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Christina Aguilera (album)

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Christina Aguilera
Studio album by
Christina Aguilera
ReleasedAugust 24, 1999 (1999-08-24)
Recorded1998–1999
Genre
Length46:27
LabelRCA
Producer
Christina Aguilera chronology
Christina Aguilera
(1999) 		Mi Reflejo
(2000)
Alternative cover
2000 Special 2CD edition cover[a]
2000 Special 2CD edition cover[a]
Singles from Christina Aguilera
  1. "Genie in a Bottle"
    Released: May 11, 1999
  2. "What a Girl Wants"
    Released: October 8, 1999
  3. "I Turn to You"
    Released: March 28, 2000
  4. "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)"
    Released: July 11, 2000

Christina Aguilera is the debut studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 24, 1999, by RCA Records. After recording "Reflection", the theme song for the 1998 Disney film Mulan, RCA laid the foundation for the album immediately and started presenting Aguilera with tracks for her debut album, which they originally decided would have a January 1999 release. Its music incorporates dance-pop and teen pop genres, with a few songs featuring strong elements from soul and contemporary R&B. Contributions to the album's production came from a wide range of producers, including David Frank, Ron Fair, Guy Roche, Robin Thicke, Matthew Wilder and Aaron Zigman.

The album received positive reviews, with critics praising Aguilera's vocal performance and technique. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 253,000 copies. The album was certified octuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold over nine million copies in the US, and is among the best-selling albums by women. The album remains Aguilera's best-selling album, with sales of over 14 million copies worldwide. Christina Aguilera reached the Top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Spain, and South Africa. It earned Aguilera the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.

The album spawned four hit singles; "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", all topped the US Billboard Hot 100, with the former single also reaching number one in 20 additional countries; while the album's third single "I Turn to You" also reached number three on the Hot 100 chart. Furthermore, Aguilera embarked on her debut headlining concert tour in 2000. The album was later included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Background and development

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

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

After she was asked to hit a musical note required for "Reflection", she thought that the song could be the gateway into an album deal. Aguilera spent hours recording a cover of Whitney Houston's "Run to You", which included the note she was asked to hit.[2] After successfully hitting the note, which she called "the note that changed my life", she was given the opportunity to record the song. To record the song, she flew to Los Angeles for roughly a week.[4] Despite growing increasingly exhausted during the recording sessions, when she heard that a 90-piece orchestra would be arriving to record the instrumental she begged to stay and witness the event. She later called the experience "amazing".[4] Due to the success around the recording of "Reflection", RCA wished for Aguilera to record and release an album by September 1998 to maintain the "hype" surrounding her at that time.[4] The label laid the foundation for the album immediately and started presenting Aguilera with tracks for her debut album, which they later decided would have a January 1999 release.[4][5] "Reflection" was written and produced by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel, whom later co-wrote with Aguilera "We're a Miracle".

Recording and production

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

Christina Aguilera was recorded between 1998 and 1999, with Ron Fair serving as the album's executive producer. The label reportedly spent $1 million on writers, producers and voice lessons.[6] According to Fair, "She was very much a raw talent, so building a collection of songs that would become her first album was a time-consuming process. We wanted to find the ones that could knock the door down and put her up there."[6] The album was built around pop songs, which was against Aguilera's will, since she wanted a more R&B album. She further explained during an interview for The Washington Post: "I was held back a lot from doing more R&B ad-libbing. They clearly wanted to make a fresh-sounding young pop record and that's not always the direction I wanted to go in. Sometimes they didn't get it, didn't want to hear me out because of my age, and that was a little bit frustrating. Since all the success, it's a little easier to get my opinions across."[6]

According to the producers, Aguilera was heavily inspired by American singer Mariah Carey (pictured) while recording the album

One of the first producers of the album was Guy Roche, who produced two tracks ("What a Girl Wants" and "I Turn to You") and co-wrote one of them ("What a Girl Wants"), along with Shelly Peiken. "What a Girl Wants" was later re-recorded for its single release, replacing the "lighter" version for a more "funky" R&B version. Peiken also re-wrote with Roche the single version for the track "Come on Over", first produced by Johan Aberg, Paul Rein and Aaron Zigman.[7] According to herself, "We're going to give it more of an edge, R&B it up a little, maybe rock it out a little, give it a lot of different new directions and get it out there."[8] Peiken co-wrote "Don't Make Me Love You", "Too Beautiful for Words", and "Dreamy Eyes", but those songs — though recorded — were scrapped, as the album only had space for twelve tracks.[9]

Aguilera also recorded a cover of All-4-One's song "I Turn to You", written by Diane Warren who also wrote "Somebody's Somebody". Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers (who would eventually break into the scene as the producers who launched Rihanna's career) wrote and produced two tracks ("Love for All Seasons" and "Love Will Find a Way"), Travon Potts and Brock Walsh wrote and produced "Blessed", while the then up-and-coming Robin Thicke co-wrote and co-produced "When You Put Your Hands on Me". The song has been called a "slinky R&B standout" that "celebrates the alchemy of sex" by Billboard's Kenneth Partridge.[10] In retrospect, Thicke noted: "She [Aguilera] came up to the studio, we did a couple songs, and we just all knew she was going to be a star. We just all knew."[11]

Franne Golde (who previously worked with Whitney Houston) also wrote a song for Aguilera titled "So Emotional" which was originally written for Selena's album, but unfortunately she died at the age of 23. The track's producer, Ron Harris, revealed that Aguilera in-between recordings "was only listening to Mariah Carey and Brandy, putting on her walk man and practicing their riffs and runs, before she did her ad-libs.[12] At the final stages, producer and songwriter David Frank presented a song called "Genie in a Bottle",[13] which Aguilera almost didn't record, "because there were a lot of other artists out there that were after this song, so we had to fight a little bit to get it", she claimed.[14] With Heather Holley, Aguilera also co-wrote along with producers Heather Holley and Rob Hoffman a track called "I Will Be", which she said was inspired by Mariah Carey's "Vanishing".[15] The duo also wrote and produced the album's final track "Obvious", and "I Come Undone",[16] which was ultimately not officially released.

Music and lyrics

Robin Thicke (pictured) co-wrote "When You Put Your Hands on Me"

Christina Aguilera is a dance-pop and teen pop record;[17] it mainly consists of teen pop songs.[18] Beth Johnson of Entertainment Weekly compared the album's musical styles to those of Tiffany and Whitney Houston.[19] The record opens with "Genie in a Bottle", which uses sexual references to talk about self-respect.[20] Billboard editor Kenneth Partridge wrote that the song features "32nd-note bass-drum pattern that mimics the heart palpitations of a teenager in lust."[10] "What a Girl Wants" is a hybrid of teen pop and R&B which lyrically "[reveals] an independent, strong woman who knows what she wants from a relationship, both sexually and emotionally."[21][22] The cover version of All-4-One's ballad "I Turn to You" is a soul-influenced track.[10] On the song, Aguilera thanks someone for their "faith, strength, support, commitment and tenderness".[23]

"So Emotional", "Love for All Seasons" and "Somebody's Somebody" incorporate strong elements of R&B and soul.[22] "So Emotional" is a midtempo gospel-inspired number talking about a man who has got Aguilera "on the ropes".[10][24] "Love for All Seasons" is a pop track which is musically similar to Carey's "Always Be My Baby" (1996), while "Somebody's Somebody", in which Aguilera sings about being secure in one's arms, features drums snap, bass pops, and a gospel organ in the bridge.[10] Aguilera sings about a woman longing to reveal her true self on "Reflection", which Partridge characterized it as the song that "sums up the album".[10] "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" is deemed the most "sexual" track on Christina Aguilera, a hip hop-influenced song; the radio mix of the song, released in 2000 as a single, features a rap verse written by Aguilera herself.[25]

"When You Put Your Hands on Me", an R&B song co-written by Robin Thicke, addresses the alchemy of a sexual intercourse: "I just know / when you put your hands on me / I feel sexy / and my body turns to gold."[10] "Blessed" features elements of gospel, while "Love Will Find a Way" features an R&B groove and was compared to Carey's songs "Emotions" (1991) and "Dreamlover" (1993).[22] On the final song, "Obvious", Aguilera wonders whether her confusion about her life is apparent to everyone.[10]

Release and promotion

Main article: Christina Aguilera in Concert

Christina Aguilera was released on August 24, 1999, in the United States by RCA Records. Aguilera made many appearances on television shows in order to promote the album, such as The Rosie O'Donnell Show[26] and TRL.[27] Additionally, she performed "Genie in a Bottle" at the 1999 Teen Choice Awards.[28] In December 1999, a full-length home video titled Genie Gets Her Wish was released. The video includes interviews with her from backstage, in the studio and on the road, also featuring Aguilera's rendition of Mel Torme's Yuletide classic "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)".[24] Later on, in 2000, Aguilera performed at the Super Bowl XXXIV as a halftime performer.[8] Aguilera also attended the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, where she and Fred Durst performed together. Aguilera performed "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", wearing a tight ruby red outfit with black and red streaks in her hair, and near the end, Durst walked onstage and performed part of his band Limp Bizkit's song "Livin' It Up" with Aguilera. After eliciting charged reactions from his fans, Durst stated: "I already told you guys before, I did it all for the nookie, man."[29] Aguilera denied Durst's statement, saying Durst "got no nookie".[30] During late 2000, Aguilera traveled to Brazil to promote the album, where she did many interviews and performances on Brazilian television, including Domingão do Faustão, Programa Raul Gil and Planeta Xuxa.[31]

On April 28, 2000, Aguilera announced her first tour, titled Christina Aguilera in Concert, which commenced on July 31, 2000, and went on to visit 37 cities, with a total of 81 shows. The tour was sponsored by Sears and Levi's.[32] Aguilera released a statement about the tour, saying: "Headlining my own tour means creative control and a high-energy, let-loose show. It's designed with my band and dancers to be a visually exciting mix of my big hits and some special surprises", adding: "Plus, my sponsors, Sears and Levi's, are giving fans lots of ways to get involved with the tour, like exclusive CDs and posters, a chance to win a backstage pass to hang with me and a cause-related program called 'Come On Over and Do Something' that was created specifically for the tour."[33] About the tour's setlist, she claimed: "I'll be doing songs from my debut album. But I've changed so much from doing that at 17, so we'll put a whole new twist on things from my album. ... There will be a lot of blues and soul inflections, which is what I've wanted to do more of for a long time."[32] One feature of the shows she described involved getting the crowd excited with her hit "What a Girl Wants" and then switching to a piano-and-vocal-only song by her idol, blues legend Etta James.[32]

In October 2000, the album was reissued as the Special edition, released as a double CD, with the second disc consisting of the dance remixes of the album's first three singles, in addition to the remix of "Genio Atrapado" (the Spanish version of "Genie in a Bottle"), the new song "Don't Make Me Love You", originally released as the album's Japanese bonus track, and the radio remix of "Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)". The new edition was released with the new cover artwork, which uses a still from the "Come on Over Baby" music video, edited in the same style as the cover art for her follow-up Spanish album, Mi Reflejo, released a month before.[34] In Japan, the reissue was released on a single disc and titled as "Remix Plus" edition, because in this country the new material consists only of remixes, as "Don't Make Me Love You" was already included in Japanese standard edition.[35]

In August 2019, Aguilera announced the re-release of Christina Aguilera in order to commemorate its 20th anniversary.[36] The album was reissued on cassette and picture disc on October 4, while its double-disc reissue had been made available for digital download and streaming on August 23. Furthermore, the orange-colored vinyl edition was released exclusively at Urban Outfitters on August 23.[36]

Singles

"Genie in a Bottle" was the lead single of the album, released on May 11, 1999. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who commended the song for being pleasant,[37] sweet, the album's best moment and her signature track.[38] It became one of Aguilera's highest-charting singles, getting certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song became an overnight hit and Aguilera's first number-one single. It topped the charts for five consecutive weeks on Billboard Hot 100 due to strong physical CD sales and airplay, having the longest stay at number one of 1999.[39] The single made airplay history, becoming one of the most successful airplay-only singles and topped the charts weeks before its accompanying music video was made.[40] It also topped the charts in eight countries, while it charted within the top five in every country it was released in.[41] Its music video was a success, becoming a staple on MTV's Total Request Live and featuring Aguilera enjoying some fun and sexual tension at a beach bonfire.[42] The song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. A version of the song in Spanish, entitled "Genio Atrapado", was recorded and included in some editions of Christina Aguilera and later on her Spanish-language album Mi Reflejo. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart,[43] and received a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1st Latin Grammy Awards.[44]

"What a Girl Wants" was released as the second single. Instead of the slower version, Aguilera insisted that a more upbeat mix, with an R&B edge, needed to be created to be released as a single.[45] Released on October 29, 1999, to radio stations,[46] the song received positive reviews from critics, with most praising her vocals on the track,[47] comparing them to those of Mariah Carey[4] and Whitney Houston.[38] "What a Girl Wants" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 15, 2000, staying atop the chart for two weeks. It ended the chart reign of Santana's "Smooth"[48] and became Aguilera's second number-one single.[39] The single also topped the charts in New Zealand and Spain, while peaking at number three in the United Kingdom, at number five in Australia and reaching the top 20 in most countries it charted in.[49] The song was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards held on February 21, 2001. A Spanish version entitled "Una Mujer" was also recorded and included on Mi Reflejo.[50]

"I Turn to You" was serviced to US radio on March 28, 2000, as the third single. It received mixed reviews from critics, who recognized that the track allowed Aguilera's vocals to soar and shine,[37] but called it a cliché ballad.[51] However, the single peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, becoming Aguilera's third consecutive top-three hit. The single also reached the top ten in Canada,[52] the top 20 in other three countries, including the UK,[53] and the top 40 elsewhere.[54] The music video was directed by Joseph Kahn, and features Aguilera singing in front of a microphone before walking in the rain with an umbrella, and on a rooftop. The video's storyline follows a young woman getting into an accident, with her mother worriedly waiting for word on where she is at the late hour.[55] A Spanish version entitled "Por Siempre Tu" was released and included on Mi Reflejo. It peaked at number six on the Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming Aguilera's first top-ten Spanish single.[43]

On May 27, 2000, during an interview with Jam! Canoe's Stephanie McGrath, Aguilera revealed plans to release at least two more singles from her debut–"Come On Over (All I Want Is You)" as soon as "I Turn to You" "runs its toll", and "So Emotional" that fall.[8] "So Emotional" indeed had a simple music video, which was made available through Aguilera's Vevo account in 2009,[56] showing her in a casual outfit recording the song in the studio.[57] However, the song was never released as a single. "Come On Over (All I Want Is You)" was, indeed, chosen as the fourth single. For the song's release, Aguilera claimed: "We're going to head back in the studio, give it more of an edge, R&B it up a little, maybe rock it out a little, give it a lot of different new directions and get it out there."[8] The reworked version, entitled "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", features more hip hop and dance elements as well as "edgy" and "sexual" lyrics,[45] even a rap by Aguilera. It was released on July 11, 2000, as the album's fourth and final single. The song's new version received mixed reviews, with some criticizing the fact that the track "was more like an album track than a hit", but praised the catchy chorus.[58] However, the song was a success on the charts, becoming Aguilera's third number-one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, spending four weeks at the top, from October 8 to November 4, 2000.[39] It spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, was ranked at number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart of 2000, and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. It was also a success internationally, reaching the top ten in countries including Australia, Canada and the UK.[53][59] Its music video was considered "bright and colorful", with green, white, and gold backgrounds juxtaposed against a dance choreography.[60] Its Spanish version, entitled "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)", became a number-one hit on the Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming her first Spanish chart-topper.[43]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[17]
Billboard(mixed)[10]
Christgau's Consumer GuideC+[61]
Entertainment WeeklyB-[19]
The New York Times(favorable)[62]
PopMatters(mixed)[18]
Q[63]
Rolling Stone[64]
Sonicnet[38]
Sputnikmusic[37]

Christina Aguilera received generally positive reviews from music critics.[65] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised the songwriting and the "clean and uncluttered" production on the project. He eventually commended on Aguilera's vocals, writing that "she not only has charisma, she can actually sing, bringing conviction to these love and heartbreak songs."[17] Although calling it "a frustratingly erratic album", Beth Johnson wrote that "Christina still makes a credible bid to be the late-summer soundtrack to romantic rebound."[19] Sputnikmusic editor Amanda Murray wrote that Christina Aguilera "is an album that is highly representative of the better aspects of the teen pop movement of the late 90s."[37] A reviewer writing for Q said the album "shows off her pretty, but powerful vocals to surprisingly impressive effect."[63] Ann Powers on behalf of The New York Times agreed, writing "Beyond its sleek design, this album hints at a real singer's emergence. She has striking vocal power and range, if not a clue about expressing individuality."[62]

Barry Walters from Rolling Stone criticized the album's theme, calling it "bubble-brained", writing that they "give Aguilera little substance to spin into gold."[64] Robert Christgau said, "like LeAnn and unlike Britney, Christina already has 'adult' grit and phrasing down pat, and so threatens to join Gloria, Mariah, Celine, and LeAnn herself in the endless parade of Diane Warren-fueled divas-by-fiat hitting high notes and signifying less than nothing."[61] Julene Snyder of Sonicnet wrote that "Aguilera has an instinctive grasp of the insipid state of the pop/dance music scene, especially as it relates to her peers."[38] On behalf of PopMatters, Nikki Tranter said "there are lots of 'oohs' and plenty of 'ahhs' and just enough 'I wants' and 'you likes' to keep the kids happy."[18] Partridge deemed the project "quite listenable"; however, he said the lyrics "tell us precious little about the girl on the cover."[10]

Accolades

Christina Aguilera has also been noted as Aguilera's launch into stardom and has earned her numerous awards and achievements. Aguilera was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2000 for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, the latter being for "Genie in a Bottle".[66] She won the former.[66] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard cited her Grammy win as one of her "10 Biggest Career Moments", describing it as "the battle for teen pop supremacy" as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were both nominated for the Best New Artist prize. Aguilera told the audience at the ceremony that she did not have a speech prepared for the event because she didn't think she would win.[67] Aguilera has since taken home four more Grammys, for the songs "Lady Marmalade", "Beautiful", "Ain't No Other Man", and "Say Something" respectively.

Aguilera also received a Grammy nomination in 2001 for "What a Girl Wants" in the "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" category, and according to Time magazine, "both of which helped catapult the album to the top of the charts".[68] Aguilera's Grammy Award nominations, two back to back number-one singles, magazine gossip, and merchandise released under her name made her the "It girl", according to People.[69]

"Genie in a Bottle", the album's lead single, reached number one and Aguilera became the third female artist in 1999 to top the Hot 100 chart with her debut single, behind Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" and Jennifer Lopez's "If You Had My Love".[42] The success of the follow-up single, "What a Girl Wants" solidified Aguilera as a strong musical force and earned her several accolades, including five MTV Video Music Awards nominations.[70] With the album's fourth single, "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", Aguilera managed to have three number-one singles for the same album and four top-ten singles, an achievement she only did with her first album.[39]

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