Happy Birthday Christina Aguilera!
The teen pop star-turned-songstress-turned-sometimes Voice coach with the huge pipes turns 34 today, and to celebrate, we rounded up five of her underrated (read: non-single) gems from her career over seven studio albums.
Check them out below.
1. “I’m OK”
This Stripped deep cut is a soulful exploration about a young woman coming into her own and not putting up with bad influences in her life any longer. There are memorable career high points in singles “Fighter,” “Beautiful,” and “Can’t Hold Us Down,” but at her darkest — as she is in this tune about her childhood and abusive father — Aguilera’s powerful voice, here dialed back, shows just how emotionally powerful it can be.
2. “My Girls”
This Bionic track — featuring Peaches — got lost in the dirrty dance-pop era of Lady Gaga, Kesha and more. But its feminist message feels right at home in Beyonce & Nicki Minaj’s 2014.
3. “The Right Man”
Back to Basics was a great marriage of voice with material. While “Candyman” and “Hurt” became the singles on the back half of the album, this beautiful power ballad about feeling confident in her marriage was made for weddings. It’s also a nice compliment to some of her earlier work where she opened up about paint from her childhood, showcasing the future happiness she couldn’t see when she was younger.
4. “Mercy on Me”
This Back to Basics track finds Aguilera experimenting with gospel elements, which of course is a great fit for her large voice. When she lets loose with some of the biggest notes of the ballad, it shows you at her best the kind of chills she can produce.
5. “Sing for Me”
In some of Aguilera’s later work, her gorgeous voice is over-produced and she loses what makes her special. But on this Lotus track, Aguilera’s love for the music is front and center.
What’s your favorite underrated Aguilera song?
Originally Posted on Billboard.com
Reblogged this on Benji's Music Blog and commented:
Happy Birthday, Christina!