Soar” from her album Stripped. Her rendition of “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” at the 49th Grammy Awards ranked 3rd in the Grammy’s Greatest Moments List behind Celine Dion’s performance of “My Heart Will Go On” and Green Day’s performance of “American Idiot”. In an interview, Dion described Aguilera as “probably the best vocalist in the world.” During the work on Back to Basics, DJ Premier explained, “She really represents true music and true singing. She can belt out notes. She has true lungs.” Rolling Stone ranked Aguilera at 58 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, the youngest singer on the list.

Since her debut in 1999 Aguilera has been compared to the likes of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. A review in the Los Angeles Times compared Aguilera’s vocal stylings to Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, and Aretha Franklin adding, “Aguilera’s Streisand-esque tendencies are a good thing; they’re helping her figure out how to become the “great singer” she’s been dubbed since she released her first single, the wise-beyond-its-years “Genie in a Bottle”, at 18.” Although praised for her vocals, Aguilera has been labeled for oversinging in her songs and concerts. Longtime producer and writer, Linda Perry, commented on working on the record, “Beautiful”, saying, “I tried to keep it straight. I told her to get rid of the finger waves. Every time she’d start going into “hoo-ha”, I’d stop the tape. I’m like, ‘You’re doing it again.’” Perry ended up using the first take saying, “She had a hard time accepting that as the final track. It’s not a perfect vocal — it’s very raw. She knows her voice really well, and she knows what’s going on. She can hear things that nobody else would catch.”

Themes and musical style

The constant theme in Aguilera’s music and lyrics is love, although she has written on other subjects including spirituality, female empowerment, and grief. Aguilera has also written about her childhood in two of her records which dealt with domestic abuse. In an interview Aguilera admitted she feels responsible to reveal her most vulnerable feelings and to share the darker sides of her life adding “People that can relate might not feel as alone in the circumstance.” She has been noted to constantly changing her sound in her music and lyrical content. Originally marketed as a bubblegum pop singer during the late 90’s pop scene, she quickly departed into a broad range of musical genres for her follow-up album Stripped. A review states, “Clearly afflicted with Premature Serious Artist Syndrome, Aguilera wants to demonstrate the range of her interests – vampy soul, quasi-metal, piano-bar intimacy, quiet-storm R&B, bounce-bounce hip-hop, and semi-exotic rock, all of it dutifully accomplished.” Although by many she is still considered a pop and contemporary R&B singer despite her range of genres. A review in Allmusic states, “no other teen-pop singer of her era has a better track record than Christina.” The majority of the songs are characterized by Aguilera’s loud vocals, though she has used breathy and soft vocals.

Aguilera has often cited that she prefers working with producers that other artists haven’t approached, saying “I don’t necessarily go to the main people that are the No. 1 chart-toppers in music.” She has however collaborated and worked with several known artists and producers in the hip-hop and R&B genre. Her 2006 release, Back to Basics included producer DJ Premier known for his work with Gang Starr. The New York Times exclaims, “Her decision to work with the low-key DJ Premier was also a decision to snub some of the big-name producers on whom pop stars often rely.”

Influences

One of Aguilera’s major influences and idol is blues singer Etta James, whose classic song, “At Last” has been covered by Aguilera throughout her career. Aguilera says, “Etta is my all-time favorite singer. I’ve said it for the last seven years — since I had my first debut record out — in every interview. I mean, all of Etta’s old songs, countless songs I could name, I grew up listening to.” The majority of her album, Back to Basics, pays tribute to James and other pop standard singers who many originated from the 1950s. In her early years she listened to vintage jazz, blues, and soul music. The album included an unreleased song, “Slow Down Baby”, which sampled a Gladys Knight & the Pips song. A review in The Guardian declared, “Practically everything recorded before Aguilera was born blurs into one amorphous genre, which she categorises, somewhat inadequately, as “fun music”. Aguilera has also named Madonna and Janet Jackson as two of her biggest influences “for being re-inventive and being brave as strong females, to explore whatever, even if they do get bad press. It’s just like they were fearless.” Her other musical influences include Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Nina Simone.

Aguilera cites the musical The Sound of Music and its lead actress, Julie Andrews as an early inspiration for singing and performing. She mentioned the “Golden age of Hollywood” as another inspiration in which she says, “I’m referencing Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Carole Lombard, Greta Garbo, Veronica Lake”. In her music video for “Ain’t No Other Man” she plays her alter ego, “Baby Jane” in reference to the film Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? The film’s stars included actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.

Film and television

In 1991 Aguilera auditioned for a role on The New Mickey Mouse Club, however she did not meet the age requirements. Two years later she joined the cast performing musical numbers and sketch comedy until the show’s cancellation in 1994. Since then Aguilera has done numerous television appearances, in 1999 she made a cameo appearance performing on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. She hosted a Saturday Night Live episode in 2004 prior which included a Sex & The City skit where she portrayed Samantha Jones revealing to everyone she was a man the entire time. Prior to this she appeared as a musical guest for episodes hosted by Christopher Walken in 2000, Salma Hayek in 2003 and then again in 2006 with Alec Baldwin. In regards to acting in film, she’s mentioned in several interviews that she intends to pursue edgy acting roles similar to Angelina Jolie. She voiced a small singing part in the animated film Shark Tale playing a rastafarian jellyfish in the film’s closing musical number. The film’s stars included, among others, Jolie herself.

In 2008 she appeared in the Martin Scorsese documentary Shine A Light which chronicles a two day Rolling Stones concert in New York City’s Beacon Theatre. The film features Aguilera performing “Live With Me” alongside Mick Jagger. Shine A Light premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was released worldwide on April 4, 2008. She will appear as herself in the upcoming Judd Apatow film, Get Him to the Greek. Aguilera will appear as a guest judge on the sixth season of Project Runway on Lifetime Television.

Burlesque

In 2009, Variety confirmed that she will be working in her first feature film, a musical, titled Burlesque, scheduled to begin shooting in late 2009. Aguilera will portray a small town girl who “finds love, family and success in a Los Angeles neo-burlesque club”. The film, distributed by Screen Gems, will be directed by actor and director Steve Antin who also wrote the script, which was revised by Susannah Grant. The film will co-star fellow singer Cher as the club’s owner. Twilight star Cam Gigandet will star as Aguilera’s love interest and Stanley Tucci will portray the club’s manager. Burlesque is set for a Thanksgiving release next year.

Products and endorsement

In 2000, Aguilera was the face for make-up line Fetish where she worked in choosing colors and packaging for the line. She ended her contract the following year. Throughout her career Aguilera has endorsed several brands, including Skechers, Mercedes-Benz, Verizon Wireless, and soft drink giants Coca-Cola in 2001, and Pepsi in 2006. She became the muse and model for fashion house Versace appearing in a campaign for the 2003 fall line. In 2004 Aguilera earned £200,000GBP (about $500,000USD) for opening the summer sale at London’s Harrods store which took in record breaking profits during the four week period. Aguilera signed a contract with European cell phone operator Orange to promote the new Sony Ericsson Walkman phone during the 2006 World Cup.

In 2008 jewelry designer Stephen Webster and close friend of Aguilera released “Shattered”, a collection of sterling silver pieces, through Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Aguilera, who inspired the collection, was featured as a Hitchcock heroine saying, “Working together on this campaign and collection has been an incredible experience. I am honored to be a part of it all.” They reprised their work together for Webster’s 2009 spring line.

Aguilera released two fragrances throughout Europe, the first one Xpose, was released in late 2004 and sold relatively well. Through Procter and Gamble Aguilera released her signature fragrance, Simply Christina in 2007. In Christmas 2007, the fragrance became the number one perfume in the UK, and Germany where it topped sales for the year. The perfume won as the people’s choice for favorite celebrity fragrance at the annual UK Fifi Awards 2008. She released her third fragrance, Inspire, accompanied with a body care collection, on September 1, 2008. The perfume hit shelves in the US, Canada, Latin America, Asia and Northern and Eastern Europe. It is Aguilera’s first fragrance released outside of Europe. Her worldwide ad campaign included a television ad shot by David LaChapelle and was released in the US through Macy’s department stores. The release coincided with Macy’s 150th anniversary which featured Aguilera in commemorative photos. She is set to release her fourth fragrance By Night in October.

Philanthropy

Throughout her career, Aguilera has been involved with certain charities. She signed a letter from PETA to the South Korean government asking that the country stop its alleged killing of dogs for food. She also supports Defenders of Wildlife, Missing Kids, National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, Women’s Cancer Research Fund, and Cedars-Sinai Women’s Cancer Research Institute. She has also worked alongside nonprofit organization Do Something saying, “Every individual has the power to inspire young people across the country.” She was featured in the campaign for photographer, Brie Childers with the goal of helping women of all ages, races and lifestyles feel beautiful and confident about themselves and the body and skin they were born with. Proceeds from benefit several women’s charities nationwide.

Aguilera is still a major contributor in her hometown of Pittsburgh contributing regularly to the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. According to her official website, she toured the center and donated $200,000 to the shelter. She also has auctioned off front row seats and back stage passes for the Pittsburgh-based charity. She has continued her donations and visits to the shelter, and plans to open an additional one. She also supports the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Refuge UK. Since then she has worked with Lifetime Television’s ‘End violence against women’ campaign. Her work there included a public service announcement which aired on the network and during her 2007 tour.

Aguilera is a supporter of the LGBT community. She was honored at the GLAAD Awards for using gay and transgender images in her music video for “Beautiful”. When accepting the award Aguilera said, “My video captures the reality that gay and transgender people are beautiful, even though prejudice and discrimination against them still exists.” In 2005 she appeared on a compilation album titled, Love Rocks, proceeds benefit the Human Rights Campaign, an organization dedicated to fighting for equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. In 2008 she publicly spoke out against California’s Proposition 8 which eliminates same-sex marriage in California saying, “Why you would put so much money behind something [aimed at] stopping from people loving each other and bonding together? I just don’t understand it. It’s hard for me to grasp. But I would’ve been out there with my rally sign as well.”

Aguilera contributes in the fight against AIDS, by participating in AIDS Project Los Angeles’ Artists Against AIDS “What’s Going On?” cover project. In 2004, Aguilera became the new face for cosmetic company M·A·C and spokesperson for M·A·C AIDS Fund. Aguilera appeared in advertisements of the M·A·C’s Viva Glam V lipstick and lipgloss, and was featured on Vanity Fair in recognition of her campaign work. In addition, Aguilera contributed to YouthAIDS by posing for a joint YouthAIDS and Aldo Shoes campaign for “Empowerment Tags” in Canada, the U.S. and the UK. She was featured with one of three ubiquitous slogans, “Speak No Evil?” and stated, “HIV is something that people don’t want to talk about, hear about, or face.” Singer Elton John featured Aguilera in his charity book titled “Four Inches” benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Elton also hand-picked Aguilera, for his annual “Fashion Rocks” charity concert which accompanies music and fashion to benefit the fight against AIDS/HIV.

In the run-up to the 2004 United States presidential election, Aguilera was featured on billboards for the “Only You Can Silence Yourself” online voter registration drive run by the nonpartisan, non-profit campaign “Declare Yourself”. In these political advertisements, shot by David LaChapelle, Aguilera was shown with her mouth sewn shut, to symbolize the effects of not voting. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the importance of voting. In late 2007 Aguilera became the spokesperson for “Rock the Vote” where she urged young people to vote in the 2008 presidential election. In partnership with “Rock the Vote”, she appeared in a public service announcement which aired in summer 2008. The advert showed Aguilera with her son, Max Bratman, wrapped in an American flag, while singing “America the Beautiful”.

In November 2005, all of her wedding gifts were submitted to various charities around the nation in support of Hurricane Katrina victims. That year she also performed at “Unite of the Stars” concert in aid of Unite Against Hunger in Johannesburg, South Africa and at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund at the Coca-Cola Dome. In March 2007 Aguilera took part in a charity album (remaking Lennon’s “Mother”), proceeds benefit Amnesty International’s efforts to end genocide in Darfur. The album titled, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, was released June 12, 2007 and featured various artists. In 2008 she headlined London’s Africa Rising charity concert at Royal Albert Hall which raises awareness for finding substantial issues facing the continent. Later that year she appeared on the Turkish version of Deal or No Deal “Var mısın? Yok musun?” , where she won $180,000. Proceeds were donated to a charity program for orphans.

In 2009 Aguilera became the global spokesperson for World Hunger Relief appearing in advertisements, online campaigns and a public service announcement. Aguilera and her husband traveled to Guatemala with the World Food Programme to bring awareness to issues such as the high malnutrition rate in that country. She met with families of the villages and some of the beneficiaries of WFP’s nutrition programmes. Aguilera adds, “The people of WFP do such a great job helping hungry children and mothers. I’m thankful for the opportunity to be part of such a wonderful project. She was honored at Variety’s annual “Power of Women” luncheon in late 2009 alongside other women in entertainment for her contribution to philanthropic and charitable causes.

Public image and personal life

1999–2003

In late 1999, Aguilera was rumored to have dated MTV VJ Carson Daly. The relationship was the subject of much discussion after the release of Eminem’s song “The Real Slim Shady”, in which Eminem satirically suggests that Aguilera had performed fellatio on both Daly and Fred Durst, the lead singer of Limp Bizkit, and had given the rapper himself a venereal disease. Aguilera called the song’s innuendo “disgusting” and “untrue.” Aguilera and Eminem reportedly resolved the issue three years later backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards.

In October 2000, Aguilera filed a Breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit against Steve Kurtz for improper, undue and inappropriate influence over her professional activities, as well as fraud. According to legal documents, Kurtz did not protect her rights and interests. Instead, he took action that was for his own interest, at the cost of hers. The lawsuit came about when Aguilera discovered Kurtz used more of her commissionable income than he was allotted, and had paid other managers to assist him. She also petitioned the California State Labor Commission to nullify the contract. After terminating Kurtz’s services, Irving Azoff was hired as her new manager.

Kurtz countersued later that month for breach of contract, claiming that the singer violated the same agreement she had sued to void. In the lawsuit, he included others close to Aguilera, alleging their intent to sabotage his business relationship with her. He also singled out Azoff for being in violation of the terms of Kurtz’s contract.

Aguilera appeared twice on Mr. Blackwell’s Ten Worst Dressed Women’s list in 2000 and 2002. It was during this time Aguilera’s image was ridiculed for her heavy make-up and outfits during award shows and public events. Aguilera insisted she doesn’t mind the criticism and was merely making a statement. While seeing one of her music videos, Aguilera’s grandma was disappointed saying, “I nearly died when I saw she was wearing so little. I rang her mom and said, ‘Oh my God, what is Christina doing?’ I feel sad for her really — she is so young. I totally understand why people criticize her.”

She dated Puerto Rican dancer Jorge Santos, he appeared on her tour and music videos throughout 2000. They dated for nearly two years until the relationship ended on September 11, 2001. He remained her dancer well into 2002.

In 2003, Aguilera was in several public feuds with other musicians including Pink who had worked with her on “Lady Marmalade”, the singer mocked Aguilera on stage by using a blow-up doll during her tour. Kelly Osbourne also remarked that Aguilera was, “one of the most disgusting human beings in the world.” Later that year at the MTV Europe Awards where Aguilera was hosting, Osbourne commented on the red carpet calling her a “cow”, Aguilera was later seen throwing darts at a picture of Kelly during the telecast. Several years later however Aguilera purchased The Osbourne house from Sharon and Ozzy which seemed to have ended their feud.

2004–2008

Aguilera began dating music marketing executive Jordan Bratman in 2002. Their engagement was announced in February 2005, and they married on November 19, 2005, in a Napa Valley estate. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Aguilera revealed that she and Bratman enjoy being nude on Sundays, saying, “You have to keep marriage alive, spice it up”. The story received so much attention that following the news supermodel Heidi Klum told Degeneres that she and her husband Seal would consider doing the same ritual.

In May 2006, she posed nude for a Marilyn Monroe-inspired photoshoot in GQ magazine where she re-created several photographs done by Monroe and spoke about her marriage to Bratman. In the issue she also expressed disappointment in fellow singer Mariah Carey, saying that Carey “was never cool to me”, and that “one time we were at a party, I think she got really drunk, and had really derogatory things to say to me.” Carey then released a statement saying, “It is sad yet predictable that she would use my name at this time to reinvent past incidents for promotional gain.” Aguilera responded saying, “My intentions were not to upset Mariah with any statements published or taken out of context. I have all the respect in the world for her.”

On September 9, 2007, at a birthday party for a mutual friend, Paris Hilton publicly congratulated the singer on her pregnancy. Aguilera, however, had not yet confirmed her pregnancy at the time. Aguilera later confirmed this on November 4 in an interview with Glamour magazine. On January 12, 2008, Aguilera gave birth to her son, Max Liron Bratman, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. His Latin firstname and Hebrew middle name roughly translate into “My Greatest Song”. Aguilera was reportedly paid $1.5 million by People magazine for her baby pictures, which according to Forbes places fifth on the list of the most expensive celebrity baby photos.