Admittedly, I wasn’t ever the biggest Christina fan.
My life in terms of music had been spent following Britney’s career after both artists released their debut albums in 1999. I discovered way later on what I wish I had known sooner: the similarities between the two are slim, despite the constant comparisons made since the start of their careers. Once I finally grew to appreciate ballads, I gave Christina a closer listen and I never turned back. It was then that I realized Christina has so many dimensions in her musical identity, from her vocal abilities to her lyrical content to the versatility in the themes in each of her albums. With that being said, choosing 10 songs from a discography that spans more than twenty years wasn’t an easy task, but the decisions were made and I’m ready to dive in.
#10 Let There Be Love (Lotus, 2012)
Do you remember in the early 2010s when all of the pop artists made “fist pumping” music? Unfortunately, I do. Upon someone’s first listen to Let There Be Love, it probably immediately registers as one of those. The reason that I like this song though is simple: it’s FUN. Despite being a “period piece” of the early years of the last decade, Christina’s one-of-a-kind singing style paired on top of the electronica infused dance track makes for an inevitable feel-good moment. This song is sexy, energetic, and best played loud. End of story.
#9: I’m OK (Stripped, 2002)
Making a complete pivot from Let There Be Love, we go back 10 years earlier to Christina’s sophomore album Stripped, perhaps her most controversial and important to date. Placed in the last part of the album, I’m OK is a sensitive and heartbreaking song where Christina reflects on the physical and emotional abuse from her father. While the song doesn’t include the signature Christina Aguilera “howl”, her breathy, almost whispering voice goes hand in hand with the acoustic guitar and violins playing in the background. In the song she praises her mother for her strength and elaborates the impact of her childhood on her life as an adult. Christina has only performed this song live one time because of its vulnerability, but it still stands as one of my favorites.
#8: The Voice Within (Stripped, 2002)
The Voice Within is nothing short of incredible. This beautiful piano ballad has sent chills down my spine more than once. Being the final single released from Stripped, the song had a lot to amount to, given that the first four singles are still praised to this day (which says a lot about the album as a whole.) Luckily, Christina knew what she was doing by releasing this song about acknowledging your worth and trusting yourself as the final single, which played out like a happy ending in a story among all of the tracks combined. Oh, and there’s a choir in the song also. Need I say more?
#7: Back in the Day (Back to Basics, 2006)
Remember when I mentioned the versatility illustrated by Christina from album to album? Back to Basics is the perfect example of that, specifically the song Back in the Day. The album itself is an homage to music stemming from the 1920s-1950s and this song does it perfectly, giving credit to the artists of those decades who began the transformation of music as we know it today. It’s a fantastic mix of blues, r&b, and modern pop that you literally can’t help but to dance along to. Though it was never released as a single, it holds a special place in my heart as the song that epitomizes the meaning of the album.
#6: Get Mine, Get Yours (Stripped, 2002)
Obviously I can’t get enough of this album, but there really is so much to unpack from beginning to end. I think the single choices on Stripped were incredible, but I have to say, Get Mine, Get Yours would have fit in there perfectly. The first time I decided to sit down and listen to this album in full, I was blown away by how sexy this song was and totally bummed I hadn’t heard it sooner. Basically, Christina doesn’t want to fall in love, but she’s persistent on having a good time with somebody in the bedroom. Portraying both her beautiful vocal strength and sweet, seductive whispers against the funky R&B music was sheer genius in the production of this track.
#5: Genie In a Bottle (Christina Aguilera, 1999)
This is the song that started it all, and I am convinced that it’s one of the best debut singles of all time. To this day, whenever this song comes on, EVERYBODY is singing it. Genie In a Bottle is a legendary pop/r&b dance track that would inevitably launch Christina into stardom. Upon its release the track reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as in other countries. Rightfully so. I think almost everybody in the world has heard this song one way or another, but if you haven’t, it’s self-explanatory in the way it became such an iconic piece of pop music culture.
#4: Elastic Love (Bionic, 2010)
I have to start by saying Bionic did not get the recognition it deserved. Critics saw the album as influenced heavily by Lady Gaga, and I can see that comparison, but the album represents the transformation from girl gone wild to becoming a mother. The reason Bionic is so phenomenal to me is because once again, Christina had experimented in a genre of music that completely strayed from anything she had done before. Elastic Love must be played at maximum volume. The combination of the heavy drums, the throbbing synths, and Christina’s robotic vocals makes for an excellent and ambitious dance track. Fun fact: M.I.A. assisted on this track, if that tells you anything about it at all.
#3: Infatuation (Stripped, 2002)
At this point, you should just listen to Stripped in its entirety, but even if you don’t, you need to at least visit the masterpiece that is Infatuation. This is hands down my favorite song from the album. Symbolic of her Spanish heritage, the song tells the story about falling in love with the boy her mother warned her to stay away from. Her voice on this track is so beautiful, once again switching from breathy vocals to the boldness that has become her trademark. With everything on the song combined, it practically feels like a movie, telling a story we all know a little too well.
#2: Unless It’s With You (Liberation, 2018)
I’ll be the first to admit that it took more than one listen for Liberation to grow on me. Initially, I felt like more could have happened after a six year hiatus. The more I listened though, the more cohesive the album became. I truly believe this album highlights some of her best vocal abilities, but the closing track Unless It’s With You is what pulled me in. This song is…. so gorgeous, and criminally underrated. There’s something about the love ballad against the piano wrapped up in her voice that is so dreamy and comforting. I want this song played at my wedding. Hands down.
#1: Reflection (Christina Aguilera, 1999)
This. THIS song still blows me away every single time I listen to it. Christina Aguilera was in the very early stages of her career when she covered this song, which was originally written for the Disney movie Mulan. This is the song that would foreshadow the success of the rest of her career. Her vocals in this song sit right with the other top-tier female vocalists like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Everything about this song ensures that it will remain her most iconic and touching ballad during her career and long after it’s over.
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