Stripped Raw and Honest (Stripped - Christina Aguilera)

Member Name: kittykat18

Product:	Stripped - Christina Aguilera
Date:	22/01/03 (2253 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Powerful, original voice, inspirational message for young women, a mixture of sounds from RnB to rock

Disadvantages: A few less memorable ballads

Christina Aguilera gets a hard time in the press for her somewhat interesting dress sense and her general appearance. Behind the media storm lies an album which I think will surprise many. I much prefer Christina to Britney as I think Chrstina is honest about the things that young girls are doing, not a FAKE like Britney (virgin- I think not).

I am a Christina fan and think she has a fantastic diva style voice which can hit all the high notes, a bit like Mariah Carey.

I don't own any of her other albums but I liked the single Dirrty so much I bought Stripped.

The album has a whole is a mixture of ballads and RnB sounds, with appearances from Redman, Alicia Keys, Eve and Lil Kim. There is a Spanish feel on the track "Infatuation" which has an introduction in Spanish and Spanish guitars.

It preaches a message of female empowerment (especially on songs like "Can't Hold Us Down"), love and sex as well as touching on issues such as domestic abuse. These lyrics from the haunting song "I'm Ok" say it all:

"Hurts me to see the pain in my mothers face,
every time my fathers fist would put her in her place"

The album opens with Christina saying
"this is for my girls all around the world" and Stripped is definitely an album which will appeal more to women than men. It's not ANTI men so much as PRO women.

This is an honest album which really does expose Christina and I think Stripped is a very appropriate name for it. Christina has spoken in interviews recently about the abuse and poverty which is part of her childhood and I respect her for that. It makes a change to have an established pop star sing about real issues which normal people can relate to instead of wannabe gangster hoes like Jennifer Lopez singing about all their diamonds and numerous husbands.


Listening to this album cheers me up and it is good for cosy nig
hts in to create a relaxed intimate atmosphere.

With 16 full tracks you certainly get value for money and not one is a dud, although there are a few which are less memorable.

Here's the listing~

1. Stripped Intro

2. Can't Hold Us Down\Feat. Lil' Kim

This is one of the best tracks on the album which discusses the double standard that exists between men and women when it comes to sex. It asks why if a man has several women on the go, he is considered a stud, but a woman is called a whore.

Lil Kim does a strong rap and there's a great bit which you can sing at your bloke when he's getting on your nerves:

"You're just a little boy
Think you're so cute so coy
You must talk so big
To make up for smaller things".

3. Walk Away

A typical Christina ballad, there's nothing bad about this track but it's not one of my favourites.

4. Fighter

Fighter is addressed to an ex partner who treated Christina like shit, but rather than hating him, she thanks him because he " made me that much stronger, makes me work a little bit harder, made me that much wiser, thanks for making me a fighter". I can relate to that totally and it's a refreshing view point. This is an upbeat, fast tune with a good beat.

5. Primer Amor Interlude

This is a spoken interlude in Spanish which sets the mood for the next song and is talking about a first love.

6. Infatuation

I love this song! It makes me think of a holiday romance with a Latin Lover, and the singers mother is warning her not to fall in too deep.
"He comes from a foreign place
An island far away"

If you've ever had a romance with a dark foreign lover who knew how to say all the right things, you'll be able to relate to this song.

"I realise big brown eyes can hypnotise"

7. Loves
Embrace Interlude

8. Loving Me 4 Me

9. Impossible

This is a beautiful slow ballad featuring Alicia Keys on piano who also wrote the song.

"It's impossible, impossible to love you
If you don't let me know what you're feeling".

If you've heard Alicia Keys album "Songs in A Minor", you will recognise the distinctive sound she produces.

10. Underappreciated

11. Beautiful

This is the next single to come out from the album, it should be a big hit because it's a good slow song with a message about inner beauty.
"You are beautiful,
no matter what they say,
words won't bring you down"

12. Make Over

This sounds a lot like The Sugababes "Overload" and has a rock feel to it. It's not what you would expect from Christina but she does it well.

13. Cruz

14. Soar

This song really does soar and makes the most of Christinas vocal range. I like to warble along to it in my bedroom.

15. Get Mine Get Yours

This is one of my absolute favourites off the album, it's a sexy song about a purely physical relationship. Some of the lyrics are a bit naughty, but this is a song for the Sex and the City generation, a total antithesis to love and romance.

"We have a physical thing.
We make love but don't fall in love, we spend time.
Just enough so you get yours and I get mine
No strings attached
I want your body, not your heart"

16. Dirrty\Feat. Redman

I love this song but it's been so heavily played on the radio it has lost a bit of it's buzz, but it's great to dance to in a club as it has a good beat and you can really move to it.

17. Stripped Pt 2

18. The Voice Within

Another ballad which is quite sad.

19. I'm Ok

Christina remenicses about her childhood w
ith a violent father. "Bruises fade father, but the pain remains the same".

20. Keep On Singin' My Song

This song closes the album well and sums up some of Christina's conclusions, mostly about not being bothered about what others think of her.

"I woke up this morning with a smile on my face
Nobody's gonna bring me down today
Been feeling like nothings been going my way lately
So I decided right here and now that my outlooks gotta change"

I haven't commented on all of the songs because there are rather a lot of ballads which although pleasant. are not entirely distinguishable from one another and are not especally memorable.

I love this album. The interludes help it to flow and you feel as though it has been put together in a certain order for a reason rather than just thrown together. Not everyone likes Christina Aguilera's voice but this album really uses her talents to full potential from her soaring high notes to more deep, husky singing.

Give this album a go, you might be surprised.

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