You Can't Hold Her Down (Stripped - Christina Aguilera)

Member Name: coolcam7

Product:	Stripped - Christina Aguilera
Date:	11/03/04 (668 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great songs, variety

Disadvantages: some weaker links

I?ve decided to write this review because I?ve had this album for quite some time now, but I still listen to it frequently, unlike some albums that I?ve brought in the past and have left to gather dust on the shelf after a couple of weeks.

I haven?t always been a fan of Christina, there was a time when I thought ?here?s another girl who can?t sing but loves stripping down to the bare minimum just to get attention.?

How wrong I was. It is undeniable that Christina has received more than her fair share of press coverage for her skimpy outfits rather then her music but since I am here to give my opinion on her album not than her controversial dress, I won?t be judging her fashion sense.

The album was released after Christina reinvented herself. Fortunately for her, this was successful unlike Britney Spears attempt. Nobody can seem to forget Britney?s sweet and innocent schoolgirl days and also the fact that her vocal talent is somewhat limited. Miss Aguilera?s image change and vocal advance has made far more of an impact on the music industry, introducing a wider audience to her material who would previously not have considered buying her album. Including me.

Now that I?ve given you a brief introduction to Christina Aguilera I will get onto the album itself without further ado?

1. Stripped Intro

This makes a great start to the album and also gives a good introduction to Christina herself. To the backing music we can hear things that have been said about Christina. You can also hear ?Britney? distinctly, to who we know she is constantly being compared, before ?Let?s let Christina tell her side of the story?. This then leads into the music and Christina saying ?I?ve waited a long time for this, feels right now? amongst other things she introduces hers
elf and says ?Sorry you can?t define me, sorry I break the mould, sorry that I speak my mind, sorry don?t do what I?m told, sorry if I don?t fake it, sorry I come too real, I will never hide what I really feel?. What more can I say? A great introduction!

2. Can?t Hold Us Down

This song features the rapper Lil Kim and is a great RnB tune. The song is a very strong and meaningful statement of Christina?s beliefs about the double standards we have in our society. She is basically singing about the way that women are easily labelled as whores if they sleep with a few men whereas the guys are considered studs if they sleep with lots of girls or even two-time somebody. I think this is a great track telling women to stand up for themselves and not let men tell them what to do and that they should ?respect their worth? by not letting men control them by ?standing their ground?. Lil Kim?s vocals on this song sound great and add more of an RnB feel to the track.

3. Walk Away

This is a slow ballad in which we can truly hear Christina?s vocal talent for the first time on this album. Can?t Hold Us Down is a hard song to follow but I think this track is well placed on the album. She sings with such passion that you can really believe what she is singing about. It is an emotional account of a bad relationship that she wants to ?walk away? from but knows that it is not what she really wants deep down. It is similar in style to Alicia Keys but Christina?s voice adds something special to it, as it really shines through especially on the long notes in the song.

4. Fighter

At the start of this song Christina sings ?After all you put me through, you?d think I?d despise you but in the end I wanna thank you cos you made me that much stro
nger? Which is basically what the whole song is about, Christina?s been treated badly in a relationship (been cheated on etc) but she?s come through it stronger than she was before. A catchy tune with powerful vocals again Christina sings with real emotion. Christina has been criticised for shouting in her songs in the past but this is the way this song should be sung to appreciate it fully. A fantastic track.

5. Primor Amor Interlude

In this interlude Christina sings in Spanish to a guitar solo. She whispers very seductively and the interlude fits in very well leading into the next track?

6. Infatuation

A very sexy song which continues the Spanish theme. Christina sings in English this time but the guitar melodies and drum beat give it the same Spanish feel. She sings about the infatuation she has with a lovely Latino man and the fact that her mother has warned her off but she simply can?t resist.


7. Love Embrace Interlude

I?m not as keen on this interlude as the first one. It starts with some sounds of the jungle (think birds and xylophones, not lions!) Slow and sung with emotion this doesn?t stand well on it?s own but it does lead well into the next song on the album.

8. Loving Me For Me

A slow song with quite a relaxed feel to it as it should have seeing as it?s about feeling totally at ease with someone because you are in love with them and not having to pretend you?re anything that you are not. A good key range on this track but to be honest I?m not particularly keen on it myself.

9. Impossible

This ballad is about how Christina finds it impossible to love her boyfriend when he never opens up to her or tells her how he is feeling. The song was written by Alicia Keys and her style is very distinctive.
Alicia herself plays the piano in this song and gives the backing vocals. I absolutely loved this the first time I heard it and I still do now. Christina?s strong voice is complemented really well by Alicia?s backing vocals and the song has a really good tune to it. Personally I was a little disappointed by the ending as it just fades out but I suppose this is quite typical of a lot of Alicia?s own songs so hardly surprising. Excellent overall.

10. Underappreciated

Quite self-explanatory title the song is about feeling underappreciated in a relationship. I?m not keen on this one. I felt the verses were a bit weak but the chorus where backing singers feel is better. I think this song would be much better performed live in front of and audience than it is on the album

11. Beautiful

Another of Christina?s songs which holds a powerful message. It is saying that no matter who we are, what we look like, sexuality etc doesn?t matter and that we are all beautiful no matter what anybody says differently. A beautiful introduction on the piano before Christina begins to tell the story. The song is slow and Christina sounds perfect on it. A beautiful song with a message that should be remembered. I first saw the video to this on holiday in Gran Canaria and remember it being very controversial because of the gay kiss but it suits the song perfectly.

12. Make-Over

I?ll cut straight to the chase I really don?t like this song. It starts out sounding quite out of place on the album and doesn?t get any better. She also shouts far too much. If Christina was trying to add something a bit extra to the album she really shouldn?t have done because this is quite awful. The chorus sounds familiar but I can?t place it. Frankly this should have been left out of the album as it do
esn?t add anything to it.

13. Cruz

Starts off sounding like it might be another bad song. Christina singing with other people but not to music rather like the high-school choirs you see in American films but it does pick up quickly. A ballad that would fit well into a romance film, I don?t love it but it?s nice to listen to once in a while.

14. Soar

Another ballad with good instrumentals in it, I wasn?t too sure about this one at first but I like it now. A feel-good tune and I like the gospel-like oooooohing in it. It is about expressing your emotions and not telling people how you really feel about them. You do find yourself wanting to sing along to this one which is always a good thing. I like the ending too.

15. Get Mine, get Yours

The beginning sounds like dance music but as soon as Christina starts singing you realise that it isn?t. A very smooth sounding track about having casual sex. ?We have a physical thing, make love, don?t fall in love? no strings attached. OK not a very good moral message but this is a great song. Strong chorus and great vocals from Christina again. The instrumental at the end is good too.

16. Dirrty

This track features Redman who starts the track off really well but it only gets better when Christina starts singing! Fantastic tune that is bound to get people dancing whenever they hear it. Christina demonstrates her vocal range really well on this track as well. I?m not keen on Redman?s rap in the middle which makes the song more hip-hop then anything but I suppose it fits in the song well.

17. Stripped Pt. 2

A continuation of the first track on the album it has the same tune etc. This time Christina sings ?Sorry if I ain?t perfect? sorry I ain?t a virgin etc? so bas
ically it is the same as the first time but it fits in well at this point in the album.

18. The Voice Within

I feel sure this has been on a Disney soundtrack because I know I?ve heard it before. I don?t know if it is a cover but if you do please let me know because I?m dying to find out. It is a beautiful track, peaceful with a sweet tune. Christina demonstrates her vocal abilities fully on this track. I really love this it is definitely listening this far on the album because this is a great song. I also like the string part in the middle with the backing singers singing.

19. I?m OK

This song is about the domestic violence she experienced from her father as a child and about how the abuse affected her. A slow song in which Christina?s sings very emotionally as though she is about to cry. It is not the sort of song I enjoy listening to because it makes me feel sad but it is quite thought-provoking and very meaningful. I think Christina is brave singing about this sort of issue and I think the strings work well with the song. Slow and emotional.

20. Keep Singing My Song

This is a long song but it is a contrast to the previous song being more upbeat. Great instrumentals and vocals the song ends the album well. It starts off quite slowly but picks up I love the backing vocals on this track as well.

I now see that I was wrong about Christina before, she has been through a lot and has some great moral messages on this album. The album has some superb tracks on it and it was well worth buying. Mine cost £9.99 from a place called Martian Records. I think it normally costs about £13 or £14 but it is well worth it as you get a lot of tracks with a good variety. I am definitely looking forward to Christina?s next offering

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