Christina Aguilera
Stripped

THE REVIEW

It's a pity that the masses have such poor critical taste. Among the various commercial listens I allow myself, I have stopped with pleasure on this album by the young Christina Aguilera, whose aggressive Lolita-like image continues to leave me somewhat perplexed... How much of it is real in her? How much does the need for such an image weigh in order to sell?

Starting from the lyrics, I found myself facing an artist far from predictable or superficial, capable of writing excellent texts that address themes such as diversity, conflict, and the need for self-esteem. I was particularly amused by the stark contrast between the feminist proclamation in 'Can't Hold Us Down' and the video for 'Dirrty', where the "emancipated" Christina proves to be just a pawn in the show-business game, which instead wants her as a sexy object to attract the attention of the male audience.

The tracks aren't bad, mixing a bit of R'n B, Soul, and Latin music, making the product easy to listen to and allowing this artist's extraordinary voice to shine. Christina's voice is, in fact, the real strength of this record: powerful, warm, endowed with enviable technique, it is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful voices among the new generations of singers. The most significant songs on this album are 'Can't Hold Us Down', 'Walk Away', 'Fighter' (listening to this song, I can't help but notice that the grit of this girl is lacking in many crossover bands that make teens feel so alternative... and the video blatantly winks at Marilyn Manson of Tourniquet), 'Infatuation', and 'Beautiful'.

Certainly an artist who could do much better, given her great vocal abilities. Unfortunately, the law of show-biz seems to be strict, and this Stripped seems to be the easiest way to achieve success. What a pity.