I’m fascinated by Christina Aguilera.
OK, that’s overstating things. Truth is, I haven’t spent much time at all thinking about Christina Aguilera, but when I do pause to ponder her career I find it quite intriguing.
She released her self-titled debut 10 years ago as a Mickey Mouse Club graduate following in the footsteps of the mightily popular Britney Spears. That album, as processed and packaged as a can of Spam, did little to differentiate her from Spears. I remember sharing the popular opinion that she was a wannabe hoping to catch a bit of the teen pop wave Britney had started.
The truth was far more interesting. Unlike Spears, Aguilera could actually sing. And that’s an understatement… this skinny little Ecuadoran/Irish girl has probably the most powerful voice in the music industry today. She’s also a talented songwriter, though she didn’t pen any of the tunes on her debut. Her handlers, so intent on capitalizing on the Spears phenomenon, ignored her obvious abilities and turned her into something far less interesting.
A few years later, Aguilera took the reins of her own career and went hog wild. Her second album, Stripped ran nearly 80 minutes and she co-wrote 14 of its 20 tracks. She also drastically changed her image, shedding the coquettish teen thing in favor of an aggressive hyper-sexual slut-fest. Watching her writhe in ass-less chaps in the video for first single ‘Dirrty,’ you wondered if maybe she was better off before winning her freedom.
But the second single, the self-worth anthem ‘Beautiful,’ along with its powerfully touching video, pointed in yet another direction.
2006’s Back to Basics fulfilled that promise. A double album inspired by the music of the 20s, 30s and 40s, but with a decidedly modern twist, it is ambitious and messy and would be close to perfect if culled down to a single disc. It’s as if Aguilera discovered the middle ground between the shackles of her micro-managed debut and the grungy id she unleashed on Stripped and finally found herself.
I’m dying to see what she comes up with next.
Today’s song, ‘Save Me From Myself,’ is one of my favorites from Back to Basics, mostly because of the way she underplays it. Here’s a woman who can belt out notes that would shatter every glass in the room, and she performs this whole song in a heartfelt whisper.
It gets so complicated
All the things you gotta be
Everything’s changing
But you’re the truth
I’m amazed by all your patience
Everything I put you through
when I’m about to fall
Somehow you’re always waiting with
Your open arms to catch me
You’re gonna save me from myself
From myself, yes
You’re gonna save me from myself
My love is tainted by your touch
Well some guys have shown me aces
But you’ve got that royal flush
I know it’s crazy everyday
Well tomorrow may be shaky
But you never turn away
Don’t ask me why I’m crying
‘Cause when I start to crumble
You know how to keep me smiling
You always save me from myself
From myself, myself
You’re gonna save me from myself
I know it’s hard, it’s hard
But you’ve broken all my walls
You’ve been my strength, so strong
And don’t ask me why I love you
It’s obvious your tenderness
Is what I need to make me
A better woman to myself
To myself, myself
You’re gonna save me from myself
Meet Me In Montauk 
Am I sensing an undisclosed theme week? Gorgeous women who are deeper and more talented than they may first appear?
Regardless, my first impression of Christina is actually right in line with her evolution…
I guess both Mulan and Christina were determined “to show the world what’s inside their heart,” at least once they came to terms with whatever that was. Still, her tremendous voice was apparent from the start with this, her first single. I honestly know nothing of the rest of her music (do you actually own all those albums?) though my curiosity was piqued when I learned of her foray into the music of the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. The woman can sing – that pretty much is all I know about her.
I always forget she sang ‘Reflection’… love that song.
I own only Back to Basics.
Intriguing in deed. Very cool song. Thanks for showing me the ‘other side” of Aguilera. of course, as the Reflections video Amy posted shows, her other side is actually a cross-dressing Chinese woman:)
I know I keep chiming in a day behind, but it’s orientation week… what can I say?
Thank you for sharing this song. If this was the first thing I had ever heard from “Xtina” (as she referred to herself around the release of Stripped), I might actually be a fan. No doubt about her amazing voice, but I prefer something like this to most of what has hit the airwaves.