Christina Aguilera Talks 25th Anniversary of Debut Album: ‘I Wanted to Make Music That Had Depth, Meaning & Range’

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From pop star to pop icon. Christina Aguilera just hit a career milestone, and she marked the moment with help from Instagram.

The Grammy-winning singer joined the social media site in rolling out a new music feature, which allows users to add songs to their profile.

Last month, Aguilera — along with *NSYNC, Alicia Keys and Destiny’s Child — hopped on Instagram’s #tbt trend by sharing some of their early 2000s hits. Instagram unveiled the new music profile feature on Aug. 22. Users can add music by clicking “edit profile” from the Profile tab and “add music to your profile.” Instagram allows users to post up to 30 seconds of a song.

When it comes to Y2K nostalgia, Aguilera tops the charts. Back in 1999, when word of a “computer bug” flooded the news cycle and stoked fears of a worldwide digital outage, a new era of pop music emerged. Aguilera may be known for her powerful vocals, but she’s also a fashion idol. Her mixture of cute crop tops, skintight bootcut pants and legendary leather chaps epitomized Y2K style.

Christina Aguilera, her self-titled debut LP, arrived on Aug. 24, 1999, four months before the turn of the millennium. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sale 8.3 million copies worldwide. “Genie in a Bottle,” the album’s platinum-selling lead single, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and earned a Grammy nomination for best female pop vocal performance. The single didn’t win the Grammy, but Aguilera won the best new artist honor that night. Accepting her award — in a shimmery butterfly dress and glittery eyeshadow — 19-year-old Aguilera delivered a tearful acceptance speech, marking a candid moment for a new pop star genuinely surprised to receive one of music’s top honors.

More than two decades later, Aguilera’s career has evolved into different music genres and new areas of business. The mother of two, who co-founded of the sexual wellness brand Playground in 2022, has turned the page on a new chapter. In celebration of her debut album, Billboard caught up with Aguilera over email to reflect on the project’s silver jubilee, the end of her concert run in Las Vegas and more.

What do you love about Instagram’s new music feature?

Instagram’s new music feature could not have dropped at a better time! As I’m celebrating the 25th anniversary of my debut album, there’s no better way to connect with my fans and followers than by sharing a favorite song on my profile. It really gives everyone the chance to be expressive and soundtrack their lives alongside posts.

Besides your own hits, what’s one of your favorite songs from the early 2000s?

There are a lot of great songs from this [time period], and some of my favorites include Kelis’ Milkshake and Caught Out There.  I also really liked t.a.T.u’s All The Things She Said, and I remember listening to a lot of Outkast, Missy Elliott and Korn, as well as various things from The Neptunes.

Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of your debut, what makes you most proud about the album and what did it teach you about yourself?

It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years! I’m most proud of how the album introduced me to the world and how well it was received. I was young, but knew I wanted to make music that had depth, meaning and range – so this album provided the perfect launch pad for a career I’m forever grateful for. 

Looking back at your debut to present day, how do you feel your sound has evolved over the years?

As I’ve always been drawn to different musical genres and styles, my sound has evolved in many ways as I’ve experimented with everything from pop to jazz, to soul and R&B, Latin music and more. However, at the core, it’s always been finding new ways to express myself, my experiences, stories and emotions sonically. Over the years I’ve grown more confident in taking artistic risks and being authentic, unapologetically. 

You recently ended your run in Sin City. What do you love most about your Las Vegas shows?

What I love most about Las Vegas right now is how intimate the shows are! The venue is a special, magical space that [allowed] me to connect with my fans in a personal, energetic way that I haven’t been able to experience before. Every night [was] a celebration of music and freedom with a unique, new, diverse crowd – and I was able to create new arrangements of the music to fit the room.

What’s one of your most memorable looks from your debut era? A music video, photo shoot or red-carpet moment.

One of my most memorable looks is probably from the “Genie in a Bottle” music video. The orange pants and beaded top really stand out to me. I had a lot of fun experimenting with different styles in the “Come On Over” video, especially the blue patterned pants and I started playing around with my hair color. It was only the beginning of having fun with my style and exploring new looks over the years, which I still love to do.

I’ve always loved the Christina Aguilera album cover. How did the photo art come about? How long did it take to shoot?

Thank you! For the cover we wanted to create something fresh and timeless; it was always about keeping it simple and we honestly didn’t put too much thought into the album cover in the way I did for future albums. The shoot was relatively quick, but its importance was to find the essence and perfect moment of who I was at that time.