domingo, 9 de janeiro de 2011

SONG: KELLIS - ACAPELLA

 

Acapella

by KELLIS

I was walking, was living
My melody was acapella
There’s a beat I was missing
No tune, or a scale, I could play
-
The sound in the distance
No orchestra playing together
Like a boat out to sea,
The silence was too deafening!
-
So come and revive me
I can’t feel my heartbeat
Just me surviving alone
-
(Chorus)
Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing
Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing
-
Everything was the same
One color was just like the others
An assembly routine
My memories were all black and white
Till I stopped over-thinking
Decided to draw back the curtains
And I cleared all the cobwebs
And began to let in the light
-
So come and revive me
I can’t feel my heartbeat
Just me surviving alone
-
(Chorus)
Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing
Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing
-
(Bridge – 3X)
You are the drum in my heart beat
Bass and guitar lead
Stuck on the notes you play
My heart that you play on
Grab like a crayon
I can’t walk away
-
(Chorus – 2X)
Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing
Before you,
My whole life was acapella!
Now a symphony’s
The only song to sing

Acapella

Eu estava andando, estava vivendo
Minha melodia era acapella
Eu sentia falta de uma batida
Nenhuma nota, ou uma escala, eu poderia tocar
-
O som na distância
Sem nenhuma orquestra acompanhando
Como um barco fora do mar,
O silêncio foi ensurdecedor demais!
-
Então venha e me reviva
Não sinto as batidas do meu coração
Apenas eu sobrevivendo sozinha
-
(Refrão)
Antes de você,
Minha vida inteira foi acapella!
Agora é uma sinfonia
A única canção para cantar
Antes de você,
Minha vida inteira foi acapella!
Agora é uma sinfonia
A única canção para cantar
-
Tudo era a mesma coisa
Uma cor era como os outras
Um conjunto de rotinas
Minhas lembranças eram todas em preto e branco
Até que parei de pensar demais
Decidi puxar as cortinas
E limpei todas as teias de aranha
E comecei a deixar à luz entrar
-
Então venha e me reviva
Eu não consigo sentir meu coração
Apenas eu sobrevivendo sozinho
-
(Refrão)
Antes de você,
Minha vida inteira foi acapella!
Agora é uma sinfonia
A única canção para cantar
Antes de você,
Minha vida inteira foi acapella!
Agora é uma sinfonia
A única canção para cantar
-
(Bridge - 3X)
Você é a tambor na batida do meu coração
conduz o baixo e guitarra
Presos nas notas que você toca
Você toca em meu coração
Firme com as baquetas
Eu não consigo fugir
-
(Refrão - 2x)
Antes de você,
Minha vida inteira foi acapella!
Agora é uma sinfonia
A única canção para cantar
Antes de você,
Minha vida inteira foi acapella!
Agora é uma sinfonia
A única canção para cantar
 
http://letras.terra.com.br/kelis/1604332/traducao.html
KELIS


Kelis Jones (née Rogers; born August 21, 1979[1] (play /kəˈls/),[2] is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award winner, Q Award winner, NME Award winner, and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She's most known for hits like "Acapella", "Bossy", "Milkshake", and "Caught Out There". Kelis appeared on Moby's Area One Tour, supported U2 on the European leg of their Elevation Tour and headlined her own All Hearts Tour with Robyn. She's also the former wife of the rapper Nas. Kelis has sold just over 6 million records in album and singles world wide.
 

Early life

Kelis was born and raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Her first name is a portmanteau of her father's name, Kenneth, and her mother's name, Eveliss. Kenneth is an African American jazz musician, Pentecostal minister, and was a professor at Wesleyan University.[3] Eveliss is a Chinese-Puerto Rican fashion designer who inspired Kelis to pursue her singing career. She has three sisters, Kelis being the third born of the four girls. [4]
As a child, Kelis sang in church choirs and played violin, piano, and saxophone while attending Manhattan Country School, a private school. Kelis left home at age sixteen,[3] but continued her education at age sixteen when she went to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she formed the R&B trio BLU (Black Ladies United). After graduation, she formed a band with The Neptunes, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, and, with their support, landed herself a record deal.

[edit] Music career

[edit] 1999–2002: Kaleidoscope and Wanderland

Kelis began recording her debut album, Kaleidoscope, in the summer of 1998 and was finished within a year. The album was produced by The Neptunes members Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. It debuted at number one hundred and forty-four on the Billboard 200 and reached the top fifty on the Top Heatseekers, selling over 10,736 copies in its first week of release. The album has since sold 249,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[5] Its lead and most notable single, "Caught out There", peaked at number nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and became a minor MTV/BET video hit. The entire album took off in Europe, where all three singles — "Caught out There", "Good Stuff" (featuring Terrar of Clipse), and "Get Along with You" — were sizable hits. Kelis's colorful style in both clothing and hair received considerable attention.
"Caught out There" entered the UK Singles Chart at number four. With its success, it was decided that another single should be released. A second single, "Good Stuff", was a modest hit, securing a number nineteen position on the UK Singles Chart, although the third release, "Get Along with You", only reached number fifty-one in the United Kingdom, despite Kelis promoting the track there. The British Phonographic Industry certified Kaleidoscope gold,[6] selling over 100,000 copies in the UK, where it reached number forty-three on the UK Albums Chart. Furthermore, Kelis won the BRIT Award for International Breakthrough Act in 2001.
In 2002, Kelis recorded her song "So Be It" for the Red Hot Organization's Fela Kuti tribute CD, Red Hot and Riot. The CD was released to four star reviews from Rolling Stone, Vibe, Spin, and Allmusic, and all proceeds were donated to AIDS awareness charities.
Kelis's second album, Wanderland, was released two years later exclusively in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, after its lead single, "Young, Fresh n' New", failed to catch on in the U.S. The video for the song barely registered on American MTV or VH1, but received heavy airplay on MTV2 as well as on Canada's MuchMusic. According to Kelis, then-U.S. record company Virgin did not understand Wanderland.[7] The record executives at Virgin felt the album material did not have strong enough singles. Unlike those of her debut, Wanderland's sales were mediocre, with just 80,000 copies sold worldwide, and the only single released off the album, "Young, Fresh n' New", only managed to reach number thirty-two in the UK. The album was, however, critically acclaimed.

[edit] 2003–2005: Tasty

Kelis finally found mainstream success in the U.S. in 2003, with her Hot Dance Club Play number-one, Billboard Hot 100 top five single, "Milkshake"; this helped to propel her third album, Tasty, to sell over 400,000 copies in the U.S in only two months. It also earned her a Grammy Award nomination in 2004 for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Although The Neptunes contributed a number of tracks to the album, Kelis began collaborating with other producers, such as Dallas Austin, André 3000, Rockwilder, and Raphael Saadiq, producing an altogether more eclectic, alternative sound. Speaking to Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul she stated: "I felt like I had a lot to prove with this album. People had started messing with me along the lines of 'Is she REALLY any good without The Neptunes?' - which I knew was ridiculous. And so I was like 'I'll take that challenge'."[8] According to Nielsen SoundScan numbers, the album has sold 533,000 copies in the United States[9] and has gained gold status in the U.S., where "Milkshake" also went gold,[10] selling over 500,000 copies.
The single and album immediately found success in Europe. According to the BPI, Tasty went platinum in the United Kingdom,[11] selling over 300,000 copies, and the hit single "Milkshake" went silver,[12] selling over 200,000 units—it was the UK's fourteenth best-selling single in 2004. The album's second single, the Dallas Austin-produced "Trick Me", also proved successful on radio and music video channels in Europe, and went to the top ten in many European countries during mid-2004. However, the song did not garner success in the U.S.,[7] where its music video barely received airplay. "Trick Me" was important because The Neptunes were, for once, not involved in its production. Kelis's success grew in Australia, where Tasty went gold with over 35,000 copies sold, and where "Milkshake" and "Trick Me" went platinum (selling over 70,000 copies each).
"Not in Love", Kelis's collaboration with Enrique Iglesias from his 2003 seventh studio album, 7, was released as a single the following year, reaching number five in the UK. Although the single failed to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, it topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Kelis followed the success of the third Tasty single, "Millionaire" (featuring André 3000), with the Rockwilder-produced, sexually suggestive track "In Public" (featuring Nas). The single reached number seventeen on the UK chart with no video shot. In Australia, the single was her third consecutive top forty hit.
During this time, she collaborated with Björk on a remix of the first single from Medúlla, "Oceania", which appeared as a B-side to the album's second single, "Who Is It". With the success of Tasty, Kelis went on tour as the opening act for Britney Spears's The Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004.

[edit] 2006–2008: Kelis Was Here and The Hits

Kelis's fourth studio album, Kelis Was Here (originally due to be called The Puppeteer), was released in August 2006, and debuted and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200. Despite its top ten debut, the album has sold only 157,000 copies in the United States as of October 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[9] Its lead single, "Bossy" (featuring Too Short), achieved frequent airplay on urban radio and was a moderate hit in the U.S., peaking at number sixteen. The single "Bossy" also went multi platinum in December 2006 according to the RIAA.[10] The album includes production credits by Scott Storch, Cee-Lo Green (from the Gnarls Barkley fame), Raphael Saadiq, will.i.am, Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Knobody, Polow da Don, Damon Elliott, Cool and Dre, Sean Garrett, and Bangladesh. Unlike on Kelis's previous efforts, the production duo The Neptunes are not featured at all; Kelis was quoted as saying that it was "very important to me", but also that it was purely a creative decision and that she has no ill will toward Williams or Hugo. Kelis Was Here was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2007 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Beyoncé's B'Day.
The second single from the album, which was pushed by her American label (Jive), was the collaboration with Nas, "Blindfold Me". The song missed the Billboard Hot 100, and reached only #91 on the R&B chart. Afterwards, her European label (Virgin) decided not to release the single and to go instead with the Cee-Lo-featuring "Lil Star", which was another hit for Kelis in the United Kingdom, peaking at #3. In the UK, Kelis Was Here has shipped 60,000 copies and earned a silver certification from the BPI.[13] It charted at #41 only, but concurrent to the popularity of "Lil Star", it re-entered the albums chart in February 2007. According to the ARIA, Kelis Was Here went gold, selling 35,000 despite the fact the album had a low debut of only ninety-six on the Australian Albums Chart. The popularity of the album's track "I Don't Think So" increased after its use in promotion for the 2008 season of the reality series Big Brother Australia.[14] The song peaked at #27 on the ARIA chart and became a top ten urban hit. During the summer of 2007, Kelis toured in Europe, appearing in numerous festivals among the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
Kelis collaborated with Busta Rhymes and will.i.am on the track "I Love My Bitch", the second single from Rhymes's 2006 seventh studio album, The Big Bang. This was the second time Kelis has teamed up with Rhymes, the first being his 2001 song "What It Is". Kelis is also featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film Just Like Heaven with a cover version of The Pretenders' 1979 classic "Brass in Pocket", as well as on the soundtrack to the 2006 dance film Step Up with a song called "80's Joint". Ford chose Kelis to help advertise the 2007 Ford Edge, and she recorded a theme song for the commercial, entitled "Push It to the Edge", with help from producer Scott Storch.[15] Kelis was set to be working with Annie Lennox on a duet for the Eurythmics' new album, due to release in late November. Artists such as Pink, Mary J. Blige, and Madonna were also to appear on the album.[16]
In October 2007, Kelis's manager told Entertainment Weekly that the singer was working with Cee-Lo Green on an alternative dance album and would be shopping a pop album produced by songwriter Guy Chambers, who co-wrote hits such as Robbie Williams's "Angels".[17] Scottish electronica producer Calvin Harris was also said to be collaborating with her.[18]
After Kelis left the Zomba label, the label released a fourteen-track greatest hits album entitled The Hits (previously due to be titled Good Stuff – The Best of Kelis) in March 2008 in the United Kingdom. The album does not contain any previously unreleased songs, although Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money", N.E.R.D's "Truth or Dare", and Richard X's "Finest Dreams" appear on the album, which is unusual for a hits collection album as she was a featured, not headlining artist on these tracks. The Hits includes every charted Kelis single to that date with the exception of "Blindfold Me" (featuring Nas). Kelis never had any intention of releasing The Hits herself.

[edit] 2009–present: Flesh Tone

In 2009, Kelis announced that she was finishing her fifth studio album, to be released in 2010 under Interscope Records via the will.i.am Music Group. Kelis worked with various producers and contributors on the album, titled Flesh Tone, including Ammo, Jean Baptiste, Benny Benassi, Burns, Diplo, Boys Noize, Free School, DJ Switch, will.i.am and David Guetta. The album marked Kelis' transition into dance and pop music, away from her previous R&B-based material.[19] She stated that she wanted the album to include elements of dance, pop, and tribal culture (visible in the promotional imagery accompanying Flesh Tone). Coinciding with her change in musical direction, Kelis appeared on Basement Jaxx's 2009 album Scars on the title track, on Benassi's 2010 single "Spaceship" with Apl.de.ap and Jean Baptiste, and on the Crookers single "No Security" from their debut album Tons of Friends.[20][21]
The first single from Flesh Tone, "Acapella" (produced by David Guetta), debuted in the top five on the UK Singles Chart and reached number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs and the UK Dance Chart. Flesh Tone was released in May 2010 in Europe and Asia, and in July in the U.S. The second single, "4th of July (Fireworks)",[22][23][24] was accompanied by a video co-directed by John "Rankin" Waddell, Nicole Ehrlich, and Kelis herself. During mid 2010, Kelis embarked on her first U.S. tour, titled All Hearts with Robyn,[25] amid a selection of club, festival and solo dates. Kelis appears on the Mark Ronson produced track 'The Man Who Stole a Leopard' from the 21 December 2010 release All You Need Is Now from the band Duran Duran.

[edit] Other projects

Kelis is writing a cookbook with Robert Teamer[26] and designing her own line of fashion accessories, called Cake.[27] Kelis is in talks to host a Project Runway-esque show for VH1, and is auditioning for various film and TV roles.[9][17]

[edit] Personal life

Kelis married rapper Nas in January 2005. In April 2009 she filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences". She was seven months pregnant at the time.[28] On July 22, 2009, Kelis gave birth to a baby boy named Knight.[29] The birth was announced by Nas via an online video.[30] On July 23, a judge in New York City ordered Nas to pay Kelis $55,000 per month in child and spousal support after Kelis tried to collect $100,000 a month in child support.[31] The couple's divorce was finalized May 21, 2010.[32]

[edit] Arrest

In March 2007, Kelis was detained by police in Miami Beach, Florida, and charged with disorderly conduct. The arrest report said the officers were posing as prostitutes along a main avenue in the South Beach nightclub district when Kelis started screaming racial profanities[which?] at them. She was sent to Miami-Dade County Jail, and was later released on a $1,500 bond.[33] On September 12, 2008, Kelis was acquitted on charges of resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct stemming back to the 2007 arrest. "I'm thrilled that justice prevailed in the end", Kelis said in a statement. A spokesperson for Kelis further commented that the artist will still be moving forward with a lawsuit against the Miami Beach Police, claiming unlawful arrest and the violation of her civil rights.[34] Kelis was cleared of all charges.

[edit] Non-Payment Lawsuits

In early 2010, Kelis failed to appear in a non-payment lawsuit filed by a Santa Monica hairstylist. The judge entered a defualt judgement on behalf of the Plaintiff, requiring that Kelis pay the hairstylist $5,000.[35]
Later that year, she was sued by a production company over failure to pay production costs for her concerts and TV performances.[36] Kelis denies the allegations. The production company has not responded publicly, and the outcome of the lawsuit is still pending.
Other contractors and employees claiming non-payment include a nanny, a tour bus driver, a wardrobe stylist, a jewelry designer, a projectionist and a music composer.

[edit] Conflicts with PETA

In the beginning of 2010, Kelis received a letter by animal rights organization PETA, in which she was informed about the cruelty that comes along with the production of fur coats. In her Myspace blog, she mocked PETA and stated that she would go on wearing fur, referencing several fur coats she had made from her pet dogs.[37]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelis

 

SONG: Christina Aguilera YOU LOST ME

 

You Lost Me

I am done, smoking gun
We've lost it all, the love is gone
She has won, now it's no fun
We've lost it all, the love is gone

And we had magic
And this is tragic
You couldn't keep your hands to yourself

I feel like our world's been infected
And somehow you left me neglected
We've found our lives been changed
Baby, you lost me

And we tried, oh, how we cry
We lost ourselves, the love has died
And though we tried, you can't deny
We're left as shells, we lost the fight

And we had magic
And this is tragic
You couldn't keep your hands to yourself
Ooh oh

I feel like our world's been infected
And somehow you left me neglected
We've found our lives been changed
Baby, you lost me

Now I know you're sorry, and we were sweet
But you chose lust when, you deceived me
And you'll regret it, but it's too late
How can I ever trust you again?

I feel like our world's been infected
And somehow you left me neglected
We've found our lives been changed, yeah
Baby, you lost me!

 

TRADUÇÃO: Você Me Perdeu

Para mim acabou, a arma ainda está quente
Nós perdemos tudo, o amor se foi
Ela venceu, agora não é mais divertido
Nós perdemos tudo, o amor se foi

O que nós tínhamos era mágico
E isto aqui é trágico
Você não conseguiu segurar as próprias mãos

Eu sinto como se nosso mundo estivesse infectado
E de alguma forma, você me deixou negligenciada
Nós descobrimos que nossa vida mudou
Ei? você me perdeu
E nós tentamos, Oh como choramos
Nós nos perdemos, o amor morreu
E apesar de termos tentado, você não pode negar
Tudo o que restou foi nossa casca, nós perdemos a luta

O que nós tínhamos era mágico
E isto aqui é trágico
Você não conseguiu segurar as próprias mãos
ooh oh

Eu sinto como se nosso mundo estivesse infectado
E de alguma forma, você me deixou negligenciada
Nós descobrimos que nossa vida mudou
Ei? você me perdeu

Eu sei que você sente muito, nós éramos tão doces
Quando você escolheu passar por outro caminho conseguiu me enganar
E você vai se arrepender, mas é tarde demais
Como eu posso confiar em você novamente?

Eu sinto como se nosso mundo estivesse infectado
E de alguma forma, você me deixou negligenciada
Nós descobrimos que nossa vida mudou
Ei? você me perdeu
http://letras.terra.com.br/christina-aguilera/1679442/traducao.html


Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American recording artist and actress.[1] Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994. Aguilera signed to RCA Records after recording "Reflection",[2] the theme song for the animated film Mulan (1998).
In 1999, Aguilera came to prominence following her debut album Christina Aguilera, which was a commercial success spawning three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)."[3] A Latin pop album, Mi Reflejo (2001), and several collaborations followed which garnered Aguilera worldwide success, though she was displeased with her lack of input in her music and image.[4] After parting from her management, Aguilera took creative control over her second studio album, Stripped (2002).[5] The album's second single, "Beautiful," was a commercial success and helped the album's commercial performance amidst controversy over Aguilera's image.[6][7][8] Aguilera followed up Stripped with Back to Basics (2006), which was released to positive critical acclaim and included elements of soul, jazz, and blues music.[9] Aguilera's fourth studio album Bionic (2010), which incorporated aspects of R&B, electropop, and synthpop, was met with mixed reviews and poor sales.[10][11][12][13][14]
Aside from being known for her vocal ability, music videos and image, musically, she includes themes of dealing with public scrutiny, her childhood, and female empowerment in her music.[15] Apart from her work in music, she has also dedicated much of her time as a philanthropist for charities, human rights and world issues. She made her feature film debut in the musical Burlesque (2010), earning Aguilera a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. Aguilera's work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, four Grammy Awards and a Latin Grammy Award, amongst fifteen and three nominations respectively. Rolling Stone ranked her number fifty-eight on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, ranking as the youngest andonly artist on the list under the age of thirty.[16] She was ranked the 20th Artist of the 2000–09 decade by

1980–1998: Early life and career beginnings

Aguilera was born in Staten Island, New York, to Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera, a sergeant in the US Army at the time, and Shelly Loraine (née Fidler), a teacher of Spanish. Aguilera's father was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador[22] and her mother is of German, Irish, Welsh, and Dutch ancestry.[23] Her father was stationed at Earnest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador and Japan. Aguilera lived with both her father and mother, up until their divorce when she was seven years old. Aguilera then lived with her mother, and her younger sister Rachel, at her grandmother's home in Rochester, Pennsylvania, a town outside of Pittsburgh. According to both Aguilera and her mother, her father was very controlling, as well as physically and emotionally abusive.[24] She later sang about her difficult childhood in the songs "I'm OK" on Stripped, and "Oh Mother" on Back to Basics. Although her father has written to Aguilera, she has ruled out any chance of reuniting with him.[25] Since then, her mother has married a paramedic named Jim Kearns, and has changed her name.[26]
As a child, Aguilera aspired to be a singer. She was known locally as "the little girl with the big voice", singing in local talent shows and competitions.[27] She attended Marshall Middle School near Wexford and North Allegheny Intermediate High School until she was later home schooled. On March 15, 1990, she appeared on Star Search singing "A Sunday Kind of Love", but lost the competition at number 2. Soon after losing on Star Search, she returned home and appeared on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV's Wake Up With Larry Richert to perform the same song. Throughout her youth in Pittsburgh, Aguilera sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Pittsburgh Penguins hockey, Pittsburgh Steelers football and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games, including during the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals.[28] Following her television appearences Aguilera experienced resentment and bullying from her peers including an incident in which her peers slashed the tires on her family's car.[29] Aguilera recalls, "doing what I did and maybe being a little smaller, I was definitely picked on and bullied for the attention that I got. It was definitely unwanted attention and there was a lot of unfairness about it."[30]
In 1991 Aguilera auditioned for a role on The Mickey Mouse Club, however, she did not meet the age requirements. Two years later, where she joined the cast performing musical numbers and sketch comedy, until the show's cancellation in 1994.[31] Her co-stars included Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell where they nicknamed her "the Diva"[32] for her peformance style and voice. At the age of fourteen, Aguilera recorded her first song, "All I Wanna Do", a hit duet with Japanese singer Keizo Nakanishi.[33] In 1997, she represented the United States at the international Golden Stag Festival with a two-song set.[34] Aguilera entered talent contests on "teen night" at the Pegasus Lounge, a gay and lesbian nightclub in Pittsburgh[35] and later at Lilith Fair.[36] In 1998, Aguilera sent in a demo of her singing Whitney Houston's "Run to You" to Disney who were looking for a singer to record the song "Reflection" for their animated feature film Mulan (1998).[37] The demo caught the attention of producer and label executive Ron Fair who would later mentor her throughout her career and led to Aguilera earning a contract with RCA Records the same week.[5] "Reflection" peaked within the top twenty on the Adult Contemporary Singles Chart, and it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

1999–2001: Christina Aguilera, Mi Reflejo and new management

Under the exclusive representation of Steve Kurtz, Aguilera's self-titled debut album Christina Aguilera was released on August 24, 1999. It reached the top of the Billboard 200 and Canadian album charts, selling eight million copies in the U.S.[25] and over seventeen million copies worldwide.[38] The album is also included in the Top 100 Albums of All Time list of The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) based on US sales.[39] Released during the teen pop era of 1999 the album was well received by several critics, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic writes that Aguilera's debut "remains firmly within the teen-oriented dance-pop genre, but done right." Concluding that the album is "lightweight in the best possible sense -- breezy, fun, engaging, and enjoyable on each repeated listen. Out of the deluge of teen-pop albums in 1999, this feels like the best of the lot."[40] Her debut single, "Genie in a Bottle" was an instant hit reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in several countries worldwide. Her follow-up singles "What a Girl Wants" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" topped the Hot 100 as well during 1999 and 2000 while "I Turn to You" reached number three. She is one of the few artists to have multiple #1 singles from a debut album in Billboard's history.[41] She made a cameo appearance on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 and ended the year on MTV's New Year's Special, as she performed and was MTV's first artist of the millennium. At the 42nd Grammy Awards Aguilera received a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy nomination for "Genie in a Bottle" and despite earlier predictions, she won the award Grammy Award for Best New Artist.[42]
In 2000, Aguilera began recording her first Spanish-language album with producer Rudy Pérez in Miami.[43][44] Later in 2000, Aguilera, first emphasized her Latin heritage by releasing her first Spanish album, Mi Reflejo on September 12, 2000. This album contained Spanish versions of songs from her English debut as well as new Spanish tracks. Though some criticized Aguilera for trying to cash in on the Latin music boom at the time. According to Pérez, Aguilera was only semi-fluent, while recording. She understood the language, because she has grown up with her father, who is a native of Ecuador. He added "Her Latin roots are undeniable".[43] The album peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard 200 and went number one on the Billboard Latin charts for a record 20 weeks. In 2001, it won Aguilera a Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. The album went Gold in the U.S. She also won the World Music Award as the best selling Latin artist that year. Aguilera also released a Christmas album on October 24, 2000 called My Kind of Christmas. It peaked at number twenty-eight on the Billboard 200, and has been certified Platinum in the U.S.[45]

Aguilera performing during her Sears & Levis Tour in 2000.
Aguilera's first concert tour, Sears & Levis US Tour (also known as Christina Aguilera: In Concert) began in the summer of 2000 in the US and ended early 2001 where she toured South America and Asia. A concert special aired on ABC titled My Reflection and was released to DVD and certified Gold in the US.[46] Aguilera was rumored to have dated MTV VJ Carson Daly.[47] Rumors of their relationship were fueled after the release of Eminem's song, "The Real Slim Shady" in which he also insinuated a romance between her and rocker Fred Durst. Aguilera responded saying the lyrics were "disgusting, offensive and, above all, not true."[48] Their feud ended two years later backstage at the Video Music Awards after Aguilera presented the rapper an award onstage.[49] She dated Puerto Rican dancer Jorge Santos. Santos appeared on her tour and music videos throughout 2000. They dated for nearly two years until the relationship ended on September 11, 2001.[50] He remained her dancer well into 2002.[51]
Ricky Martin asked Aguilera to duet with him on the track "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" from his album Sound Loaded; released in 2001 as the album's second single. The single reached number one on the World Chart and top ten in several countries. In 2001, Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink were chosen to remake Labelle's 1975 single "Lady Marmalade" for the film Moulin Rouge! and its soundtrack. The song peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and was the most successful airplay-only single in history.[52] It also reached number one in eleven other countries and earned all four performers a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Aguilera's appearance in the music video was compared to that of Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider.[53] The video won two MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year in 2001, where Aguilera accepted the award saying, "I guess the big hair paid off."[54]
That same year, the single "Just Be Free" emerged into record stores which was one of the demos Aguilera recorded when she was around fifteen years old. When RCA Records discovered the single, they advised fans not to purchase it.[55] Months later, Warlock Records was set to release Just Be Free, an album which contains the demo tracks. Aguilera filed a breach of contract and unfair competition suit against Warlock and the album's producers to block the release.[56] Instead, the two parties came to a settlement to release the album. Aguilera lent out her name, likeness and image for an unspecified amount of damages. Many of the details of the lawsuit remain confidential. When the album was released in August 2001, it had a photograph of Aguilera when she was fifteen years old.[57]
Although Aguilera's debut album was commercially successful, she was dissatisfied with the music and image her management had created for her. Aguilera was marketed as a bubblegum pop singer because of the genre's upward financial trend.[58] She mentioned plans of her next album to have much more depth, both musically and lyrically.[59] Aguilera's views of Steve Kurtz's influence in matters of the singer's creative direction, the role of being her exclusive personal manager and overscheduling had in part caused her to seek legal means of terminating their management contract.[60] In October 2000, Aguilera filed a breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit against her manager Kurtz for improper, undue and inappropriate influence over her professional activities, as well as fraud. According to legal documents, Kurtz did not protect her rights and interests. Instead, he took action that was for his own interest, at the cost of hers. The lawsuit came about when Aguilera discovered Kurtz used more of her commissionable income than he was allotted, and had paid other managers to assist him. She also petitioned the California State Labor Commission to nullify the contract. She revealed while recording her then upcoming album, "I was being overworked. You find out that someone you thought was a friend is stealing money behind your back, and it's heartbreaking. I put faith in the people around me, and unfortunately, it bit me in the butt."[61] Kurtz was terminated as her manager. After terminating Kurtz's services, Irving Azoff was hired as her new manager.[60] Kurtz countersued later that month for breach of contract, claiming that the singer violated the same agreement she had sued to void. In the lawsuit, he included others close to Aguilera, alleging their intent to sabotage his business relationship with her. He also singled out Azoff for being in violation of the terms of Kurtz's contract.[62]

2002–04: New image, Stripped and musical hiatus

On October 29, 2002, Aguilera's second English studio album, Stripped, was released. The album sold more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Unlike her previous work, the album showcased Aguilera's raunchier side.[63] The majority of Stripped was co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed a global music publishing contract with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including contemporary R&B, gospel, soul, balladry, pop rock, and hip hop. The majority of the album was produced by Scott Storch and singer-songwriter Linda Perry who produced her more personal records. Rockwilder and singer Alicia Keys also contributed a track each.[64][65] Upon initial release, the album was very well-received by critics, although Aguilera's vocals were overlooked as she began to cultivate a more sexually provocative image.[66] After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines, many of these photographs featured her nude or semi-nude. Her cover for Rolling Stone,[67] featured the singer only wearing boots and a well-placed electric guitar. It was during this time Aguilera referred to herself as "Xtina", even getting a tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings.[68]

Aguilera performing during the Justified/Stripped Tour, July 15, 2003
Initially, the raunchy image had a negative effect on Aguilera in the U.S., especially after the release of her controversial "Dirrty" music video.[7] She denied that this change was a matter of publicity, claiming that the image better reflected her true personality than did the image she cultivated back in 1999. While the video for "Dirrty" became very popular on MTV, it disappointed on the U.S. singles chart. However, the single was a hit worldwide, reaching number one in the UK and Ireland. The second single, "Beautiful" received critical praise. The classically influenced ballad reached number one in several countries and peaked at #2 in the US. "Beautiful" earned Aguilera the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Three more singles ("Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down" featuring Lil' Kim, "The Voice Within") were released in the following two years and were hits that helped the album stay on the charts for the next two years. Stripped stayed on the U.S. and UK album charts well into 2004, and went on to be certified four-times platinum in the U.S. with over thirteen million copies sold worldwide.[69] It appeared at number ten on Billboard's year-end album chart and she was Billboard's top female artist for 2003.[70] Kelly Clarkson's second single "Miss Independent" was co-written by Aguilera, having been half-finished for Stripped.
Aguilera joined Justin Timberlake that June on the final leg of his international Justified tour, held in the U.S. This portion of the tour became a co-headliner called the Justified/Stripped Tour. In August, an overhead lighting grid collapsed from the ceiling of the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, causing major damage to the sound and video equipment below. Because the collapse occurred hours before the show, only a few stagehands were injured, but a few shows were cancelled or postponed. In the fourth quarter of that year, Aguilera continued to tour internationally without Timberlake, and changed the name of the tour to the "Stripped World Tour". She also dyed her hair black. It was one of the top-grossing tours of that year, and sold out most of its venues. Rolling Stone readers named it the best tour of the year.[71] That same year she hosted the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards and was a special guest performer with the Pussycat Dolls' dance troupe performing at the Roxy Theatre and Viper Room in Los Angeles. She also appeared on a Maxim spread alongside them, her second Maxim cover that year set record sales for the issue making it the top selling issue to date. By the end of the year she topped the annual Hot 100 list later saying, "We had fun working with certain clothes, or the lack thereof."[72][73]
Aguilera's first DVD live-recording from a concert tour, Stripped Live in the U.K., was released in November 2004. In light of the tour's success, another U.S. tour was scheduled to begin in mid-2004 with a new theme. The tour however was scrapped because of the vocal cord injuries Aguilera suffered shortly before the tour's opening date. In a tribute to Madonna's performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards, Aguilera performed a kiss with the singer-actress at the 2003 edition of the ceremony in August. The incident occurred during the opening performance of Madonna's songs "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with fellow popstar Britney Spears.[25] Also in 2004, she hosted a Saturday Night Live episode which included a Sex & The City skit where she portrayed Samantha Jones revealing to everyone she was a man the entire time.[74]
Aguilera later decided to embrace a more mature image; this move was met with more praise than criticism, with articles using punch lines such as "From Crass to Class."[75] She eventually dyed her hair cherry blonde and recorded a jingle, "Hello", for a Mercedes-Benz ad. Shortly after, she dyed her hair flaxen blonde and cut it short, and took on a Marilyn Monroe look; she is one of the main proponents (along with Dita Von Teese, Gwen Stefani, and Ashley Judd) in bringing back the 1920s–1940s Hollywood glamour look.[76][77] In late summer 2004, Aguilera released two singles. The first, "Car Wash", was a remake of the Rose Royce disco song recorded as a collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the film Shark Tale. She voiced a small singing part in the film playing a Rastafarian jellyfish in the film's closing musical number. The second song was also a collaboration, but this time as a second single from one of Nelly's double-release albums, Sweat, titled "Tilt Ya Head Back". Both singles failed commercially in the U.S., but did considerably better in other parts of the world.

2005–07: Marriage, Back to Basics and motherhood

Aguilera began dating music marketing executive Jordan Bratman in 2002. Their engagement was announced in February 2005,[78] and they married on November 19, 2005, in a Napa Valley estate.[79] Aguilera collaborated with jazz artist Herbie Hancock on a cover of Leon Russell's "A Song for You" recorded for Hancock's album Possibilities, released in August 2005. Aguilera and Hancock were later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. She helped open the 50th Anniversary for Disneyland performing "When You Wish upon a Star", and she also collaborated with Andrea Bocelli on the song "Somos Novios" for his album Amore.

Aguilera performing during the Sanremo Story festival in 2006.
Aguilera's third English studio album, Back to Basics was released August 15, 2006. The album debuted at #1 in the US, the UK and eleven other countries. Aguilera described the double CD as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist."[80] The album received generally positive reviews, although many critics commented on the album's length saying, "At one disc, this would have been nothing short of masterful."[81] A review in AllMusic adds, "Back to Basics also makes clear that Stripped was a necessary artistic move for Christina: she needed to get that out of her system in order to create her own style, one that is self-consciously stylized, stylish, and sexy."[82] The critically acclaimed lead single "Ain't No Other Man" was a substantial success, reaching #2 on the World Chart, #6 in the U.S., and #2 in the UK. Producers on the album included DJ Premier, Kwamé, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson. The follow-up singles did very well in different regions, "Hurt" in Europe and "Candyman" in the Pacific. She co-directed both music videos, the former with Floria Sigismondi who directed her "Fighter" video, and the latter, "Candyman", with director/photographer Matthew Rolston which was inspired by The Andrews Sisters.[83] Back to Basics has sold 4.5 million units worldwide,[84] with over 1.7 million sold in the US.[85]
In late 2006 Aguilera collaborated with Sean "Diddy" Combs on a track, titled "Tell Me", from his album Press Play. She also began the "Back to Basics Tour" in Europe[86] followed by a 41-date North American tour in early 2007.[87] After this, she toured Asia and Australia, where it was supposed to end on August 3, however she canceled her dates in Melbourne and her final two in Auckland due to an illness.[88] Her extravagant arena tour included cabaret, three-ring circus and juke joint sets and 10 piece costumes designed by Roberto Cavalli.[89] She released her concert DVD Back to Basics: Live and Down Under the following year. The tour grossed nearly 50 million by the end of the year in North America and an additional 40 million worldwide in her Europe and Australia dates, grossing almost 90 million by the end of the tour.[90][91] It was the most successful US tour by a female in 2007.[92]
At the 49th Grammy Awards, Aguilera again won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man". She made a noteworthy performance at the ceremony paying tribute to James Brown with her rendition of his song "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".[93] In January 2007, she was named the 19th richest woman in entertainment by Forbes, with a net worth of US$60 million.[94] Aguilera performed "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with Tony Bennett on his NBC special Tony Bennett: An American Classic and on Saturday Night Live. They performed at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards where both specials received Emmys. "Steppin' Out" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
Aguilera confirmed she was pregnant on November 4, 2007,[95] though Paris Hilton accidentally revealed her pregnancy several weeks prior during a party Aguilera hosted.[96] She gave birth to her son, Max Liron Bratman, in Los Angeles, California early the following year and held a bris for Max Liron with Bratman, who is of Jewish descent, where he was circumcised in accordance with Jewish ritual.[97] Aguilera was reportedly paid $1.5 million by People magazine for her baby pictures, which according to Forbes places fifth on the list of the most expensive celebrity baby photos.[98]

2008–10: Greatest hits album, Bionic and Burlesque

In 2008 Aguilera appeared in the Martin Scorsese documentary Shine a Light which chronicles a two day Rolling Stones concert in New York City's Beacon Theatre. The film features Aguilera performing "Live With Me" alongside Mick Jagger. Shine a Light premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was released worldwide on April 4, 2008. She also had brief cameo in the comedy film Get Him to the Greek,[99] and appeared as a guest judge on the sixth season of Project Runway on Lifetime Television. She and designer Bob Mackie were the inspiration for the challenge in which they had to design a stage outfit for Aguilera.
To commemorate Aguilera's ten years in the music industry, RCA Records released, Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits on November 11, 2008 exclusively at Target stores in the U.S. The greatest hits included her first three number one singles, and other songs released from her previous three albums. "Lady Marmalade" and several Spanish singles from Mi Reflejo were included in the worldwide releases. The album's only single, "Keeps Gettin' Better", was premiered at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, and debuted and peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, her highest debut on the chart. Aguilera was one of Billboard's Top 20 Artists of the Decade in their year-end charts.[100]
Aguilera's fourth English studio album, Bionic, was released on June 8, 2010. The album's producers included Tricky Stewart, Samuel Dixon, Polow da Don, Le Tigre, Switch, Ester Dean, songwriters Sam Endicott, Sia, Claude Kelly, Linda Perry and collaborations with M.I.A., Santigold, Nicki Minaj, and Peaches.[101] The album's only two singles, "Not Myself Tonight" and "You Lost Me" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Charts[102] but were unsuccessful elsewhere. Bionic's material consisted of many mainstream and pop records along with electronic and dance music. The album was released to mixed reviews from music critics,[103] with Jon Pareles of The New York Times writing that the singer's new music direction "makes her sound as peer-pressured as a pop singer can be."[104] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post described the album as being "noisy, robotic and overstuffed" and felt that one of the disc's "greatest disappointments" is its "virtual abandonment" of Aguilera's voice.[105] She concluded that Aguilera attempts "to do it all," which was to try to "revel in her newfound domesticity, to wrest her crown from Gaga and to reestablish her sex kitten bona fides," but overall thought that the plan backfired on Bionic.[105] Dan Martin of the NME wrote, "Perhaps best of all is ‘Monday Morning.' Written with Santigold and The Bravery’s Sam Endicott, it’s a Day-Glo disco jam that sounds like Gwen Stefani doing "Borderline".[11] The album's sales were underwhelming in the US compared to her previous releases selling 110,000 copies in its first week landing at #3.[106][107] The album has sold 260,000 units in the US to date.[108] Shortly after the album's release, further promotion ended and a scheduled summer tour for the album was cancelled due to "inadequate rehearsal time".[109] "You Lost Me" was her first single to not chart the Hot 100 while Bionic was her first English studio album not to receive a Grammy nomination. Aguilera responded to the album's performance in an interview saying, "I was really proud of that record. I think there was a lot of promotion issues, coming from a standpoint of how everything resulted. Nothing is ever a setback. If anything, it just motivates you for what’s next."[110]

Aguilera's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Aguilera confirmed news reports that she and Bratman had separated, saying in a statement, "Although Jordan and I are separated, our commitment to our son Max remains as strong as ever."[111][112] Aguilera filed for divorce from Bratman on October 14, 2010, seeking joint legal and physical custody of their son, and specifying September 11, 2010 as the date of separation.[113][114] The following month she appeared as herself on the Entourage season seven finale as a client/friend of Ari Gold.[115] On November 15, 2010, Aguilera received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[116]
It was confirmed in 2009 that Aguilera would appear in her first feature film, the musical Burlesque, released in November 2010. She portrayed a small town girl, Ali Rose, who finds love and success in a Los Angeles neo-burlesque club.[117] Aguilera performed eight of the ten tracks on the film's soundtrack released on November 22, 2010. Aguilera co-wrote a number of the tracks working with producers and writers including Tricky Stewart, Sia Furler, Samuel Dixon, Linda Perry, Claude Kelly and Ron Fair. The remaining two tracks were sung by Cher, who co-starred in the film. The film, distributed by Screen Gems, was directed by actor and director Steve Antin who also wrote the script. Antin wrote the role of Ali specifically for Aguilera.[118] The film also featured Cam Gigandet as her love interest, Eric Dane, Kristen Bell and Stanley Tucci. Several critics praised Aguilera's performance. A review in TIME states, "Aguilera might not be to your taste, or mine, but in terms of sheer power, she's impressive. If Ali were real, she'd have already been discovered on American Idol."[119] While Variety wrote, "Aguilera, while undeniably entertaining when her character is onstage, cannot spin the slight backstory into anything resembling a full-blooded person."[120] Though Burlesque was released to mixed reviews from critics,[121][122] the film received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture - Musical or Comedy and earned Aguilera, alongside co-writers Sia Furler and Samuel Dixon, a nomination for Best Original Song for the track "Bound to You".

2011-present: Current projects

Aguilera collaborated with rapper T.I. on the track, "Castle Walls" which is included on his album No Mercy. There are currently no plans or a tenative release date for Aguilera's fifth English studio album.
Billboard[17] and is the second top selling single artist of the 2000's behind Madonna.[18] Aguilera has sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[19][20][21]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Aguilera