"Beautiful" is a pop song written and produced by Linda Perry and recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera for her second studio album, Stripped (2002). It is a cello-driven, classically-flavored ballad in which its protagonist deals with hurtful statements made against her that cause her to feel insecure and have low self-esteem. She does not let other people's negativity get the best of her. It was released as the album's second single in late 2002 (see 2002 in music) and reached number one in several countries. The song earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... This article is about the singer. ... Singles from Stripped Released: September 2002 Released: December 2002 Released: May 2003 Released: August 2003 Released: January 2004 Stripped is the second English studio album by American pop singer Christina Aguilera, released in 2002. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... For the record label, see 12 Inch Records. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Linda Perry, born April 15, 1965 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to parents of Portuguese descent,[1] is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... “Golden record” redirects here. ... The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry. ... RIAA redirects here. ... This article is about the singer. ... Redman singles chronology Smash Sumthin (2001) Dirrty (2004) Put It Down (2007) Dirrty is a hip pop song performed by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring rapper Reggie Redman Noble. ... Audio sample Info Fighter (help· info) Fighter is the third single from Christina Aguileras second album Stripped. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Linda Perry, born April 15, 1965 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to parents of Portuguese descent,[1] is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. ... This article is about the singer. ... Singles from Stripped Released: September 2002 Released: December 2002 Released: May 2003 Released: August 2003 Released: January 2004 Stripped is the second English studio album by American pop singer Christina Aguilera, released in 2002. ... This article is about the stringed musical instrument. ... This article is about Western art music from 1000 AD to the present. ... For other uses, see Ballad (disambiguation). ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... See also: 2002 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2002 Record labels established in 2002 // 2002 was marked by significant trends in rock music. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Background

Perry had written "Beautiful" long before she let anyone hear it. She considered the song very dear and personal to her and was insecure about sharing it with anyone else. At first she had let Pink hear "Beautiful" before anyone else during their M!ssundaztood sessions. Pink was so impressed with the song that she had asked Perry if she could record it for her album, but Perry declined, feeling that she wanted to save it for her own singing career. A few months later, while Aguilera and Perry were recording for the Stripped session, Perry also let Aguilera listen to the song. Aguilera so much liked the song that while Perry was playing the piano for it, Aguilera took over the vocals for the song. After that, Aguilera told Perry that she needed this song on her album. Perry was both impressed by Aguilera and confused, because even though she was blown away by her rendition of the song, she still did not want to give it up. After Aguilera continued lobbying for the song, Perry was finally convinced that Aguilera matched the song perfectly and handed it over to her.^[1] Alecia Beth Moore (pronounced [1]) (born on September 8, 1979), known professionally as Pink (often stylized as ), is a two-time Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter who gained prominence in 2000. ... M!ssundaztood is the second album by pop singer P!nk, released in 2001 (see 2001 in music). ...

The song was recorded in a single take. Aguilera reportedly expressed concerns that she had hit some notes too flat and some too sharp, but Perry insisted that she leave them in.

Some instruments used in this song include the cello, piano, violin and drums.

Music and structure

"Beautiful" is a gentle ballad composed in the key of E♭ major.^[2] It moves at a slow 78 beats per minute.^[2] Aguilera's vocal range spans over an octave and a half, from B♭₃ to G♭₅.^[2] She uses several melismas in the song, fitting as many as seven notes in one syllable.^[2] For other uses, see Ballad (disambiguation). ... Also see: E-flat minor, or E major. ... Beats per minute (bpm) is a unit typically used as either a measure of tempo in music, or a measure of ones heart rate. ... Human voices may be classified according to their vocal range — the highest and lowest pitches that they can produce. ... Melisma, in music, is the technique of changing the note (pitch) of a single syllable of text while it is being sung. ...

Critical reception

"Beautiful" received positive reviews from music critics. Entertainment Weekly found it to be a highlight of Stripped, finding it "more restrained" than the rest of the album.^[3] Stylus Magazine described the song as "a typical ballad that actually tastefully reins in Aguilera's frequent vocal acrobatics".^[4] Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... This article is about the online music and film magazine. ...

Release and success

Christina Aguilera performing "Beautiful" on the Back to Basics Tour.

According to Perry, she and Aguilera's management had recommended "Beautiful" as the lead single from Stripped but that Aguilera insisted on releasing "Dirrty" instead.^[5] RCA Records stated that it had agreed with Aguilera to release "Dirrty" to attract attention;^[5] when the song only reached number forty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100, "Beautiful" was rush-released as the second single.^[4] The song peaked at number two on the U.S. Hot 100 largely because of its strong radio airplay; it was released as a 12" maxi single and at the time sales of this format were much lower than those of regular CD and CD maxi singles. "Beautiful" stayed in the U.S. top forty for twenty-four weeks, and topped many other Billboard magazine charts. It was equally successful elsewhere, and reached number one on the charts in the UK (where it was her fourth number-one single), Australia (where it was her first) and Canada (where it was her second). In New Zealand, it peaked at number one too, and with thirteen weeks in the Top 10, it became the sixtieth most successful song of all time there.^[6] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 360 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (480 × 800 pixel, file size: 62 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 360 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (480 × 800 pixel, file size: 62 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Back to Basics Tour was a concert tour to support Christina Aguileras third album Back to Basics. ... A lead single is the first single released by a musician or a band from a given album. ... Redman singles chronology Smash Sumthin (2001) Dirrty (2004) Put It Down (2007) Dirrty is a hip pop song performed by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring rapper Reggie Redman Noble. ... RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony BMG Music Entertainment. ... It has been suggested that Billboard be merged into this article or section. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the main singles chart used by Billboard magazine. ... A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks (generally an a-side song and a b-side song). ...

"Beautiful" won a 2004 Grammy Award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance", and Linda Perry received a 2004 Grammy Award nomination for Song of the Year. The song was ranked number two in the "Readers' Top Ten Singles" list at the 2004 Rolling Stone Music Awards, and its video was also placed at number two in the "Best Video, Readers' Pick" category. The video was the recipient of the "Popular Female Video" award at the 2003 Channel [V] Thailand Music Video Awards. A remix of "Beautiful" by Peter Rauhofer won a 2003 HX Award for "Dance Song of the Year". The single sold over 7,026,000 millions copies worldwide. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Song of the Year is one of the two most prestigious awards in the Grammies, if not in all of the music industry. ... This article is about the magazine. ... A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. ... Peter Rauhofer is a remixer and producer who formerly went under the moniker Club 69 as well as Size Queen. ...

Music video

A transwoman looking in a mirror in a scene dealing with LGBT and body image issues.

The song's music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. The video opens with Aguilera speaking the line "Don't look at me", followed by scenes of her singing alone in a room intercut with self image-related sequences of other people, several of which deal with body image. An underweight girl examines herself in a mirror, eventually punching through it; a thin boy stands lifting weights in a room plastered with images of bodybuilders; and a girl rips out pages of women's magazines and throws them into a fire. In one sequence, a girl is assaulted by several peers, and in another, a goth sits at the back of a bus while several people get up and move. The video also touches on LGBT issues. One scene features two homosexual men, portrayed by Jordan Shannon and Justin Croft, French kissing on a bench and ignoring the stares of people who pass them.^[7] Another scene shows a transwoman, played by Robert Sherman, putting on makeup, a wig, and women's clothing.^[7] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Jonas Ã…kerlund (born November 16, 1966 in Bromma) is a Swedish film director, most known for making music videos. ... A persons self image is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to objective investigation by others (height, weight, hair color, nature of external genitalia, I.Q. score, is this person double-jointed, etc. ... Body image is a term which may refer to our perceptions of our own physical appearance, or our internal sense of having a body which is constructed by the brain. ... The term underweight refers to a human who is considered to be under a healthy weight. ... This article is about wave reflectors (mainly, specular reflection of visible light). ... A weightlifter about to jerk 180 kg[1] Weightlifting, commonly referred to as lifting, is a sport in which competitors attempt to lift heavy weights mounted on steel bars called barbells, the execution of which is a combination of power, flexibility, technique, mental and physical strength. ... Bodybuilder Anders Graneheim (Sweden) Bodybuilding is the sport of developing muscle fibers through the combination of weight training, increased caloric intake, and rest. ... This is a list of womens magazines, magazines published primarily for a readership of women. ... This article is about the subculture. ... The initialism LGBT also GLBT is in use (since the 1990s) to refer collectively to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... For other uses, see French kiss (disambiguation). ... MTF redirects here. ...

The music video was successful on video chart programs. It debuted on MTV's Total Request Live on December 9, 2002 at number two.^[8] It was unable to reach the top of the countdown but remained on it for fifty days and retired at number six on February 25, 2003.^[9] The video topped MuchMusic's Countdown for two consecutive weeks and remained on the countdown for fifteen weeks.^[10] The video received a Special Recognition award, presented by David LaChapelle, from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation at its 14th annual media awards.^[11] After an a cappella performance of the song, Aguilera stated in her acceptance speech that "this song is definitely a universal message that everybody can relate to - anyone that's been discriminated against or unaccepted, unappreciated or disrespected just because of who you are."^[11] This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... TRL redirects here. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MuchMusic (often referred to only as Much) is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel owned by CTV Limited; a division of CTVglobemedia dedicated to music, music-related programs and youth culture. ... Countdown is a ninety-minute music video program block that airs on Canadian music television station MuchMusic. ... Cover of David LaChapelle book, David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1969[1] Fairfield, Connecticut, United States) is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique and often humorous style. ... It has been suggested that GLAAD Media Awards be merged into this article or section. ... 14th Annual GLAAD Media Awards // Awards Special Recognition Awards The Vanguard Award - Eric McCormack The Davidson/Valentini Award - B.D. Wong The Vito Russo Award - Rosie ODonnell The Excellence in Media Award - Diane Sawyer The Golden Gate Award - Stockard Channing The Stephen F. Kolzak Award - Todd Haynes The Barbara... This article is about the vocal technique. ... To discriminate is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. ...

Cover versions

• Elvis Costello covered the song specifically for the House episode "Autopsy".^[12]

• It was also covered by Gloria Gaynor in the British television program, Hit Me Baby One More Time, where she performed a disco version of the song.

• In addition, guitarists Richard Fortus and Robin Finck of Guns N' Roses covered "Beautiful" instrumentally for the early shows of Guns N' Roses' 2006 tour.

• It was covered by Kenny G and Chaka Khan for Kenny G's At Last...The Duets Album.

• Clem Snide covered the song as the title track to its 2004 A Beautiful EP.

• MADtv parodied the music video as "Virginal", with Christina Moore portraying Aguilera. In the video, the public "didn't care to see Aguilera's pubic hair" in the "Dirrty" video, so Aguilera becomes "virginal".^[13]

• Alex Parks winner of BBC TV's "Fame Academy" also recorded a version for her 2003 debut album and appeared as a b-side to her first single "Maybe That's What It Takes".

• Australian Idol 2006 runner up Jessica Mauboy performed a cover during the Top 10 show #1 Hits, which received much praise from the judges and audience. She then went on to release a cover of Beautiful for her Australian Idol: The Journey album which was released as a single but never was charted.

• Bob Ricci recorded a parody of the song called "Unhackable" for his 2008 album Bob's Gone Wild.

• In "Believe the Unseen", an episode of ER that first aired on 2008-01-10, the song is performed a capella by a young girl with Leber's congenital amaurosis.

Elvis Costello (born Declan Patrick McManus August 25, 1954) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. ... House, also known as House, M.D., is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning American medical drama, which debuted on the FOX network on November 16, 2004. ... Autopsy is the second episode of the second season of House, which premiered on the FOX network on September 20, 2005. ... Gloria Gaynor (born Gloria Fowles September 7, 1949) is an American singer, best-known for the disco era hits I Will Survive (Hot 100 #1, 1979), Never Can Say Goodbye (Hot 100 #9, 1974), and I Am What I Am (Hot 100 #82, 1983). ... Hit Me Baby One More Time was a 2005 reality show first aired by ITV on British television and later, as a new version, by NBC in the United States; both were presented by Vernon Kay. ... This article is about the music genre. ... Richard Fortus Richard Fortus is a professional guitarist who has shown his capabilities as a member of the re-formed Psychedelic Furs, which carried on from his project work in Love Spit Love. ... Robin Finck (born November 7, 1971) is the current lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N Roses. ... Guns N Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. ... For the WFMU DJ, see Kenneth Goldsmith. ... Chaka Khan (born March 23, 1953) is a multiple Grammy Award-winning American singer known for hit songs such as Im Every Woman, I Feel For You and Through the Fire. Khan was first featured as a member of the funk band Rufus before beginning her solo career. ... At Last. ... Clem Snide photographed on the cover of their 1999 album Your Favorite Music. ... The cover for the European release. ... For other uses, see Mad TV (disambiguation). ... Christina Moore (born April 12, 1973 in Palatine, Illinois) is an American comic actress. ... Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region. ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... Fame Academy is the name of televised competition to search for and educate musical talents. ... Maybe Thats What It Takes is a song written and performed by Alex Parks, taken from her debut album Introduction. ... Australian Idol 2006 was the fourth season of the Australian television series Australian Idol. ... Jessica Hilda Mauboy (born August 4, 1989 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia) is a singer. ... ER is an Emmy-winning American serial medical drama created by novelist Michael Crichton and set primarily in the emergency room of fictional County General Hospital in Cook County, Chicago, Illinois. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lebers congenital amaurosis is a rare inherited eye disease that appears at birth or in the first few months of life, typically characterized by nystagmus, sluggish or no pupillary responses, and severe vision loss or blindness. ...

Formats and track listings

Credits and personnel

• Lead vocals: Christina Aguilera
• Producer: Linda Perry
• Recording engineer: Linda Perry
• Bass guitar: Linda Perry
• Cello: Richard Dodd
• Drums: Brian MacLeod
• Keyboards: Damon Fox
• Piano: Linda Perry
• Violin: Eric Gorfain
• Audio mixer: Dave Pensado

In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Audio engineering is the branch of engineering dealing with the production of sound through mechanical means. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... This article is about the stringed musical instrument. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... Brian MacLeod is an American drummer and songwriter. ... An electronic keyboard. ... Pianoforte redirects here. ... For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ... Eric Gorfain is an American violinist and leader of the Section quartet. ... Audio mixing is used in sound recording, audio editing and sound systems to balance the relative volume and frequency content of a number of sound sources. ...

Charts

The United World Chart is a worldwide chart issued every week by Media Traffic, using both sales (digital and physical) and airplay to determine the most popular albums and singles worldwide. ... The Irish Singles Chart is the Irish music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. ... “British Hit Singles” redirects here. ... The Dutch Top 40 (Dutch: Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart, which started as the Veronica Top 40, because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. ...

References

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a non-profit performing rights organization that protects its members musical copyrights by monitoring public performances of their music, whether via a broadcast or live performance, and compensating them accordingly. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... This article is about the online music and film magazine. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... It has been suggested that GLAAD Media Awards be merged into this article or section. ... is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... It has been suggested that GLAAD Media Awards be merged into this article or section. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The Tribune Media Services (TMS) is a syndication company owned by the Tribune Company. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... For other uses, see Mad TV (disambiguation). ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• "Beautiful" audio
• "Beautiful" music video