20 Pics Of The Old Christina And The New Christina That Prove She's Stronger Than Ever
We'd be lying if we said hearing Genie in a Bottle or Come On Over Baby didn't give us a lot of feelings. Those were the songs we danced to with our friends while gushing about boys at our first official sleepovers. And of course there was Beautiful. The song those same friends would play for us when those same boys would break our hearts and we felt our worst. We could never quite get the vocals on key, but we knew the lyrics by heart. X-Tina was our queen and we trusted her to guide us through those awkward years.
If you're anything like us, you've already pre-ordered Liberation, Christina Aguilera's first new album in six years that is set to drop on June 15th. Also if you're anything like us, you've listened to songs already released from that album and tried to analyze them for hints of the old Christina. Well, ladies, old Christina has left the building and new Christina is here as your next favorite obsession.
X-Tina the pop princess with ever-changing hair colors has transformed into a woman that knows what she wants and is out to get it. Her style is on lock, she sounds better than ever, and her confidence is fierce. Here's a look at what has changed over the years.
20 Old Christina: Pop Princess
Christina staked out a spot in pop music the moment the first words were out of her mouth in her self-titled 1999 album (how has it been almost twenty years?!). She had an unmistakable sound that garnered her a Grammy for Best New Artist (beating out Britney Spears, Kid Rock, Macy Gray, and Susan Tedeschi) in 2000. Her songs had a beat that made you want to move and she faithfully stuck with that same beat in every subsequent album despite varying success after that record-breaking debut. She even got a sassy nickname, becoming known for better or worse as Little Diva. It seemed she couldn't escape pop, so she was just embracing it.
According to Buzzfeed, we wouldn't have pop without her. It might seem like a bold statement, but there could be some truth to it. Christina kind of was Beyonce before there was Beyonce.
She was a queen in her own right and helped pave the way for other pop artists. Lady Marmalade, anyone? Also, Christina is at least somewhat responsible for putting Sia on the map. She first hired her as a writer to collaborate on her 2010 album, Bionic, and now Sia is writing songs for everyone.
19 New Christina: Hip Hop Heroine
According to E!, Christina felt “label-driven and confined” after her first successful album. As reported by Hip Hop DX, she has always felt like a soul singer at heart and that type of sound is what inspires her. She is convinced she has ridden the pop train as far as it can go and has taken a detour. The word of the new album, liberation, really says it all. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Christina stated she is calling it Liberation because she is being liberated from anything that isn't her truth. And that includes pop.
Still not convinced she is really giving a unique (unique to her) sound a try? Check out her new single, Accelerate. The other voices you hear are Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz. Also, she just announced that Big Boi of Outkast fame will open for her on tour. If that doesn't say hip hop, we don't know what does.
If you told us Christina Aguilera was dropping a new album and the only songs on it were her playing Three Blind Mice on a recorder over and over again, we'd still probably buy it because it's Christina and she can make anything sound good. So, we're excited to see how she holds up in hip-hop. Her sound might be new, but she has already left her mark and will go down as one of the best female vocalists of our time (if not all time).
18 Old Christina: Never Caught Without Makeup
If it had been as popular back then as it is now to create your own makeup line, it is safe to say Christina Aguilera would have done it (now the X-Tina palette or foundation would fly off the shelves and nobody would be talking about lip kits). In an age of makeup tutorials everywhere you turn, we have to wonder what Christina circa early 2000s would have advised if she had done a YouTube special. Our guess: the smokier the eye the better and bronze is best (though anytime we've tried to copy her we end up looking more post-apocalyptic raccoon and less Christina).
Old Christina was never seen without full makeup, everything from heavy black eyeliner and dark eyeshadow (layered over more eyeshadow) to deep hues of red lipstick and cheeks contoured to the max.
Try as they might the paparazzi couldn't ever catch her without her signature colors and on stage, she was sure to be looking absolutely glam.
In Back to Basics, she did tone down her look to channel more of a Marilyn Monroe-esque style but that didn't last long. Whether it was nine o'clock in the morning or midnight, Christina was going to be smudge-free and ready for whatever life threw at her.
17 New Christina: Daring To Go Bare
Until we saw it with our own (smokey) eyes, we couldn't believe Christina would actually go bare (and we admit it doesn't exactly look like her). She pulled off full makeup well, but her modern make-under is absolutely stunning and looks nothing like the Christina of years past. In doing so, she is joining other celebs in their quest for minimalism.
Paper Magazine got first dibs on new Christina's fresh, freckled face. On the cover of their magazine, the 37-year-old shows off her sparkling blue eyes and nude lips with an ease that makes us wonder why we even bother with makeup.
It wasn't just a one-time thing, either. Christina took her raw beauty transformation and used it as promotional material for her new album. So, can we get used to this look and discard the eyelash extensions we bought to appear more like her? Maybe. According to In Style, she isn't planning to give up the glam for good but does enjoy the feeling she gets when she can appreciate herself without the façade. She noted she is a performer and performers need to turn heads. We think she is already doing a pretty good job of that with her updated look, however long she maintains it.
16 Old Christina: Willing To Step Away From Music
A lot has happened in Christina's life in the past several years. After the 2006 release of Back to Basics she completed a multi-million dollar generating tour ($48 million according to E!) and then hunkered down in her Beverly Hills home (formerly belonging to Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne) to welcome her son a short time later. She emerged in 2010 opposite Cher in the movie Burlesque and released Bionic. As great as that album was, something seemed to be missing.
In 2011, Christina appeared as one of four original judges (along with Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton) on The Voice, a singing competition based on blind auditions, sign-offs, and viewer votes. Fledgling artists clamored for a chance to be on her team and learn from the best. She served in this role for ten seasons (though she did take some time off) until 2016. In that final season, she coached young Alisan Porter to victory and then left the red chair for good (now stating that she stayed way too long). Other than snippets of her voice on the show and a collab with A Great Big World, we didn't hear Christina really belt it out at all during this time.
15 New Christina: Reinvigorated In The Recording Studio
Christina basically woke up one morning to head to The Voice studio and asked herself if this is what she had worked so hard for. The answer was no. She didn't want to continue in a television show that wasn't providing personal growth (and frankly all that chair swiveling looks tiring). She wanted to get out of the comfort that had become her new normal routine and get back to making music. She just had to figure out how to do that.
According to Entertainment Weekly, she has approached recording and production of her new album like a brand-new artist experiencing all of this for the first time.
It has given her a chance to really appreciate what she is doing and is lighting a fire under her. She said she felt as though the business had sucked the life out of her and she had been running on autopilot, but now she feels once again like the little girl that fell passionately in love with music. And that's the kind of love story we like hearing about.
She is taking a leap of faith to explore and live up to her full potential. We are totally on board and so glad she is finally ready to Accelerate (see what we did there?).
14 Old Christina: Holding Hands With Jordan Bratman
Hollywood relationships get a lot of attention throughout their life cycles (which tend to be short). There's the initial reaction to a new couple, constant comparisons with other couples, and alarms at the first sign of trouble (often a paragraph accompanied by a very unflattering picture). But it was different with Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman, at least at first.
Christina met Jordan when she was 21. He was a marketing executive that hadn't been exposed to reading about himself in tabloids and hadn't yet inspired a woman to write a love song about him (aka Aguilera's The Right Man). They dated for four years before marrying in 2005. Christina applauded him for diving into her lifestyle and staying by her side while still allowing her to follow her dreams. Looking like the happiest version of themselves, she and Jordan introduced their son, Max, in 2008 and flourished as new parents. For the first year it was perfect, then everything changed.
In 2010, Christina filed for divorce from Jordan. According to Bustle, Christina gave the most honest and relatable answer when asked about her split: it just wasn't working anymore. She noted that they had both grown and due to that important growth weren't right for each other anymore. She couldn't imagine spending five more years unhappy and wishing she could get that time back, so she set out on her own. Kind of.
13 New Christina: Looking Lovely With Matthew Rutler
The dust had barely settled from the news of Christina's divorce when she announced she was dating Matthew Rutler. The five years younger Rutler was a production assistant on Christina's 2010 film, Burlesque (and has worked on numerous other movies like The Proposal and The Social Network). According to E!, Rutler was a friend helping her through a rough patch and it had developed into something more though she wasn't looking to jump into another serious relationship right away. The couple became engaged in 2014 (Valentine's Day, so sweet) and bought a house (okay, mansion) together in Los Angeles.
Although the decision was seen as hasty at the time and many of Christina's friends worried about her, it's been smooth sailing for the two who have been engaged for over four years now.
Matthew became a wonderful stepfather to little Max and, right after announcing their engagement, they welcomed a daughter, Summer Rain. The foursome family has remained largely out of the news except for a few snaps from the children's birthday parties and a red carpet appearance for The Emoji Movie (for which Aguilera provided voice-over). With fewer eyes on them, we wonder if they will pull any more surprises while we're not looking.
12 Old Christina: Nights Filled With Parties And Paparazzi
It's no secret that old Christina was a bit of a party animal. She was in her twenties if that's any excuse. Her actions resembled what just about everyone does at that age (though we do have a lot of questions about certain piercings at any age), especially when they're making money they don't know what to do with. On the plus side, she encouraged us all to rebel just enough to get our parents' attention but not enough to get kicked out of the house (for which we are eternally grateful).
She admits to her ways, but according to E! she was really just acting the part to get her foot in the door. She claimed that she had to be a little wild to fit the persona that was being made for her if she was ever going to make it. She was determined to keep all eyes on her and was willing to take a few hits in the tabloids if that meant more coverage (some of which was unfairly given).
Whatever the reason, there is no shortage of pictures of her rubbing (bare) shoulders with other celebs at the hottest Hollywood parties or raising eyebrows at late-night clubs.
11 New Christina: Nights Filled With Snuggles And Stories
These days, Christina's party scene looks a little different (though there is photographic evidence of what looked like an epic 36th birthday set to the theme of Candyland). Nights that were previously spent out of the house have been replaced with quality family time. Big brother Max showers little sister Summer with love, though the younger child is truly the fashionista of the bunch (reminding us of another Little Diva we know).
With a ten-year-old and a three-year-old, there are always fires to put out (sometimes literally) and priorities have shifted.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the transition to motherhood came naturally for Christina but it took her a long time to realize she still needed to take care of herself. Liberation is the fruit of her labor to put herself first again and, with it, comes an opportunity for her young children to be proud of their mom. She has some concerns about touring again and missing out on some family stuff but wants to encourage other moms that it's okay to have a career and a family or anything else that is fulfilling. When asked if she thinks her kids will follow her into the spotlight, Daily Mail reports that she doesn't want to influence them “too much”.
10 Old Christina: Songs Feature Lesser-Known Artists And Producers
Let's start by saying that any girl that works her way up from singing along to The Sound of Music (and recording her first song on a boom box in her living room) to a multi-platinum artist has clearly made it. That said, duets with Ricky Martin (charming as he is) were never going to be Christina's meal ticket.
As a new artist, old Christina had to blaze her own trail. Nobody was lining up to work with the new girl, understandably, until that first album was released. Even then it was slow, with features amounting to Redman, Lil' Kim, and Alicia Keyes. Since, Christina has sung with Andrea Bocelli, Blake Shelton, and Pitbull. All have been great in their own right as musicians but didn't bring much to the partnership in terms of putting Christina ahead (except that one with Maroon 5, Moves Like Jagger became a number one hit). On the production side, Christina has long been accustomed to working with former 4 Non-Blondes lead, Linda Perry. Again, amazing human, but not exactly a household name for the younger generation.
Also, does anyone remember when Christina performed live with Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst at the Video Music Awards? Just putting that back into the universe. To that point, whatever happened to Fred Durst?
9 New Christina: Songs Attract Stars Like Demi Lovato And Kanye West
After the flop that was Lotus in 2012, she needed something big. Well, Christina is back big time for Liberation. Really big. Fred Durst is out (still not sure where he is) and Demi and Kanye are in.
It's been a tough year and what we really need is a song that makes us feel good and lifts up the women in our lives.
Thanks to Christina and Demi, now we have that. Fall in Line is an empowering song that the two hope will encourage young women to break free and live their truths.
We're pretty sure this is the perfect pair to deliver that message. Or to use Christina's analogy from an Entertainment Weekly interview, the two “fit together like an Oreo cookie”.
Additionally, two tracks off her new album, Accelerate and Maria, were produced by Kanye West. Aguilera has apparently changed her tune about Kanye. According to Rolling Stone, she did not even consider using his production services for her 2006 Back to Basics album because she thought he (and others like him) would be more interested in the beat than showcasing her vocal talents. Despite any sort of mix up here, Kanye's involvement (and also his recent comments) is already creating quite a stir and is sure to grab a few more listeners.
8 Old Christina: Young And Unapologetic
As a child Christina Aguilera was ridiculed and bullied so badly that she had to be homeschooled. The teasing and envy (from students and parents) came after her appearance on Star Search. According to Ranker, her mother yanked her out of public school in the ninth grade to try to shield her from this. As awful as the experience may have been, it clearly didn't keep Christina down for long. She had a booming voice that could override any hateful comments and she knew it.
When a young Christina first sprang onto the music scene, she didn't hold back. She was quick to note she had been inspired by Etta James and Billie Holiday and she wasn't going to let anyone say anything about cultural appropriation.
When she released Stripped she dug in deeper and all bets were off. She didn't apologize for the words in her songs or her look. Can't Hold Us Down and Beautiful taught us about respect, assertiveness, and love (all kinds of love). She was an advocate for feminism and LGBTQ rights before it was cool to do so.
According to People, she was also an early supporter of voter education. Taking to the polls in 2004 for the first time, she encouraged others to exercise their right to vote and take a stand for what they believe. She would remain more outspoken and progressive than other performers her age.
7 New Christina: Older And Still Unapologetic
That new song Fall in Line? It's a far cry from an anthem dedicated to women who should actually stay in line. It reminds us of the way she tried to get women to break their silence in the 2002 Can't Hold Us Down (“so what am I not supposed to have an opinion, should I keep quiet just because I'm a woman”). It also lets us know that Christina may be older, but she's still not sorry. She's still standing up for women and isn't backing down.
She lent her voice to a certain pant-suited candidate in the 2016 presidential election and isn't shy about giving her opinion on the current state of things.
As the mom of a young daughter, she is still working hard to make sure the next generation of girls feel confident to express themselves and break boundaries.
Also, she isn't going to allow anyone to shame her for her parenting style or tell her she will never be as good of a singer as she once was. Alter ego X-Tina might be kicked to the curb, but the attitude is still there.
She still isn't interested in following society's ideals and is sticking to her own plan. That's What a Girl Wants (again, with the puns).
6 Old Christina: Competing With Britney Spears
It was by sheer coincidence that Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears would both transition from Mouseketeers to pop stars (neither Keri Russell nor Ryan Gosling became pop stars). It was not, however, a coincidence that the two were pitted against each other at the start of their non-Disney careers. For that, we have Barry Walters to blame.
If you don't recognize this name, don't worry. He was part of Rolling Stone magazine and covered the early 2000s beat. Anyway, according to Bustle, Barry gave the official magazine review of Christina's first album. He liked Genie in a Bottle (who wouldn't) and praised Christina for her magical singing voice, but couldn't help mentioning the other pop star and questioned whether or not there would be room “for one more ex-Mouseketeer”. And that's how it all started.
The feud over which pop star was actually the pop princess boiled down to artistry versus entertainment. Team Christina saw their leading lady as a truly reinvented artist with vocal talents that couldn't be matched.
Team Britney saw their gal as the clear winner because she held her own in the space longer and danced like nobody was watching. The undecided group just saw two very young girls in outfits unbecoming for a teenager.
The decades-long debate still isn't resolved and will still strike up a healthy (or not so healthy) rivalry if mentioned during any conversation.
5 New Christina: Praising Rihanna And Other Female Vocalists
In those early days, it wasn't just the mention of Britney Spears that would rock the boat, Christina had beef with P!nk (over an alleged fight) and Lady Gaga (over a comment), too. But all of that is behind her now and Christina will be the first to rattle off names of women she thinks are the best the industry has to offer.
To start, Rihanna. When asked by Entertainment Weekly what pop star is currently “killing it”, Christina proclaimed it was surely Rihanna. She also had some love for Demi in that interview, stating she approached her about Fall in Line because she needed a no-nonsense woman with big vocals that was going to tough it out to get the best result possible. Seems like a pretty great compliment if you ask us.
Other female artists, such as Selena Gomez, are returning the favor. They cite Aguilera as the inspiration behind some of their music and note how powerful it was to grow up listening to another female with a wide vocal range who was proud to be different. This, of course, includes the aforementioned Lady Gaga. Before she was wrangling Little Monsters she was taking lessons from the Little Diva.
4 Old Christina: Colored Highlights And Braids
There's an old saying that Christina never wore the same hair more than once. Another one goes that if you look closely at her hair, you could see the rainbow. Actually, we made both of those up but if you look at her old pictures it's definitely true. She was a chameleon when it came to her hair, always changing the color (red, black, purple, highlights, lowlights) and adding in accessories (feathers, braids, gaudy clips) to fit her surroundings. She even confessed that her obsession with wigs stuck with her offstage and she frequently wore them to bed (we were a big fan of the pink one she wore on RuPaul's Drag Race).
As for the period of jet black hair, she told Rolling Stone her dark hair reflected the dark place she was in emotionally during that phase of her life. It certainly added to the mystery we'd been trying to solve.
If we've learned anything about Christina, it's that her hair changes often. So, we're not ruling out wigs, extensions, and funky colors just yet. Especially if she ever signs on to do a residency in Las Vegas, which she told Entertainment Weekly isn't totally out of the question.
3 New Christina: Chic Platinum Bombshell
According to Buzzfeed, the success of pop stars is all about timing. So, we're going to assume that Christina's choice to go platinum blonde has something to do with timing, as well. And let us be among the first to say that she looks amazing rocking locks that are as timeless as her music.
Her new hairstyle can best be described as subtle and chic although it's not the first time she has tried out blonde. Whether pulled back in a bun, slicked to one side, or falling gently in her face it is eye-catching. She likes to stand out (and has from day one), so this is a bit out of character for her though the result is the same. She looks somewhat similar to how she did for Back to Basics in 2006, though her hair then was more reminiscent of a pinup style whereas now it's more natural. Around the 2010 Bionic-era she again tried blonde, this time with a bob comprised of razor sharp edges. The new blonde is flowing more softly and doesn't come off as so precise, hard-lined, and overworked (much like the new Christina).
While we love the bombshell look, it sounds like there will still be hair dye in the house. According to Insider, Christina will allow her toddler daughter to experiment with color if she wants.
2 Old Christina: Not The Best Role Model
There was probably more than one set of parents out there that nervously bought Stripped for their daughter. They might have been skeptical of some of the lyrics in the first album and now the second was sure to corrupt their kid. In all fairness, parents probably should have been at least a little concerned. An already scantily clad Christina was now singing Dirrty in barely-there chaps accompanied with suggestive gestures (though there were plenty of redeeming songs on that album).
While we have already discussed some of Christina's wilder days, we can probably all agree that she might not have been the best role model back then. Though most of her outtakes were in the name of harmless fun, she was arrested in 2011.
According to E!, Christina and then-boyfriend-now-fiance Matthew Rutler were pulled over after leaving a nightclub.
The driver, Rutler, was taken into custody (though later proved to be under the legal limit to drive) as was Christina, who reportedly couldn't stand up on her own. No charges were pressed against Christina, but the damage to her reputation was done and the paparazzi ate it up. That, presumably, is not a mugshot parents wanted their children to see.
1 New Christina: Someone To Look Up To
We're not talking about the time Kylie Jenner dressed up as her for Halloween. While that's worth noting, it's for a different story. We really mean that Christina has used her fame for good, serving as a spokesperson for several organizations and donating money where it was needed most.
According to Ranker, she donated the gifts from her first wedding to organizations that were supporting victims of Hurricane Katrina and joined up with the World Food Program to offer aid to those suffering from the Haiti earthquake. She also released a song called Change in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting and donated the profits to the families of the victims. Above all else, she has always remained a staunch advocate for women exposed to domestic violence.
In a true testament to the changing times (something we didn't use to have to worry about), she has even scrubbed her Instagram clean of any past shenanigans to promote her new self. We know a lot more about her traumatic childhood now, which helps us (and the next generation) identify with her more freely. Long ridiculed for fluctuations in her weight she is putting body-shamers in their place and trying to provide a more inclusive, body-positive environment for young girls. Also, while she can still cuss like a sailor, she does it like a classy lady (for the most part).
References: Buzzfeed, E!, Hip Hop DX, Entertainment Weekly, In Style, Bustle, Daily Mail, Rolling Stone, Ranker, People, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Insider,