Dirrty
Encyclopedia
"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
(2002). It received mixed reviews from music critics.
"Dirrty" was released in September 2002 as the album's lead single
(see 2002 in music
). It was successful in the U.S., reaching number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100
, but was better received elsewhere, cracking the top ten in 17 countries and reaching number one in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. "Dirrty" was nominated for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
" at the 45th Grammy Awards.
The song is best remembered for its accompanying music video, for which Aguilera was allowed creative control. The video brought her sexuality to the forefront and depicted various sexual fetishes, from mud wrestling
to sthenolagnia. It eliminated the teenybopper
, "girl next door
" image that she had accumulated from her previous work.
" (2001). Late in the making of Stripped, Aguilera approached him again, wanting him to help produce a seriously "down and dirty" song to announce her comeback and new public image. Aguilera suggested using Redman's "Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get in da Club)
" (2001) as a guide, and the resulting "Dirrty" was a remake of its precursor. She later included a sequel titled "Still Dirrty" on her 2006 album Back to Basics
.
"Dirrty" is a hip pop song composed in the key of G minor
. The lines in the chorus
and Redman's rap are emphasized by a pair of B♭ octave dyad
s. The song's lyrics detail sexual activities such as table dancing. Aguilera decided to use a misspelling for the title as a way to personalize the song, also considering "Dirtee" or "Dirrdy". She decided on "Dirrty" as a reflection of the music video, commenting, "I felt like having two r's, kind of like grrr…Gritty…underground, illegal stuff going on."
in the song was too narrow. Entertainment Weekly
gave it a D-, calling the singing "desperate and shrill", and found it an unsuccessful attempt to gain street cred. The Guardian
, however, described it as "majestically filthy", and Slant Magazine
referred to it as "the most instantly gratifying" song from Stripped. Stylus Magazine
called it the best single of 2002, impressed by how "the bassline
doesn't quite mesh with the song in a natural way" and the effective use of overdubbing
.
The track earned several award nominations, including a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".
Linda Perry
, who had worked with Aguilera on "Beautiful
", stated that she and Aguilera's management had recommended it as the lead single from Stripped but that Aguilera insisted on "Dirrty" instead. RCA Records
, however, stated that it had agreed with Aguilera to release "Dirrty" to attract attention to Aguilera and the album. The single performed poorly in the United States, only peaking at number 48. The song was somewhat more successful in mainstream markets, reaching number 14 on the Top 40 Mainstream and number 22 on the Top 40 Tracks
. It had some crossover success and peaked at number 20 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. "Dirrty" was nominated for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
" at the 2003 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Santana
's "The Game of Love
" featuring Michelle Branch
. It received four nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards
for "Best Female Video", "Best Dance Video", "Best Pop Video", and "Best Choreography".
The track was much more successful in Europe. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at the top of the chart for the week ending November 23 and remained there for two weeks, and is officially the 30th best-selling single of 2002 in the United Kingdom. It was successful throughout Europe, reaching the top five in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland, and the top ten in Italy, Portugal, and Sweden.
The single had similar success elsewhere. It debuted on the Canadian Singles Chart
at number 7, later peaking at number 5, and remained within the top ten for three and a half months. It peaked at number 4 for three consecutive weeks on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, lasting 11 weeks on the chart. The single was listed at number 36 on the 2002 end of year chart, and at number 12 on the Urban Singles Chart. The Australian Recording Industry Association
certified "Dirrty" platinum for shipping 70,000 copies. "Dirrty" stayed on the Italian Singles Chart for 21 weeks, peaking at #8. The sales of "Dirrty" in the U.S. weren't as successful as Aguilera's previous singles; but only because it was released as a 12" Vinyl single. The track became an international Top 5 hit, spending 25 weeks on the charts in Switzerland. "Dirrty" was certified platinum
by the IFPI
and Gold in New Zealand.
. It depicts what was described as "a post-apocalyptic orgy". The video opens with Aguilera gearing up and riding a motorcycle into a nightclub
. Wearing a bikini
and chaps
, she is lowered from a cage into a boxing ring
and dances, accompanied by several back-up dancers. A masked woman is lowered into the ring, and the two engage in foxy boxing
. The scene is intercut with sequences of Aguilera dancing in a crop top
, which she later removes to reveal a bikini top, and a microskirt
. Redman then proceeds down a hallway, passing people such as mud wrestlers, a contortion
ist, and furries
. The video proceeds to a scene of Aguilera and back-up dancers splashing and dancing while being sprayed with water in a room containing several urinals, as a possible reference to urolagnia
.
The music video was successful on video chart programs. It debuted on MTV's Total Request Live
October 2, 2002 at number six. It lasted 44 days on the program, half of which were at the top of the countdown. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
, the video was nominated for Best Female Video, Best Dance Video, Best Pop Video, and Best Choreography
. The video lasted eight weeks on MuchMusic
's Countdown
, peaking at number 11.
The video generated some controversy and presented Aguilera's new public image. When Perry first saw the video, she asked Aguilera: "Are you high? This is annoying. Why are you doing this?" Two weeks after its premiere, the video had already been spoofed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar
on Saturday Night Live
, who said (playing Aguilera): "When people see this video, they gonna stop thinking of me as some blonde-haired, bubblegum, music-industry ho – and start thinking of me as an actual ho." Aguilera later commented that she found the spoof disappointing and that she "could have made a funnier script out of it." Protests occurred in Thailand over Thai
-language posters in the video that translate to "Thailand's Sex Tourism
" and "Young Underage
Girls". LaChapelle stated that he had not known what the posters stated, and RCA disallowed Thai television stations from playing the video.
Aguilera's new image was widely rejected by the public to the extent that it began to overshadow her music. Entertainment Weekly described it as "the world's skeeziest reptile woman", and The Village Voice captioned her as a xenomorph
from the Alien series
. Several of Aguilera's contemporaries, such as Shakira
and Jessica Simpson
, disapproved of her image, finding it "a step too far". TIME magazine commented that "she appeared to have arrived on the set ... direct from an intergalactic hooker convention", adding that "she earned that extra r". Writer Emma Forrest
remarked: "What she's depicting is subcultures within sexuality, and to say that this is normal young woman's sexuality is just not fair. ... Even Madonna never did that to girls." Aguilera, stating that she like "to play and experiment, to be as tame or as outlandish as [she] happened to feel", stood by the music video and her image in response to the criticism:
American 12" vinyl single
European CD maxi single
American CD single
Canadian CD single
Dance Vault Mixes (Digital EP)
Australian CD Single
|autocat=yes}}
|autocat=yes}}
|autocat=yes}}
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...
featuring rapper Reggie "Redman" Noble. The song was written by Aguilera and Redman along with Jasper Cameron
Jasper Cameron
Jasper Cameron is an American songwriter/producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently signed to Universal Music Publishing Group. He started producing his own music while in a R&B group in high school. He was soon signed to a deal with Dallas Austin Darp recordings through Joyce Irby, who at the...
, Balewa Muhammad, and Rockwilder
Rockwilder
Rockwilder is an American hip hop and R&B record producer, rapper, and R&B Singer. A long term friend of Def Jam rapper Redman, Rockwilder got his start producing for East Coast Hip Hop artists in the mid 1990s. In 1999 Rockwilder produced Method Man & Redman's hit single "Da Rockwilder"...
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). It received mixed reviews from music critics.
"Dirrty" was released in September 2002 as the album's lead single
Lead 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...
(see 2002 in music
2002 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
). It was successful in the U.S., reaching 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...
, but was better received elsewhere, cracking the top ten in 17 countries and reaching number one in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. "Dirrty" was nominated for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers collaborate...
" at the 45th Grammy Awards.
The song is best remembered for its accompanying music video, for which Aguilera was allowed creative control. The video brought her sexuality to the forefront and depicted various sexual fetishes, from mud wrestling
Mud wrestling
Mud wrestling is defined as physical confrontation that occurs in mud or a mud pit. The popular modern interpretation specifies that participants wrestle while wearing minimal clothing and usually going barefoot, with the emphasis on presenting an entertaining spectacle as opposed to physically...
to sthenolagnia. It eliminated the teenybopper
Teenybopper
The term teenybopper was invented by marketing professionals and psychologists, later becoming a subculture of its own. The term describes a young teenager, particularly a girl, who follows adolescent trends in music, fashion and culture. The term was introduced in the 1950s to refer to teenagers...
, "girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
" image that she had accumulated from her previous work.
Background and writing
Aguilera had worked with hip hop producer Rockwilder during the recording of "Lady MarmaladeLady 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#...
" (2001). Late in the making of Stripped, Aguilera approached him again, wanting him to help produce a seriously "down and dirty" song to announce her comeback and new public image. Aguilera suggested using Redman's "Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get in da Club)
Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get in da Club)
"Let's Get Dirty " is the first single released from Redman's 2001 album, Malpractice. It is produced by Rockwilder and contains a highly synthesized beat and guest vocals from DJ Kool. It was slightly successful and scraped the edge of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was described by Allmusic...
" (2001) as a guide, and the resulting "Dirrty" was a remake of its precursor. She later included a sequel titled "Still Dirrty" on her 2006 album 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...
.
"Dirrty" is a hip pop song composed in the key of G minor
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
. The lines in the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
and Redman's rap are emphasized by a pair of B♭ octave dyad
Dyad (music)
In music, a dyad is a set of two notes or pitches. Although most chords have three or more notes, in certain contexts a dyad may be considered to be a chord. The most common two-note chord is made from the interval of a perfect fifth, which may be suggestive of music of the Medieval or Renaissance...
s. The song's lyrics detail sexual activities such as table dancing. Aguilera decided to use a misspelling for the title as a way to personalize the song, also considering "Dirtee" or "Dirrdy". She decided on "Dirrty" as a reflection of the music video, commenting, "I felt like having two r's, kind of like grrr…Gritty…underground, illegal stuff going on."
Critical reception
"Dirrty" received mixed reviews from music critics. Allmusic referred to it as a "non-song" and found that 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...
in the song was too narrow. 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...
gave it a D-, calling the singing "desperate and shrill", and found it an unsuccessful attempt to gain street cred. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, however, described it as "majestically filthy", and Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
referred to it as "the most instantly gratifying" song from Stripped. 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....
called it the best single of 2002, impressed by how "the bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
doesn't quite mesh with the song in a natural way" and the effective use of overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
.
The track earned several award nominations, including a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".
Chart performance
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...
, who had worked with Aguilera on "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...
", stated that she and Aguilera's management had recommended it as the lead single from Stripped but that Aguilera insisted on "Dirrty" 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...
, however, stated that it had agreed with Aguilera to release "Dirrty" to attract attention to Aguilera and the album. The single performed poorly in the United States, only peaking at number 48. The song was somewhat more successful in mainstream markets, reaching number 14 on the Top 40 Mainstream and number 22 on the Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was...
. It had some crossover success and peaked at number 20 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. "Dirrty" was nominated for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers collaborate...
" at the 2003 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
's "The Game of Love
The Game of Love (Santana song)
"The Game of Love" is a song composed by Gregg Alexander and Rick Nowels, and is on the album Shaman by Santana. The vocal performance of the song is by Michelle Branch...
" featuring Michelle Branch
Michelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, and was subsequently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2003...
. It received four nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
for "Best Female Video", "Best Dance Video", "Best Pop Video", and "Best Choreography".
The track was much more successful in Europe. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at the top of the chart for the week ending November 23 and remained there for two weeks, and is officially the 30th best-selling single of 2002 in the United Kingdom. It was successful throughout Europe, reaching the top five in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland, and the top ten in Italy, Portugal, and Sweden.
The single had similar success elsewhere. It debuted on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
at number 7, later peaking at number 5, and remained within the top ten for three and a half months. It peaked at number 4 for three consecutive weeks on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, lasting 11 weeks on the chart. The single was listed at number 36 on the 2002 end of year chart, and at number 12 on the Urban Singles Chart. 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...
certified "Dirrty" platinum for shipping 70,000 copies. "Dirrty" stayed on the Italian Singles Chart for 21 weeks, peaking at #8. The sales of "Dirrty" in the U.S. weren't as successful as Aguilera's previous singles; but only because it was released as a 12" Vinyl single. The track became an international Top 5 hit, spending 25 weeks on the charts in Switzerland. "Dirrty" was certified platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
by the IFPI
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...
and Gold in New Zealand.
Music video
The song's music video was directed by David LaChapelleDavid 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:...
. It depicts what was described as "a post-apocalyptic orgy". The video opens with Aguilera gearing up and riding a motorcycle into a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. Wearing a bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
and chaps
Chaps
Chaps are sturdy coverings for the legs consisting of leggings and a belt. They are buckled on over trousers with the chaps' integrated belt, but unlike trousers they have no seat and are not joined at the crotch. They are designed to provide protection for the legs and are usually made of leather...
, she is lowered from a cage into a boxing ring
Boxing ring
A boxing ring is the space in which a boxing match occurs. A modern ring, which is set on a raised platform, is square with a post at each corner to which four parallel rows of ropes are attached with a turnbuckle...
and dances, accompanied by several back-up dancers. A masked woman is lowered into the ring, and the two engage in foxy boxing
Foxy boxing
Foxy boxing is a sports entertainment which involves two or more women boxing in a sexualized context as a form of erotic entertainment. The participants are typically dressed in revealing clothing such as bikinis or skintight leotards, while the actual fight usually focuses on the beauty of the...
. The scene is intercut with sequences of Aguilera dancing in a crop top
Crop top
A crop top is a T-shirt or blouse with the lower part cut off, showing of some of the abdomen. The half shirt is a kind of shirt that is cut off from the bottom of the chest....
, which she later removes to reveal a bikini top, and a microskirt
Microskirt
A microskirt or micro-miniskirt is a very short skirt. It is shorter than a miniskirt, being less than in length. At that length, the microskirt exposes the thighs and the lower portion of the buttocks, as well as part of the underwear...
. Redman then proceeds down a hallway, passing people such as mud wrestlers, a contortion
Contortion
thumb|upright|Contortionist performingContortion is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the human body. Contortion is often part of acrobatics and circus acts...
ist, and furries
Furry fandom
Furry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes...
. The video proceeds to a scene of Aguilera and back-up dancers splashing and dancing while being sprayed with water in a room containing several urinals, as a possible reference to urolagnia
Urolagnia
Urolagnia is a paraphilia in which sexual excitement is associated with the sight or thought of urine or urination. The term has origins in the Greek Language .Those who enjoy urolagnia may enjoy urinating on another person or persons, or being urinated upon...
.
The music video was successful on video chart programs. It debuted on MTV'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...
October 2, 2002 at number six. It lasted 44 days on the program, half of which were at the top of the countdown. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
2003 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
, the video was nominated for Best Female Video, Best Dance Video, Best Pop Video, and Best Choreography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....
. The video lasted eight weeks on 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...
, peaking at number 11.
The video generated some controversy and presented Aguilera's new public image. When Perry first saw the video, she asked Aguilera: "Are you high? This is annoying. Why are you doing this?" Two weeks after its premiere, the video had already been spoofed by Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
on 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...
, who said (playing Aguilera): "When people see this video, they gonna stop thinking of me as some blonde-haired, bubblegum, music-industry ho – and start thinking of me as an actual ho." Aguilera later commented that she found the spoof disappointing and that she "could have made a funnier script out of it." Protests occurred in Thailand over Thai
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
-language posters in the video that translate to "Thailand's Sex Tourism
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
" and "Young Underage
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
Girls". LaChapelle stated that he had not known what the posters stated, and RCA disallowed Thai television stations from playing the video.
Aguilera's new image was widely rejected by the public to the extent that it began to overshadow her music. Entertainment Weekly described it as "the world's skeeziest reptile woman", and The Village Voice captioned her as a xenomorph
Xenomorph (Alien)
The Alien is a fictional endoparasitoid extraterrestrial species that is the primary antagonist of the Alien film series. The species made its debut in the 1979 film Alien, and reappeared in its sequels Aliens , Alien 3 , and Alien Resurrection , two crossovers Alien vs...
from the Alien series
Alien (film series)
The Alien film series is a science fiction horror film franchise, focusing on Lieutenant Ellen Ripley and her battle with an extraterrestrial lifeform, commonly referred to as "the Alien"...
. Several of Aguilera's contemporaries, such as Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
and Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
, disapproved of her image, finding it "a step too far". TIME magazine commented that "she appeared to have arrived on the set ... direct from an intergalactic hooker convention", adding that "she earned that extra r". Writer Emma Forrest
Emma Forrest
Emma Forrest , is a British journalist, novelist and screenwriter. Born in London, she currently resides in Los Angeles.-Journalism:...
remarked: "What she's depicting is subcultures within sexuality, and to say that this is normal young woman's sexuality is just not fair. ... Even Madonna never did that to girls." Aguilera, stating that she like "to play and experiment, to be as tame or as outlandish as [she] happened to feel", stood by the music video and her image in response to the criticism:
Formats and track listings
Major formats and track listings for "Dirrty".American 12" vinyl single
- "Dirrty" – 4:58
- "Dirrty" [no rap edit] – 4:01
- "Dirrty" [instrumental] – 3:58
European CD maxi single
- "Dirrty" [no rap edit] – 4:01
- "I Will Be" – 4:12
- "Dirrty" – 4:58
- "Dirrty" [video] – 4:49
American CD single
- "Dirrty" – 5:00
- "Make Over" – 4:12
Canadian CD single
- "Dirrty" – 4:58
- "I Will Be" – 4:12
Dance Vault Mixes (Digital EP)
- "Dirrty" [Tracy Young Radio] – 4:06
- "Dirrty" [Tracy Young Club] – 8:40
- "Dirrty" [MaUVe Remix] – 8:11
Australian CD Single
- "Dirrty" [no rap edit] – 4:01
- "I Will Be" – 4:12
- "Dirrty" [Full Length Version] – 4:58
Credits and personnel
- Vocals: Christina AguileraChristina AguileraChristina 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...
featuring Redman. - ProducersRecord 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...
: Rockwilder, Christina Aguilera. - Recording engineers: Oscar Ramirez, Wassim Zreik, Dylan "3-D" Dresdow.
- Mix engineerMix engineerA mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
: Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado. - Assistant mix engineer: Ethan Willoughby.
- Recorded at: The Enterprise Studios, Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, CaliforniaBurbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
. - Background vocals: Redman.
Charts
| Charts | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
5 |
| Greece (IFPI IFPI Greece 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... ) |
24 |
Certifications
}}|autocat=yes}}
|autocat=yes}}
|autocat=yes}}
Year-end charts
| Chart (2002) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia | 36 |
| Austria | 65 |
| Ireland | 19 |
| Netherlands | 16 |
| Switzerland | 22 |
| UK | 30 |
| Chart (2003) | Rank |
| Austria | 58 |
| Netherlands | 53 |