Christina Aguilera - "Stripped" Album Review

"Stripped" - Christina Aguilera

Back in the memory of 1998, Christina Aguilera, a bright new star with a magical and beautiful voice released her first debut self titled album "Christina-Aguilera" and has once lead teenagers to a new era of the American music culture. Her appearance and voice was caught by the public very quickly which sold her debut album 10 million world wide. With the great success of her self titled album, Christina Aguilera released her second album "Mi Reflejo" (2000) which is a Latin album. After that she also released an Christmas album called "My Kind Of Xmas" (2000). In recent times, Christina Aguilera has grouped with other talented female artist performing a smash hit single "Lady Marmalade". During the past 2 years, Christina Aguilera has been seen less on performance and new songs coming out, and she was in a great depression and that is one of the reason why she is released this album "Stripped" (2002).

Personally, Christina Aguilera has always been one of my favorite singer, "Stripped", an latest album that was created and written by Christina Aguilera her self, which show a lot of her true feelings and thoughts during the past times when she was in a down time by depression and competition. Amongst the songs in the album, Christina Aguilera have showed that she is back and her real talent of not only sing the song but to create songs reflecting her experiences in the past years. The style of music and style of singing has changed a lot, she didn't choose the same type of songs that appeared in her first album and it is quite a new experience for her which is like leading a brand new life of herself.

Track List of "Stripped"

1. Stripped Intro

2. Can't Hold Us Down (Ft. Lil' Kim)

3. Walk Away

4. Fighter

5. Primer Amor Interlude

6. Infatuation

7. Loves Embrace Interlude

8. Loving Me For Me

9. Impossible

10. Underappreciated

11. Beautiful

12. Make Over

13. Cruz

14. Soar

15. Get Mine Get Yours

16. Dirrty (Ft. Redman)

17. Stripped Pt.2

18 The Voice Within

19. I'm Ok

20. Keep On Singin My Song

First track of the album, Stripped "Intro", sings about that she is back for good from the long time waiting, and she was kept on saying sorry that she is not perfect, no body is perfect, there is no pretend, it's just her. Straight to the second track "Can't Hold Us Down" featuring black female rap artist Lil' Kim who also grouped with Christina Aguilera on the performance of "Lady Marmalade". "Can't Hold Us Down" is a funky song simply concerning about the unfair treats of women which tells all girls to stand up and don't be fooling around by men, the song also reflecting a fire back to Eminem who named Christina Aguilera "a little bitch", the fire back is great which i think it will teach Eminem a lesson! Although the rap from Lil' Kim was not stunningly highlight the whole song, but the fast and new sensational voice has putted a lot of colour to the song. I liked it very much and I think it will be her next hit single.

The next track, "Walk Away" is one of my favorite song in this album. I was adored the first time I heard this song, it was so amazing to hear such love songs like this, actually this is not just a love song as you can say, it is truly an emotional songs with 100% feelings. The song emphasised on the hurting and struggling of love, and she has to walk away from it. The voice in the song was absolutely fantastic, as you have noticed, Christina Aguilera's voice has been morphing a lot from her first album till now, it has changed better and better, more of a professional singer rather then a teenage pop-star. "Fighter" which appears to be the next track, a rock + metal + creamy voice song, I love it! Again, shows how strong has she become during the past years, the chorus is good and catchy.

Don't know if your memory is good or not, do you still remember the 2002 winter Olympic opening ceremony? Christina Aguilera was wearing a set of black leather out-fit live on stage performing the next song I'm going to talk about, it's called "Infatuation", first time i heard it infront of TV, thinking of it's a alright song, I have no idea that she is putting this song in this album, rhythm of the song is great, it is a song which more likely similar to her song from past albums, that it is still a good song. Temptation of love was the reason of writing this song, not very sure if it is reflecting

Anyway, the 8th track is called "Loving me 4 me", it is a slow song, putting some feelings and features a poem of the song it self which was in the "Love Embrace Interlude". "Impossible" Featured Alicia Keys as a Piano girl and some vocal mix is a marvelous song! The cool jazz rhythm and the sophisticated piano play really occupied all my heart, the start of this song sounds abit like an Alicia key's song because there was jazz+piano (^_^) Surprisingly, The song was written, arranged, and composed by Alicia keys her self! Makes this song more valuable. After that, there was this song called "Underappreciated", i personally don't like it much because it has nothing special, and nothing changed, that it sounds very normal, an ordinary song is all I'm judging.
Next is her second single from this album, it's called "Beautiful" performed with a sweet voice, tones of her voice is soft but strong in some way, the song went slow at first then becoming more dramatist the chorus part. Although I like the instruments played in this song, the song was only alright, the single went No.11 for the 3rd week release which is a very pretty result.
"Make Over" another new try from Christina Aguilera turns out very exciting, the drug, mental feeling with guitars and drums sound makes the song a totally new for her ways of singing. The song is some kind of crazy and let's listener into her crazy life. It is the first song that she actually tried some different language such as "saving all your bullshit for another day" which is a huge leap from the type of songs she sings before compares to now. I didn't mean it is a bad thing but rather she test all different kinds of songs to attract more listener.

Next hit track is "Cruz", using a soft and dreamy voice to start the song, and suddenly all the music from the background pops up, makes it a jump from the slow paste to a loud and faster paste, I like the song very much because it is simply catchy and easy to understand, getting through this song, at the end of chorus, the song changed back to soft and dreamy.......it was very beautiful. "Soar" an song which full of hopes and freedom, featured a large group of vocal mix which shows more powerful feeling, piano is the main instrument, during the song there were some great vocal mixes of Christina Aguilera, which is like sending you into a fantasy dream, then it stops and chorus comes up, singing "Spread your wings and soar~

"Get Mine Get Yours" an old Christina Aguilera style song, always good (^.^) there were alot of back ground talks by Christina her self during the middle of the song, the music is relatively pop and the beats are funky. Her voice was sexy in the song.
The next sing is already a big hit world wide, being top 4 in Australia, and No.1 in UK, her first single from the album, "Dirrty" featuring Redman who is the member of a rap group called D-12, the reason why she spelt dirty with two Rs' is unknown, should ask her sometimes. Anyway, the song is pretty loud and dance, it can't reflect what is the whole album going on just letting people hear this single song, a lot of people hesitate her song by listen to this thinking the whole album will be like that, but they are wrong, "Dirrty" is just the only song in the album that is like this, fast, crazy, loud, strong and sense of chaos. Redman's rap makes alot of goodness to the song which has achieved very nice result world wide. "Dirrty" generally talks about crazy wild party, ladies are getting nasty and dirrrty~~~
The very relaxing song in the album is "The Voice Within", it was very peaceful and calm. It sounds like Christina's past hit "I Turn To You", the voice is charming and persuasive, showing the real talent of her nature beauty of sound, she avoid of been called a blonde doll or a pop star, but a true talented female artist, such as Celin Dion, Whitney Houston or Faith Hill.

At the end of "The Voice Within" we heard another slow song "I'm Ok", it was a very slow and sad song with soft instruments and the tone of the sound is very depressed, I think it maybe the reason why she was depressed and unhappy during the past 2 years, but the song mostly saying her family and growing up which was very touching. The sadness of her voice leads the listener to show the greatest emphasis on her (or the little girl). The music in this song is peaceful but I personally don't like the very beginning of the track, it sounds a kind of loss and spooky.....(@_@).

The last song of this whole album is "Keep On Singin' My Song" which turns out to be a fantastic song, showing either the independence of her and her unchangeable characteristic. Great vocal effect, a lot of people was evolved of singing this song. Even though the instruments are very ordinary, but with her magical voice, anything will become magic.

The unique, beautiful and charming voice of Christina Aguilera, is truly a once in a century artist, her talent is immense, her story is touching and crazy, loving and hating, which are very clearly shown in this album. All kinds of feelings, genre of songs, powerful lyrics are all her very own creation of the album. I highly recommend this album to everyone who likes real music, contracting feelings and emotions. Songs are fantastic, this album is not about sales or profit, it is for people who really want to find out what is inside of Christina Aguilera as she stated.
I rate this Album "Stripped" by Christina Aguilera 5\5
by evilvice