Reflection: Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera started her singing career with the song “Reflection” for Mulan, a children’s Disney movie. The playlist features songs from several of her albums, but not “Reflection.” This song was in a period of her career where she was seen as a the “good girl” type. According to Kristen Lieb in the TEDxSomerville video, if you are a woman and want to stay in the industry you start at this point. Lieb discusses the twelve types of female popstars. Each type reflects that stage in the performers career. The stage that is formulated for them by the industry and the media. Women are put into categories and judged based on the categories they are in.
The playlist reflects Christina’s transition from the “temptress” type to becoming the “diva” type. The temptress is sexy and seductive, and the diva is taken seriously for her talent. Even though she is still hypersexualized in some ways, her lyrics reflect female empowerment. In the “Stripped (Intro)/Stripped Pt. 2” Christina sings, “Sorry you can’t define me, sorry I break the mold, sorry that I speak my mind, sorry I don’t do what I’m told.” The album cover is a picture of her literally stripped down to nothing but jeans.
Christina reflects the temptress type in songs like “Dirrty” and “Genie in a Bottle,” but she also has “Can’t Hold Us Down” and “Beautiful,” where she is a diva. “Can’t Hold Us Down” is a statement to say the least…” should I be silent because I’m a woman…this is for all my girls around the world…” Her girl gang rallies behind her chanting “can’t hold us down.”
In contrast to “Can’t Hold Us Down,” “Beautiful” has a more somber tone. The first comment for the “Beautiful” video is “This song saved my life.” In this video, Christina tells women that they are beautiful, no matter what anyone says, and that words cannot bring you down. In “Beautiful” Christina represents the diva. Previously known for her more sexual and promiscuous work, “Beautiful” contains powerful lyrics about insecurity and vulnerabilities. Accompanying the lyrics is her strong and beautiful voice. The video focuses on individuals struggling with their appearance, sexuality, and gender. Christina does not wear clothes like the clothes she wears in “Dirrty;” in this video she is wearing black baggy pants and a simple black tank top. She is sitting in a room with nothing but a chair and a mirror. As she belts into the mirror, the anorexic teen smashes a mirror in her room. Almost like Christina is singing to her. The girl hears the message and can finally accept herself. The music video focuses on other personal stories and not her sexuality. The main message being that we are all beautiful in our own way, and she lets that speak for itself.
