Beautiful (Christina Aguilera song)

"Beautiful" was written and produced by Linda Perry. Christina Aguilera recorded the song at two studios: The Enterprise Studios in Burbank, California, and Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood. Perry previewed the song for Pink during recording sessions for the latter's sophomore studio album Missundaztood (2001), on which Perry worked as a producer. Perry later revealed to ASCAP, "When Christina came over to my house to start working, she asked me to play some songs to break the ice. [...] I had a long conversation with my manager about it. We both decided to hear Christina sing it. We demoed the song with her singing it, and I was like, 'Wow'. That rough vocal is what is out there on radio. It was that vocal that got her the song". Perry said as Aguilera stepped in the booth to record, she said to her friend, "Don't look at me" – which Perry left at the start of the final track. She told Rolling Stone: "I knew I was going to keep that on the record, and I knew she was the right person for the song. I realized, 'Oh, she's insecure. She's one of those beautiful people who's got everything but is super insecure. Okay, this song is hers.'" ==Composition and lyrics==

"Beautiful" is a pop and R&B ballad that discusses issues of self-esteem and insecurity, promoting a message of self-empowerment and embracing inner beauty. Larry Flick of Billboard added that the song talks about "overcoming life's trials", Chuck Taylor also of Billboard observed that it has a message of "holding oneself up against criticism from the outside," ==Release==

"Beautiful" was released as the second single from Stripped. It was first sent to American contemporary hit and rhythmic radio stations on November 16, 2002. The song was later released as a CD single on January 27, February 10, February 24, and February 25, 2003, in Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France, respectively. Also on February 25, a digital remix EP of "Beautiful" was released worldwide. Two days later, the single was released as a maxi single in Canada. On March 11, 2003, the single was released as a CD in the United States. ==Critical reception==

"Beautiful" received universal acclaim from music critics who praised its empowering lyrics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commended the song for not following the "club and street-level R&B, which fit her poorly". Similarly, a reviewer from Billboard described "Beautiful" as a "single-worthy ballad" from a record of "pleasantly surprising depth". Entertainment Weeklys David Browne called the song one of Strippeds "moments", noting that it is "more restrained" than the other songs from the album. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine commented that the collaboration with Linda Perry found Aguilera "truly naked" and reflective of the album's title. Stylus Magazines Todd Burns gave Stripped a negative review, but complimented "Beautiful" for "tastefully [reining] in Aguilera's frequent vocal acrobatics". Jane Dark of The Village Voice compared the song to the works of Mariah Carey "made back when she was a natural", and the Attitude magazine called it "universal". The Advocates Larry Flick named "Beautiful" a "Beatlesque ballad" and the "great queer anthem of 2003". He also listed it as one of the best songs of the year. In contrast, Amanda Murray from Sputnikmusic criticized the "platitude-drenched" lyrics but praised the overall production. At the 2004 Grammy Awards, "Beautiful" won the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and was nominated for Song of the Year. "Beautiful" is considered to be Aguilera's signature song and has been recognized as being among the strongest tracks in her catalog. The song was ranked as her third-best single by Rachel McRady of Wetpaint, who commented that "[Aguilera]'s inspiration ballad motivated an entire generation". PopCrush Alexandra Capotorto named it as her favorite track by Aguilera, opining that the song is "definitely one of the most memorable and greatest Christina Aguilera songs to date". Rolling Stone ranked "Beautiful" at number 52 on their list of the 100 best songs of the 2000s, stating that it is "delivered with full-fathom force by the bottle-blond with the biggest voice". Similarly, VH1 positioned the track at number 18 on their list of the 100 greatest songs of the past decade. It is listed as one of the 100 best pop songs of all time by About.com. Pride Life Global ranked it as one of the twenty best gay anthems of all time. Blender ranked the song on its 2005 list of the 500 greatest songs of the 1980s–2000s, praising Aguilera for her "near-operatic vocals". ==Chart performance==

"Beautiful" was quickly released after the underperformance of the album's first single, "Dirrty" in the United States. It achieved international success and was the highest-charting single from Stripped in several territories. The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for one week, becoming Aguilera's longest-charting solo track, spending 27 weeks on the chart. The song additionally topped Billboard Adult Contemporary, Dance Club Play, and Mainstream Top 40 component charts. In Canada, the song peaked at number one on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. Similarly, "Beautiful" proved successful in Europe, where it peaked within the top five of most markets in which it was released. Spending a total of 51 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, the song eventually peaked atop the chart becoming Aguilera's fourth UK number one; it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. The following week, it debuted at number 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 52 on the Hot Digital Songs diagram with first-week sales of 42,000 downloads on the iTunes Store. ==Music videos==

The accompanying music video for "Beautiful" was directed by Jonas Åkerlund and premiered on December 9, 2002. It opens with Aguilera speaking the line "Don't look at me", followed by scenes of her singing alone in a room intercut with self-image-related sequences of other people. An anorexic girl examines herself in a mirror, eventually punching through it; a thin teenage boy stands lifting weights in a room plastered with images of bodybuilders; and an African-American girl rips out pages of women's magazines including photos of only white women and throws them into a fire. In one sequence, a girl is physically bullied by several peers, and in another, a goth man sits at the back of a bus while several people get up and move. The video also touches on LGBT issues; one scene features a gay couple, portrayed by Jordan Shannon and Justin Croft, kissing on a bench and ignoring the stares of people who pass them. The music video debuted at number 2 on Total Request Live, spending a total of 50 days on the chart and retiring at number 6. It topped MuchMusic's Countdown for two consecutive weeks and remained on the countdown for 15 weeks. The video was positively reviewed by music critics, and received a Special Recognition award, presented by David LaChapelle, from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation at its 14th GLAAD Media Awards. After an a cappella performance of the song, Aguilera stated in her acceptance speech that "this song is definitely a universal message that everybody can relate to – anyone that's been discriminated against or unaccepted, unappreciated or disrespected just because of who you are. It was so important to me that I support the gay community in this sense." On October 21, 2022, Aguilera released a new music video for the song, which depicts kids and teens grappling with the onslaught of negative messaging on social media, body dysmorphia, plastic surgery, depression, and suicidal ideation. CelebMix called the message behind the video "powerful", noting that it "highlights the impact of popular culture and social media on young people". Aguilera was given the Cybersmiler of the Month Award after the video was released. It also won the British Television Advertising Award, and won two awards at the 2023 Webby's — Best Music Video and Best Video (People's Voice). ==Live performances==

ceremony Recognized as one of her signature songs, Aguilera has performed "Beautiful" at a number of venues and events. During the promotion of Stripped, she appeared on VH1's Big In Awards, Top of the Pops, and the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. The song was included on the setlists of The Stripped Tour, the Justified and Stripped Tour in 2003 and the Back to Basics Tour in 2006. "Beautiful" was also sung on the television special VH1 Storytellers in 2010. "Beautiful" has also been performed on charity events and fundraisings, such as CNN Heroes introduced by Anderson Cooper saying, "It's my pleasure to introduce a performer with unparalleled range and passion; her song is a reminder that out of great trials and tribulations we can all create something beautiful"; Justin Timberlake & Friends in 2010, and Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together in 2012. In 2021, Aguilera sang "Beautiful" at the Verizon's "Big Concert for Small Business" Super Bowl afterparty, at her performance at the Hollywood Bowl with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as the 47th People's Choice Awards. In January 2026, Aguilera performed the song at the Gala des Pièces Jaunes in Paris, in front of an audience of 35,000 people. ==Legacy==

. "Beautiful" has been embraced by the LGBT community as an anthem. The Advocates Larry Flick believed the release of the song was "one of the most powerful moments of queer activism in 2003". In March 2011, the Columbus Children's Choir and Columbus Gay Men's Chorus joined to perform the song as a contribution to the It Gets Better Project. UK LGBT rights charity Stonewall named "Beautiful" the most empowering song of the decade for lesbian, gay and bisexual people; media personality and Stonewall contributor Paul Gambaccini called the song "a major achievement that has inspired millions of young people around the world." The result is based on the choice from 1,007 readers. "Beautiful" inspired a subgenre of empowerment pop songs including Katy Perry's "Firework" (2010) and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" (2011). Sabrina Carpenter stated that "Beautiful" inspired her vocally and artistically. She also covered the song during her Evolution Tour (2016–2017). Rita Ora noted that the music video for "Beautiful" inspired her song "Girl in the Mirror", and Alessia Cara credits the ballad as source of inspiration for her single "Scars to Your Beautiful". Burial sampled "Beautiful" on two songs from his 2007 album Untrue. In 2022, Billboard ranked the song the second on their list of "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2002". They noted that the "Grammy-winning empowerment anthem provides a stunningly detailed illustration of the search for one's inner beauty amid battling insecurities". Sam Smith, Ava Max, Kenny G and Chaka Khan. ==Formats and track listings==

• US, Germany and France CD single • "Beautiful" – 3:58 • "Dame lo que Yo Te Doy" – 3:46 • "Beautiful" (music video) – 3:59 • UK CD single • "Beautiful" – 3:58 • "Dirrty" (MaUVe Remix) – 8:11 • "Beautiful" (music video) – 3:59 • Digital remix EP • "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer Radio Mix) – 3:58 • "Beautiful" (Al B Rich Radio Mix) – 4:14 • "Beautiful" (Valentin Radio Mix) – 3:59 • "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer Short Club) – 7:03 • "Beautiful" (Brother Brown Mishow) – 5:11 • "Beautiful" (Brother Brown Divine Mix) – 9:03 • "Beautiful" (Al B Rich Next Level Mix) – 8:36 • "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer Beautiful Theme) – 3:40 • "Beautiful" (Valentin Club Mix) – 5:56 • "Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer Extended Club) – 10:33 • "Beautiful" (Brother Brown Dub) – 7:50 ==Credits and personnel==

Credits are adapted from the "Beautiful" CD single liner notes. Recording locations • Mixed at The Enterprise Studios, Burbank, California • Engineered at Mad Dog Studios, Burbank, California • Additional recording at The Enterprise Studios, Burbank, California • Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering Personnel • Writing, Composing, Producing – Linda Perry • Mixing – Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado • Assisted mixing – Ethan Willoughby • Engineering – Linda Perry, David Guerrero • Pro Tools engineering – Davy Vain • Mastering – Brian "Big Bass" Gardner • Editing – Mike Barnard Musicians • Vocals – Christina Aguilera • Piano, Guitar, Bass – Linda Perry • Keyboards – Damon Fox • Drums – Brian MacLeod • Strings – The Section Quartet • Violin – Eric Gorfain • Viola – Shanti Randall • Cello – Richard Dodd • Additional Strings and String Arrangement – Linda Perry ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==