Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)
Encyclopedia
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 for its explicit content and accompanying music video, and "Beautiful
", which went onto become one of Aguilera's most successful and memorable tracks peaking at number 2 in the US. The music video
for "Beautiful" directed by Jonas Åkerlund
garnered much attention, as it touched on the subjects of anorexia nervosa
, homosexuality
, bullying, self-esteem
and transgender
issues. Simon Cowell noted that it is "one of the best pop songs ever written."
Aguilera supported the album with the Justified/Stripped Tour alongside singer Justin Timberlake
and Stripped World Tour
in North America
, Europe
, Asia
and Australia
. With this album, Aguilera took creative control over a project for the first time, being influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, pop rock, Latin and hip hop. She co-wrote fourteen of the songs and was involved in the production of the record, alongside Scott Storch
and Linda Perry
. During the promotion of the album, Aguilera's public appearance was criticized heavily in the US, due to her sexual videos and revealing outfits. Despite containing several expletives and sexual content, the album was not released with a Parental Advisory
warning.
The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
chart, selling 330,000 copies in its first week, and eventually earned a 4x Platinum
certification from the RIAA
, with sales over 4 millions copies. It became an international commercial success and produced five singles that attained moderate chart success, including "Beautiful
", which became the most listened song of 2002-2003. Despite some criticism towards Aguilera' songwriting, Stripped received mixed reviews from most music critics and earned Aguilera several accolades, including one Grammy Awards. It has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. It is number 77 in the best-selling albums chart of the 2000s
in the United States. Stripped is the 73rd best selling album of all time in the UK.
, Scott Storch
, Glen Ballard
and Linda Perry
. Singer Alicia Keys worked on the track ‘’Impossible’’ with Aguilera, the two spent three days recording in New York City
in the ‘’Electric Lady’’ studios. Linda Perry worked alongside Aguilera on the album and she wrote the ballad ‘’Beautiful’’ for which she said “I never in a million years expected her to gravitate towards that, And when she did, it was hard for me to let go of that song, because it's really special for me. So the deal was, 'I need to hear how you sing it.' And when I heard her, I said, 'okay.'" ‘’Stripped’’ is composed of 20 tracks which were produced by other producers such as Dr. Dre
and Scott Storch
and throughout has a mix of themes and genres.
Aguilera discussed the concept behind the album several times saying “The whole vision for the record was to be really raw and real” she added “Just really baring who I really am”. During the production of the album Aguilera was travelling through different parts of the world. Aguilera stated that the songwriter Linda Perry
had an influence on her work saying “I really, really loved the Linda Perry songs”. Aguilera told MTV that Perry helped her unload a lot of frustration and she also learned to relieve stress by screaming and to accept mistakes. She added; "She taught me that imperfections are good and should be kept because it comes from the heart. It makes things more believable and it's brave to share them with the world." Aguilera said on the name of the album:
The album features the track ‘’I’m OK’’ which lyrically talks about her troubling past with her fathers domestic abuse. Aguilera talked on the subject saying “"I definitely wrote that song not to badmouth him at all, but one, for a healing process for myself, and two, to give people hope or a voice to relate to. To know that you can get through it and that it will be OK". The song, "I'm OK", is a personal account of her emotionally distressing childhood. She speaks about her father and her painful memories from her early life. She explained that she recorded this song for a healing process and to give people in the same situation a voice to relate to. Aguilera stated that she is set on breaking away from ‘’Teen Pop’’ and she wanted to explore new musical territory and as ‘’MTV’’ state “a highly personal proclamation of independence and adulthood” The track ‘’Impossible’’ which Aguilera worked with ‘’Alicia Keys’’ says lyrically “How can I, how can I give you all my love, baby/ If you're always, always putting up your guaaarrrd/ This is not a circus, don'tcha play me for a clown”. The ballad ‘’Beautiful’’ penned by Linda Perry has been noted for it’s John Lennon
inspired themes which features a string arrangement and a piano part and themes of R&B.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 55, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews" reviews. Entertainment Weekly
called the album an "overlong, 20-track workshop", writing that "Stripped dabbles in vampy soul, quasi-metal, piano-bar intimacy, quiet-storm R&B, bounce-bounce hip-hop, and semi-exotic rock, all of it dutifully accomplished”. Spin
gave it a six out of 10 rating and stated "As an artistic statement, Stripped is all over the place--it's a move toward hip-hop, it's a move toward rock, it's ghetto, it's Disney". Q
gave the album two out of five stars and commented that "bra-burning rhetoric and gospel warbling make poor substitutes for addictive songs, and nothing here rivals her previous best, 'Genie In A Bottle'.
Rolling Stone
called it as an album for grown-ups and despite giving the album 3 stars out of 5, it said "Aguilera's voice continues to grow richer and on belters such as "Cruz" she can out-Whitney Whitney". BBC Music
gave the album a mixed review saying “From start to finish Stripped is as full-on bold and over the top as most of Christina's outfits [...] much of this seems to be an exercise in stretching the vocal chords to weak backing tracks". The Village Voice
panned its lyrical content and described it as "nü-Mariah on mood stabilizers, extended with pseudo-pastiches of semi-popular songs". Stylus Magazine
commented that “This record feels like a failure of self-censorship. Aguilera, in her quest to be up front and real, is far more stripped than anyone wants to see her. She would be well advised to rein in her artistic freedom and heed the advice of record executives who actually do sometimes know best”. Slant Magazine
gave the album three out of five stars saying “Stripped is more an event than an album [...] so overproduced and overwrought that it could easily pass for a Janet album".
The album was nominated for the Best Pop Vocal Album and the lead single "Dirrty" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2003, while "Can't Hold Us Down
" got the same nomination a year later. The second single "Beautiful
" received a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The Jonas Åkerlund
-directed music video
for "Beautiful
" garnered much attention, as it touched on the subjects of anorexia nervosa
, homosexuality
, bullying, self-esteem
and transgender
issues. Simon Cowell noted that it is "one of the best pop songs ever written."
" was an international success, but failed to reach the top forty in the U.S., and Aguilera's record label quickly released "Beautiful
" as a follow-up single. "Beautiful" and as well as the proceeding singles "Fighter
", "Can't Hold Us Down
" and "The Voice Within
" helped Stripped become one of the steadiest selling albums in 2003, coming in at No. 10 on the Billboard year-end list of the top selling albums of the year. To date, the album has sold over 4 million copies in the US. It is number 77 in the best-selling albums chart of the 2000s
in the United States.
The staying power of Stripped was also shown in the U.K.
Even though it debuted at a disappointing No. 19, it consistently stayed in the top twenty during 2003 and early 2004. It was certified 5× Platinum, became the 3rd best-selling album of 2003, and eventually sold 1,850,852 copies ranking it at number seventy-three on the list of The UK's 100 best-selling albums of all time. In December 2004, Stripped was certified 3× Platinum by the IFPI
for shipments of more than 3 million copies inside Europe
and is also 4× Platinum in Australia
despite only reaching a peak of number seven. It is 2× Platinum in Canada
. In March 2008, the track "Walk Away" entered at number 35 on the official Danish Singles Chart. In Germany, it remains her best-selling album of her career with 500,000 copies sold, reaching platinum there.
Due to the success of the album's five singles, it remained in the German Albums Chart for 77 weeks, making it the longest-staying album in that chart of her career. As of now, the album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
. The single received mixed reception from critics and most notably the accompanying music video received a lot of criticism for its explicit content, however the video was nominated for several MTV Video Music Awards
for; ‘’Best Female Video’’, ‘’Best Dance Video’’, ‘’Best Pop Video’’ and ‘’Best Choreography’’ however it failed to win all three The single was also nominated for a Grammy Award
for ‘’Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals’’ at the 45th Grammy Awards. The song charted well in Mainland Europe however it failed to make an impact in the United States peaking at number 48. The track "Beautiful" was announced to be the second single, penned by Linda Perry the song was released to a great response from critics. The song was released to a great chart performance topping the charts in the UK becoming her second consecutive number one and the single peaked at number 2 in the United States which was her highest single entry from the album. The track was nominated for several awards including a nomination from the MTV Europe Music Awards
for "Best Song", it was also nominated in the same category at the 2004 Grammy Awards where it was also nominated for "Best Remixed Recording" and winning a Grammy for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".
The third single was confirmed to be the track ‘’Fighter’’, the single was released to a good commercial reception. The video was nominated for several awards including Video of the Year for the Juno Awards and the MVPA Awards. The Scott Storch penned peaked at number 20 in the United States however it fared much better elsewhere peaking at number 3 in Canada and number 3 in the UK. The fourth single ‘’Can’t Hold Us Down’’ featuring rapper Lil’ Kim was released to a good reception from critics gaining a ‘’Grammy Award’’ nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals which it failed to win. The single fared well commercially peaking at number 12 in the United States and going to number 5 in Australia becoming one of the most commercially successful of the album. The final single was confirmed to be "The Voice Within" which received a great reception from critics and also a good commercial reception outside of the US where it peaked at number 33. In the UK the single peaked at number 9 and in Canada the single peaked at number 10. The video was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Female Video", "Viewers Choice" and "Best Cinematography". The track has gained a legacy with several notable cover versions and a large impact on the Ballad scene.
" and new dirrty look for Christina at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
in New York City
. Aguilera supported the album with two different tours. The Justified and Stripped Tour
with singer Justin Timberlake took place in North America, while the Stripped World Tour
took place in Europe, Japan and Australia. The concert tour consisted in 85 shows. In late 2004 the concert DVD called Stripped Live in the U.K. was released. In the UK on December 8, 2008 the Stripped album was re-released featuring the Stripped Live in the UK DVD.
Musicians
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
recording artist Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
. It was released on October 26, 2002. It reached the top two of the album charts in both the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 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...
and features two UK number-one hits: "Dirrty
Dirrty
"Dirrty" is a song performed by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring rapper Reggie "Redman" Noble. The song was written by Aguilera and Redman along with Jasper Cameron, Balewa Muhammad, and Rockwilder for Aguilera's fourth studio album Stripped...
" which gained criticism and controversy for its explicit content and accompanying music video, and "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...
", which went onto become one of Aguilera's most successful and memorable tracks peaking at number 2 in the US. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Beautiful" 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...
garnered much attention, as it touched on the subjects of anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
, homosexuality
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...
, bullying, self-esteem
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...
and 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....
issues. Simon Cowell noted that it is "one of the best pop songs ever written."
Aguilera supported the album with the Justified/Stripped Tour alongside singer Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
and 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...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, 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...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and 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...
. With this album, Aguilera took creative control over a project for the first time, being influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, pop rock, Latin and hip hop. She co-wrote fourteen of the songs and was involved in the production of the record, alongside Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
and Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
. During the promotion of the album, Aguilera's public appearance was criticized heavily in the US, due to her sexual videos and revealing outfits. Despite containing several expletives and sexual content, the album was not released with a Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
warning.
The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 330,000 copies in its first week, and eventually earned a 4x Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
certification from the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, with sales over 4 millions copies. It became an international commercial success and produced five singles that attained moderate chart success, including "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...
", which became the most listened song of 2002-2003. Despite some criticism towards Aguilera' songwriting, Stripped received mixed reviews from most music critics and earned Aguilera several accolades, including one Grammy Awards. It has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. It is number 77 in the best-selling albums chart of the 2000s
2000s in music
For music from a year in the 2000s, go to 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 2000s....
in the United States. Stripped is the 73rd best selling album of all time in the UK.
Writing and development
It was confirmed that Aguilera would be working with writing and production stars; Alicia KeysAlicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
, Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard
Glen Ballard is an American songwriter and record producer, best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill , which won Grammy Award for "Best Rock Album", and "Album of the Year" amongst others, and is ranked by the Rolling Stone amongst The 500 Greatest Albums of...
and Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
. Singer Alicia Keys worked on the track ‘’Impossible’’ with Aguilera, the two spent three days recording in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the ‘’Electric Lady’’ studios. Linda Perry worked alongside Aguilera on the album and she wrote the ballad ‘’Beautiful’’ for which she said “I never in a million years expected her to gravitate towards that, And when she did, it was hard for me to let go of that song, because it's really special for me. So the deal was, 'I need to hear how you sing it.' And when I heard her, I said, 'okay.'" ‘’Stripped’’ is composed of 20 tracks which were produced by other producers such as Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
and Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
and throughout has a mix of themes and genres.
Aguilera discussed the concept behind the album several times saying “The whole vision for the record was to be really raw and real” she added “Just really baring who I really am”. During the production of the album Aguilera was travelling through different parts of the world. Aguilera stated that the songwriter Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
had an influence on her work saying “I really, really loved the Linda Perry songs”. Aguilera told MTV that Perry helped her unload a lot of frustration and she also learned to relieve stress by screaming and to accept mistakes. She added; "She taught me that imperfections are good and should be kept because it comes from the heart. It makes things more believable and it's brave to share them with the world." Aguilera said on the name of the album:
"Coming off of the height of being a part of such a big pop-craze phenomenon, that imagery of that cookie-cutter sweetheart, without it being me, I just had to take it all down and get it away from me. And that is why I actually named the album Stripped, because it is about being emotionally stripped down and pretty bare to open my soul and heart."
Composition
The first track on the album is the ‘’Stripped Part 1’’ composition which features the introductory line “Sorry you can't define me/ Sorry I break the mold/ Sorry that I speak my mind/ Sorry don't do what I'm told” in reference to her new musical change. The album features several explicit themes which criticism of her ‘’Dirtty’’ composition and video release. The album features musical themes of ‘’Surf Rock’’ and ‘’Neo Soul’’ and many other musical styles. The songs ‘’Dirrty’ and ‘’Get Mine, Get Yours’’ lyrically talk about sexual exploration whereas the track ‘’Cant Hold Us Down’’ featuring rapper Lil’ Kim is a hip hop record and lyrically it speaks of feminism, female standards and sexual hypocrisy. Aguilera discussed her ex-boyfriend ‘’Jorge Santos’’ in the tracks ‘’Infatuation’’ and ‘’Underappreciated’’ and the song ‘’Infatuation’’ lyrically speaks of falling in love opposed to ‘’Underappreciated’’ which talks of falling out of love. Aguilera said:"I feel like it is a new beginning [...] a re-introduction of myself as a new artist in a way, because for the first time people are really seeing and getting to know how I really am. "
The album features the track ‘’I’m OK’’ which lyrically talks about her troubling past with her fathers domestic abuse. Aguilera talked on the subject saying “"I definitely wrote that song not to badmouth him at all, but one, for a healing process for myself, and two, to give people hope or a voice to relate to. To know that you can get through it and that it will be OK". The song, "I'm OK", is a personal account of her emotionally distressing childhood. She speaks about her father and her painful memories from her early life. She explained that she recorded this song for a healing process and to give people in the same situation a voice to relate to. Aguilera stated that she is set on breaking away from ‘’Teen Pop’’ and she wanted to explore new musical territory and as ‘’MTV’’ state “a highly personal proclamation of independence and adulthood” The track ‘’Impossible’’ which Aguilera worked with ‘’Alicia Keys’’ says lyrically “How can I, how can I give you all my love, baby/ If you're always, always putting up your guaaarrrd/ This is not a circus, don'tcha play me for a clown”. The ballad ‘’Beautiful’’ penned by Linda Perry has been noted for it’s John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
inspired themes which features a string arrangement and a piano part and themes of R&B.
Critical reception
Stripped received mixed reviews from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 55, based on 14 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews" reviews. 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...
called the album an "overlong, 20-track workshop", writing that "Stripped dabbles in vampy soul, quasi-metal, piano-bar intimacy, quiet-storm R&B, bounce-bounce hip-hop, and semi-exotic rock, all of it dutifully accomplished”. Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
gave it a six out of 10 rating and stated "As an artistic statement, Stripped is all over the place--it's a move toward hip-hop, it's a move toward rock, it's ghetto, it's Disney". Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
gave the album two out of five stars and commented that "bra-burning rhetoric and gospel warbling make poor substitutes for addictive songs, and nothing here rivals her previous best, 'Genie In A Bottle'.
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...
called it as an album for grown-ups and despite giving the album 3 stars out of 5, it said "Aguilera's voice continues to grow richer and on belters such as "Cruz" she can out-Whitney Whitney". BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
gave the album a mixed review saying “From start to finish Stripped is as full-on bold and over the top as most of Christina's outfits [...] much of this seems to be an exercise in stretching the vocal chords to weak backing tracks". The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
panned its lyrical content and described it as "nü-Mariah on mood stabilizers, extended with pseudo-pastiches of semi-popular songs". 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....
commented that “This record feels like a failure of self-censorship. Aguilera, in her quest to be up front and real, is far more stripped than anyone wants to see her. She would be well advised to rein in her artistic freedom and heed the advice of record executives who actually do sometimes know best”. 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 :...
gave the album three out of five stars saying “Stripped is more an event than an album [...] so overproduced and overwrought that it could easily pass for a Janet album".
The album was nominated for the Best Pop Vocal Album and the lead single "Dirrty" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2003, while "Can't Hold Us Down
Can't Hold Us Down
"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Scott Storch and Matt Morris for Aguilera's second album, Stripped, with production by Storch. Released on August 26, 2003 as the fourth single from the album, the single peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's 10th...
" got the same nomination a year later. The second single "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...
" received a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The 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...
-directed music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "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...
" garnered much attention, as it touched on the subjects of anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
, homosexuality
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...
, bullying, self-esteem
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...
and 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....
issues. Simon Cowell noted that it is "one of the best pop songs ever written."
Chart performance
Stripped debuted at number two in the U.S. selling over 330,000 copies. The first single, "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...
" was an international success, but failed to reach the top forty in the U.S., and Aguilera's record label quickly released "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...
" as a follow-up single. "Beautiful" and as well as the proceeding singles "Fighter
Fighter (song)
"Fighter" is a song recorded by American recording artist Christina Aguilera. The song was written by Aguilera and Scott Storch, and produced by Storch for Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped. The song was released on June 3, 2003 as the third single. The song peaked at number twenty on the...
", "Can't Hold Us Down
Can't Hold Us Down
"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Scott Storch and Matt Morris for Aguilera's second album, Stripped, with production by Storch. Released on August 26, 2003 as the fourth single from the album, the single peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's 10th...
" and "The Voice Within
The Voice Within
"The Voice Within" is a song written by Christina Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production by Ballard. It was released as the fifth and final single from Aguilera's second album, Stripped on December 23, 2003. The single peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's seventh Top 40...
" helped Stripped become one of the steadiest selling albums in 2003, coming in at No. 10 on the Billboard year-end list of the top selling albums of the year. To date, the album has sold over 4 million copies in the US. It is number 77 in the best-selling albums chart of the 2000s
2000s in music
For music from a year in the 2000s, go to 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 2000s....
in the United States.
The staying power of Stripped was also shown in the U.K.
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...
Even though it debuted at a disappointing No. 19, it consistently stayed in the top twenty during 2003 and early 2004. It was certified 5× Platinum, became the 3rd best-selling album of 2003, and eventually sold 1,850,852 copies ranking it at number seventy-three on the list of The UK's 100 best-selling albums of all time. In December 2004, Stripped was certified 3× Platinum 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...
for shipments of more than 3 million copies inside 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...
and is also 4× Platinum in 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...
despite only reaching a peak of number seven. It is 2× Platinum in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In March 2008, the track "Walk Away" entered at number 35 on the official Danish Singles Chart. In Germany, it remains her best-selling album of her career with 500,000 copies sold, reaching platinum there.
Due to the success of the album's five singles, it remained in the German Albums Chart for 77 weeks, making it the longest-staying album in that chart of her career. As of now, the album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide.
Singles
The first single from the album was entitled ‘’Dirrty’’ featuring rapper RedmanRedman
Reginald "Reggie" Noble , better known by his stage name Redman, is an American MC, rapper, DJ, record producer and actor. He came to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam label. He is also well known for his collaborations with Method Man, including their starring roles in films and...
. The single received mixed reception from critics and most notably the accompanying music video received a lot of criticism for its explicit content, however the video was nominated for several 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’’ however it failed to win all three The single was also nominated for a 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 Pop Collaboration with Vocals’’ at the 45th Grammy Awards. The song charted well in Mainland Europe however it failed to make an impact in the United States peaking at number 48. The track "Beautiful" was announced to be the second single, penned by Linda Perry the song was released to a great response from critics. The song was released to a great chart performance topping the charts in the UK becoming her second consecutive number one and the single peaked at number 2 in the United States which was her highest single entry from the album. The track was nominated for several awards including a nomination from the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
for "Best Song", it was also nominated in the same category at the 2004 Grammy Awards where it was also nominated for "Best Remixed Recording" and winning a Grammy for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance".
The third single was confirmed to be the track ‘’Fighter’’, the single was released to a good commercial reception. The video was nominated for several awards including Video of the Year for the Juno Awards and the MVPA Awards. The Scott Storch penned peaked at number 20 in the United States however it fared much better elsewhere peaking at number 3 in Canada and number 3 in the UK. The fourth single ‘’Can’t Hold Us Down’’ featuring rapper Lil’ Kim was released to a good reception from critics gaining a ‘’Grammy Award’’ nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals which it failed to win. The single fared well commercially peaking at number 12 in the United States and going to number 5 in Australia becoming one of the most commercially successful of the album. The final single was confirmed to be "The Voice Within" which received a great reception from critics and also a good commercial reception outside of the US where it peaked at number 33. In the UK the single peaked at number 9 and in Canada the single peaked at number 10. The video was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Female Video", "Viewers Choice" and "Best Cinematography". The track has gained a legacy with several notable cover versions and a large impact on the Ballad scene.
Promotion
Aguilera started promotion of Stripped on August 29, 2002, when played a piece of album's lead single "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...
" and new dirrty look for Christina at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
2002 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002, honoring the best music videos from June 9, 2001, to May 31, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is most remembered for Michael Jackson's acceptance of a birthday statue, which he...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Aguilera supported the album with two different tours. The Justified and Stripped Tour
Justified and Stripped Tour
The Justified/Stripped Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American recording artists, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. The tour supported Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped and Timberlake's debut album, Justified...
with singer Justin Timberlake took place in North America, while the Stripped World Tour
Justified and Stripped Tour
The Justified/Stripped Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American recording artists, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. The tour supported Aguilera's fourth studio album, Stripped and Timberlake's debut album, Justified...
took place in Europe, Japan and Australia. The concert tour consisted in 85 shows. In late 2004 the concert DVD called Stripped Live in the U.K. was released. In the UK on December 8, 2008 the Stripped album was re-released featuring the Stripped Live in the UK DVD.
Track listing
Notes- The Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n edition of Stripped (except BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) does not contain "Get Mine, Get Yours" but instead its SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
-language version, "Dame Lo Que Yo Te Doy" ("Give Me What I Give You"). It also appears as a B-side to the "Beautiful" CD single. - In select Latín AmericanLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
editions the tracks 1 (Stripped Intro), 5 (Primer Amor Interlude), 7 (Loves Embrace Interlude) and 17 (Stripped Pt. 2) are excluded, and a bonus CD contains Remixes of the song Dirrty, Beautiful and Fighter. - Also, the ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
edition excluded "Get Mine, Get Yours, due to strict ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
censorship laws, but instead, it had a different artwork and all lyrics were printed in both English and ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Charts
| Chart (2002–03) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
7 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 10 |
| Belgian Flemish Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
7 |
| Belgian Walloon Albums Chart | 46 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
3 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
5 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
3 |
| European Top 100 Albums Chart European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
3 |
| French SNEP Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
49 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
6 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
39 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
2 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 16 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
5 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
10 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 14 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
13 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 9 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
Certifications
}}Year-end charts
| Chart (2002) | Rank |
|---|---|
| UK | 110 |
| Chart (2003) | Rank |
| Australia | 12 |
| Austria | 31 |
| France | 140 |
| Hungary | 79 |
| Ireland | 5 |
| Netherlands | 11 |
| New Zealand | 21 |
| Switzerland | 54 |
| UK | 3 |
| Chart (2004) | Rank |
| Australia | 58 |
| Switzerland | 88 |
| UK | 65 |
| Chart (2005) | Rank |
| UK | 181 |
Credits and personnel
Production- 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...
– executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, 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... - Ron FairRon FairRon Fair is a veteran A&R executive, record producer arranger, recording engineer and songwriter. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several artists, but he is best known as a "guru/mentor", guiding the careers of unknown artists...
– executive producer, A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :... - Scott StorchScott StorchScott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
– producer, writer, composer - 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...
– producer, writer, composer, engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,... - Rob Hoffman – producer, writer, composer
- Heather Holley – producer, writer, composer
- Steve Morales – producer, writer, composer,
- Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
– producer, writer, composer - Glen Ballard – producer, writer, composer
- Rockwilder – producer
- Jasper Cameron – writer, composer
- Balewa Muhammad – writer, composer
- R. Noble – writer, composer
- David SiegelDavid Siegel (musician)David Siegel is an American producer, songwriter and musician based in South Beach, Florida. He is best known for co-writing Escape recorded by Enrique Iglesias in 2002, as well as co-writing a three-times certified platinum song by the RIAA. Whatever You Like recorded by T.I...
– writer, composer, - D. Stinson – writer, composer
- Matt MorrisMatt Morris (musician)Matthew Burton Morris is an American pop artist and songwriter. He is the son of country music star Gary Morris. He achieved early fame when he appeared on the Disney Channel television series The Mickey Mouse Club in the early 1990s, where he was a cast member from 1991-1995...
– writer - Tony Black – recordingRecordingRecording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
- Oscar Ramirez – recording
- Wassim Zreik – recording
- Shane Stoner – recording
- David Guerrero – engineer, assistant mix engineer
- Dylan Dresdow – engineer, mix engineer
- Andrew Chavez – assistant engineer, assistant mix engineer
- Davy Vain – assistant engineer, pro tools engineer
- Brian Douglas – assistant engineer
- Alex Gibson – assistant engineer
- Jay Goin – assistant engineer
- Mark Kizula – assistant engineer
- Aaron Leply – assistant engineer
- John Morichal – assistant engineer
- Rafael Serrano – assistant engineer
- Kevin Szymanski – assistant engineer
- Scott Whitting – assistant engineer
- Tony Maserati – mixingAudio 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...
- Peter Mokran – mixing
- Dave Pensado – mixing
- Rich Balmer – assistant mix engineer
- Tony Flores – assistant mix engineer
- Anthony Kilhoffer – assistant mix engineer
- Jamie Sickora – assistant mix engineer
- Ethan Willoughby – assistant mix engineer
- Jolie Levine-Aller – production coordinatorProduction coordinatorA Production Coordinator is a unionized position in stagecraft under the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and is governed in Los Angeles by ....
- Stephanie Kubiak – production assistantProduction assistantA production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
- Joann Tominaga – music contractor
- Brian Gardner – mastering
- Jeri Heiden – art direction & designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
- Glen Nakasako – art direction & design
- Miranda Penn Turin – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Musicians
- Christina Aguilera – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, vocals producer & arranger - Lil Kim – vocals, flow
- Redman – vocals, flow
- E. Dawk – vocals producer & arranger, choir vocals arrangementChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
- Balewa Muhammad – vocals producer and arranger
- Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
– background vocals, 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...
, other instruments - Maxi Anderson – background vocals, choir vocals arrangement,
- Alexandra Brown – background vocals
- Crystal Drummer – background vocals
- Charlean Hines – background vocals
- Erica King – background vocals
- Nolie Robinson – background vocals
- Alfie Sillas – background vocals
- Toya Smith – background vocals
- Maxine Waters-Willard – background vocals
- 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...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, piano, strings arrangement & conductionString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, programming - Alex Al – bass
- Uriah Duffy – bass
- Mike ElizondoMike ElizondoMichael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr...
– bass - Rufus Jackson – bass
- Tarus Mateen – bass
- Steve Morales – drum programming, arranger
- Matt ChamberlainMatt ChamberlainMatthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, producer and sound engineer. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
– 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 Frasier-Moore – drums
- Kameron Houff – drums
- Paul John – drums
- Brian McLeod – drums
- Mike StinsonMike Stinson-Career:A native of Virginia, Mike Stinson moved to Los Angeles in 1991. Inspired by the country rock of Gram Parsons, as well as more traditional country artists such as Johnny Cash and George Jones, he began to write songs and eventually formed his own band....
– drums
- Ahmir Thompson – drums
- Darryl Dixon – hornsHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
- Gary Grant – horns
- Jerry Hey – horns
- Daniel Higgins – horns
- Fred Maxwell – horns
- Bill Reichenbach – horns
- David Watson – horns
- Rob Hoffman – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, programming, orchestral percussion, rhodes - Glen Ballard – guitar, arranger, keyboardistKeyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, - Aaron Fishbein – guitar, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- John Goux – guitar
- Michael Landau – guitar
- Dave NavarroDave NavarroDavid Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
– guitar - Arthur White – guitar
- Dwayne Wiggins – guitar
- Ramon Stagnaro – acoustic guitar
- Damon Fox – keyboards
- Randy Kerber – keyboards
- David SiegelDavid Siegel (musician)David Siegel is an American producer, songwriter and musician based in South Beach, Florida. He is best known for co-writing Escape recorded by Enrique Iglesias in 2002, as well as co-writing a three-times certified platinum song by the RIAA. Whatever You Like recorded by T.I...
– keyboards - Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
– piano - Richard Dodd – 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...
- Lily Haydn – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, 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.... - Shanti Randall – viola
- Eric Gorfain – violin
- Larry Gold – strings arrangement & conduction
- Ron Fair – strings arrangement
- Bill Ross – orchestra arrangementOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
- Anson Dawkins – choir vocals arrangement
- Eric Dawkins – choir vocals arrangement
Release history
| Country | Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
October 26, 2002 | RCA Records |
| Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
||
| 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... |
October 28, 2002 | |
| Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
||
| 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... |
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| Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
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| Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
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| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
October 29, 2002 | |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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| Japan | ||
| 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... |
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| Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
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| 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... (Limited Edition CD+DVD) |
December 1, 2003 |