Christina Aguilera has evolved from a young girl with a difficult upbringing to one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable vocalists of her generation. Few stars have adopted new eras in the way the “Your Body” hitmaker has. Aguilera’s kept her finger on the pulse, consistently transforming her style and sound to match her life journey. “I’ve seen myself go through different stages of my life and complain about certain things. As I’ve gotten older, I look back, and I’m like, ‘God, every stage is a new era.’ I’m really into feeling more self-assured as you get older,” she told People in 2023.
This superstar has no regrets about her constant physical transformation either — not even that questionable deep pink, crushed velvet number and heavy makeup she wore to the 2001 Blockbuster Awards. “I look back at looks I’ve had over the years. I’m proud of myself that I had the courage to experiment with crazy hairstyles and some fashion things,” she told Elle. “Would I do it again? No. But that’s part of the learning process and getting from point A to point B,” she added. And Xtina’s jaw dropping journey from A to B is truly a sight to see.
1980: Christina Aguilera had a tough childhood
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Christina Aguilera was born in New York in 1980, but her young life was far from a luxurious “Gossip Girl”-esque fashion show strutting around the Big Apple. Her father Fausto Aguilera was in the military and the family (including her mom Shelly Kearns and sister Rachel Aguilera) frequently moved to accommodate his career. That included stints in Texas, New Jersey, and even Japan. Sadly, the Aguilera household wasn’t always a happy one, as the singer has been open about her complicated relationship with her father. “As a very young girl there was a lot of domestic violence in the home, so I think I just gravitated towards music as an escape,” she told The Guardian. She also told People, “My mom tried for years to stay in a marriage that she was not happy in. I would watch her torture herself emotionally.”
When Aguilera was 6-years-old, her parents split and she, her mom, and sister moved to Philadelphia to live with her grandmother. “We were always moving from one place to another, my father being in the military, and my mother leaving my father, going back and forth. Nothing was ever quite stable or secure for me,” Aguilera told The Guardian. But she used the tough time to spur herself on. “My mom was pushed around by my father… I decided early on that I’m not going to be that woman. I’m not going to allow myself to be in a situation where I have to rely on this man or that person for financial means. So I strived to be that workhorse,” she told Women’s Health.
1982: It became obvious she was destined for stardom
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It was clear early on that Christina Aguilera was going to be a superstar. “When she was two, I knew what Christina was going to do,” her mom told Rolling Stone. “She’d line up all of her stuffed animals and sing to them with my little majorette baton … I’ve never seen anybody so focused,” she added. When Aguilera turned 6, she urged her mother to let her to sing in public and began performing in local talent shows and sports games. At age 8, the determined youngster appeared on “Star Search.” She didn’t win, but her classmates took notice of her talent, which led to bullying so hurtful she was forced to move schools. “The jealously got really bad. People just felt threatened,” she told The Washington Post.
Aguilera went on to audition for “The New Mickey Mouse Club” when she was 10, but didn’t land a role on the Disney show until two years later. The show gave her and her famous co-stars – Britney Spears (whose style transformation is also as dramatic as Aguilera’s) and Justin Timberlake — a taste of fame, but that fizzled when the series ended in 1996. “We all went back to our own home towns, went back to our own schools,” Aguilera said. But the series coming to an end certainly didn’t halt her big dreams.
1998: Christina Aguilera became a popstar
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Christina Aguilera went from former Mouseketeer to nationally-recognized pop star when she landed a recording contract in 1998. The following year, she released her debut single, “Genie In A Bottle,” along with “Reflection” for Disney’s “Mulan” film. The former in particular saw huge success and would be certified three times platinum by the RIAA in 2024. Aguilera followed up with tracks like “What a Girl Wants” and “Come on Over Baby (All I Want is You)” from her self-titled debut album, which had sold over 14 million copies by 2019. Her early success made her one of the most famous pop stars in the world, changing her life almost overnight. “The schedule is crazy — it’s all suitcases and hotel rooms and you just go nonstop,” she told The Washington Post in 2000 of her new normal.
But while the teenager may have looked like one of the most confident women on the planet, all wasn’t as it seemed. “Entering this business, I hated being super skinny … I have a hard time looking at the early pictures of myself because I remember feeling so insecure,” she later told Health (via E! News). Despite winning the Best New Artist Grammy in 1999, she wasn’t totally happy with her music either. “[The label] clearly wanted to make a fresh-sounding young pop record and that’s not always the direction I wanted to go in,” she explained to The Washington Post. In 2000, she embraced her Latin roots with the Spanish album “Mi Reflejo” and the festive “My Kind of Christmas,” but what came next marked one of the most poignant chapters in her transformation.
2002: She transformed into Xtina
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We saw a new side of Christina Aguilera in 2002. She told The Washington Post that seeing so much success early on allowed her to have more say in her music following her debut album. “I don’t want to be just a straight pop singer. I’m a vocalist and that’s what I want to be seen as in the long run,” she said. As a result, Aguilera released “Stripped” in 2002, birthing her alter-ego, Xtina. She made a serious splash with the raunchy, in-your-face lead single “Dirrty,” telling MTV News, “I feel like it is a new beginning, a re-introduction of myself as a new artist in a way.” She added, “… Coming off of the height of being a part of such a big pop-craze phenomenon, that imagery of that cookie-cutter sweetheart, without it being me, I just had to take it all down and get it away from me.”
Aguilera’s next chapter involved a much sexier image with plenty of spicy ensembles (remember those low-rise, leather chaps and bikini top from the “Dirrty” music video?). “I have to say probably the more trouble I got in for wearing it, the more fun I had wearing it. The chaps were iconic. It was definitely a fun moment,” she later told People. The talented vocalist also told Glamour of taking control of her image, “I think it was just a matter of believing so wholeheartedly in my vision, which was to fight for sexuality.” Aguilera underwent a dramatic hair change to demonstrate her bold new era too. She swapped her more subtle, warm blond locks for bleach blond tresses with long, dark extensions (one of the outdated 2000s hair trends we hope never comes back, sorry Xtina), before dying her whole head black.
2005: She changed up her aesthetic again amid marriage and a new sound
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By 2005, Christina Aguilera’s personal life changed again. She got engaged to Jordan Bratman that February and married nine months later. The new Mrs. Bratman left her “Stripped” era behind by swapping miniskirts and chaps for a vintage-inspired wardrobe and sound. Aguilera’s look had a decidedly more ’50s-inspired vibe (she embraced red lipstick and a Marilyn Monroe-esque ‘do) while her music (she dropped “Back to Basics” in 2006) adopted a jazz-pop sound.
“I really try to live out whatever I’m doing with the music in my life. Like now, even when I’m only going to be in the studio, I never go without bright red lipstick,” the singer explained to GQ. Aguilera also opened up to Newsweek about how “Back to Basics” differed from her previous releases. “The sexuality coming forward on this record is more softened. It’s more pinup, tongue-in-cheek. It’s playful,” she said.
2008: Christina Aguilera became a mom and ended her relationship with Jordan Bratman
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Christina Aguilera’s life saw another new chapter in 2008 when she and Jordan Bratman welcomed their first child, a son named Max. That year, the star was working on her 2010 album “Bionic” and spoke to Glamour about how becoming a mom influenced her music. “My little boy breathes new life into me. That’s one of the reasons I decided to go in a playful direction with this album,” she said. “… I can tell you that this record is all about fun. I’ll be referencing Pop Art, Andy Warhol’s art. So it will [sound] fun and fast-paced, and visually, it will be full of color,” she added.
But, sadly, though she injected more fun into her music, her personal life suffered a dark time. Aguilera filed for divorce from Bratman in 2010, and this wasn’t a case of a celeb couple calling off their divorce and getting back together. Instead, Aguilera got very candid about the serious cracks in their relationship. “Things were so unhealthy and unhappy for both Jordan and me, I knew I had to end it. I really didn’t want to hurt Jordan, and I felt torn about splitting our family up,” she told People.
2010: The star bravely opened up about her mental health struggles and made a lifechanging career move
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Also in 2010, Christina Aguilera bravely spoke out about her mental health. On “Behind The Music,” she shared her experience with depression, explaining (via Digital Spy), “It’s something that is always right below the surface. And it’s almost seductive to go to a place of sadness and darkness.” But, as she had most of her life, Aguilera chose to see the positives. “I’m truly thankful for the darkest times in my life. I definitely don’t choose the safe way of living or expressing myself but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.
The star’s career also took a new direction. Though she was still focused on music (she released “Bionic” that summer), Aguilera returned to acting and appeared in “Burlesque,” her first major movie, alongside Cher and Kristen Bell. “Doing this movie was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It was so much work … I had to wear so many different hats,” she admitted to Collider. The multi-hyphenate also opened up to People about the huge impact the movie musical had on her life. “I had an independence I’d never felt before. I was growing leaps and bounds daily. I went from being a girl to a woman,” she said. Aguilera even met her future fiancé Matthew Ruther on set and expertly demonstrated how to get back into dating after a divorce. The following year, she made another big career move as she became one of the original coaches on NBC’s “The Voice.”
2012: Lotus signified a colorful rebirth
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By 2012, Christina Aguilera was ready for another new chapter. The same year she performed at Etta James’ funeral (and experienced a major fake tan fail), she released the album “Lotus.” “Typically I go for one look, one sound and a very distinct genre. For this album I really wanted to put music on the record that felt good, that moved me and just let myself be less limiting,” she told ABC News. The powerful singer added of how she’d changed in the two years since “Bionic,” “I really feel free and not as serious as I have been in the past. This album represents a rebirth for me, going through a few interesting years and coming out stronger.”
Long gone were the barely there ensembles of “Stripped,” the overtly vintage flair of “Back to Basics,” or the throwback pop art vibe of “Bionic.” Instead, “Lotus” saw the “Ain’t No Other Man” hitmaker embrace more modern ensembles, including loud prints and colorful locks. “I’m someone that’s always growing as a person and at this time in my life I just feel that I’ve reached a place where I’m just completely embracing everything about who I am,” she said during a YouTube Q&A.
2014: Christina Aguilera became a mom again, got a fiancé, and overhauled her health
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Christina Aguilera had officially found love again by 2014. She got engaged to Matthew Rutler around Valentine’s Day, but made it clear she was in no rush to walk down the aisle again. “We discuss it when we’re snuggling in bed… but it’s a casual conversation,” she told Women’s Health. At the time of writing, the two are yet to make it down the aisle.
Also in 2014, she became a mom for the second time when she and Rutler welcomed their daughter, Summer. “It’s definitely not easy juggling work and motherhood, as being a parent is a full-time job within itself. You just have to make it work for you,” she told People, making it clear her kids were the most important thing in her life. “My life has so many different moving parts, but my kids are the center focal piece, and everything else shifts around them.” Amid her new chapter as a mom of two, the star told Women’s Health she wanted to live a healthier lifestyle and had started practicing yoga. “I don’t go by scales, I go by how I feel in my clothes, how good I feel in my body, how well I can pull off a show,” she said.
2018: Xtina got liberated and landed two Las Vegas residencies
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We saw yet another new side of Christina Aguilera in 2018. The singer released her first album in six years, “Liberation,” coinciding with her departure from “The Voice.” “What I was doing … with ‘Liberation’ was kind of a shedding of a certain skin on some level. Prior to that, I had given myself fully to television and being a part of a network that really wasn’t quite the fit for me after the amount of time I put in,” she told People. “…Moving on to this era, it’s just an exciting time of fresh energy. Vegas is coming at the perfect time for me,” she added. Aguilera’s first Sin City residency, “Christina Aguilera: The Xperience,” ran from 2019 to 2020 and she returned for “Christina Aguilera at Voltaire,” which ran from 2023 until 2024.Amid her residencies, Aguilera continued to tap into her Latinx roots via the 2022 Spanish album “Aguilera.”
But she wasn’t ready to return as a full-blown touring artist. When asked by Glamour in 2023 if she planned to travel the world again, she shut down the possibility. “I truly do enjoy being home base and accessible to my kids,” she explained of why Las Vegas worked for her. “[Early on] it really was about this massive dream I was so dedicated to accomplishing [but now] when you’re a mom, it’s not about narcissism. It’s not just about you.”
2023: The superstar proved she’s no gatekeeper over her beauty routine and broke down taboos surrounding sexuality
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Though there was a time going under the knife or getting cosmetic injectables was considered taboo, Christina Aguilera worked hard to make aesthetic tweaks an open conversation. In 2023, she teamed up with injection company Xeomin. “I think it’s great to share and to be honest and open about what you’re doing — in your comfort zone, of course,” she told Allure. “I’ve always been a pretty open book about embracing my body, my looks, and things like that.”
Aguilera also made another big business move in line with the sex positive messages she’d championed throughout her career. She became co-founder and chief brand advisor for sexual health company Playground. The company launched FDA-approved lubricants, with the star telling Forbes, “I’m so excited that beyond my music and beyond just talking about or singing about these messages, I can put a direct product in people’s hands that truly they can empower themselves with.”
The following year, her music took an interesting new direction, too. After 26 years signed to RCA, Aguilera left the record label. Instead, she signed a new deal with the Latin label 5020, a subsidiary of Sony.
2025: Christina Aguilera spoke about her journey to self-acceptance
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After decades in the spotlight and years of scrutiny, Christina Aguilera was more vocal than ever about the importance of self-acceptance in 2025. At the start of the year, she uploaded a video montage on Instagram showcasing negative comments from social media users pertaining to her career and appearance. But the singer wasn’t taking the haters’ comments lying down. “Acceptance comes with accepting yourself first. And the difficult journey it takes sometimes to get there,” she captioned the upload. “I celebrate everyone taking the time to put one step in front of the next [every day] in order to build the next version of themselves for the better.”
That post came after the “Beautiful” hitmaker shared a poignant and unapologetic message about her life and career transformation with Glamour, proving she had learned to trust “The Voice Within.” “I know where I’ve been. I know what I’ve loved. I know what I haven’t loved. And now, more than ever, I just feel more wide-awake and more aware and more understanding,” she said. “I’m not here to be a programmed robot. I’m here as a human being first before being a celebrity,” she added. With her feet still firmly on the ground after decades of success, clearly, Aguilera will always be a “Fighter.”
Read More: https://www.women.com/2076184/christina-aguilera-stunning-transformation/