Christina Aguilera is still reminding the world of their beauty! On Wednesday, the 41-year-old singer premiered “Beautiful (2022 Version),” which is a reimagined version of the video from her 2002 hit.
The new music video for “Beautiful,” directed by Fiona Jane Burges, takes a modern approach yet has the same inspiring message, as various groups of young people hold phones as a reflection of today’s obsession with social media.
Aguilera does not appear in the video, but rather a host of young people who are affected by the pressures that come with social media. The video features a group of young dancers who hold phones while they put on makeup in front of a ring light; a young woman who sits in an empty room surrounded by images of beautiful women and contemplates breast surgery; a young man who stares at an older, much bigger man lifting weights; a girl who stands in front of a vending machine full of diet supplements and makeup tools; a group of girls who sit in a plastic surgeon’s office; and a young man who sits alone in a mental health facility, surrounded by pills.
In the end, the subjects find their beauty as some of them sing the lyric “We are beautiful,” while they strip off surgery gowns, wipe away the makeup, and play in a field full of flowers.
The video ends with a harsh message that reminds the viewer just how much things have changed since the release of the original video two decades ago.
“In the last 20 years since Stripped was released, social media has transformed our relationship with our bodies, and in turn, our mental health,” the words over a cellphone that leaks blood reads. “Research suggests that time spent on social networking sites is associated with body images issues, self-harm and disordered eating in children and teens. This needs to change.”
The message is followed by a link to Aguilera’s website that has resources for mental health, suicide prevention and other tools for healing.
“Beautiful (2022 Version)” explores the song’s message of self-acceptance, self-esteem and personal empowerment through vignettes of modern young people in a provocative visual critique of contemporary culture both online and in real life,” a statement about the video says.
The original music video for “Beautiful” touched on the themes of disordered eating, gender identity, LGBTQ+ issues, racial identity and featured Aguilera sitting in an empty room and singing the song, while the themes were explored through various young actors.
“Beautiful” originally premiered in 2002 and was the second single off Aguilera’s fourth studio album, Stripped. The music video debuted in the number two spot on MTV’s TRL, and remained on the popular music video chart for 50 weeks. In addition, the video earned much praise and acclaim from critics. The song won a GRAMMY for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the single and Stripped. In celebration of the milestone, RCA/Legacy will release a digital edition of the album with new cover art and bonus tracks.
The music videos for Stripped’s singles, “The Voice Within,” “Beautiful,” “Can’t Hold Us Down,” “Fighter” and “Drrty” (featuring Redman), will be released in high definition and available on Aguilera’s YouTube channel on Oct. 21.
Stripped 20th anniversary edition will be released on Oct. 21.
Christina Aguilera accepts the Spirit of Hope Award onstage during the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Watsco Center on September 29, 2022 in Coral Gables, Florida.
The pop icon opens up to People Chica about her latest Spanish album Aguilera, finding her inner light after dark times and teaching her children how to be proud of their Latin roots.
Singing in Spanish soothes Christina Aguilera’s soul and fills her with memories. “I grew up in my early childhood hearing Spanish predominantly spoken in my home,” the singer, 41, whose father is from Ecuador, tells People Chica. “My mom was fluent also, so I was surrounded by Latin music, Latin culture and the language since I was a baby. It has always stayed close to my heart and has never left me.”
Aguilera, the singer’s latest album, is her first Spanish-language record since Mi reflejo in 2000. Nominated to the Latin Grammys under Album Of The Year, it includes the trilogy of EPs “La tormenta”, “La fuerza” and “La luz.” This ambitious Spanish-language project includes rancheras like “Cuando me de la gana” with Christian Nodal, female empowerment anthems like “Pa mis muchachas”—a collab with Becky G, Nathy Peluso and Nicki Nicole—and urban-flavored tunes like “Santo” with Ozuna.
“I have always had a soft spot for rancheras, they are heavily filled with passion and power. They move me deeply—from the tortured heartbreak to the joy and triumph they exude,” says Aguilera, who is a fan of late Costa Rican-Mexican singer Chavela Vargas.
Like Vargas, the singer has some heart-wrenching hits of her own. Her father Fausto Xavier Aguilera, who was a soldier, inspired the song “No es que no te extrañe.”
“[It] touches on some of the family tension and distant memories that I feel many have also shared with family,” Aguilera says. “While it is deep-rooted and complicated, I touch on a very real subject that I imagine many have a hard time dealing with and healing from. After we go through certain things as a young child, it’s nice to have a community for each other to not feel alone in our experiences.”
In 2019, the “Fighter” and “Beautiful” singer opened up on social media about being a domestic violence survivor, after being honored with the Community Hero award from the Shade Tree, a refuge for domestic violence victims in Nevada. “It’s just disgusting and it happens far too much to people that we do love,” she said in a video on Instagram. “And it is very dear to my heart because I did grow up in [violence] and I’m a survivor of it—as I’m sure many of you are—and I’m affected by it.”
She has revealed in previous interviews that her mother was physically and mentally abused by her dad when Aguilera was growing up. “I remember often having to up and escape in the middle of the night with my mom and little sister, having just the clothes on our backs, to drive cross-country for shelter at my grandma’s house,” she wrote in the Instagram post.
Her mother, Shelly Loraine Kearns—of German and Irish descent—has been a big influence in her life. “My mom was and is a very loving woman. She sacrificed a lot and fought to protect us when many wouldn’t be able to find the strength to do so. I respect her a lot for that,” she says. “The older I get the more I grow to understand and appreciate on a deeper level much of what she taught me and the culture she exposed me to, from our travels to language and music, instilling a passion in me for learning and facing my own fears.”
The singer hopes to inspire her own kids—Max Liron, 14, and Summer Rain, 7—and make them feel proud of their Latin heritage. “The stress and worry as a parent is overwhelming. I can be a bit overprotective and I’m extra big on safety precautions, but I always try to keep it silly, laughter is really important in our house,” she says. “I try to keep things in order, while not taking things too seriously. Life is serious enough. You have to have fun along the way.”
She doesn’t need a genie in a bottle to bring her excitement or make her wishes come true. At 41, the pop icon, who will be performing at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in Miami airing on Telemundo on September 29, has many reasons to celebrate. “The older I get, the more aware and grateful I become. I love that I’ve built a life and home for myself. I keep pushing myself to shed things that don’t feel right and gravitate towards what does,” she says. “I value so many core people and experiences in my life that have built me to where I am today. Grateful is an understatement!”
Next, Aguilera talks to People Chica exclusively about her new projects and her true loves.
The iconic singer hosted “Premiere Party With Christina Aguilera,” where she discussed her Billboard Spirit of Hope Award, answered fan questions and opened up about her new unreleased track.
Christina Aguilera speaks onstage during the Premiere Party at Billboard Latin Music Week 2022 held at Faena Forum on September 27, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
This year’s Billboard Spirit of Hope award will be given to Christina Aguilera.
In 1996, Gloria Estefan became the first-ever award to receive the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award at the 3rd annual Billboard Latin Music Awards.
The Cuban-American singer, who that year nabbed three awards — including Latin dance single of the year for “Abriendo Puertas” — was also recognized for her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions beyond her musical work.
Since its inception in 26 years ago in honor of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award has been awarded to 22 artists, including two-time honorees Estefan (1996, 2011) and Maná (2000, 2013). No award was given out in 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021.
This year, the special award will be presented to global pop star Christina Aguilera, who in addition to her musical accolades, has lifted her voice to help end the cycle of domestic abuse, been a longtime supporter and ally to the LGBTQ+ community, raised awareness about HIV/AIDS research, and traveled the globe to help feed children in poverty-stricken areas.
Xtina, who is also confirmed for the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week, is slated to perform during the awards show, which will take place Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Watsco Canter in Miami, and will broadcast live on Telemundo beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards — where Bad Bunny leads the list of finalists with a staggering 23 nods across 13 categories — will be simulcast on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
Below, see all of the Spirt of Hope Award winners in Billboard Latin Music Award history:
1996 – Gloria Estefan 1997 – Emmanuel 1998 – Willy Chirino 1999 – Olga Tañon 2000 – Mana 2001 – Los Tigres del Norte 2002 – Ricky Martin 2003 – El General 2004 – Soraya 2005 – Juan Luis Guerra 2006 – Shakira 2007 – Ricardo Montaner 2008 – Juanes 2009 – Daddy Yankee 2010 – Marc Anthony 2011 – Gloria Estefan 2013 – Mana 2014 – Carlos Vives 2015 – Carlos Santana 2017 – Luis Fonsi 2020 – Maluma 2022 – Christina Aguilera
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