1993–1998: Career beginnings In 1991, Aguilera auditioned for the television series
The All New Mickey Mouse Club (MMC), which aired on the
Disney Channel. She ran against 400 candidates, and while she made the shortlist, she was ultimately rejected for not meeting the minimum age requirement. One year later, in 1992, Aguilera received a call from one of the show's producers asking if she was still interested in becoming a "Mouseketeer". She once again competed for a spot (this time, against 15,000 candidates) and was selected to join the variety program the following year. Her fellow cast members included
Ryan Gosling,
Keri Russell,
Britney Spears,
Justin Timberlake, and
JC Chasez. During the show recordings—which included Aguilera performing
musical numbers and
comedy sketches—she moved with her family to
Orlando, Florida. In 1995, it was reported the series would not return for a new season. Aiming to begin a music career, Aguilera moved to Japan in 1997. She was selected to record a duet with Japanese singer
Keizo Nakanishi, with whom she performed in concert shows around the country. Their song, "All I Wanna Do", was released as a single but failed to reach commercial success. In June 1997, Aguilera went on to Romania to represent the United States in a singers contest during the
Golden Stag Festival, failing to win over the audience. Seeking a recording contract, Aguilera recorded numerous
demo tapes directed to record labels, including
Walt Disney Records, for which she sent a cover of "
Run to You" by
Whitney Houston. She eventually was chosen to record "
Reflection", the theme song from the animated film
Mulan (1998), which reached number 15 on the
Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Following the attention she received with "Reflection", Aguilera caught the ear of
Ron Fair, the
A&R executive from
RCA Records, who consequently signed Aguilera to the label. The song became an international success, increasing Aguilera's popularity worldwide, topping the charts in over 20 countries. The single also attracted the attention of conservatives including celebrities such as
Debbie Gibson that spoke out against its lyrical content, and was eventually considered "too provocative" to be sung by a
teen idol. Due to the criticism,
Radio Disney replaced the song with a censored version. The song was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Aguilera's self-titled debut album,
Christina Aguilera, was released on August 24, 1999, to critical praise, debuting at number one on the US
Billboard 200. It catapulted Aguilera into fame globally and sold over ten million copies in its first year. It was later certified eight times platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and it has sold over 17 million copies worldwide. Originally, Aguilera's desire was to create material inspired by
R&B and
soul, but the label opted for a more
teen pop production due the genre's high financial return in the late 1990s. At the
42nd Annual Grammy Awards, Aguilera won the
Best New Artist category for which
Time credited the award for "[helping] certify her credentials as a real singer". After the album's release, "
What a Girl Wants", topped the Hot 100 and is recognized as the first new number one entry on the chart for the 2000s decade. The song was also nominated for
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the
43rd Annual Grammy Awards. This was followed with "
I Turn to You" which reached number 3, In January 2000, Aguilera performed at the
Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show alongside
Enrique Iglesias,
Phil Collins and
Toni Braxton. In May, she embarked on her debut concert tour,
Christina Aguilera in Concert, which toured North America, Latin America, Europe, and Japan until February 2001. Her success continued to rise with the release of her second studio album, , in September 2000 which topped both the
Billboard Top Latin Albums and
Latin Pop Albums for nineteen consecutive weeks. The album featured Spanish-language versions of several songs from her debut album along with new songs, and had
Latin pop themes. Three singles were release for the album including the Spanish version of "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" titled "
Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)", "
Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti" and "
Falsas Esperanzas". The latter two were performed at the
43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The album went on to be the best-selling Latin pop album of 2000 and was later certified
six times Latin platinum by the RIAA.
Mi Reflejo was also certified Platinum in Argentina, Mexico, and Spain. At the
2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the album won
Best Female Pop Vocal Album. In October 2000, Aguilera also released her third studio album,
My Kind of Christmas, her first
Christmas album, which reached number one on the US
Top Holiday Albums chart. The album received generally polarized reviews at the time but has since gone on to retrospectively receive praise. Aguilera starred in a holiday special,
My Reflection, which aired on December 3, 2000, on
ABC. Aguilera's commercial success saw her being named the 2000 Top Female Pop Act by
Billboard. The same year, she also filed a
fiduciary duty against manager Steve Kurtz for "improper, undue, and inappropriate influence over her professional activities". She eventually hired
Irving Azoff to manage her career, aiming for control of her career and image. On January 16, 2001, Aguilera featured on
Ricky Martin's "
Nobody Wants to Be Lonely", which topped charts internationally and peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100, becoming her fifth top-20 hit in the US. She was also listed as one of the most successful artists on the
Billboard 200, Hot 100, and
Mainstream Top 40 charts—for which the latter she was ranked among the greatest of all time. The song was ranked at number 65 on
VH1's "100 Greatest Love Songs", and was nominated for
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the
44th Annual Grammy Awards. In April of that year, Aguilera featured alongside
Lil' Kim,
Mýa, and
Pink on "
Lady Marmalade" from the
soundtrack for the film,
Moulin Rouge! (2001). The song received positive reviews and topped the Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, becoming Aguilera's fourth number one. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and the
MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year. In August 2001,
Warlock Records released
Just Be Free, a
demo album recorded by Aguilera between 1994 and 1995 while she was looking for a recording deal following the end of
The All New Mickey Mouse Club (MMC). She filed a suit against the label and the album's producers, aiming to stop the release of the album; however, both parties came to a confidential settlement to release the album, in which Aguilera lent out her name, likeness, and image for an unspecified amount of damages.
2002–2004: New image with Stripped With a new management, Aguilera started moving away from her
teen pop niche and began working on a new project. Aguilera's new persona was widely criticized by media outlets. In September 2002, she released the controversial song, "
Dirrty", which garnered mixed reviews and peaked as number 48 on
Billboard Hot 100. and attracted the attention of conservative organizations and moralists who sought to have the video banned on
MTV. The video also sparked protests in Thailand and was eventually banned on the country's local television. "Dirrty" topped the charts in the UK and Ireland, and has gone on to become a cult classic. in 2003 Aguilera's fourth studio album,
Stripped, followed with a release on October 22, 2002. Upon release, the album received generally mixed reviews but found commercial success and debuted at number two on the
Billboard 200, and eventually was
certified five times platinum by the RIAA. Since then, it was reported the album sold 12 million copies globally. The album's second single, "
Beautiful", was released to widespread acclaim for its empowering lyrics about embracing inner beauty, also becoming a
LGBT anthem. The song reached number two on the Hot 100 and topped the chart in various international countries, including the UK, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. At the
46th Annual Grammy Awards, the single won
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. This was followed with the singles — "
Fighter", "
Can't Hold Us Down" and "
The Voice Within". The joint tour visited North America solely, attracting an audience of 546,483 and grossed over $31.8 million. It ranked sixteenth on
Billboards list of Top 25 Tours of 2003. Later that year, she also embarked on
The Stripped Tour in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Her performances at the
Wembley Arena were taped, broadcast on
WB Network and eventually sold as a video album under the name
Stripped Live in the UK In August 2003, at the
2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Aguilera opened the show singing "
Like a Virgin" and "
Hollywood" alongside
Britney Spears. Halfway through the performance, she was joined by
Madonna whom they both kissed, consequently making the performance highly publicized. Various media outlets retrospectively considered it one of the "most iconic" VMAs performances of all time. In 2008, MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moment in the history of MTV Video Music Awards, while
Blender magazine cited it as one of the twenty-five sexiest music moments on television history. In November of that year, Aguilera hosted the
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards. She received widespread media attention for dressing up as a
nun and being undressed to reveal her underclothes while performing the
slutdrop dance style. She was later named Top Female Pop Act of 2003 by
Billboard. In August 2004, Aguilera recorded a cover of "
Car Wash" alongside rapper
Missy Elliott for the
soundtrack of the
DreamWorks Animation film
Shark Tale. She also voiced a Rastafarian jellyfish in the film. That September, Aguilera was featured on "
Tilt Ya Head Back" with rapper
Nelly. The songs respectively reached number 63 and 58 on the
Billboard Hot 100. In March 2006, Aguilera released a duet with
Andrea Bocelli, "
Somos Novios (It's Impossible)", and performed the song together at the
Sanremo Music Festival. She also featured on "
A Song for You" by
Herbie Hancock which received a
Grammy Award nomination for
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. In June 2006, Aguilera released "
Ain't No Other Man" as her then-forthcoming fifth studio album's lead single, which received critical acclaim and was praised by music critics. The song achieved commercial success, peaked at number six on
Billboard Hot 100 and has sold 1.7 million digital copies in the US The single eventually earned her the
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Aguilera's fifth studio album,
Back to Basics, was released as a
double album in August 2006. The album was inspired by
1920s–
1950s music and was described as a "throwback with elements of old-school [music] combined with a modern-day twist". The album debuted at number one on the US
Billboard 200, marking Aguilera's second number-one album on the chart. It also debuted atop the charts in numerous countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK. The album received positive reviews and was nominated a
Best Pop Vocal Album at the
49th Annual Grammy Awards. The album was later
certified double platinum by the RIAA, "
Hurt" and "
Candyman" were released as singles following the album's release and reached the top ten on various international charts, and peaked top-thirty on Hot 100. The duo performed the song on
Saturday Night Live and at the
59th Primetime Emmy Awards. Their version was officially recorded in 2012 for Bennett's
Viva Duets. That same month, Aguilera also featured on rapper
Diddy's song "
Tell Me" which topped the
UK R&B Singles chart and peaked at number eight in the UK. At the end of November 2006 until October 2008, Aguilera embarked on the
Back to Basics Tour which visited North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The tour received positive reviews and was divided into acts inspired by
juke joints and the
circus.
Rolling Stone highlighted its "numerous sets and costumes changes" emphasizing Aguilera's "evolution from bubblegum starlet to dirrty vixen to her current incarnation as retro-styled soul siren". With earnings around 48.1 million, the tour was the highest-grossing concert tour by a female in 2007. Additionally, the performances at the
Adelaide Entertainment Centre were taped, broadcast on
VH1 and sold as a video album under the title
Back to Basics: Live and Down Under. In February 2007, Aguilera performed "
It's a Man's Man's Man's World" at the
49th Annual Grammy Awards, which received widespread praise and has been noted as one of the best Grammy performances of all time. Her performance has been voted as the 3rd Most Memorable Grammy Performance of all time, as presented in the 2007
CBS television special
My Night at the Grammys. That same month she performed at the
halftime show for the
2007 NBA All-Star Game. In April 2008, Aguilera appeared in
Martin Scorsese's documentary,
Shine a Light (which chronicled a two-day concert by
the Rolling Stones at the
Beacon Theatre), where she performed "
Live with Me" with
Mick Jagger. In September, she released "
Keeps Gettin' Better" set to feature on her first then-upcoming
greatest hits album of the same name. The song received mixed reviews and debuted at number seven on the
Billboard Hot 100, making it her highest debut on the chart at the time, and has since sold 1.156 million digital copies in the US. ''
Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits was released in November 2008 to positive reviews, debuting at number nine on Billboard'' 200 and was later certified gold by the RIAA. By late 2008, Aguilera stated that she had begun working on a new album.
2009–2011: Bionic, Burlesque and The Voice In 2009, at the end of the 2000s, Aguilera was named the twentieth best "Artist of the Decade" by
Billboard, and was nominated for the
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Act Ever. At the end of 2009, Aguilera stated that her then-forthcoming sixth studio album originally titled
Light & Darkness would be released in March 2010. However, by February 2010, Aguilera stated that the album would be retitled and released in June. In April 2010, Aguilera released the lead single, "
Not Myself Tonight" which peaked at number 23 on the
Billboard Hot 100. This was followed by the album's second single, "
Woohoo" featuring rapper
Nicki Minaj. The album was inspired by
electronic music, and was described by her as a project "about the future" noting that it was inspired by her son who motivated her to "want to play and have fun". The album received generally mixed reviews by critics, It was later
certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and sold approximately over one million copies globally. "
You Lost Me" and "
I Hate Boys" were released as singles in the following month of June. Aguilera landed her first starring role as a waitress turned
burlesque performer in the
Steven Antin film
Burlesque, released in theaters in November 2010. She received her star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame the same week in which the film premiered. While the film received generally mixed reviews from critics, Aguilera's portrayal of the main character garnered positive reviews, The film also received a nomination for
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the
68th Golden Globe Awards. In addition to starring in the film, Aguilera recorded eight tracks for the film's
accompanying soundtrack, while
Cher performed the remaining two. The soundtrack reached number 18 on the
Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Aguilera performed "Express" on the finale of the
seventh series of
The X Factor UK which received criticism for its raunchy content. In April 2011, Aguilera became a coach on
reality competition show
The Voice, which aired on
NBC. Aguilera later returned to its
second,
third,
fifth,
eighth, and
tenth season. For the show's
first season, Aguilera's duet of her song "
Beautiful" with her finalist,
Beverly McClellan, debuted at number 74 on the US
Billboard Hot 100 with first-week sales of 42,000 downloads on
iTunes. A year later, for the
second season, Aguilera's duet of "
The Prayer" with her contestant,
Chris Mann, also reached 85 on the chart. In 2011, she featured on the song "
Moves like Jagger" by
Maroon 5. They first performed the song during their time on
The Voice and also performed it at the
2011 American Music Awards. The song received positive reviews and topped the Hot 100 for four non-consecutive weeks, making Aguilera the fourth female artist to
top the chart over three decades (1990s, 2000s, and 2010s). The song was also nominated for
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the
54th Annual Grammy Awards. In July 2021, the song was
certified diamond by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
2012–2015: Lotus and other projects During the
third season of
The Voice in September 2012, Aguilera debuted "
Your Body" as the lead single from her then-upcoming seventh studio album. The song received critical acclaim and reached number one on the US
Dance Club Song chart and 34 on the
Billboard Hot 100. The album, titled
Lotus, followed in November 2012, in which Aguilera described the record as a "rebirth" of herself after the personal struggles she overcame. Reviewers found the album generic and conventional, as opposed to Aguilera's previous experimental ventures.
Lotus peaked at number 7 on the
Billboard 200 and has sold 303,000 copies in the US as of 2019. "
Just a Fool" with
Blake Shelton was released as the album's second single and received positive reviews. The two performed the song live on
The Voice and on
The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Award ceremony in 2014 On February 22, 2013, Aguilera featured on rapper
Pitbull's "
Feel This Moment", which became the first of various international top-ten singles she would achieve that year, peaking at number eight on the
Billboard Hot 100 becoming Aguilera's tenth top-ten song, and was later certified platinum by the RIAA. The song garnered positive reviews and was performed at the
2012 American Music Awards,
2013 Kids' Choice Awards,
The Voice and
2013 Billboard Music Awards. In May 2013, Aguilera appeared on
Alejandro Fernández's cover of
Miguel Gallardo's 1976 "
Hoy Tengo Ganas de Ti" which received critical acclaim and earned them a diamond certification in Mexico. On November 4, 2013, Aguilera featured on a duet version of "
Say Something" with
A Great Big World. The song became an instant success receiving universal acclaim from critics who praised Aguilera's stripped back vocals. The song became Aguilera's second top-tenth hit on the
Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number 4 and also became the second time she achieved multiple top-ten songs in a calendar year since 2000. They performed the song live on the
fifth season of
The Voice and
2013 American Music Awards. The song earned them various awards including a six-time platinum certification from the RIAA In October of that year, Aguilera also lent her vocals to the
soundtrack for
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire with the song "
We Remain". She performed the song live with her contestant
Jacquie Lee on
The Voice. On January 1, 2014, Aguilera featured on the remix for "
Do What U Want" by
Lady Gaga to replace the original version with
R. Kelly after his sexual abuse allegations. The two performed the song on the
fifth season of
The Voice. In May, she performed a medley at both the
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the 2014 KIIS FM
Wango Tango concert. In November, Aguilera performed at the
Breakthrough Prize Award ceremony. In February 2015, Aguilera opened the
2015 NBA All-Star Game alongside
The Rockettes and
Nas with a
New York-themed medley. In April, Aguilera starred in the
third season of the musical drama series
Nashville, which aired on
ABC. She also contributed to the series' soundtrack with "The Real Thing" and "
Shotgun" — with the latter reaching number twenty-eight on
Hot Country Songs chart. She also performed at the
50th Academy of Country Music Awards alongside the
Rascal Flatts.
2016–2020: Liberation and The Xperience In May 2016, Aguilera exited
The Voice following its
tenth season, which she won with her contestant
Alisan Porter. On the season finale, she performed "
I Have Nothing" and "
Dangerous Woman"; the latter with
Ariana Grande. A month later, Aguilera released the song "
Change", in which she dedicated to the victims of the 2016
Orlando nightclub shooting. The ballad received positive reviews and debuted at number five on
Billboards
Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. In August 2016, Aguilera recorded a
disco song titled "
Telepathy" featuring
Nile Rodgers for the soundtrack of a
Netflix original series,
The Get Down (2016). Her vocals were praised by critics and the song reached number one on the Dance Club Songs chart. In January 2017, Aguilera performed "
Stormy Weather" on the
ABC television special
Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America. In July, she voiced a video-game dancer in
The Emoji Movie (2017), with the film also featuring her song "Feel This Moment". She also lent her vocals to the
Served Like a Girl documentary film for a song titled "America". In November, Aguilera performed a tribute to
Whitney Houston at the
2017 American Music Awards. The tribute received polarized views from fans and critics who praised her vocals but criticized why she was selected over a black artist. at the
Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, 2018 In March 2018, Aguilera announced the completion of her then-upcoming eighth studio album alongside a
Paper Magazine cover which received media coverage. Aguilera released her eighth studio album
Liberation on June 15, 2018, to favorable reviews.
Liberation debuted at number six on the
Billboard 200 chart, becoming Aguilera's seventh US top-ten album. The album was promoted with multiple singles, including the preceding lead single, "
Accelerate" featuring
Ty Dolla Sign and
2 Chainz, which became Aguilera's tenth number one song on the US
Billboard Dance Songs Chart. Two other singles from the album, "
Fall in Line" (with
Demi Lovato) and "
Like I Do", were nominated at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards for
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and
Best Rap/Sung Performance respectively. To further promote
Liberation, Aguilera embarked on her first tour in 10 years,
The Liberation Tour, which ran from September to November 2018 in the US. The tour received positive reviews from critics who praised Aguilera's vocals and stage presence.
Billboard named the tour one of the best 2018 live shows, and it was ranked at 132 on
Pollstar's 2018 Year-End Top 200 North American Tours chart with a total gross of $8.7 million with an attendance of 77,854. She also starred in the romantic science fiction
Zoe, which premiered at the
Tribeca Film festival and was released in July of that year. At the end of 2018, Aguilera performed a medley of her songs on ''
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve''. In May 2019, Aguilera began headlining her first concert residency,
Christina Aguilera: The Xperience, a 25-date show at the
Zappos Theater at
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas which concluded in March 2020. In between the residency, from July to December 2019, Aguilera also embarked on
The X Tour, which served as the international counterpart to The Liberation Tour, running throughout Europe and Latin America. In October 2019, Aguilera released the song
"Haunted Heart" from the soundtrack of the animated film,
The Addams Family, and her second collaboration with
A Great Big World, "
Fall on Me", followed a month later. The former received critical acclaim from critics, was nominated for
Best Original Song in an Animated Film at the
Hollywood Music in Media Awards and topped the US
Kid Digital Song Sales chart. In early 2020, Aguilera recorded two songs for Disney's
live action remake of Mulan (2020): "
Loyal Brave True" – released in March 2020 as a promotional single to positive reviews, eventually being shortlisted as one of the fifteen potential nominees for the
Academy Award for Best Original Song – and a re-recording of "
Reflection", released in August. That year, she appeared on the ABC television special,
The Disney Family Singalong and its
follow-up, where she performed "
Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "
Remember Me" respectively. In November of that year, Aguilera signed a new management deal with
Roc Nation.
2021–present: Aguilera and Voltaire residency In July 2021, Aguilera performed two sold-out shows at the
Hollywood Bowl with
Gustavo Dudamel and the
Los Angeles Philharmonic. She also recorded "
The Addams Family Theme", which was featured on
The Addams Family 2 soundtrack. In October, she performed "
Reflection", "
When You Wish Upon a Star" and "
Loyal Brave True" for
ABC's Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary special. On December 7, 2021, Aguilera was honored with the
People's Music Icon honorific award at the
47th People's Choice Awards. Aguilera released her ninth studio album, titled
Aguilera, originally as a
double album on May 31, 2022. The album paid tribute to different genres of
Latin music, and consisted of three separately released parts:
La Fuerza,
La Tormenta, and
La Luz. The full album was released in its complete form on September 30, 2022. The album was preceded with the singles "
Pa Mis Muchachas", "
Somos Nada", "
Santo" and followed with "
Suéltame" and "
No Es Que Te Extrañe".
Aguilera received widespread critical acclaim from music critics upon release, and was placed on several year-end lists by publications such as
Billboard and the
Houston Chronicle. The album was promoted through the
EU / UK Summer Series promotional tour, which consisted of five festival shows throughout Europe and three arena concerts in the United Kingdom. The promotional tour received critical praise. held in
Marbella Aguilera and its songs received seven nominations at the
23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards with the album winning for
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The album also received another two nominations for
Best Latin Pop Album and
Best Immersive Audio Album at the
65th Annual Grammy Awards. "No Es Que Te Extrañe" was also nominated for
Record of the Year at the
24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. On June 11, 2022, Aguilera headlined the
Los Angeles Pride festival with guests
Mýa,
Kim Petras and
Paris Hilton. The use of a
strap-on dildo during the set was the subject of polarized reception. In October 2022,
Stripped was reissued for its 20-year anniversary, featuring "I Will Be" (the b-side to "Dirrty") and
Benny Benassi's remix of "Beautiful". A new music video for "Beautiful" was also released. On September 22, 2023, Aguilera released "
Learning to Fly" as a part of the soundtrack for
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. The same month she performed at the
EuroPride concert in
Malta. At the end of the month, it was reported that Aguilera would executive produce
a stage adaptation of Burlesque which eventually made its debut in 2024, and its
West End debut in July 2025. In December 2023, Aguilera began her second residency,
Christina Aguilera at Voltaire, at
The Venetian Las Vegas which ran until August 2024. In May 2024, it was reported that Aguilera had parted ways with
RCA Records and signed with
5020 Records, a division of
Sony Music Latin. In September 2024, Aguilera announced a "
Spotify Anniversaries" performance for the 25th anniversary of her debut album. The performances were released on both
YouTube as a recording, and Spotify as a
live extended play on September 23, while featuring appearances from
Machine Gun Kelly and
Sabrina Carpenter. In December, the EP was named one of the best albums of the year by
HuffPost. In 2025, Aguilera headlined the September 2025
Portola Music Festival. A month later,
Deadline Hollywood reported that she would star in a concert film,
Christina Aguilera: Christmas in Paris, directed by
Sam Wrench, in support of the 25th anniversary of her Christmas album. The film was released theatrically on December 14 and 21, alongside a
live album of the performances. == Artistry ==