Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera album)
Encyclopedia
Back to Basics is the third studio album
by American recording artist Christina Aguilera
, first released on August 10, 2006 by RCA Records
. The album features what Aguilera describes as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz
, blues
, and feel-good soul music
, but with a modern twist." The album has yielded three commercial singles: "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt
" and "Candyman
". "Slow Down Baby
" was used as a promotional single to promote her tour in Australia and "Oh Mother
" was released as the album's fourth single in some parts of Europe. The album made Aguilera's second U.S. non-consecutive number-one album. The album received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards and won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man
". It was her first album to reach number one album in the United States
after 1999's "Christina Aguilera
", selling 346,000 copies in the U.S. and 615,000 copies worldwide in the first week.
started studio sessions in 2005 as a follow-up to her second album, Stripped
, released in 2002. Aguilera explained that her break in her musical career is to take her time, so when she is back, she has a lot more to say about the happenings of her life. Aguilera explained that she also wanted to bring something novel to her album which has 24 songs on it. Aguilera wanted to try and evolve as an artist and a visionary. Aguilera worked with hip hop
producers DJ Premier
, who had previous works with Notorious B.I.G., Nas
, among others, Rich Harrison
, Kwamé, Mark Ronson
for the first time, and Linda Perry
, with whom she had also worked on her previous studio album Stripped. As early as June 2006, Aguilera and the production team have been working together for months. Aguilera described to Premier what she wanted to create in the new effort and presented CDs of joints to listen to, like Al Green
and Aretha Franklin
. In June 2006, Aguilera already recorded tracks enough for a two-disc album, but reduced to make it only one and affordable. However, on the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Aguilera revealed that the new album will include two discs. DJ Premier revealed that when he was contacted for working with Aguilera he admitted that he didn't expect a pop artist to work with him and asked himself if she even had an idea who he was. But Aguilera was familiar with some of Premier's jazz-influenced work with Gang Starr in the late 1980s and early 1990s, especially the song "Jazz Thing and that was the tune Aguilera wanted to create for her upcoming album. Aguilera stated that she wasn't totally sure whether DJ Premier would accept the offer, because it was the first time that he would enter into the "pop" world.
Aguilera took inspiration for the production of the album from Billie Holiday
, 90's R&B, Otis Redding
, Marvin Gaye
, Etta James
and Ella Fitzgerald
. Aguilera was exposed to soul, jazz and blues records when she was a child because her mother used to bring her to look for vintage records. The songs in the two-disc album are constructed in different style. The first disc is a throwback album with elements of '20s, '30s, and '40s blues and jazz with a modern-day twist, largely produced by beat-oriented producers, like DJ Premier
. It is also more "fakeness-driven" (as Aguilera stated on the Back to Basics CD enhanced video). Most songs employ record sampling
except "Without You", "F.U.S.S.", and "Still Dirrty". The second disc is kept authentic, sticking to a really raw, old-soul sound. The songs are all live records except "Candyman" Which features samples the military cadence "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine", sampled from the album Run to Cadence with the United States Marines, Volume 2 and they were mostly written by Aguilera and Perry; however, the theme remains organically vintage. "There are no samples - It's all live music, except for Candyman", Aguilera related about the second disc. The record also use elements with a 1920s circus theme.
When Aguilera was asked why she chose DJ Premier as the main producer of the first disc she answered following "The thing that I try to do with each record, I don't necessarily go to the main people that are the No. 1 chart-toppers in music, to the obvious person, say, the Neptunes, Pharrell or Lil Jon. I really like to go someplace different that people haven't approached." The opening track, "Makes Me Wanna Pray", features adult-contemporary mainstay Steve Winwood
.
Lyrically, when she started writing on the new disc, she incorporated her real life to the songs. She, however, quoted that, in her lead single "Ain't No Other Man
", it does not speak about love. However, songs which were influenced heavily from Aguilera's husband were "Save Me From Myself." "Still Dirrty", a track in the first disc co-worked with Nas
, is a sequel to her 2002 single "Dirrty
", which was panned by critic
s for its controversial music video
, taking her to the forefront showing sexual fetishes
. In the track, Aguilera reminisces the plight of her career when she did the record. The beat, however, is different from its predecessor; it is jazz-sampled backed with horns
. In "Oh Mother
" Aguilera describes the household abuse and praises her mother's bravery and courage in the face of her father's abuse. According to Billboard
it's not just a tribute to her mother, but she feels a responsibility to share the "darker" sides of her life, because people could relate to the song and might not feel as alone in the circumstance. In the track "Back in the Day" Aguilera is talking about all the soul singers that she listened to as a child and pays homage to her idols, dropping names like Otis Redding, Gladys Knight and Billie Holiday, and praises them as "ground breakers", "innovators", and "originators". On the last song "Thank You" of the first disc Aguilera combines a sample of her past hits "Genie In A Bottle
" and "Can't Hold Us Down
" with messages from Aguilera's fans and was produced as a thank you for the support of Aguilera's fans.
, Marlene Dietrich
, Marilyn Monroe
, Carole Lombard
, Judy Garland
, Greta Garbo
, Veronica Lake
, among others as her inspirations.
Aguilera handpicked German
photographer Ellen von Unwerth
, who has captured Janet Jackson
and Penelope Cruz
, for the photo sessions. They spent three days beginning at a historic hotel called the Hollywood Dell
. Aguilera spent most of the first day shooting in a bed, peering through the iron bars of a headboard; a shot inspired by a famous Marilyn Monroe picture. Later, the image featuring Aguilera in white dress and lounging at the bed was used as the album's cover, an image shot on the same session. The production group used warm lighting. On the second day, Aguilera used more dressed up outfits. For the third day session, Aguilera and Unwerth went to a Forty Deuce, a Hollywood hot-spot that puts a modern twist on a 1920s burlesque
club. They set up the vibe to create an old jazz
y blues
club. In the session, Aguilera also shot a series of pictures with four Navy
sailors.
Aguilera started promotion of Back to Basics on June 3, 2006, when she performed the album's lead single "Ain't No Other Man
" at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles. On June 15, 2006 she visited Total Request Live
and showed a preview of the video for her first single. Six days later she attended the TV show again and premiered the whole clip.
In July Aguilera hold two private concerts in Europe, one on July 17 at the Olympia in Paris and the other one on July 20 at the KOKO Club in London. The setlist consisted of four new tracks and two old singles: "Ain’t No Other Man", "Understand", "Candyman
", "Lady Marmalade
", "Oh Mother
", "Beautiful
" and "Slow Down Baby
". The gig at KOKO club was filmed and has been later shown several times on the UK channel T4. During the stay in London she appeared at the MTV show 1 Leicester Square
with Russell Brand, where she talked about her upcoming album and her family plans.
Aguilera appeared at Marquee on August 15 in New York City for her album release party. In celebration of Christina Aguilera’s new album Back To Basics being released, MTV aired a special featuring the singer discussing the project and performing several songs.
On 16 August 2006 Aguilera performed "Ain't No Other Man" at the "Late Show with David Letterman
". On the same day she took part at the "Good Morning America Summer Concert Series" and performed there three songs. At the 2006 Video Music Awards she performed "Hurt", the second single of the album. Although she was nominated for "Ain't No Other Man" in four categories including "Video of the Year", she didn't win any.
In September she was invited at the charity event Fashion Rocks
and performed "Candyman" and later "Bennie and the Jets
" with Elton John.
On November 15, 2006 Aguilera inaugurated "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music", a bi-monthly show with performances in front of a live studio audience, where she performed 7 songs. At the same time, she started promoting "Hurt" at shows like Saturday Night Live
, the "NBC Christmas Thanksgiving Special" and the German show Wetten, dass..?
.
On February 11, 2007 Aguilera paid tribute to James Brown
, who died in December 2006, performing his hit single "It's a Man's Man's Man's World
" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. The day before she sang "Makes Me Wanna Pray" and "Candyman" at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Awards Party. Aguilera started the promotion of "Candyman", performing at the "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve" on December 31, 2006 and then on shows like The Ellen Degeneres Show
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and at the NBA All-Star Game Vegas Half Time. She ended the promotion of the album, after the performances at the "MUZ-TV Awards", singing "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt", "Candyman" and "Fighter".
Before and after the album's release, Aguilera shot covers for Elle, GQ, GQ UK, Advocate, Allure, Attitude, Blender, Cosmogirl, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Jane, AARP, Seventeen, Rolling Stone, InStyle and Maxim. Additionally she was featured on the cover of Nylon's 8th anniversary magazine. Most of the cover stories focused on the album, on Aguilera's new direction, her marriage and her "naked sundays". Her Allure Magazine cover became the biggest-selling issue in the magazine's history. The Swedish issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine featured a freebie with the albums fourth single "Slow Down Baby".
The album spawned five official singles released over a period of 14 months. The first, "Ain't No Other Man
", was released in June 2006 to critical acclaim and a successful run on many world charts. It is deemed as Aguilera's comeback single, peaking in the top ten in countries like the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. In late Autumn, the ballad Hurt
was released as the 2nd single. The chart reaction was mixed as it became hugely successful in Europe while barely cracking the top 20 in the United States, but it was certified Gold. In the early spring of 2007, "Candyman
" was released as the third single. The single was certified Gold in the United States, but only managed to hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100
due to stalling radio airplay. Elsewhere, "Candyman" achieved mild to moderate success, becoming one of Christina's biggest hits in Canada and Australia. Probably due to the pregnancy news, the label decided to not release a worldwide single, because it would have needed a lot of promotion, and so it has been released two airplay singles. "Slow Down Baby
" was released as the album's fourth single on July 30, 2007 in Australia. It was not released in Europe but "Oh Mother" was released instead on November 23, 2007 in some parts of Europe.
"Save Me From Myself" was released as a limited time single, as an "celebration" for her new born baby, on January 12, 2008. The single was released as an DVD which consists it's music video and an audio version of it, the music video was directed by Paul Korver.
North America and World
Europe
Oceania and the Philippines
, North America
, Asia
and Oceania
in 2006 and 2007. The tour consisted in 80 shows worldwide. In 2008 she continued the tour visiting Eastern Europe and Abu Dhabi. This was considered the best tour of Aguilera, but some critics dismissed it very promiscuous, due to the high sexual. The tour grossed $90 million, and attended around 1.3 million fans. In Australia, the Melbourne concert had to be canceled, and was replaced with a concert, in Canberra, the capital of the country.
The whole tour was promoted by mobile phone network Orange and Sony Ericsson.
later named it as the Best Pop Album of the Year beating out this year's release by FutureSex/LoveSounds
by Justin Timberlake
and B'Day
by Beyoncé Knowles
. Critically, the album was a success with a rating of 69/100 (generally positive reviews) on the website MetaCritic
and is Aguilera's best reviewed album to date, receiving more praise than her second studio album Stripped
which scored a 55/100 on MetaCritic. When Entertainment Weekly
published their June issue of the 100 best albums of the last 25 years, Back to Basics was listed at number 80.
album chart. The album also debuted at number two on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album
chart. The album sold 346,000 copies in its first week the U.S., as well as the 1st biggest first week sales by a female artist in 2006 at the time of its release . To date, the album has sold over 1.7 million copies in the U.S.Back to Basics is also Aguilera's first album to debut at the top spot in the United Kingdom and it remained 33 weeks in the Top 75. The album was certified on 15 November 2006 for shipping over 300,000 copies. The album has been certified Gold
in Japan
, Hong Kong
, South Korea
, Austria
, Poland
, France
, Netherlands
, Sweden
, Denmark
, Italy
and the Czech Republic
. It has moreover conquered the worldwide market, catching up and exceeding the threshold of Platinum
in the following nations: the UK, Germany
, Switzerland
, United States
, Singapore
, New Zealand
, Belgium
, Hungary
and has been certified Triple Platinum in Canada
, Ireland
and Russia
. After being certified 2× platinum in Australia, Back to Basics appeared at number forty-five on the ARIA 2006 Year-End Charts.
, who produced and co-wrote a number of songs for Aguilera's previous studio album Stripped, including "Walk Away", "Can't Hold Us Down
", "Infatuation", "Fighter
", "Loving Me 4 Me", "Keep On Singin' My Song", and "Underappreciated", was asked to be involved in Aguilera's upcoming project too. However, he refused to be a part of the project when Aguilera declined to pay airfare for him and his entourage to fly out to her, amongst other demands, which led to a breakdown of their relationship. In June 2006, before the album came out, Storch told Rolling Stone, "I had to bring equipment, clothes, my people. You want me to move my life from Miami to L.A. for six months, and you can't get me a plane to do it? She didn't go to bat for me. And I truly cared about her as a person and a friend and as an artist." Aguilera decided to dedicate him a song and produced later on a song called "F.U.S.S." (F*** You Scott Storch , and reported to be For You Scott Storch), saying "That’s a way of burying my experience with him. We did great work on Stripped... When I tried to work with him again, he made uncalled-for demands. It was disappointing that someone would get affected like that." Scott Storch was offended by the song and declared in an interview with InTouch Magazine, "It's pretty pathetic that she would do a song like this. I worked on half of her last CD and sold her millions of copies. Obviously she cares more than I do that I didn't do this album, but I can't blame her, with an album full of fillers, over-singing, and lame Vegas-like cabaret music."
Production
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Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American recording artist Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, first released on August 10, 2006 by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. The album features what Aguilera describes as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, and feel-good soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, but with a modern twist." The album has yielded three commercial singles: "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt
Hurt (Christina Aguilera song)
"Hurt" is a power ballad written by Christina Aguilera, Linda Perry and Mark Ronson for Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics . The song's lyrical content describes how one deals with the loss of a loved one, and it has received praise from pop music critics...
" and "Candyman
Candyman (Christina Aguilera song)
"Candyman" is a swing jazz song written by Christina Aguilera and Linda Perry for Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics. It was released as the album's third and final American single in early 2007. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at 2008 Grammy...
". "Slow Down Baby
Slow Down Baby
"Slow Down Baby" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was the fourth single released from her third album, Back to Basics . It was released as an international double A-side song with "Oh Mother". "Slow Down Baby" was released as a single in July 2007 in the Oceanian and...
" was used as a promotional single to promote her tour in Australia and "Oh Mother
Oh Mother
"Oh Mother" is the fourth single from Christina Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics . The single – penned by Christina Aguilera, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi – was released as an international double A-side with "Slow Down Baby".-Background and composition:The...
" was released as the album's fourth single in some parts of Europe. The album made Aguilera's second U.S. non-consecutive number-one album. The album received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards and won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man
Ain't No Other Man
"Ain't No Other Man" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Charles Roane, DJ Premier, Harold Beatty, and Kara DioGuardi for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics...
". It was her first album to reach number one album in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after 1999's "Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera (album)
Christina Aguilera is the self-titled debut studio album by American pop singer Christina Aguilera released on August 24, 1999 in the United States by RCA Records...
", selling 346,000 copies in the U.S. and 615,000 copies worldwide in the first week.
Background
AguileraChristina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
started studio sessions in 2005 as a follow-up to her second album, Stripped
Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)
Stripped is the fourth studio album by American pop recording artist Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 26, 2002. It reached the top two of the album charts in both the United States and United Kingdom and features two UK number-one hits: "Dirrty" which gained criticism and controversy...
, released in 2002. Aguilera explained that her break in her musical career is to take her time, so when she is back, she has a lot more to say about the happenings of her life. Aguilera explained that she also wanted to bring something novel to her album which has 24 songs on it. Aguilera wanted to try and evolve as an artist and a visionary. Aguilera worked with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
producers DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
, who had previous works with Notorious B.I.G., Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, among others, Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison
Rich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
, Kwamé, Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
for the first time, and Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
, with whom she had also worked on her previous studio album Stripped. As early as June 2006, Aguilera and the production team have been working together for months. Aguilera described to Premier what she wanted to create in the new effort and presented CDs of joints to listen to, like Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
and Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
. In June 2006, Aguilera already recorded tracks enough for a two-disc album, but reduced to make it only one and affordable. However, on the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Aguilera revealed that the new album will include two discs. DJ Premier revealed that when he was contacted for working with Aguilera he admitted that he didn't expect a pop artist to work with him and asked himself if she even had an idea who he was. But Aguilera was familiar with some of Premier's jazz-influenced work with Gang Starr in the late 1980s and early 1990s, especially the song "Jazz Thing and that was the tune Aguilera wanted to create for her upcoming album. Aguilera stated that she wasn't totally sure whether DJ Premier would accept the offer, because it was the first time that he would enter into the "pop" world.
Music and lyrics
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
, 90's R&B, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
and Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
. Aguilera was exposed to soul, jazz and blues records when she was a child because her mother used to bring her to look for vintage records. The songs in the two-disc album are constructed in different style. The first disc is a throwback album with elements of '20s, '30s, and '40s blues and jazz with a modern-day twist, largely produced by beat-oriented producers, like DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
. It is also more "fakeness-driven" (as Aguilera stated on the Back to Basics CD enhanced video). Most songs employ record sampling
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
except "Without You", "F.U.S.S.", and "Still Dirrty". The second disc is kept authentic, sticking to a really raw, old-soul sound. The songs are all live records except "Candyman" Which features samples the military cadence "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine", sampled from the album Run to Cadence with the United States Marines, Volume 2 and they were mostly written by Aguilera and Perry; however, the theme remains organically vintage. "There are no samples - It's all live music, except for Candyman", Aguilera related about the second disc. The record also use elements with a 1920s circus theme.
"The first half of the album is kind of a throwback with elements of jazz, blues and soul music combined with a modern-day twist, like hard-hitting beats. And for the second disc, we [Aguilera and Perry] creatively went into our own zone and our own world together. There are no cover songs, so we made more of a '20s, '30s vibe with an authentic and organic twist. There are no samples — it's all live music. One of the songs sounds like you entered a 1920s burlesque club, another song sounds like it was actually recorded in the 1920s, using a vintage microphone, so it's exciting stuff."—Christina Aguilera, MTV
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
.
Lyrically, when she started writing on the new disc, she incorporated her real life to the songs. She, however, quoted that, in her lead single "Ain't No Other Man
Ain't No Other Man
"Ain't No Other Man" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Charles Roane, DJ Premier, Harold Beatty, and Kara DioGuardi for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics...
", it does not speak about love. However, songs which were influenced heavily from Aguilera's husband were "Save Me From Myself." "Still Dirrty", a track in the first disc co-worked with Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, is a sequel to her 2002 single "Dirrty
Dirrty
"Dirrty" is a song performed by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring rapper Reggie "Redman" Noble. The song was written by Aguilera and Redman along with Jasper Cameron, Balewa Muhammad, and Rockwilder for Aguilera's fourth studio album Stripped...
", which was panned by critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
s for its controversial music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, taking her to the forefront showing sexual fetishes
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
. In the track, Aguilera reminisces the plight of her career when she did the record. The beat, however, is different from its predecessor; it is jazz-sampled backed with horns
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
. In "Oh Mother
Oh Mother
"Oh Mother" is the fourth single from Christina Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics . The single – penned by Christina Aguilera, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi – was released as an international double A-side with "Slow Down Baby".-Background and composition:The...
" Aguilera describes the household abuse and praises her mother's bravery and courage in the face of her father's abuse. According to Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
it's not just a tribute to her mother, but she feels a responsibility to share the "darker" sides of her life, because people could relate to the song and might not feel as alone in the circumstance. In the track "Back in the Day" Aguilera is talking about all the soul singers that she listened to as a child and pays homage to her idols, dropping names like Otis Redding, Gladys Knight and Billie Holiday, and praises them as "ground breakers", "innovators", and "originators". On the last song "Thank You" of the first disc Aguilera combines a sample of her past hits "Genie In A Bottle
Genie in a Bottle
"Genie in a Bottle" is the second single by American pop recording artist, Christina Aguilera, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was co-written by David Frank, Steve Kipner, and Pamela Sheyne, and produced by Frank and Kipner respectively...
" and "Can't Hold Us Down
Can't Hold Us Down
"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Scott Storch and Matt Morris for Aguilera's second album, Stripped, with production by Storch. Released on August 26, 2003 as the fourth single from the album, the single peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's 10th...
" with messages from Aguilera's fans and was produced as a thank you for the support of Aguilera's fans.
Artworks shooting
When Aguilera started working on Back to Basics, she was not just inspired by the sounds of the 1920s, '30s and '40s, but the look of those eras as well. When she began shooting for the artwork of the album, she cited Bette DavisBette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
, Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
, Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
, Veronica Lake
Veronica Lake
Veronica Lake was an American film actress and pin-up model. She received both popular and critical acclaim, most notably for her role in Sullivan's Travels and her femme fatale roles in film noir with Alan Ladd during the 1940s, and was well-known for her peek-a-boo hairstyle...
, among others as her inspirations.
"With the first setup, we just wanted to [give the photographs] warm lighting, very inviting, just kind of relaxed, an old-Hollywood feel where you're kind of in the bed but also being really inviting, [because] I'm kind of smiling," Aguilera explained. "For the Stripped record it was a very real and honest place for me, but it was also a darker place. So I feel really lifted, things are lighter for me. I'm happier now than I've ever really been."—Christina Aguilera, MTV
Aguilera handpicked German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
photographer Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth is a photographer and director, specializing in erotic femininity. She worked as a fashion model for ten years herself before moving behind the camera, and now makes fashion, editorial, and advertising photographs.Ellen von Unwerth found fame when she first photographed Claudia...
, who has captured Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
and Penelope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
, for the photo sessions. They spent three days beginning at a historic hotel called the Hollywood Dell
Hollywood Dell
The Hollywood Dell is a residential neighborhood located in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, in the lower eastern Santa Monica Mountains...
. Aguilera spent most of the first day shooting in a bed, peering through the iron bars of a headboard; a shot inspired by a famous Marilyn Monroe picture. Later, the image featuring Aguilera in white dress and lounging at the bed was used as the album's cover, an image shot on the same session. The production group used warm lighting. On the second day, Aguilera used more dressed up outfits. For the third day session, Aguilera and Unwerth went to a Forty Deuce, a Hollywood hot-spot that puts a modern twist on a 1920s burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
club. They set up the vibe to create an old jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
y blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
club. In the session, Aguilera also shot a series of pictures with four Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
sailors.
Promotion
Ain't No Other Man
"Ain't No Other Man" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Charles Roane, DJ Premier, Harold Beatty, and Kara DioGuardi for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics...
" at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles. On June 15, 2006 she visited Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
and showed a preview of the video for her first single. Six days later she attended the TV show again and premiered the whole clip.
In July Aguilera hold two private concerts in Europe, one on July 17 at the Olympia in Paris and the other one on July 20 at the KOKO Club in London. The setlist consisted of four new tracks and two old singles: "Ain’t No Other Man", "Understand", "Candyman
Candyman (Christina Aguilera song)
"Candyman" is a swing jazz song written by Christina Aguilera and Linda Perry for Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics. It was released as the album's third and final American single in early 2007. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at 2008 Grammy...
", "Lady Marmalade
Lady Marmalade
"Lady Marmalade" was also covered by Italian pop star Sabrina. It was released in 1987 as the album's second single by Baby Records. In some countries, including France and the Netherlands, the song was known as "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? " and was released in 1988.-Track listings:7" maxi#...
", "Oh Mother
Oh Mother
"Oh Mother" is the fourth single from Christina Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics . The single – penned by Christina Aguilera, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi – was released as an international double A-side with "Slow Down Baby".-Background and composition:The...
", "Beautiful
Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song)
"Beautiful" is a song written by Linda Perry and recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped...
" and "Slow Down Baby
Slow Down Baby
"Slow Down Baby" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was the fourth single released from her third album, Back to Basics . It was released as an international double A-side song with "Oh Mother". "Slow Down Baby" was released as a single in July 2007 in the Oceanian and...
". The gig at KOKO club was filmed and has been later shown several times on the UK channel T4. During the stay in London she appeared at the MTV show 1 Leicester Square
1 Leicester Square
1 Leicester Square is a British chatshow hosted by Russell Brand which ran from 2 April to 31 December 2006 on MTV UK. The show featured celebrity guests, musical entertainment and various asides featuring the presenter. The show was widely viewed as a vehicle for the comeback of Brand after his...
with Russell Brand, where she talked about her upcoming album and her family plans.
Aguilera appeared at Marquee on August 15 in New York City for her album release party. In celebration of Christina Aguilera’s new album Back To Basics being released, MTV aired a special featuring the singer discussing the project and performing several songs.
On 16 August 2006 Aguilera performed "Ain't No Other Man" at the "Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
". On the same day she took part at the "Good Morning America Summer Concert Series" and performed there three songs. At the 2006 Video Music Awards she performed "Hurt", the second single of the album. Although she was nominated for "Ain't No Other Man" in four categories including "Video of the Year", she didn't win any.
In September she was invited at the charity event Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks was an annual international charity fundraiser event which features fashions by the world's top designers being presented to live performances by popular music acts.The inaugural event was held at the Royal Albert Hall on October 15, 2003...
and performed "Candyman" and later "Bennie and the Jets
Bennie and the Jets
"Bennie and the Jets" is a song composed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The song is written in the key of G major and first appeared on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album in 1973. "Bennie and the Jets" has been one of John's most popular songs....
" with Elton John.
On November 15, 2006 Aguilera inaugurated "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music", a bi-monthly show with performances in front of a live studio audience, where she performed 7 songs. At the same time, she started promoting "Hurt" at shows like Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, the "NBC Christmas Thanksgiving Special" and the German show Wetten, dass..?
Wetten, dass..?
Wetten, dass..? is a long-running German-language entertainment television show. It is the most successful Saturday television show in Europe...
.
On February 11, 2007 Aguilera paid tribute to James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, who died in December 2006, performing his hit single "It's a Man's Man's Man's World
It's a Man's Man's Man's World
"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is a song by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome. Brown recorded it on February 16, 1966 in a New York studio and released it as a single later that year. It reached #1 on the Billboard Top R&B Singles charts and #8 in the Billboard Hot 100...
" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. The day before she sang "Makes Me Wanna Pray" and "Candyman" at the Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Awards Party. Aguilera started the promotion of "Candyman", performing at the "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve" on December 31, 2006 and then on shows like The Ellen Degeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and at the NBA All-Star Game Vegas Half Time. She ended the promotion of the album, after the performances at the "MUZ-TV Awards", singing "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt", "Candyman" and "Fighter".
Before and after the album's release, Aguilera shot covers for Elle, GQ, GQ UK, Advocate, Allure, Attitude, Blender, Cosmogirl, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Jane, AARP, Seventeen, Rolling Stone, InStyle and Maxim. Additionally she was featured on the cover of Nylon's 8th anniversary magazine. Most of the cover stories focused on the album, on Aguilera's new direction, her marriage and her "naked sundays". Her Allure Magazine cover became the biggest-selling issue in the magazine's history. The Swedish issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine featured a freebie with the albums fourth single "Slow Down Baby".
Singles
Ain't No Other Man
"Ain't No Other Man" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Charles Roane, DJ Premier, Harold Beatty, and Kara DioGuardi for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics...
", was released in June 2006 to critical acclaim and a successful run on many world charts. It is deemed as Aguilera's comeback single, peaking in the top ten in countries like the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. In late Autumn, the ballad Hurt
Hurt (Christina Aguilera song)
"Hurt" is a power ballad written by Christina Aguilera, Linda Perry and Mark Ronson for Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics . The song's lyrical content describes how one deals with the loss of a loved one, and it has received praise from pop music critics...
was released as the 2nd single. The chart reaction was mixed as it became hugely successful in Europe while barely cracking the top 20 in the United States, but it was certified Gold. In the early spring of 2007, "Candyman
Candyman (Christina Aguilera song)
"Candyman" is a swing jazz song written by Christina Aguilera and Linda Perry for Aguilera's third studio album, Back to Basics. It was released as the album's third and final American single in early 2007. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at 2008 Grammy...
" was released as the third single. The single was certified Gold in the United States, but only managed to hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
due to stalling radio airplay. Elsewhere, "Candyman" achieved mild to moderate success, becoming one of Christina's biggest hits in Canada and Australia. Probably due to the pregnancy news, the label decided to not release a worldwide single, because it would have needed a lot of promotion, and so it has been released two airplay singles. "Slow Down Baby
Slow Down Baby
"Slow Down Baby" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was the fourth single released from her third album, Back to Basics . It was released as an international double A-side song with "Oh Mother". "Slow Down Baby" was released as a single in July 2007 in the Oceanian and...
" was released as the album's fourth single on July 30, 2007 in Australia. It was not released in Europe but "Oh Mother" was released instead on November 23, 2007 in some parts of Europe.
"Save Me From Myself" was released as a limited time single, as an "celebration" for her new born baby, on January 12, 2008. The single was released as an DVD which consists it's music video and an audio version of it, the music video was directed by Paul Korver.
North America and World
- "Ain't No Other Man"
- "Hurt"
- "Candyman"
Europe
- "Ain't No Other Man"
- "Hurt"
- "Candyman"
- "Oh Mother"
Oceania and the Philippines
- "Ain't No Other Man"
- "Hurt"
- "Candyman"
- "Slow Down Baby"
Touring
The Back to Basics Tour took place in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
in 2006 and 2007. The tour consisted in 80 shows worldwide. In 2008 she continued the tour visiting Eastern Europe and Abu Dhabi. This was considered the best tour of Aguilera, but some critics dismissed it very promiscuous, due to the high sexual. The tour grossed $90 million, and attended around 1.3 million fans. In Australia, the Melbourne concert had to be canceled, and was replaced with a concert, in Canberra, the capital of the country.
The whole tour was promoted by mobile phone network Orange and Sony Ericsson.
Critical reception
iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
later named it as the Best Pop Album of the Year beating out this year's release by FutureSex/LoveSounds
FutureSex/LoveSounds
In 2005, Timberlake felt inspired to record songs again. Motivated by the "sad state" of pop radio, he decided he needed to experiment with music. Reportedly, it was not until Timberlake turned to producer Timbaland "that he figured out the direction he wanted the record to take"...
by Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
and B'Day
B'Day
B'Day is the second studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released on September 4, 2006 by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Music and Sony Urban Music. It was released to coincide with Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. The album was originally planned for a...
by Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. Critically, the album was a success with a rating of 69/100 (generally positive reviews) on the website MetaCritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
and is Aguilera's best reviewed album to date, receiving more praise than her second studio album Stripped
Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)
Stripped is the fourth studio album by American pop recording artist Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 26, 2002. It reached the top two of the album charts in both the United States and United Kingdom and features two UK number-one hits: "Dirrty" which gained criticism and controversy...
which scored a 55/100 on MetaCritic. When Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
published their June issue of the 100 best albums of the last 25 years, Back to Basics was listed at number 80.
Chart performance
Back to Basics reached number one in over fifteen countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Canada, and Switzerland. Debuting at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart. The album also debuted at number two on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. The album sold 346,000 copies in its first week the U.S., as well as the 1st biggest first week sales by a female artist in 2006 at the time of its release . To date, the album has sold over 1.7 million copies in the U.S.Back to Basics is also Aguilera's first album to debut at the top spot in the United Kingdom and it remained 33 weeks in the Top 75. The album was certified on 15 November 2006 for shipping over 300,000 copies. The album has been certified Gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. It has moreover conquered the worldwide market, catching up and exceeding the threshold of Platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in the following nations: the UK, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and has been certified Triple Platinum in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. After being certified 2× platinum in Australia, Back to Basics appeared at number forty-five on the ARIA 2006 Year-End Charts.
Controversy
Before the production of Back to Basics had started, producer Scott StorchScott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, who produced and co-wrote a number of songs for Aguilera's previous studio album Stripped, including "Walk Away", "Can't Hold Us Down
Can't Hold Us Down
"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Scott Storch and Matt Morris for Aguilera's second album, Stripped, with production by Storch. Released on August 26, 2003 as the fourth single from the album, the single peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's 10th...
", "Infatuation", "Fighter
Fighter (song)
"Fighter" is a song recorded by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. The song was written by Aguilera and Scott Storch, and produced by Storch for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped. The song was released on June 3, 2003 as the third single. The song peaked at number twenty on the...
", "Loving Me 4 Me", "Keep On Singin' My Song", and "Underappreciated", was asked to be involved in Aguilera's upcoming project too. However, he refused to be a part of the project when Aguilera declined to pay airfare for him and his entourage to fly out to her, amongst other demands, which led to a breakdown of their relationship. In June 2006, before the album came out, Storch told Rolling Stone, "I had to bring equipment, clothes, my people. You want me to move my life from Miami to L.A. for six months, and you can't get me a plane to do it? She didn't go to bat for me. And I truly cared about her as a person and a friend and as an artist." Aguilera decided to dedicate him a song and produced later on a song called "F.U.S.S." (F*** You Scott Storch , and reported to be For You Scott Storch), saying "That’s a way of burying my experience with him. We did great work on Stripped... When I tried to work with him again, he made uncalled-for demands. It was disappointing that someone would get affected like that." Scott Storch was offended by the song and declared in an interview with InTouch Magazine, "It's pretty pathetic that she would do a song like this. I worked on half of her last CD and sold her millions of copies. Obviously she cares more than I do that I didn't do this album, but I can't blame her, with an album full of fillers, over-singing, and lame Vegas-like cabaret music."
Disc 1
Disc 2
^ Additional production * Co-producerSample credits
- Disc one's opening track, "Intro (Back to Basics)" contains a sample of "The Trill is Gone (Live)", as performed by B.B. King, The Crusaders and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Track two on disc one, "Makes Me Wanna Pray" contains a sample from "GladGlad (song)"Glad" is a song composed by Steve Winwood and performed by Traffic. It is the opening track on the band's fourth album, John Barleycorn Must Die, which was released in 1970. It is an instrumental running 6 minutes, 59 seconds and is heavily influenced by jazz, especially in its instrumentation and...
", as performed by TrafficTraffic (band)Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
. - Track three on disc one, "Back in the Day" contains samples from "Charlie", as performed by Don Costa Orchestra, and "Troglodyte", as performed by The Jimmy Castor Buch.
- Track four on disc one, "Ain't No Other Man" contains samples from "Happy Skippy Moon Strut", as performed by Moon People, and "The Cissy's Thang", as performed by The Soul Seven.
- Track five on disc one, "Understand" contains a sample from "Nearer to You", as performed by Betty HarrisBetty HarrisBetty Harridick is an American Soul Singer. Her recording career in the 1960s produced three hit records that made the Billboard R&B and pop charts: "Cry to Me" , "His Kiss" and "Nearer to You"...
. - Track six on disc one, "Slow Down Baby" contains samples from "Window Raisin' Granny", as performed by Gladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
and "So SeductiveSo Seductive"So Seductive" is the first single from Tony Yayo's 2005 debut album Thoughts of a Predicate Felon.-Background:It features 50 Cent and is considered among fans to be more of a club track compared to the hardcore hip hop that Tony Yayo usually does....
", as performed by Tony YayoTony YayoMarvin Bernard , better known by his stage name Tony Yayo, is a Haitian American rapper and member of the hip hop group G-Unit...
. - Track seven on disc one, "Oh Mother" contains a sample from "Vois Sur Ton Chemin", written by Bruno Coluais and Christopher Barratler.
- Track nine on disc one, "On Our Way" contains a sample from "Sentimentale", as performed by Claude BollingClaude BollingClaude Bolling , is a renowned French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor.He was born in Cannes, studied at the Nice Conservatory, then in Paris. A child prodigy, by age 14 he was playing jazz piano professionally, with Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, and Kenny Clarke...
. - Track twelve on disc one, "Here to Stay" contains a sample from "The Best Thing You Ever Had", as performed by Candi StatonCandi StatonCandi Staton is an American soul and gospel singer, best known for her 1970 remake of Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" and her 1976 disco hit "Young Hearts Run Free". In 2007, Staton was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
. - Track thirteen on disc one, "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)" contains samples from "Can't Hold Us DownCan't Hold Us Down"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Scott Storch and Matt Morris for Aguilera's second album, Stripped, with production by Storch. Released on August 26, 2003 as the fourth single from the album, the single peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's 10th...
" and "Genie in a BottleGenie in a Bottle"Genie in a Bottle" is the second single by American pop recording artist, Christina Aguilera, taken from her self-titled debut album. It was co-written by David Frank, Steve Kipner, and Pamela Sheyne, and produced by Frank and Kipner respectively...
", as performed by Aguilera, and "Think Big", as performed by Pudgie the Fat Bastard featuring The Notorious B.I.G.The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
The track also features fan clubFan clubA fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
recordings by Shane Burrows, Jessica Cavanaugh, She-Tara Franklin, Michael Holmin, Warren Keller, Antoinette Litte, Gustavo Medina, Sarah Anne Moore, Joshua Pospisil, Cory Steale, Durant Searcy, Samantha Silver, Tammy Simpson and Shanna Nicole Wiles. - Track three on disc two, "Candyman" contains a sample from "Tarzan & Jane Swingin' on a Vine" from Run To Cadence With U.S. Marines.
Credit and personnel
The following people contributed to Back to Basics:- Vocals – Christina Aguilera
- Vocal Scratches - Tracie Burton, Kara DioGuardi, DJ Premier, Alan Mason.
- Choir: Christina Aguilera
- Keyboards - Tony Reyes & Mark Ronson.
- Bass - Paul Ill, Rob Lewis, Linda Perry, Tony Reyes, Mark Ronson.
- Double Bass – Francis Senger & Jason Torreano.
- Guitar - Bill Bottrell, Rob Lewis, Linda Perry, Mark Ronson, & Eric Schermerhorn.
Production
- Executive Producer: Christina Aguilera.
- Management Of Production Of Sound: DJ PremierDJ PremierChristopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
, Kwamé, Linda PerryLinda PerryLinda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
, Rich HarrisonRich HarrisonRich Harrison is a Grammy Award-winning record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C.. He is primarily an R&B/Hip-Hop producer...
, Mark RonsonMark RonsonMark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
, Big Tank & Q. - Additional Micro-Management: Christina Aguilera (In Tracks from Disc One: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).
- Vocal Producer: Rob Lewis.
- Mastering: Brian Gardner.
- Engineers: Tal Herzberg, Linda Perry, Oscar Ramirez, Charles Martin Roane, Mark Ronson & DJ Premier, Jordan,
- Assistant Engineer : Kristofer Kaufman, Alan Mason & Chris Wonzer.
- A&R: Ron FairRon FairRon Fair is a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several artists, but he is best known as a "guru/mentor", guiding the careers of unknown artists...
. - Photography: Ellen von UnwerthEllen von UnwerthEllen von Unwerth is a photographer and director, specializing in erotic femininity. She worked as a fashion model for ten years herself before moving behind the camera, and now makes fashion, editorial, and advertising photographs.Ellen von Unwerth found fame when she first photographed Claudia...
- Art Direction & Design: Linda Perry
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 |
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
1 |
| Belgian Flemish Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
2 |
| Belgian Walloon Albums Chart | 4 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Czech Albums Chart IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
4 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
2 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
1 |
| European Top 100 Albums Chart European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
1 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 6 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
10 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
1 |
| Greek Albums Chart Greek Albums Chart International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
5 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
1 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
1 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 3 |
| Japanese Oricon Main Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
7 |
| Japanese Oricon International Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
1 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
2 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
2 |
| Spanish Albums Chart PROMUSICAE Spanish Music Producers is a trade group representing the Spanish recording industry... |
5 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
2 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
2 |
Certifications
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Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia | 45 |
| Austria | 27 |
| Hungary | 63 |
| Netherlands | 42 |
| Switzerland | 16 |
| UK | 56 |
| Chart (2007) | Rank |
| Australia | 34 |
| Austria | 43 |
| France | 109 |
| Netherlands | 88 |
| New Zealand | 43 |
| Switzerland | 53 |
| UK | 127 |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
August 10, 2006 |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
August 11, 2006 |
| Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
|
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
August 12, 2006 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
|
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
August 14, 2006 |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
|
| Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
|
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
August 15, 2006 |
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
|
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
|
| Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
|
| Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
August 25, 2006 |