"Can't Hold Us Down"
Single by Christina Aguilera featuring Lil' Kim
From the album Stripped
Single Released	August 2003
Single Format	12" Maxi Single
Genre	Pop
Song Length	4:15
Record label	RCA
Writers	Christina Aguilera Matthew Morris Scott Storch
Producer	Christina Aguilera E. Dawk Scott Storch
Music Video Director	David LaChapelle
Chart Positions	#12 US #5 UK #20 CAN #10 AUS
Christina Aguilera single chronology
"Fighter" (2003)	"Can't Hold Us Down" (2003)	"The Voice Within" (2003)

"Can't Hold Us Down" is the fourth single from Christina Aguilera's sophomore album, Stripped. Released in 2003, the single (which features Lil' Kim) peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Aguilera's 10th Top 20 hit. The single also peaked at #6 in the UK and #5 in Australia. The single is most known for its theme of female empowerment and for its music video. Image File history File links The CD cover of Christina Aguilera featuring Lil Kims 2003 single Cant Hold Us Down, from the 2002 album Stripped. ... Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer, also known as Xtina. ... Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975), also known as Lil Kim and the Queen Bee, is an American rap music artist, known for her sexually explicit lyrics and the revealing outfits she wears in her public appearances and magazine layouts. ... Stripped is the second full-length English album (fourth official album) by American pop singer Christina Aguilera, released in 2002. ... 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for August, 2003. ... The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... Musical genres are categories which contain music which share a certain style or which have certain elements in common. ... For the 1979 song by M, see Pop Muzik. ... A record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in producing, manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and sometimes video recordings (especially music videos), on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. ... RCA, formerly an initialism for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark used by two companies for products descended from that common ancestor: Thomson SA, which manufactures consumer electronics like RCA-branded televisions, DVD players, video cassette recorders, direct broadcast satellite decoders, camcorders, audio equipment, telephones, and related... A songwriter is someone who writes either the lyrics or the music for songs. ... Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer, also known as Xtina. ... Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is a Jewish-American keyboardist, 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 performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer, also known as Xtina. ... Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is a Jewish-American keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. ... A Music Video Director is someone who helps create the treatment and visual overtone of a music video Famous Music Video Directors Brett Ratner Herb Ritts Mariah Carey Hype Williams Joseph Kahn David LaChapelle Paul Hunter Categories: Music Videos ... David LaChapelle is a photographer and director who has worked in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ... Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer, also known as Xtina. ... Fighter is the third single from Christina Aguileras second album Stripped. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Voice Within is the fifth and final single from Christina Aguileras sophomore album, Stripped. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American pop singer, also known as Xtina. ... Stripped is the second full-length English album (fourth official album) by American pop singer Christina Aguilera, released in 2002. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975), also known as Lil Kim and the Queen Bee, is an American rap music artist, known for her sexually explicit lyrics and the revealing outfits she wears in her public appearances and magazine layouts. ...

The song

"Can't Hold Us Down" was penned by Aguilera, Matthew Morris and Scott Storch, and was also produced by Storch, E. Dawk, and Aguilera. As mentioned above, the single features the rapper Lil' Kim, who had previously worked with her on the "Lady Marmalade" cover from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack in 2001. Besides becoming casual friends from "Lady Marmalade", Lil' Kim was also enticed to appear on this song as she was dating Scott Storch at the time. Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is a Jewish-American keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. ... Rapping is one of the elements of hip hop and the distinguishing feature of hip hop music; it is a form of rhyming lyrics spoken rhythmically over musical instruments, with a musical backdrop of sampling, scratching and mixing by DJs. ... Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975), also known as Lil Kim and the Queen Bee, is an American rap music artist, known for her sexually explicit lyrics and the revealing outfits she wears in her public appearances and magazine layouts. ... Lady Marmalade is the first single from the Moulin Rouge! Soundtrack. ... Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 Academy Award winning musical film which tells the story of a young British poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge cabaret, Satine. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Once again like with many previous singles, Christina creates a female empowerment anthem, but this time twists it up as she expresses her disgust with the double standards of society. She feels that male stars like Colin Farrell are respected and worshipped for bragging about their wild sex lives, but when women like Aguilera (who don't even brag about their sex lives) try to express their sexuality in more subtle ways, they get labeled as sluts and whores. Aguilera also lets people know that she does not appreciate being called a bitch simply because she stands up for herself and is a strong woman. Disgusted and angry at the world, Aguilera sends her personal "fuck you" to those who try to "hold her down", as she angrily retorts, "Never can, never will, can't hold us down!" A double standard is an ethical rule applied more stringently to one party than to others. ... ... Colin James Farrell (born May 31, 1976) is an Irish actor born in Castleknock, Dublin. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ... Look up Bitch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A bitch is a female dog or other member of the canidae family. ... While the word Fuck has the literal meaning of sexual intercourse, it is commonly considered vulgar in this usage. ...

The song was supposed to feature rapper, Eve, but when Christina Aguilera's cd Stripped was released, the song was featured by Lil' Kim. Eve even metioned being on the song during a TRL session. Traces of Eve can be found on one of the remixes of the song.

Chart success

"Can't Hold Us Down" proved to be successful, just missing the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot 100 Airplay after peaking at #12 on both charts. However, the track failed to chart on the Hot 100 Singles Sales (which can attributed mainly to the fact that it was released as a 12" Maxi Single, and at the time of its release, this format's sales could not compete with those of the regular CD/CD Maxi Singles). The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The Hot 100 Airplay is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ... The Hot 100 Singles Sales (also known as Singles Sales) is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ...

Internationally, the song peaked within the top ten in the UK and top twenty in Canada and top twenty in most countries.

Charts

US Charts

"Can't Hold Us Down" debuted at #74 on the Billboard Hot 100
"Can't Hold Us Down" spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100

International Charts