Down and Dirrty Xtina
rmcrae | Houston, Texas | 08/16/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The fall of 2002 sent the giggly, blonde haired genie Christina Aguilera back into her bottle and introduced everyone to the sexed up, aggressive Xtina. You remember the body piercings, strategically placed napkins for outfits, the ratty hair extensions, and the phony "ghetto" accent (yo!). Then there's the video for Dirrty, the first single off her 2nd album Stripped. Gone were the cutesy dance routines from Genie In A Bottle and What A Girl Wants. Xtina threw on a bikini and leather chaps to get in a few rounds of foxy boxing and then shake it fast with her equally filthy backup dancers. I'm not even going into the Furries.
How did her fans react to all this? "Shocked" would be an understatement. Even Aguilera's friend and collaborator Linda Perry scolded her for being so over the top. Was it tacky? Yes. Sleazy, creepy, and weird? Sí, Ja, and Oui. However, it was pretty creative and went hand in hand with the message of the song. Letting go and being free of your inhibitions. Sweat until your clothes come off, table dance if you wanna, and even break stuff! The production is raw, grimy, and just plain nasty, but all in good fun.
I can't understand why the B-side I Will Be didn't land a spot on the Stripped album. It ties in perfectly with other self-love songs like Beautiful and Keep On Singin' My Song. Underneath it all Christina is still that "Pittsburgh girl" and "I will be/Strong on my own/I will see through the rain/I will find my way/I will keep on/Traveling this road/Til I finally reach my dream!" Keep on keepin' on, Chrissy."