After Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera was the most popular female singer of the late-'90s teen pop revival. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Aguilera was a technically skilled singer with a genuinely powerful voice, belting out her up-tempo dance numbers and ballads with a diva's panache. Born Christina Maria Aguilera on December 18, 1980, on Staten Island, her parents were of Irish and Ecuadorian stock and her father's military career meant the family moved quite a bit during her childhood. They eventually settled in Philadelphia, where Aguilera began performing in talent shows at age six, with considerable success. She appeared on Star Search in 1988 (though she didn't win) and in 1992 joined the cast of the Disney Channel's The New Mickey Mouse Club, which also included Spears, future *N Sync members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez, and Felicity star Keri Russell. After two years, Aguilera moved to Japan, where she recorded the hit duet "All I Wanna Do" with pop star Keizo Nakanishi. Returning to the U.S. in 1998, Aguilera recorded the song "Reflection" for Disney's Mulan; her performance helped earn her a record deal with RCA. Her self-titled debut album was released in the summer of 1999 and with teen-oriented dance-pop all the rage, the lead single "Genie in a Bottle" shot to the top of the charts for five weeks; the album also hit number one on its way to sales of over eight million copies in the U.S. alone. The follow-up, "What a Girl Wants," was the first number one single of the year 2000 and Aguilera consolidated her near-instant stardom by performing at the White House Christmas gala and the Super Bowl halftime show, and winning a Grammy for Best New Artist. Further hits followed in "I Turn to You" and another number one, "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)." In September 2000, seeking a place in that year's Latin pop boom, the part-Ecuadorian Aguilera recorded a Spanish-language album called Mi Reflejo, learning the lyrics phonetically since she didn't speak Spanish. It was followed quickly by the holiday album My Kind of Christmas; both sold extremely well, a testament to Aguilera's popularity. In the spring of 2001, Aguilera was featured -- along with Pink, Mya, and Lil' Kim -- on the chart-topping blockbuster remake of Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" featured on the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. Aguilera was by now a fixture at music industry awards shows; as she enjoyed her celebrity, a collection of old demos -- recorded when she was 14 and 15 -- was released under the title Just Be Free, despite Aguilera's vehement objections. Ms. Aguilera attempted to deter the mass media's expectations when she issued her second studio album in fall 2002. Stripped, which appeared in October on RCA, was quickly criticized for its adult, yet confident approach. Aguilera's look had gone from glossy to gritty. She appeared topless on the cover of the album and went nude for a fall issue of Rolling Stone. Debut single "Dirrty" revealed Aguilera's new sexual power and became a chart smash. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide Genie In A Bottle ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I feel like I've been locked up tight for a century of lonely nights Waiting for someone to release me You're licking your lips And blowing kisses my way But that don't mean I'm gonna give it away Baby. Baby. baby (Baby ,baby, baby) Bridge: Ooh (my body is saying let's go) Ooh (but my heart is saying no) Chorus: If you wanna be with me Baby there's a price to pay I'm a genie in a bottle You gotta rub me the right way If you wanna be with me I can make your wish come true You gotta make a big impression I gotta like what you do I'm a genie in a bottle baby You Gotta rub me the right way honey I'm a genie in a bottle baby Come, come, come on and let me out The music's fading The lights down low Just one more dance And then were gonna go Waiting for someone Who needs me Hormones racing at the speed of light But that don't mean it's gotta be tonight Baby, baby, baby (baby, baby, baby) Bridge: Ooh (my body is saying let's go) Ooh (but my heart is saying no) Chorus: If you wanna be with me Baby there's a price to pay I'm a genie in a bottle (I'm a genie in a bottle) You gotta rub me the right way If you wanna be with me (Ooh) I can make your wish come true (Wish come true...Woah) Just come and set me free And I'll be with you I'm a genie in a bottle baby You Gotta rub me the right way honey I'm a genie in a bottle baby Come, come, come on and let me out I'm a genie in a bottle baby You Gotta rub me the right way honey (if you wanna be with me) I'm a genie in a bottle baby Come, come, come on and let me out Bridge: Ooh (my body is saying let's go) Ooh (but my heart is saying no) Chorus: If you wanna be with me Baby there's a price to pay I'm a genie in a bottle You gotta rub me the right way If you wanna be with me I can make your wish come true (Ooh) You gotta make a big impression I gotta like what you do (Oh Yeah) If you wanna be with me Baby there's a price to pay I'm a genie in a bottle You gotta rub me the right way (You gotta rub me the right way) If you wanna be with me I can make your wish come true Just come and set me free baby And I'll be with you I'm a genie in a bottle baby Come, come, come, on and let me out FIGHTER When I, thought I knew you Thinking, that you were true I guess I, I couldn't trust Called your bluff, time is up 'Cause I've had enough You were, there by my side Always, down for the ride But your, joy ride just came down in flames 'Cause your greed sold me out of shame, mmhmm After all of the stealing and cheating You probably think that I hold resentment for you But, uh uh, oh no, you're wrong 'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do I wouldn't know just how capable I am to pull through So I wanna say thank you 'Cause it makes me that much stronger Makes me work a little bit harder It makes me that much wiser So thanks for making me a fighter Made me learn a little bit faster Made my skin a little bit thicker Makes me that much smarter So thanks for making me a fighter Oh, ohh Never, saw it coming All of, your backstabbing Just so, you could cash in On a good thing before I realized your game I heard, you're going around Playing, the victim now But don't, even begin Feeling I'm the one to blame 'Cause you dug your own grave, uh huh After all of the fights and the lies Yes you wanted to harm me but that won't work anymore Uh, no more, oh no, it's over 'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture I wouldn't know how to be this way now, and never back down So I wanna say thank you 'Cause it makes me that much stronger Makes me work a little bit harder Makes me that much wiser So thanks for making me a fighter Made me learn a little bit faster Made my skin a little bit thicker It makes me that much smarter So thanks for making me a fighter