Ain't No Other Man: Christina Aguilera Reflection

Christina Aguilera’s music video for her song “Ain’t No Other Man” shows different scenes of her in a setting reminiscent of the 1920’s. She moves between a cabaret, a dressing room, a bedroom, and a hallway. In each she wears different glamorous and provocative outfits, and in each, men ogle over her. I would categorize this Aguilera in this video as her “Temptress” phase. Kristin Lieb said that in this phase, which follows the “Good Girl” stage, “the songs become about sex, the costumes become about sex, the narratives about them become about sex.” Many of the comments under the music video are about her body and sex appeal, however, just as many seem to be about her voice. I think that because of Christina Aguilera’s unique voice, she appeals to fans across genres. However, she hasn’t released an album since 2010. This could explain why one comment read, “why isnt she relevant now? she's definitely on par with Beyonce in vocals so what's up?” As of right now, Aguilera has a family and several projects, but building a following is not a priority for her. It’s true that she isn’t as relevant now, but she was a judge on The Voice, taught a masterclass, and voiced a character in The Emoji Movie. To a certain extent, I agree with Lieb and her categories for female musicians, but I also believe that there are die-hard fans for any singer you can name. For some, Christina Aguilera will always be a “Temptress” and for others she maybe never was. The image that an artist creates for herself is not always clear cut.