Flashback Friday: Christina Vs Britney: It is no secret career of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are parallel. That's a fact, the two artists were aware of, as they came out on the landscape of pop music from the first platinum albums as a teenager in the nineties. Now, two against each other again one more time, each currently holding positions in the reality singing competition, X-Factor judge and vote accordingly. But as a fan of the singer, can attest to the way Britney and Christina went on the road, opening up to each artist to be a separate and very complex. So for this edition of Flashback Friday, we compare and contrast the careers of mega-power of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. It's Britney vs. Christina or Vs. Britney (depending on how you see it).
While you’re reading, you can hear the duel with our
Christina Vs. Britney Playlist.
.
Bright Young StarsBoth Britney and Christina's path has long been connected before they become pop stars: Children were presented at the same time acts on The Mickey Mouse Club with Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. Britney will be the first of the two singers came to pop music. Girl Kentwood, Louisiana was a hard sell for record keeping - in the wake of the huge success of boy bands like Backstreet Boys, there is uncertainty as to what the music world was ready for the other female pop star Madonna. However, in October 1998, the first single from Britney Spears' "... Baby One More Time ", from his album of the same name, came on the radio. And it will be a hit. Teenage singer showed the spirit of fire in the name of the song over and get-me attitude, and video-Catholic schoolgirl attire is encouraged at the top of Billboard Hot 100 to the end of the year. It was a success that Spears has also played a role in the fall at the beginning of a career Aguilera - and the inevitable competition between them. Aguilera's first album, released in August of next year, stressed the single "Genie In A Bottle", a track as the first single from Britney, says the singer's inner strength and exciting energy to quickly rise to the surface. This would not be the last time the two singers of the past such a fighting spirit.
1) Christina Aguilera
There’s no question that Christina is the biggest pop diva to judge a
reality music competition. Not only does she have the diva status, but
her constant honesty and intense critiques make her a cut above the
rest.
2) Britney Spears
You don’t fool us JLo, we remember the Bennifer days. You are a diva in your own right even though you may have fooled
American Idol contestants into thinking you’re sweet and innocent.
3) Jennifer Lopez
You don’t fool us JLo, we remember the Bennifer days. You are a diva in your own right even though you may have fooled
American Idol contestants into thinking you’re sweet and innocent.
4) Paula Abdul
Though
Paula’s been in this business the longest, she’s far too nice to be
considered a “diva.” If anything, Simon Cowell ranks way above her on
the high maintenance scale. Paula was an original judge on
American Idol and then followed Simon to
The X Factor.
Stepping Out.
In the wake of her smash debut album, Spears was nominated for a Grammy, appeared half-naked on the cover of Rolling Stone, toured the world, released an uber-successful follow-up in Oops!… I Did It Again and tantalized audiences with her scandalous performance at the 2000 MTV VMA’s. So by the time she released her self-titled third album in 2001, she had the license to take the creative reigns of her career. What resulted was “I’m A Slave 4 U”, a steamy-hot expression of the singer’s newfound sexual freedom — a topic that by this time had become tabloid fodder thanks to Spears openly discussing her relationship with ‘NSync singer Justin Timberlake (sadly this would end the following year). Aguilera meanwhile, after having released both a Spanish-language and Christmas album, was likewise coming into her own as both a singer and fierce young woman. The powerhouse singer had decided to shed what she viewed as the bubblegum image of her debut album, instead opting for the in-your-face, take-it-or-leave-it attitude of her next effort, 2002’s Stripped. Like Spears, Aguilera had an anthem to encapsulate her personality shift, “Dirrty” a raunchy tale of liberation. Many critics found the new Christina image damaging to the singer’s previously-cultivated girl-next-door image. Aguilera however would soon silence her critics with “Fighter” and “Beautiful”, two of Stripped’s widely-praised (and equally self-empowering) subsequent singles.
Paths Diverged.
By the mid-2000’s both Spears and Aguilera’s past efforts had helped each singer solidify their creative independence. But nothing would better demonstrate both of their caution-to-the-wind mindset than their three-way lip lock with Madonna at the 2003 MTV VMA’s. Perhaps this bold move was a sign of the personal chaos that soon arrived for Spears. Less than six months after the infmaous VMA smooch, the singer would marry her childhood friend whats-his-hame in Las Vegas, quickly annul the marriage, soon wed backup dancer Kevin Federline, give birth to two sons, file for divorce in 2006, check into drug rehab, shave her head, check back into rehab for a month-long stint, and later claim to have hit “rock bottom” in the process. To top it off, her father Jamie Spears would subsequently take consvetorship over her life, finances and career, giving him the authority to make all of her legal decisions. Of course, as with any good trip-up, Spears’ comeback was equally glorious: in late 2008 Spears released her aptly-titled sixth album, Circus, highlighted by chart-topping single “Womanizer.” Aguilera, throughout Spears’ mayhem, meanwhile was riding a wave of personal and professional success: she married record executive Jordan Bratman in 2005 (the couple later gave birth to a son in 2008) and her what-you-lookin’-at anthem “Ain’t No Other Man” off her 2006 album Back to Basics earned her a Grammy Award.
Full Circle.
In the years that followed Spears’ troubles and subsequent comeback, and Aguilera’s success, the women would experience something of a role reversal. Aguilera never did go down the destructive path like Spears, however her next album, Bionic, would prove to be a critical and commercial flop, and she was forced to cancel a string of tour dates as a result . Her marriage also Bratman ended in divorce in 2010. But like Spears, Aguilera bounced back: she soon scooped up her still-ongoing gig as a judge on The Voice and now is set to release a new album, Lotus, next month, for which she’s already released its killer single “Your Body.” Spears has also been experiencing something of a major resurgence in recent times. In addition to her decision to sign on as a judge on X-Factor, her 2011 album Femme Fatale featured a string of smash hits — including the stellar “Hold It Against Me” — putting her back on the pop charts. What’s been an altogether chaotic and momentous path now appears to be returning to its former glory for both singers. We say, let the pop-star soap-opera that is the careers of Spears and Aguilera continue. We’ll be watching.
She proves that women do rule reality TV and provide the best feedback!
