For the last two years, much ado has been made about Christina Aguilera‘s notable weight gain. Indeed, after spending much of her career as a petite Pop star, recent times have seen Aguilera sport a more voluptuous figure.
Predictably, the singer’s curvier frame has become a public Hot Topic; with some defending her right to be her, while others charge that Pop stars are ultimately selling products (“themselves”) and should put their best foot (or in this case, “weight”) forward.
Never one to hold her tongue, Xtina has addressed the issue head-on in the latest edition of Billboard magazine. Lets just say, her response makes for an intriguing and telling read.
Her words after the jump…
On Her Body Issues In The Past:
“During the promotion of my album Stripped [in 2002], I got tired of being a skinny, white girl. I am Ecuadorian but people felt so safe passing me off as a skinny, blue-eyed white girl. The next time my label saw me, I was heavier, darker and full of piercings! [Laughs] Let me tell you, that wasn’t an easy pill for them to swallow. I had gained about 15 pounds during promotion and during my Stripped tour [with Justin Timberlake, 31]. They called this serious emergency meeting about how there was a lot of backlash about my weight. Basically, they told me I would effect a lot of people if I gained weight — the production, musical directors. [They claimed] people I toured with would also miss out if I gained weight because I would sell no records or tickets for my shows, I was young, so I lost the weight quickly and was toothpick thin during Back to Basics promos and touring.”
On “Re-Claiming” Her Body:
“I told them during this Lotus recording, ‘You are working with a fat girl. Know it now and get over it.’ They need a reminder sometimes that I don’t belong to them. It’s my body, My body can’t put anyone in jeopardy of not making money anymore—my body is just not on the table that way anymore.”
On Her New Album ‘Lotus’:
“This album represents a celebration of the new me, and to me the lotus has always represented this unbreakable flower that withstands any harsh weather conditions in its surroundings, that withstands time and remains beautiful and strong throughout the years. Once I could start writing my own songs, beginning with Stripped, I tried to infuse as much as I could to promote strength and inspire people with that message. And now I’m at a place at 31, where the last time I felt this way was when I was 21 with Stripped and I had a lot to say and a lot to express.”
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Go Xtina!
For us, the importance doesn’t lie with the size of her waist; it lies with maintaining a healthy lifestyle. So long as she’s doing that, she has every right to say what did to Billboard.
Unfortunately, we’re in era where image outranks talent. Hence to sustain, it’s important Christina (whatever her size) continues to show that she’s happy, healthy, and most importantly, still able to deliver when and where it matters. She’s already done that with the stellar ‘Your Body’ video, it’s now a case of continuing along that path as she heads into her ‘Lotus’ promotional run.
All else aside, we’re still holding out for some killer choreography at some point during this campaign…
