Whatev's Christina Aguilera Top 50!

6
Lift Me Up
Bionic (2010)


*Highest placed track from Bionic*

Old Linda Perry can really pull it out of the bag, can't she? This masterpiece really doesn't fit with anything on Bionic at all, which is probably for the best, and it was the only track Perry contributed (because she hates Xtina but she's a cash cow). She also played all the instruments because lesbians can do anything. Of course, @dUb was quite right to point out that the live version is the best (with Lezley on the piano) - it just has a little bit more raw emotion with a simpler acoustic sound and the reverb on the mic makes her voice sound amazing. Plus she looks stunning with a simple blonde bob and red lips. The song was first premiered during the Hope for Haiti Now telethon in January 2010, a full five months ahead of the album's release in June, which is probably why it never became an official single. It still gives me chills and I think it's one of the best examples of why she should be respected as a world class vocalist. I would love to see her do a whole album like this (cc: Lady Gaga).

Highlight: 2:38 "Said IF YOU LIFE ME UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"

Watch:
 
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5
Pero Me Acuerdo De Ti
Mi Reflejo (2000)


*Highest placed track from Mi Reflejo*

Apparently a cover of a 1991 song by Puerto Rican singer Lourdes Robles, "But I Remember You" is the jewel in the crown of Xtina's excellent Spanish album. Why she hasn't recorded another one, I don't know. It was released as the second single and reached #3 in Spain, as well as being nominated for Record of the Year at the Latin Grammys. Again, I have no idea what she's singing about, but the melody and vocals are heartbreaking on their own. It sounds very much like a Diane Warren ballad to me. Pretty video too. I DEMAND YOU LISTEN TO IT.

Highlight: 3:20 to the end is packed with showstopping vox.

Watch:
 
4
Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)
Christina Aguilera - Special Edition (2000)


I liked the original album version as a fluffy Disney pop song, but when it was re-recorded in May 2000 as the fourth and final single from the multi-million selling debut album, it took on a whole new life. It was the first song where Xtina was give significant creative control. This new version had more sexual lyrics, a Latin-style chord progression for the song's b-section, a bridge, a rap section (which she wrote and performed), a mid-song dance breakdown and all-new, more powerful vocals. The original album version had no bridge, so it had previously been performed live with an interlude that sampled "Got To Be Real". However, that song's writers denied clearance for it to be used as a sample, so instead a nice reference to What A Girl Wants was added: "You give me, what a girl feels, what a girl likes, what a girl needs, what a girl wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ants". I remember hearing it on the radio one day, not knowing anything about her re-recording it, and thinking how incredible her voice sounded a year on. It's all a bit complicated and messy, like they threw everything at it (and this seems to be where the growling began - she practically sounds out of breath by the end), and it's very much of-its-time, but I still love it and listened to it every day for years. Following the relative disappointing performance of I Turn To You, this was a big hit, giving Xtina her third US #1 and peaking at #4 in the UK. I love the video too - wow, they must've spent some MONEY. Always loved the red dyed tips in her hair and the DANCING OMG.

Highlight: 2:53 "Oh oh oh yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah YEAH! You give me... ALL. I. ALL I WANT IS YOU."

Watch:
 
The version recorded for Mi Reflejo, using the original backing track but with updated vocals:

Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)

 
3
Walk Away
Stripped (2002)


*Highest placed track from Stripped*

What a fucking sexy song, even though it's about a toxic relationship. Written with and produced by Scott Storch, it really shows off Xtina's range and I love the low notes on the verses. She's so restrained for the first 4 minutes and then she really LETS RIP on that final section (and it's GLORIOUS), before giving us a full minute-long softer, sultry outro that merges into Fighter. It certainly doesn't feel like it's nearly 6 minutes long. Everything about this track is stunningly beautiful, I can't even. What an absolute vocal masterclass.

Highlight: SO. MANY.
1:54 "Now I've been licking my wounds"
3:04 "Every time I try to grasp for air, I am smothered in despair, it's never OVER! OVER! UH!"
3:23 "Inside I'm SCREAMING, begging, pleading, NO MOOOOOORE! OR! OH!"
3:50 the whole section up to 5:04 - fucking HELL

Listen:
 
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6
Lift Me Up
Bionic (2010)


*Highest placed track from Bionic*

Old Linda Perry can really pull it out of the bag, can't she? This masterpiece really doesn't fit with anything on Bionic at all, which is probably for the best, and it was the only track Perry contributed (because she hates Xtina but she's a cash cow). She also played all the instruments because lesbians can do anything. Of course, @dUb was quite right to point out that the live version is the best (with Lezley on the piano) - it just has a little bit more raw emotion with a simpler acoustic sound and the reverb on the mic makes her voice sound amazing. Plus she looks stunning with a simple blonde bob and red lips. The song was first premiered during the Hope for Haiti Now telethon in January 2010, a full five months ahead of the album's release in June, which is probably why it never became an official single. It still gives me chills and I think it's one of the best examples of why she should be respected as a world class vocalist. I would love to see her do a whole album like this (cc: Lady Gaga).

Highlight: 2:38 "Said IF YOU LIFE ME UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!"

Watch:

On some days it is my favourite song of hers ever.

And this performance is up there with her very best.
 
2
Hurt
Back To Basics (2006)


*Highest placed track from Back To Basics*

I always thought it was a Linda Perry solo production, having been inspired by the death of her father, but it was co-written by Mark Ronson: Perry developed the idea while thinking about her father, who had died less than a year ago. She revealed, "And she [Aguilera] came to me, and had these two chords that her and this guy wrote, and she was like 'I really like these chords, can you turn this into a song? I want the song to be about losing someone'. And inside of me, I'm going 'You little fucking bitch, you totally know I lost my dad, and now you're gonna milk my emotions.'" What a bitch! Presumably "this guy" was Ronson. :D

Anyway, I relate to the song in two ways: firstly, because I haven't had a relationship with my own father since I was 14 and, despite this being my decision and generally feeling fine with it, the song sort of stirred up emotions that I didn't even know were there. Secondly, I lost my cousin to leukemia in 2008. She was only 18. We had grown up together and she was like a little sister to me, but after a long illness things became strained in our family and I always regretted how things were left before her death, so I can't really listen to this song without thinking of that whole situation. It usually leads to me driving around in floods of tears getting strange looks from other drivers.

Anyhow, I love a huge overblown ballad and this is a classic example of the genre. It was bizarrely released as the second single - obviously hoping to recapture the success of Beautiful - and Xtina promoted it well with some spectacular live performances. It reached #19 in the US and #11 in the UK, so a little underwhelming for that time, but like all good ballads it has lived on, becoming a talent show staple and rebounding on iTunes every few years.

Highlight: 3:10 "If I had just one more DAAAAAY, I would tell you how much that I've missed you since you've been AWAAAAY, oh oh oh oh..."

Watch:
 
1
What A Girl Wants

Christina Aguilera (1999)

So I thought LONG AND HARD about this. And it couldn't really be anything else. She clearly hates it, but I just love it SO MUCH and don't think she's ever bettered it. Obviously I loved her from Genie, but this really made me a die-hard fan. And it HAS to be the updated radio version, remixed to give it a cooler R&B sound when it was released as the second single, not the weird album version with the annoying baroque interlude - I wish they'd left this out of the video too. Vocally it was the closest thing to Mariah at the time, although I struggle to hear that nowadays, and I remember being AGOG at her effortless live performances on TOTP and The National Lottery! It was another huge hit, peaking at #3 in the UK and giving her a second US #1. It spent 24 weeks on the Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy the year after she won Best New Artist. I love the beat, the lead vocal, the backing vocals, the minor key verses going into the major key chorus, the whooshing sounds - EVERYTHING is so PERFECT.

I actually had no idea it was released by French singer Ophélie Winter the year before. :o

Highlight: When the beat stops around 2:38 for "Whatever keeps me in your arms is what I neeeeeeeeed" + ensuing runs. <3

Listen:
 
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The original ORIGINAL version that was only available on the first run of copies of the album

 
The original ORIGINAL version that was only available on the first run of copies of the album



My edition of the album had this one, I had no idea it was re-released with the new Radio Edit! I assume that re-release also had the new version for Come On Over?

I bought all 4 CD singles from her debut :shy: I Turn To You had a special domestic release with Por Siempre Tu as a b-side and a couple of awful Latin-tinged remixes of What a Girl Wants :D
 
No they all had the video version - don’t think the radio edit was ever on an album. Maybe the greatest hits?

The new version of Come On Over Baby did take the place of the old one on the re-release in 2000 with this cover:

Christina-Aguilera-Bonus-Disc-CD-2-cover.jpg
 
No they all had the video version - don’t think the radio edit was ever on an album. Maybe the greatest hits?

The new version of Come On Over Baby did take the place of the old one on the re-release in 2000 (with the red cover).

According to Discogs they re-released it two times (besides the original print). One with WAGW Radio Edit and a final one in the late 2000's with COO Radio/Video Edit :o
 
poor Christina never had any decent remixes :(



The other one is so bad it's not even on youtube
 
My version has the video version of WAGW which is different from the radio edit.

This is the first edition which I presumably have

https://www.discogs.com/es/Christin...uilera/master/101292?sort=year&sort_order=asc

This would be the rerelease which is the one you mention

https://www.discogs.com/es/Christina-Aguilera-Christina-Aguilera/release/11510678

And there's a third release with no original versions of the singles

https://www.discogs.com/es/Christina-Aguilera-Christina-Aguilera/release/10633606

So much plastic waste Christina
 
I always liken Ophélie Winter (the original WAGW singer and former almost Prince protege) to the plastic surgery woman from Daria.
 
I really have no interest in Hurt, but the video and red dress performance were probably her best ever in terms of being an untouchable superstar.
 
WHATEVAR'S CHRISTINA AGUILERA COUNTDOWN


TOP 50

  1. What A Girl Wants (Radio Edit)
  2. Hurt
  3. Walk Away
  4. Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)
  5. Pero Me Acuerdo De Ti
  6. Lift Me Up (Live)
  7. Genie In A Bottle
  8. Get Mine, Get Yours
  9. Nobody Wants To Be Lonely
  10. Can't Hold Us Down
  11. Dirrty
  12. Makes Me Wanna Pray
  13. El Beso Del Final
  14. Woohoo
  15. Falsas Esperanzas
  16. Not Myself Tonight
  17. I Turn To You
  18. You Lost Me
  19. Infatuation
  20. Save Me From Myself
  21. Impossible
  22. Contigo En La Distancia
  23. Loving Me 4 Me
  24. Slow Down Baby
  25. Soar
  26. Deserve
  27. Oh Mother
  28. Fighter
  29. Masochist
  30. Your Body
  31. Pipe
  32. The Voice Within
  33. Twice
  34. Ain't No Other Man
  35. Underappreciated
  36. Army Of Me
  37. Cruz
  38. Cuando No Es Contigo
  39. Let There Be Love
  40. Beautiful
  41. When You Put Your Hands On Me
  42. Si No Te Hubiera Conocido
  43. Tell Me
  44. Bound To You
  45. Prima Donna
  46. Car Wash
  47. Express
  48. A Song For You
  49. Fall In Line
  50. Somebody's Somebody

BUBBLING UNDER

  1. We're A Miracle
  2. Blank Page
  3. My Girls
  4. Without You
  5. Reflection
  6. Just A Fool
  7. Don't Make Me Love You
  8. Castle Walls
  9. Somos Novios (It's Impossible)
  10. Tilt Ya Head Back


 
what a beautiful Top 50, Whatev!

i'm so sorry about your cousin! i lost my little brother to leukemia so i relate. Hurt was playing in the background while i was reading the write-up and i started crying. you did that.

i will forgive you for the blasphemous Twice placement as long as you give us a WHATEVAR'S MARIAH CAREY COUNTDOWN! no pressure tho!
 
OMG! What a swerve, @Whatevar, you little rascal. When I saw "Come On Over Baby" I thought, oh, he said one song from each album so I must have missed "What A Girl Wants", what a shame. And it ended up at number 1 :o

It's one of my biggest ever guilty pleasures alongside Britney's "Born To Make You Happy".... it's so catchy. I know most wouldn't see it as a guilty pleasure but it's so far removed from my music taste.

But more importantly, "Walk Away" at #3... WHAT A SONG. Definitely the best track on Stripped and, IMO, in her entire career.

"Hurt" is very good too. I don't know the Spanish one, sounds very Gloria Estefan circa 1992. She looks beautiful in the video.

You're definitely a man who knows how to peak at the right time.
 

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