MY FAVORITE CHRISTINA AGUILERA MUSIC VIDEO

Dirrty (feat. Redman)

Directed by David LaChapelle

Controversial. Exciting. Funny. Balls-out. The word ‘sexy’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. Xtina was in complete control and “not some lame chick in a rap video”. An onslaught of criticism from everybody - not just critics but her peers and others, including Linda Perry (!) - didn’t discourage her from standing by what she had accomplished. Before this, only Madonna could create a music video that was widely rejected by the public but pushed the boundaries of her as an artist. People may scoff at me calling it courageous but that’s exactly what it is. Although some may prefer to refer to it as, in the words of David LaChapelle, “a post-apocalyptic orgy”.

MY TOP 11 CHRISTINA AGUILERA SONGS

5. Dirrty (feat. Redman)

Written and Composed by Christina Aguilera, Dana “Rockwilder” Stinson, Balewa Muhammad, Reggie “Redman” Noble and Jasper Cameron

The polar opposite of Genie In A Bottle, this sexually explosive anthem to unrestrained partying marks the biggest stylistic change from one album to the next in perhaps all of music history (eat your heart out, Madonna). And that’s doubly true of its legendary video. It totally eradicated the teenybopper Mouseketeer image that her record label had cultivated up to that point. Christina has made no secret of how restricted and miserable she felt during those days in regards to her lack of creative control. As Stripped’s kickoff single, Dirrty immediately made it clear that she was free to express her true inner nature: “Oooh, I’m overdue, gimme some room, comin’ through.” She’d “paid her dues” and was ready to show the world the dirty girl inside of her that was screaming to come out for all those years. It’s my favorite club song due to how exhilarating and liberating it sounds and how happy it made my girl.

Key lyric: “I need that, uh, to get me off, sweatin’ till my clothes come off.”