August 18, 2000
By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
What Christina Aguilera wants
is a manicure.
The 5-foot-2-1/2-inch singer
has just arrived in Chicago, and her record label has her working the phone
lines doing back-to-back interviews all afternoon.
``I'm trying to squeeze
a manicure in today,'' Aguilera says. ``My nails are such a wreck. But
there's so little time these days. Everything's a rush.''
Welcome to Aguilera's world.
At 19--just a year after
her self-titled debut disc entered Billboard's pop chart at No. 1--Aguilera
is preparing for the release of a holiday album. The singer, whose father
is Ecuadoran-American, also is putting the finishing touches on her first
Spanish record, which is slated for a fall release. It will include translations
of some of the songs from her debut record, such as her breakthrough single
``Genie in a Bottle.''
``There are some very Latin-driven
tracks on the record,'' she says. ``This is the direction I want to go
in_not meaning that I only want to sing songs in Spanish from now on 'cause
that's certainly not true. But I'm almost 20 and I don't think the same
way I did when I made my first record. I've grown up and my news songs
will reflect that. I want to make a difference.''
Aguilera says that one of
her most rewarding projects has been working with her tour sponsors Sears
and Levi's to help Andrew Shue's organization ``Do Something'' open a shelter
for battered wives and abused children. The plans are still being finalized.
Aguilera won't elaborate
on her personal experience with abuse, stating simply, ``I want to get
the word out about domestic violence and child abuse, 'cause it was something
that I did grow up around. One day when the time is right, I do want to
speak about it.''
The former Mouseketeer has
set herself apart from the other blonds who've clamored onto radio's playlists.
Sure, former ``New Mickey Mouse Club'' co-castmate Britney Spears has sold
more records. And Jessica Simpson's dating one of the hotties in 98•,
while Mandy Moore has got her own show on MTV.
But Aguilera is the only
one with a Grammy. And, not coincidentally, she's the only one with a fully
developed voice.
``People compare us because
they see some naval or some blond hair and they think that must mean we
all sound the same,'' says Aguilera. ``That's retarded.''
Pausing, Aguilera addresses
comparisons to Spears specifically.
``The more that people see
us live, they'll see that we're on two different paths,'' she says. ``She's
talented in her own right and I respect what she does because she's working
her butt off. It's a tough job. We go out there and face all the negativity
that's thrown at us. People think we don't have feelings and say all kinds
of things about us.''
Like Eminem, who implied
in his song ``The Real Slim Shady'' that Aguilera performed oral sex on
MTV VJ Carson Daly and Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.
``I'll leave well enough
alone,'' she says. ``The guy definitely has issues. It's an old thing by
now. He bashed Britney and me in another song he did with Redman before
that. It's kind of an immature thing.''
Still, she gleefully confirms
that she has heard Emily Ellis' parody of the song, ``No Reply,'' in which
Ellis lashes back at the controversial rapper, singing from Aguilera's
perspective.
``It definitely made me
laugh when I heard it for the first time,'' Aguilera says, laughing. ``It's
really funny, although he probably doesn't think so.''
Read more about Christina Aguilera:
Concert review (1999)
Concert review (2003)
The album she doesn't want you to hear
(2001)
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