Christina Aguilera (album)

Christina Aguilera is the first album by American singer Christina Aguilera, released on August 24, 1999.

After she sang “Reflection” for the Disney movie Mulan in 1998, her record company, RCA Records, quickly started working on her album. They first planned to release it in January 1999. The album has dance-pop and teen pop music, with some R&B, soul, hip hop, and slow songs. Many producers helped create the album, including Johan Åberg, David Frank, Ron Fair, and Robin Thicke.

The album got good reviews, with many praising Aguilera’s strong singing. It started at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 253,000 copies in its first week. It was later certified 8x platinum in the US and sold over nine million copies there. Worldwide, it has sold over 14 million copies, making it Aguilera’s best-selling album. The album also reached the Top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Spain, and South Africa. The success of this album made Aguilera the Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards of 2000.

The album had four big hit songs. “Genie in a Bottle”, “What a Girl Wants”, and “Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)” all reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. “Genie in a Bottle” was also number one in 20 other countries. Another song, “I Turn to You”, reached number three in the US. In 2000, Aguilera went on her first big concert tour. The album was later added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Background

In a 1998 interview, Christina Aguilera said that her biggest dream was to make an album before finishing high school. She went to RCA Records, but the company was struggling with money and told her to try Disney instead.

Disney gave her a chance to sing Reflection, the theme song for the movie Mulan (1998). Soon after, she signed a record deal with RCA. Christina later said, “I got my record deal at the same time as Mulan. I had just turned 17, and in the same week, both happened. I recorded the Mulan song first, then a few months later, I spent about six months in Los Angeles recording my album.”

When  Aguilera was asked to hit a high note for Reflection, she saw it as her big chance to get a record deal. She spent hours recording a cover of Whitney Houston’s "Run to You", making sure to hit that important note. When she finally did, she called it “the note that changed my life” and got the chance to record Reflection.

She flew to Los Angeles for about a week to record the song. Even though the long hours made her really tired, she begged to stay when she heard that a huge 90-piece orchestra would be coming in to record the music. She later said the experience was “amazing.”

Because of the success of Reflection, RCA Records wanted her to release an album as soon as possible. They originally planned for it to come out in September 1998, but later decided on January 1999. 

Recording
Aguilera’s album was recorded between 1998 and 1999, with Ron Fair as the main producer. RCA Records  spent $1 million on songwriters, producers, and vocal training for Aguilera. Fair described her as a “raw talent,” and it took time to find the right songs to showcase her voice. The label wanted a pop album, but Aguilera preferred an R&B sound. She later shared that she wasn’t always allowed to add R&B styles because the label wanted a fresh, young pop record. She found it frustrating, but after her success, her ideas were taken more seriously.

One of the first producers to work on the album was Guy Roche, who worked on "What a Girl Wants" and "I Turn to You". Shelly Peiken co-wrote What a Girl Wants, which was later recorded in a new version with a stronger R&B influence for its single release. Peiken also helped rewrite "Come on Over" to give it more energy.

The album also included a cover of All-4-One’s "I Turn to You", written by Diane Warren, who also wrote "Somebody’s Somebody". Other producers included Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers (who later helped launch Rihanna’s career), Robin Thicke, and Franne Golde. Thicke co-wrote "When You Put Your Hands on Me", which Billboard praised. Looking back, Thicke said that everyone in the studio could tell Aguilera was going to be a star.

One of the last songs added to the album was "Genie in a Bottle", written by David Frank. Aguilera almost didn’t get to record it because other artists wanted it, and her team had to fight for the song.

Music and lyrics
Christina Aguilera is mainly a dance-pop and teen pop album, but it also has some songs with R&B, soul, hip hop, and slow songs. Beth Johnson from Entertainment Weekly said it sounds like music from artists like Tiffany and Whitney Houston. Aguilera herself said it’s a mix of pop and R&B with lots of soul, and that it has all kinds of songs, from fast ones to slow ones.

The album starts with "Genie in a Bottle," which talks about self-respect in a fun way. "What a Girl Wants" is a mix of teen pop and R&B, and it’s about being strong and knowing what you want in a relationship. "I Turn to You" is a slow, soulful song where Christina thanks someone for always being there for her.

Songs like "So Emotional," "Love for All Seasons," and "Somebody's Somebody" have a lot of R&B and soul sounds. "So Emotional" is about a love that’s a little tough. "Love for All Seasons" sounds like a song by Mariah Carey, and "Somebody’s Somebody" is about feeling safe and loved. "Reflection" talks about a girl who is trying to find out who she really is.

"Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)" is the most flirty song on the album, with a fun hip hop beat. "When You Put Your Hands on Me" is about feeling special when someone touches you. "Blessed" has a gospel sound, and "Love Will Find a Way" is a happy R&B song that sounds like Mariah Carey. The last song, "Obvious" is about being confused about life.

Release
Christina Aguilera came out on August 24, 1999, in the United States. To promote the album, Aguilera appeared on TV shows like The Rosie O'Donnell Show and TRL. She also performed her hit song "Genie in a Bottle" at the 1999 Teen Choice Awards. In December 1999, she released a home video called Genie Gets Her Wish. The video had scenes of her singing "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)." In 2000, Christina performed at the Super Bowl halftime show and attended the MTV Video Music Awards, where she sang "Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)" while wearing a red outfit. She also did a performance with Fred Durst. Later in 2000, Christina went to Brazil to promote the album with interviews and TV performances.

On April 28, 2000, Aguilera announced her first tour called Christina Aguilera in Concert, which started on July 31, 2000. She visited 37 cities and did 81 shows. The tour was paid for by Sears and Levi's. Christina said the tour would be full of energy and surprises, and she would be performing some new twists on her songs. She even planned to sing a song by her hero, blues singer Etta James.

In October 2000, the album was re-released as a special edition. The second CD had dance remixes of her first singles and a few new songs. The reissue also came with a new album cover that was inspired by the "Come on Over Baby" music video. In Japan, the album was released in a special "Remix Plus" that only had remixes.

20 years later, in August 2019, Aguilera celebrated the album’s 20th anniversary. The album was re-released on cassette and picture disc, and it was also available to stream. A special orange vinyl version was sold at Urban Outfitters.

For the 25th anniversary in September 2024, Aguilera released a special Spotify Anniversaries EP with new versions of her songs, including "Come on Over," "Genie in a Bottle" with Machine Gun Kelly, and "Reflection." In December 2024, the album was named one of the best of the year by HuffPost.

Singles
"Genie in a Bottle" was the first song from the album, released on May 11, 1999. It got good reviews and became a huge hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. The song also topped charts in eight countries. Its music video was a big success on MTV.

The second single was "What a Girl Wants", released on October 5, 1999. Aguilera wanted a faster version of the song, and when it was released, it got great reviews, with many comparing her voice to Mariah Carey’s and Whitney Houston’s. The song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 2000 and stayed there for two weeks. It also topped the charts in New Zealand and Spain.

The third single, "I Turn to You", was released to US radio on March 3, 2000. Critics had mixed feelings, saying it was a good song for showcasing Christina’s voice but a little predictable. Still, it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video featured her singing in different scenes, including in the rain and on a rooftop. 

The fourth single, "Come on Over" was remade to have more hip hop and dance elements and was released on July 8, 2000. It became Christina’s third number-one hit in the US, staying there for four weeks. The music video was bright and colorful.

Reception
The album got mostly good reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic liked the songwriting and production, saying Christina’s voice really stood out and brought emotion to the songs. Beth Johnson from Entertainment Weekly thought the album was a bit uneven but still called it good for romantic moods. Amanda Murray from Sputnikmusic said it showed the best parts of teen pop music from the late '90s, and David E. Thigpen from Time magazine said Christina’s voice made her stand out in the pop world.

Other reviewers had mixed opinions. A writer for Q liked Christina’s voice but didn’t think the album was very deep. Ann Powers from The New York Times agreed that Christina had a strong voice, but she didn’t feel the album showed her full potential yet. Barry Walters from Rolling Stone didn’t like the album’s theme, calling it too simple. Robert Christgau thought Christina had a mature voice but didn’t have much to say in the songs. Some other critics, like Julene Snyder and Nikki Tranter, felt the album was catchy but didn’t reveal much about Christina’s true self.

Awards
Christina Aguilera became very famous when she released her first album. In 2000, she was nominated for two Grammy Awards. She won one for "Best New Artist."

In 2001, she got another Grammy nomination for her song "What a Girl Wants," which helped make her album even more popular.

"Genie in a Bottle" became number one on the music charts, and Christina became one of the first three female singers to do that with their first song. Her next song, "What a Girl Wants," also did really well, and she received huge praise. With her fourth single, "Come on Over Baby," she had three number-one songs from the same album, which was a huge achievement.

Performance
In the United States, Christina Aguilera's first album started at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 252,800 copies in its first week. In the second week, it fell to number two but still sold 218,000 copies.. As of August 2019, it had sold 8.3 million copies in the US, making it one of the most certified albums of all time. The album also sold 935,000 more copies through BMG Music Clubs. It also reached number one on the Canadian Albums Chart.

In the United Kingdom, the album started at number 21 on the chart, but it soon dropped. It re-entered the top 40 in February 2000 and eventually peaked at number 14, staying on the chart for a total of 26 weeks. In Australia, the album peaked at number 26 and later reached number 21. In New Zealand, it peaked at number five. In Brazil, it sold 80,000 copies within seven months. The album remains Christina Aguilera's best-selling album, with over 14 million copies sold worldwide.

Legacy
The album has had a big impact on music and the entertainment world. In March 2000, Lori Majewski from Teen People magazine said that Aguilera's talent is the reason she will stay popular for a long time. Canadian singer Celine Dion also praised Christina, saying that she has an amazing voice, dances well, and is very beautiful. Christina’s first album was also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 200 most important albums.

Aguilera's first album is remembered for having a strong influence on music. A writer named Kenneth Partridge said that while Christina was popular in the beginning, she struggled to show her true personality. He said that she did this later in her career with her next album, Stripped. He also called her first album a great collection of pop songs. Aguilera herself has said that being real and true to herself in her music is very important to her and that her fans value this too.

"Genie in a Bottle," was listed as one of the best songs of the 1990s. It was also called her “signature song” by AOL Radio. Rolling Stone magazine placed Christina as one of the 100 greatest singers of all time. Many talent show contestants, like those on American Idol, The X Factor, and The Voice, have sung her songs. Christina’s song "What a Girl Wants" inspired the title of the 2000 movie What Women Want, and it was even used in a scene in the film. Lady Gaga has said that Christina’s song "I Turn to You" inspired her to work on her own vocal range when she was younger.

Track listing

 References 

Category:Christina Aguilera albums
Category:Debut albums
Category:1999 albums
Category:Grammy Award-winning albums
Category:Dance-pop albums
Category:R&B albums