Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song)
Encyclopedia
"Beautiful" is a song written by Linda Perry
and recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera
for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped
(2002). A cello
-driven, classically
-flavored ballad, it tells the story of someone who is fighting against low self-esteem and insecurity issues; its main message is about inner beauty and not letting other people's opinions and words disturb one's peace of mind.
The song was released as the album's second single
on December 24, 2002 and reached number one in several countries; becoming the most successful single from Stripped, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and Canada as well as peaking at number 2 in the United States. The song was Aguilera's first top-ten hit since "Lady Marmalade" (2001).
Beautiful received general acclaim from critics and has been noted as one of Aguilera's strongest singles. The song won the Grammy Award
for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
at the 2004 ceremony and was also nominated for Song of the Year
. It was ranked number fifty-two on Rolling Stones Top 100 songs of the decade.
The song also was embraced by the LGBT community as an anthem
; and the music video gained Aguilera a Special Recognition GLAAD Award for its positive portrayal of gay and transgender people. UK LGBT rights charity Stonewall
named "Beautiful" the most empowering song of the decade for LGBT people.
Perry had written "Beautiful" long before she let anyone hear it. She considered the song very dear and personal to her and was insecure about sharing it with anyone else. At first she had let Pink
hear "Beautiful" before anyone else during their Missundaztood sessions. Pink was so impressed with the song that she had asked Perry if she could record it for her album, but Perry declined, feeling that she wanted to save it for her own singing career. A few months later, while Aguilera and Perry were recording for the Stripped session, Perry also let Aguilera listen to the song. Aguilera also very much liked the song that while Perry was playing the piano for it, Aguilera took over the vocals for the song. After that, Aguilera told Perry that she needed this song on her album. Perry was both impressed by Aguilera and confused, because even though she was blown away by her rendition of the song, she still did not want to give it up. After Aguilera continued lobbying for the song, Perry was finally convinced that Aguilera matched the song perfectly and handed it over to her.
The song was the first single from the album, but Aguilera came into disagreement with her label to release the single "Dirrty
", but after the poor performance of the single, her label released the second single quickly, not to harm album sales.
The song became a massive success, becoming Aguilera's fifth number one single worldwide, and her fifth Top 10 hit in America
. In addition, the song topped over 20 charts worldwide. Aguilera performed "Beautiful" on various TV shows and on thes tours; Justified/Stripped Tour, Stripped World Tour
, Back to Basics Tour
. In America
, the single was viewed as a comeback single, due to the slight underperformance of her previous single, Dirrty
, on the American charts, both released on a 12" format. As with "Genie in a Bottle
", which was re-recorded as "Genie 2.0" and performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
, Aguilera has re-recorded "Beautiful" in an electronic
style for inclusion alongside the original version on her greatest hits
album Keeps Gettin' Better - A Decade of Hits with the name "You Are What You Are (Beautiful)".
"Beautiful" was released to American radio station on December 24, 2002. The single was released as a 12" single, and released as a CD Single later in late 2003. "Beautiful" was released on March 3, 2003 in the United Kingdom
also as a 12" single. Also, the instrumental version of the song were accompanied by a remix of "Beautiful" made by Peter Rauhofer. In addition, another CD Single was released in Europe in late 2003. It included remixes by Peter Rauhofer, Brother Brown, and Tom Mandolini.
spans over two octaves from E♭3 to G5. She uses several melisma
s in the song, fitting as many as seven notes in one syllable.
The song was recorded in one take and as a demo version, the version on this album and the single is a demo version.
found it to be a highlight of Stripped, finding it "more restrained" than the rest of the album. Stylus Magazine
described the song as "a typical ballad that actually tastefully reins in Aguilera's frequent vocal acrobatics". "Beautiful" received critical praise from some critics, appreciating how Aguilera and Perry released an opposite genre than the previous single, "Dirrty
'. Some critics felt the change in Aguilera's style was too fast, but most appreciated her toying with her image. "I'm truly proud of that song. To me it almost sounds like a Beatles song. I was trying to write a song that affected everybody -- this almost desperate cry that 'I am beautiful, no matter what you say," Linda Perry once stated in an interview. Paul Bryant, music director of influential New York top 40 station Z-100, praised the track, saying "Beautiful' is hands-down a runaway number one record. It's taken her to the next level and given her more respect in the adult community. It's just a classic ballad."
from Stripped but that Aguilera insisted on releasing "Dirrty
" instead. RCA Records
stated that it had agreed with Aguilera to release "Dirrty" to attract attention; when the song only reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100
however was successful elsewhere reaching #1 in the UK, "Beautiful" was rush-released as the second single. The song peaked at number two on the U.S. Hot 100 largely because of its strong radio airplay; it was released as a 12" maxi single
and at the time sales of this format were much lower than those of regular CD and CD maxi singles. "Beautiful" stayed in the U.S. Top Ten for 12 weeks, and topped many other Billboard magazine charts. In particular, it peaked at number 1 on Adult Contemporary, Mainstream Top 40
and Hot Dance Club Songs, number 9 on Adult Pop Songs and number 2 on Hot 100 Airplay
. It was equally successful elsewhere, and reached number one on the charts in the UK (where it was her fourth number-one single), Australia
(where it was her first) and Canada
(where it was her second). In New Zealand, it peaked at number one too, and with 13 weeks in the Top 10, it became the 60th most successful song of all time there. "Beautiful" was released in the U.S. on December 24, 2002, and peaked at #2 on Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 27 weeks.
The single proved to be another international phenomenon for Aguilera, entering the Top 5 in almost every Europe
an country it was released in, including Germany
, Sweden
, Norway
, Ireland
, and Austria
. "Beautiful" stayed on the charts in Germany
for 11 weeks, and for 42 weeks in Argentina
's Top 100 Airplay, at #1. In the Pacific, "Beautiful" peaked at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, and got a Platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
for shipments of 70,000.
In New Zealand
, the single also peaked at #1, staying on the chart for 22 weeks. It was eventually certified Gold
there. In 2004 "Beautiful" won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
, and Linda Perry received a nomination for Song of the Year
. The song was ranked number two in the "Readers' Top Ten Singles" list at the 2004 Rolling Stone
Music Awards, and its video was also placed at number two in the "Best Video, Readers' Pick" category. The video was the recipient of the "Popular Female Video" award at the 2003 Channel [V] Thailand Music Video Awards. A remix
of "Beautiful" by Peter Rauhofer
won a 2003 HX Award for "Dance Song of the Year". "Beautiful" went on to become one of the most played songs of the decade, with an audience impression of more than 6 billion
.
, wearing a black gown, a black fedora, and black heels. She performed while sitting on a stool. "Beautiful" has been performed by Aguilera at a number of shows. The song was also performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
in 2004. The performance starts with the introduction, with Aguilera standing up or sitting on a stool while performing. She performed a stripped down version on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2006, Aguilera performed it on Good Morning America
. The performance was slightly different than usual, because Aguilera no longer had the image she previously had in "Stripped". During her Back to Basics
era, she dyed her hair cherry blonde and wore it in thick curls. The performance was live
. The song was a major part in the Back to Basics Tour
, and on Aguilera's Stripped World Tour
. At the end of the song the instrumental of the song is usually played while Aguilera is exiting the stage, previous to when she waves thank you to the audience and bows. In 2008 Aguilera performed the song at the CNN Heroes Tribute Telecast. Aguilera received a standing ovation
at the end of the performance. In December 2010 Aguilera performed "Beautiful" as a duet with Rebecca Ferguson, a finalist on UK reality television show The X Factor
. On June 28, 2011, Aguilera performed "Beautiful" with Beverly McClellan
, a finalist on NBC
reality show The Voice
; the following week, that version of the song debuted at #74 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and at #52 on the digital songs chart, after selling 42,000 downloads on iTunes
.
was directed by Jonas Åkerlund
. The video opens with Aguilera speaking the line "Don't look at me", followed by scenes of her singing alone in a room intercut with self image
-related sequences of other people. An underweight
girl examines herself in a mirror
, eventually punching through it; a skinny boy stands lifting weights
in a room plastered with images of bodybuilders
; and a girl rips out pages of women's magazines and throws them into a fire. In one sequence, a girl is bullied by several peers, and in another, a goth
with piercings sits at the back of a bus while several people get up and move. The video also touches on LGBT
issues. One scene features a gay
couple, portrayed by Jordan Shannon and Justin Croft, kissing on a bench and ignoring the stares of people who pass them. Another scene shows a transgender
MTF, played by Robert Sherman, putting on makeup, a wig, and women's clothing.
The music video was successful on video chart programs. It debuted on MTV
's Total Request Live
on December 9, 2002 at number two. It was unable to reach the top of the countdown but remained on it for fifty days and retired at number six on February 25, 2003. The video topped MuchMusic
's Countdown
for two consecutive weeks and remained on the countdown for fifteen weeks. The video received a Special Recognition award, presented by David LaChapelle
, from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation at its 14th annual media awards. After an a cappella
performance of the song, Aguilera stated in her acceptance speech that "this song is definitely a universal message that everybody can relate to - anyone that's been discriminated
against or unaccepted, unappreciated or disrespected just because of who you are." The video became an instant hit on MTV
and other music video channels.
U.S. digital download
Australian CD single
Canadian CD single
UK CD single
UK 12" single
A.N.T. Farm: Beautiful
tracks from CD
1. Beautiful
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...
and recorded by American singer 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...
for Aguilera's fourth 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...
(2002). A cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
-driven, classically
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
-flavored ballad, it tells the story of someone who is fighting against low self-esteem and insecurity issues; its main message is about inner beauty and not letting other people's opinions and words disturb one's peace of mind.
The song was released as the album's second single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on December 24, 2002 and reached number one in several countries; becoming the most successful single from Stripped, topping the charts in the United Kingdom and Canada as well as peaking at number 2 in the United States. The song was Aguilera's first top-ten hit since "Lady Marmalade" (2001).
Beautiful received general acclaim from critics and has been noted as one of Aguilera's strongest singles. The song won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
at the 2004 ceremony and was also nominated for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
. It was ranked number fifty-two on Rolling Stones Top 100 songs of the decade.
The song also was embraced by the LGBT community as an anthem
Gay anthem
A gay anthem is a song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the LGBT community; usually with gay men. The lyrics of gay anthems are often marked with hope against the odds, pride, unity, or defiance...
; and the music video gained Aguilera a Special Recognition GLAAD Award for its positive portrayal of gay and transgender people. UK LGBT rights charity Stonewall
Stonewall (UK)
Stonewall is a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity in the United Kingdom named after the Stonewall Inn of Stonewall riots fame. Now the largest gay equality organization not only in the UK but in Europe, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others lobbying against section 28 of the...
named "Beautiful" the most empowering song of the decade for LGBT people.
Background and release
Pink (singer)
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
hear "Beautiful" before anyone else during their Missundaztood sessions. Pink was so impressed with the song that she had asked Perry if she could record it for her album, but Perry declined, feeling that she wanted to save it for her own singing career. A few months later, while Aguilera and Perry were recording for the Stripped session, Perry also let Aguilera listen to the song. Aguilera also very much liked the song that while Perry was playing the piano for it, Aguilera took over the vocals for the song. After that, Aguilera told Perry that she needed this song on her album. Perry was both impressed by Aguilera and confused, because even though she was blown away by her rendition of the song, she still did not want to give it up. After Aguilera continued lobbying for the song, Perry was finally convinced that Aguilera matched the song perfectly and handed it over to her.
The song was the first single from the album, but Aguilera came into disagreement with her label to release the 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...
", but after the poor performance of the single, her label released the second single quickly, not to harm album sales.
The song became a massive success, becoming Aguilera's fifth number one single worldwide, and her fifth Top 10 hit in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In addition, the song topped over 20 charts worldwide. Aguilera performed "Beautiful" on various TV shows and on thes tours; Justified/Stripped Tour, Stripped World Tour
Stripped World Tour
The Stripped World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. The tour is a continuation of her Justified/Stripped Tour with Justin Timberlake. The tour was for her second studio album, Stripped and reached Europe, Asia, and Australia...
, Back to Basics Tour
Back to Basics Tour
The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. The tour supported her third studio album Back to Basics. It grossed over $90 million worldwide with 82 shows...
. In America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the single was viewed as a comeback single, due to the slight underperformance of her previous 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...
, on the American charts, both released on a 12" format. As with "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...
", which was re-recorded as "Genie 2.0" and performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios , honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at...
, Aguilera has re-recorded "Beautiful" in an electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
style for inclusion alongside the original version on her greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album Keeps Gettin' Better - A Decade of Hits with the name "You Are What You Are (Beautiful)".
"Beautiful" was released to American radio station on December 24, 2002. The single was released as a 12" single, and released as a CD Single later in late 2003. "Beautiful" was released on March 3, 2003 in the 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...
also as a 12" single. Also, the instrumental version of the song were accompanied by a remix of "Beautiful" made by Peter Rauhofer. In addition, another CD Single was released in Europe in late 2003. It included remixes by Peter Rauhofer, Brother Brown, and Tom Mandolini.
Composition
"Beautiful" is a gentle ballad composed in the key of E♭ major. It moves at a slow 78 beats per minute. Aguilera's vocal rangeVocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
spans over two octaves from E♭3 to G5. She uses several melisma
Melisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
s in the song, fitting as many as seven notes in one syllable.
The song was recorded in one take and as a demo version, the version on this album and the single is a demo version.
Critical reception
"Beautiful" received very positive reviews from music critics. Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment 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...
found it to be a highlight of Stripped, finding it "more restrained" than the rest of the album. Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
described the song as "a typical ballad that actually tastefully reins in Aguilera's frequent vocal acrobatics". "Beautiful" received critical praise from some critics, appreciating how Aguilera and Perry released an opposite genre than the previous 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...
'. Some critics felt the change in Aguilera's style was too fast, but most appreciated her toying with her image. "I'm truly proud of that song. To me it almost sounds like a Beatles song. I was trying to write a song that affected everybody -- this almost desperate cry that 'I am beautiful, no matter what you say," Linda Perry once stated in an interview. Paul Bryant, music director of influential New York top 40 station Z-100, praised the track, saying "Beautiful' is hands-down a runaway number one record. It's taken her to the next level and given her more respect in the adult community. It's just a classic ballad."
Commercial performance
According to Perry, she and Aguilera's management had recommended "Beautiful" as the lead singleLead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from Stripped but that Aguilera insisted on releasing "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...
" instead. 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...
stated that it had agreed with Aguilera to release "Dirrty" to attract attention; when the song only reached number 48 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...
however was successful elsewhere reaching #1 in the UK, "Beautiful" was rush-released as the second single. The song peaked at number two on the U.S. Hot 100 largely because of its strong radio airplay; it was released as a 12" maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
and at the time sales of this format were much lower than those of regular CD and CD maxi singles. "Beautiful" stayed in the U.S. Top Ten for 12 weeks, and topped many other Billboard magazine charts. In particular, it peaked at number 1 on Adult Contemporary, Mainstream Top 40
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
and Hot Dance Club Songs, number 9 on Adult Pop Songs and number 2 on Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
. It was equally successful elsewhere, and reached number one on the charts in the UK (where it was her fourth number-one single), 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...
(where it was her first) and 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...
(where it was her second). In New Zealand, it peaked at number one too, and with 13 weeks in the Top 10, it became the 60th most successful song of all time there. "Beautiful" was released in the U.S. on December 24, 2002, and peaked at #2 on Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 27 weeks.
The single proved to be another international phenomenon for Aguilera, entering the Top 5 in almost every Europe
Europe
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...
an country it was released in, including 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...
, 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....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, 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 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...
. "Beautiful" stayed on the charts in 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...
for 11 weeks, and for 42 weeks in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
's Top 100 Airplay, at #1. In the Pacific, "Beautiful" peaked at number one on the Australian Singles Chart, and got a Platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
for shipments of 70,000.
In 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...
, the single also peaked at #1, staying on the chart for 22 weeks. It was eventually certified Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
there. In 2004 "Beautiful" won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
, and Linda Perry received a nomination for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
. The song was ranked number two in the "Readers' Top Ten Singles" list at the 2004 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Music Awards, and its video was also placed at number two in the "Best Video, Readers' Pick" category. The video was the recipient of the "Popular Female Video" award at the 2003 Channel [V] Thailand Music Video Awards. A remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of "Beautiful" by Peter Rauhofer
Peter Rauhofer
Peter Rauhofer is a DJ, remixer and producer who formerly went under the moniker Club 69 as well as Size Queen. A native of Vienna, Austria, he is famous for his remixes of a number of Madonna's songs including "Nothing Really Matters", "American Life", "Nothing Fails, "Nobody Knows Me", "Get...
won a 2003 HX Award for "Dance Song of the Year". "Beautiful" went on to become one of the most played songs of the decade, with an audience impression of more than 6 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
.
Live performances
In 2003, Aguilera performed on the Late Show with David LettermanLate 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...
, wearing a black gown, a black fedora, and black heels. She performed while sitting on a stool. "Beautiful" has been performed by Aguilera at a number of shows. The song was also performed on 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...
in 2004. The performance starts with the introduction, with Aguilera standing up or sitting on a stool while performing. She performed a stripped down version on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2006, Aguilera performed it on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. The performance was slightly different than usual, because Aguilera no longer had the image she previously had in "Stripped". During her Back to Basics
Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera album)
Back to Basics is the third studio album by American recording artist Christina Aguilera, first released on August 10, 2006 by RCA Records...
era, she dyed her hair cherry blonde and wore it in thick curls. The performance was live
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
. The song was a major part in the Back to Basics Tour
Back to Basics Tour
The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. The tour supported her third studio album Back to Basics. It grossed over $90 million worldwide with 82 shows...
, and on Aguilera's Stripped World Tour
Stripped World Tour
The Stripped World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. The tour is a continuation of her Justified/Stripped Tour with Justin Timberlake. The tour was for her second studio album, Stripped and reached Europe, Asia, and Australia...
. At the end of the song the instrumental of the song is usually played while Aguilera is exiting the stage, previous to when she waves thank you to the audience and bows. In 2008 Aguilera performed the song at the CNN Heroes Tribute Telecast. Aguilera received a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
at the end of the performance. In December 2010 Aguilera performed "Beautiful" as a duet with Rebecca Ferguson, a finalist on UK reality television show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 7)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent; the winner of which receives a £1 million recording contract with the Syco Music record label. The seventh series started on ITV on 21 August 2010 and ended on 12 December 2010. The winner was Matt Cardle and...
. On June 28, 2011, Aguilera performed "Beautiful" with Beverly McClellan
Beverly McClellan
Beverly McClellan is an American singer and contestant in the first season of the American The Voice reaching the final 4. She was coached by Christina Aguilera and part of her team. She finished in 3rd/4th place in the competition...
, a finalist on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
reality show The Voice
The Voice (U.S. TV series)
The Voice is an American reality talent show that premiered on April 26, 2011 on the NBC television network. Based on the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland, the series was created by Dutch television producer John de Mol. It is part of an international series...
; the following week, that version of the song debuted at #74 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and at #52 on the digital songs chart, after selling 42,000 downloads on iTunes
ITunes
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....
.
Music video
The song's music videoMusic 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...
was directed by Jonas Åkerlund
Jonas Åkerlund
Jonas Åkerlund is a Swedish film and music video director, and drummer. He is best known for directing music videos, which are often mock forms of movie trailers and short films...
. The video opens with Aguilera speaking the line "Don't look at me", followed by scenes of her singing alone in a room intercut with self image
Self image
A person's self-image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to objective investigation by others A person's self-image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change,...
-related sequences of other people. An underweight
Underweight
The term underweight refers to a human who is considered to be under a healthy weight. "Underweight" means weighing less than what is expected to be a healthy person . The definition is usually made with reference to the body mass index . A BMI of under 18.5 is usually referred to as underweight...
girl examines herself in a mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
, eventually punching through it; a skinny boy stands lifting weights
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
in a room plastered with images of bodybuilders
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
; and a girl rips out pages of women's magazines and throws them into a fire. In one sequence, a girl is bullied by several peers, and in another, a goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
with piercings sits at the back of a bus while several people get up and move. The video also touches on LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
issues. One scene features a gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
couple, portrayed by Jordan Shannon and Justin Croft, kissing on a bench and ignoring the stares of people who pass them. Another scene shows a transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
MTF, played by Robert Sherman, putting on makeup, a wig, and women's clothing.
The music video was successful on video chart programs. It debuted on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 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...
on December 9, 2002 at number two. It was unable to reach the top of the countdown but remained on it for fifty days and retired at number six on February 25, 2003. The video topped MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's Countdown
Countdown (MuchMusic TV series)
The MuchMusic Top 30 Countdown is a ninety-minute music video program block, that airs on Canadian music television station MuchMusic. Countdown is one of the oldest programs that continues to be aired on Much Music since its debut...
for two consecutive weeks and remained on the countdown for fifteen weeks. The video received a Special Recognition award, presented by David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique, sexualized, and often humorous style.-Early life:...
, from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation at its 14th annual media awards. After an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
performance of the song, Aguilera stated in her acceptance speech that "this song is definitely a universal message that everybody can relate to - anyone that's been discriminated
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
against or unaccepted, unappreciated or disrespected just because of who you are." The video became an instant hit on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and other music video channels.
Cover versions
Beautiful has been covered numerous times by various artists; and different versions of the song have been featured on television and film.| Year | Performer | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Alex Parks Alex Parks Alex Parks is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known for winning Fame Academy in 2003, for her singles, and for the albums, Introduction and Honesty.-Biography:... |
Introduction | Parks, a contestant on BBC TV's "Fame Academy Fame Academy Fame Academy is a televised competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist. The prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one... ", performed the song on the show; she eventually won her season and recorded a studio version of the song for her debut album Introduction and it appeared as a b-side to her first single "Maybe That's What It Takes Maybe That's What It Takes "Maybe That's What It Takes" is a song by Alex Parks, taken from her debut album Introduction. It was released as a single on 17 November 2003, shortly after she won the second series of Fame Academy, and peaked at number three in the UK Singles Chart.... ".'. |
| 2003 | Clem Snide Clem Snide Clem Snide is an alt-country band featuring Eef Barzelay , Brendan Fitzpatrick and Ben Martin .-History:"Clem Snide" is a character in several novels by William S. Burroughs, including Naked Lunch, The Ticket That Exploded, and Exterminator!... |
A Beautiful EP A Beautiful EP A Beautiful EP is an EP release by indie rock band Clem Snide. It was released primarily to capitalize on the band's performance of the Christina Aguilera single "Beautiful" during live shows.... |
The band covered the song as the title track to its 2004 A Beautiful EP. |
| 2003 | Christina Moore Christina Moore Christina Moore is an American actress. She is most notable for her membership in the main cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv, for replacing Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman on That '70s Show during the sixth season and for portraying Candy Sullivan in the TNT show Hawthorne.She had... |
MADtv MADtv MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first... parodied the music video as "Virginal", with Moore portraying Aguilera. In the video, Aguilera becomes "virginal" after everyone tires of her sleazy image (the last straw being the "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... " video. |
|
| 2003 | Krezip Krezip Krezip was a Dutch band from Tilburg, formed in 1997. It is notable for the band member's young ages during their original breakthrough. Since then, the band has had several successful albums and singles in the Benelux countries... |
That'll be unpugged | Krezip performed this song as part of their unplugged "PURE" session for music channel The Box. This recording is available on CD and DVD "That'll be unpugged". |
| 2004 | No Talent Necessary | ||
| 2004 | Daniel Franzese Daniel Franzese Daniel Franzese is an American actor. He has worked in film, TV and theater.Franzese was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York, the son of Denise and Ralph "R. J." Franzese, a lounge singer... |
Franzese, as his character Damian, performed the song on Mean Girls Mean Girls Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have... . |
|
| 2004 | P!nk P!nk Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress.... |
P!nk mocked Aguilera performing the song during her Try This Tour Try This Tour The Try This Tour was the second concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Pink tour in support of her third studio album, Try This. The tour visited Europe and Oceania.-About the show:... . During the tour, Pink performs a solo version of Lady Marmalade with four blow up dolls Sex doll A sex doll is a type of sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in masturbation.... resembling herself, Lil' Kim Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A..... , Mýa Mya -A person:* Bo Mya , Chief Commander of the Karen National Union* Mýa , American R&B singer-songwriter and actress** Mýa , a 1998 album by Mýa-A code:* Burmese language, ISO 639-3 code is mya* Moruya Airport's IATA code... and Aguilera. Along with her background dancers, Pink performs several aggressive sexual acts with the dolls. As the song flows to Aguilera's verse, Pink stops the performance abruptly and states to the crowd, "I want you guys to see this face". She then begins to improv the chorus of "Beautiful", stating, "You are beautiful, no matter what I say." |
|
| 2004 | Kenny G Kenny G Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986... and Chaka Khan Chaka Khan Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career... |
At Last...The Duets Album At Last...The Duets Album At Last...The Duets Album is the second cover album by saxophonist Kenny G. It was released by Arista Records in 2004, and reached number 1 on the Contemporary Jazz chart, number 21 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 40 on the Billboard 200.... |
It was covered by Kenny G and Chaka Khan for Kenny G's At Last...The Duets Album. |
| 2005 | G4 G4 (band) G4 were a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in ITV's talent show The X Factor in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives.-The X Factor:G4 auditioned for the... |
G4 & Friends G4 & Friends G4 and Friends is the second album released by X Factor group, G4. It entered at #6 in the UK charts with first week sales of 97,100. The album includes the band singing with guest stars Cliff Richard, Lesley Garrett and Robin Gibb.- Track listing :... |
The band included their own version of the song on their 2005 sophomore album. |
| 2005 | Gloria Gaynor Gloria Gaynor Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul... |
Gaynor performed the song in ITV ITV ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK... ’s reality show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time ; since then Beautiful has become a regular on the set list of her concerts. |
|
| 2005 | David Walliams David Walliams David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile... |
David Walliams David Walliams David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile... sang it to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and... , played by Anthony Head Anthony Head Anthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in... , in an episode of Little Britain Little Britain Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas... . |
|
| 2005 | Elvis Costello Elvis Costello Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader... |
House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack is a soundtrack album for the television series House. It was released on September 18, 2007 by Nettwerk Records. The soundtrack includes full length versions of songs featured in the show, such as "See the World" by Gomez, "Walter Reed" by Michael Penn and... |
Costello covered the song specifically for the House House (TV series) House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in... episode "Autopsy". |
| 2006 | Sandra Bernhard Sandra Bernhard Sandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of... |
Everything Bad & Beautiful Everything Bad & Beautiful Everything Bad & Beautiful is the name of a live stage show and album performed/recorded by singer/comedienne/actress Sandra Bernhard. The show ran in 2006 in New York City at the Daryl Roth Theater. In the performance Bernhard does what she is best known for: she rips apart celebrity culture while... . |
Sandra Bernhard did an own version as the opening song to her 2007 comedy show "Everything Bad & Beautiful Everything Bad & Beautiful Everything Bad & Beautiful is the name of a live stage show and album performed/recorded by singer/comedienne/actress Sandra Bernhard. The show ran in 2006 in New York City at the Daryl Roth Theater. In the performance Bernhard does what she is best known for: she rips apart celebrity culture while... ". In the end, after she sings a medley of "Just Like a Pill Just like a Pill "Just Like a Pill" is a pop rock song by American singer Pink. It was written and produced by Dallas Austin and Pink for her second studio album Missundaztood... " by Pink and "Kiss Me Deadly Kiss Me Deadly Kiss Me Deadly is a 1955 film noir drama produced and directed by Robert Aldrich starring Ralph Meeker. The screenplay was written by A.I. Bezzerides, based on the Mickey Spillane Mike Hammer mystery novel Kiss Me, Deadly. Kiss Me Deadly is often considered a classic of the noir genre. The film... " by Lita Ford Lita Ford Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:... , she repeats the line "so don't you bring me down today". |
| 2006 | Jessica Mauboy Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy , is an Indigenous Australian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol, she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs to pursue a recording career... |
Australian Idol: The Journey | Australian Idol 2006 runner up Jessica Mauboy performed a cover during the Top 10 show #1 Hits, which received much praise from the judges and audience. She then went on to release a cover of "Beautiful" for her Australian Idol: The Journey album which was released as a single but never was charted. |
| 2006 | Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album... |
Guitarists Richard Fortus Richard Fortus Richard Fortus is a professional guitarist who is most famous for being rhythm guitarist in Guns N' Roses.Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Fortus cut his teeth throughout the Midwest with his band, The Eyes. The four-piece alternative band independently released "Freedom in a Cage", which was... and Robin Finck Robin Finck Robin Finck is an American guitarist of Nine Inch Nails and former lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses. He is one of only a few artists who has played in two different bands listed on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock"; Nine Inch Nails and Guns N' Roses .-Career:Finck grew up in Marietta,... of Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album... covered "Beautiful" instrumentally for the early shows of Guns N' Roses' 2006 tour. |
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| 2006 | Brett Anderson Brett Anderson Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted The Tears, and has released four solo albums... |
Suede Suede (band) Suede are an English alternative rock band from London, formed in 1989. The group's most prominent early line-up featured singer Brett Anderson, guitarist Bernard Butler, bass player Mat Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert. By 1992, Suede were hailed as "The Best New Band in Britain", and attracted... singer Brett Anderson Brett Anderson Brett Lewis Anderson is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Suede. After Suede disbanded in 2003, he briefly fronted The Tears, and has released four solo albums... performed a version of the song on piano, which was uploaded to his official YouTube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... channel. |
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| 2006 | Girl Authority Girl Authority Girl Authority is an American pop girl group from Massachusetts.The group consists of nine girls, ranging in ages 11 to 16. The group was established in the summer of 2005 by the group's vocal coach/executive producer Samantha Hammel, Scott Billington and the CEO of Rounder Records John Virant.All... |
Girl Authority Girl Authority (album) Girl Authority is the debut cover album by pop girl group Girl Authority. The album is a cover album of previous hit songs by other female solo singers and girl groups, with the exception of two songs, originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and ABBA... |
The band covered the song on their debut covers album. |
| 2007 | Angy Fernández | Angy Fernandez sang it in the first season of the Spanish version of Factor X Factor X (Spain) Factor X is the Spanish version of the British television music competition The X Factor, created by Simon Cowell. The show, which airs on Cuatro, follows series 2-3 of the British format, with three categories, mentored by one judge each, whom choose the acts to represent the category in the live... . |
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| 2008 | Avion Baker | In "Believe the Unseen", an episode of ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... that first aired on January 10, 2008, the song is performed a capella by Kayla (Baker) a young girl with Leber's congenital amaurosis Leber's congenital amaurosis Leber's congenital amaurosis is a rare inherited eye disease that appears at birth or in the first few months of life, and affects around 1 in 80,000 of the population.It was first described by Theodor Leber in the 19th century... . |
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| 2008 | Bob Ricci | Bob's Gone Wild | Ricci recorded a parody of the song called "Unhackable" for his 2008 album Bob's Gone Wild. |
| 2008 | Hunchback and Michael Gerald | Pray For Scars | The band Hunchback recorded a cover version for their album Pray For Scars which features Michael Gerald from Killdozer Killdozer (band) Killdozer was an American noise-rock band, formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1983, with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from the 1974 TV movie, directed by Jerry London, itself based on a Theodore Sturgeon short story. They released their first album,... . |
| 2008 | The Zutons The Zutons The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album... |
Radio 1's Live Lounge - Volume 3 | The band performed a cover of the song for BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock... 's Live Lounge Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format... . |
| 2008 | Jason Mraz Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved... |
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| 2009 | The Lemonheads The Lemonheads The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member.... |
Varshons Varshons Varshons is an album of covers by alternative rock band The Lemonheads. On 27 March 2009, it was announced that Varshons would be released in the US on 23 June on The End Records.... |
The band covered the song for their album Varshons |
| 2009 | Zebrahead Zebrahead Zebrahead is an American punk rock band from Orange County, California, which fuses elements of Rapcore, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, and Funk Metal.-1996–98: Formation:... |
Panty Raid Panty Raid (album) Panty Raid is the eighth studio album released by American punk rock band Zebrahead.The album consists entirely of cover songs by female pop artists, including singers such as Avril Lavigne, Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani.-Track listing:... |
The band recorded a version of the song for their 2009 covers album. |
| 2010 | Massachusetts State House Massachusetts State House The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill... vigil attenders |
On October 5, 2010, several hundred people gathered in front of the Massachusetts State House and sang Beautiful as a tribute to the teenagers that committed suicide due to anti-gay bullying during the previous months. | |
| 2010 | The ReBeatles Project | Get Back | The ReBeatles Project, a The Beatles The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... tribute band, recorded a cover of the song in a similar sound to that of The Beatles. |
| 2010 | Amber Riley Amber Riley Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:... |
Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers -Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest... |
Mercedes Jones Mercedes Jones Mercedes Jones is a fictional character from the Fox popular musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Amber Riley, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Mercedes was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and... , Riley’s character on the television series Glee Glee (TV series) Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues... , covered “Beautiful” in the episode "Home Home (Glee) "Home" is the 16th episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on April 27, 2010. It was directed by Paris Barclay and written by series creator Brad Falchuk... ". |
| 2011 | Columbus Children's Choir and Columbus Gay Men's Chorus | In March 2011, the Columbus Children's Choir and Columbus Gay Men's Chorus joined to perform the song as a contribution to the It Gets Better Project. | |
| 2011 | China Anne McClain | A.N.T. Farm Soundtrack | McClain performed the song on the episode "America Needs TalANT ". |
| 2011 | Savannah Robinson Savannah Robinson Savannah Robinson is a young American singer.She rose to prominence while singing during the Long Beach Pride festival in the summer of 2010, performing twice on the smaller stage of the festival, and then asked to perform on the main festival stage... |
Robinson recorded a version of the song and released an anti-bullying video for it on her Youtube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... channel. She later performed it on 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... . |
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| 2011 | Little Mix | The band performed the song on week 8 of The X Factor Series 8 The X Factor (UK series 8) The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other... , the theme of the week was "hero songs". |
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| 2012 | Katharine McPhee Katharine McPhee Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records... |
McPhee performs the song on NBC's NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... upcoming show Smash Smash (TV series) Smash is an upcoming American NBC series set to premiere on Monday, February 6, 2012.-Synopsis:The show revolves around a group of characters who come together to put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. But before that can happen, the people who will try to bring it all... . |
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| Make It Rain | Israeli punk band Make It Rain often play a cover version in their shows. | ||
| The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor.... |
Track listings and formats
U.S. 12" single- "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer remix)
- "Beautiful" (Al B Rich Next Level mix)
- "Beautiful" (Valentin club mix)
U.S. digital download
- "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer radio mix)
- "Beautiful" (Al B Rich radio mix)
- "Beautiful" (Valentin radio mix)
- "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer short club)
- "Beautiful" (Brother Brown mixshow)
- "Beautiful" (Brother Brown Divine mix)
- "Beautiful" (Al B Rich Next Level mix)
- "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer Beautiful theme)
- "Beautiful" (Valentin club mix)
- "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer extended club)
- "Beautiful" (Brother Brown dub)
Australian CD single
- "Beautiful"
- "Dame Lo Que Yo Te Doy"
- "Beautiful" (video)
Canadian CD single
- "Beautiful"
- "Dame Lo Que Yo Te Doy"
UK CD single
- "Beautiful (album version)"
- "DirrtyDirrty"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...
(MaUVe Mix)" - "Beautiful" (video)
UK 12" single
- "Beautiful" (Shanghai Surprise mix)
- "Beautiful" (Tom Mandolini mix)
- "Beautiful" (Brother Brown mixshow)
- "Beautiful" (Brother Brown Divine mix)
A.N.T. Farm: Beautiful
tracks from CD
1. Beautiful
Credits and personnel
- Writer: 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...
- Lead vocals: Christina Aguilera
- ProducerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
: Linda Perry - Recording engineer: Linda Perry
- Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
: Linda Perry - CelloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
: Richard Dodd - DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
: Brian MacLeod - KeyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
: Damon Fox - PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
: Linda Perry - ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
: Eric GorfainEric GorfainEric Gorfain is an American violinist and leader of The Section Quartet.He has been classically trained since the age of four and later participated in orchestras throughout his studies at UCLA, where he became symphony concertmaster.... - Audio mixerAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
: Dave Pensado
Charts
| Charts (2003/2011) | Peak position |
|---|
Certifications
End of year charts
| Country | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 24 |
| Austria | 45 |
| Germany | 56 |
| Ireland | 16 |
| Netherlands | 35 |
| New Zealand | 3 |
| Switzerland | 66 |
| United Kingdom | 23 |
| United States | 16 |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | December 24, 2002 | CD Single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
| United Kingdom | March 3, 2003 |
External links
- "Beautiful" music video at VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...