In early 1998, after finishing some demos and shopping for a record deal, Christina auditioned to sing 'Reflection' for Disney's animated film 'Mulan.' The filmmakers needed someone 'who could hit a high E above middle C,' according to Christina, who then cut a one-take demo in her living room singing to a karaoke tape of Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Run To You.' The demo was rushed to Disney, and within a day, Christina was in a Los Angeles studio recording 'Reflection.' That same week, RCA Records signed her to a record contract. 'Mulan' premiered in June 1998, and 'Reflection' turned into a Top 15 A/C single, with Christina performing it live on 'CBS This Morning' and the 'Donnie & Marie Show.' 'Working on the 'Mulan' project was so unbelievable,' Christina said in June 1998. 'I seriously thought I wouldn't get the job because the song was so difficult. It's so cool to hear your voice in a theater.' The single went on to garner a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture and Christina the attention of some of the best writers and producers in the industry.

    On her self-titled debut album for RCA, those writers and producers helped Christina showcase her special talents. 'I was thrilled to work with so many great writers and producers on my album," says Christina. 'What A Girl Wants' was produced by Guy Roche (Brandy, Cher, Dru Hill, Aaliyah, K-Ci & Jo Jo), 'Genie In A Bottle' was produced by ex-System member David Frank and Steve Kipner, and 'Blessed' was penned and produced by Travon Potts (co-writer of Monica's chart topping 'Angel of Mine'). Meanwhile, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers ('N Sync, Boyzone, Brand New Heavies) contributed a pair of tracks, the soul-flavored 'Love For All Seasons' and the rousing 'Love Will Find A Way.' Christina is particularly proud of the album's ballads, such as the Matthew Wilder-produced 'Reflection,' and 'Obvious' written by newcomer Heather Holly, and of course, master tunesmith Diane Warren's smash 'I Turn To You.'

   
Christina Aguilera's breakthrough year in '99 began with her first #1 single 'Genie In A Bottle,' which stayed atop the charts for five consecutive weeks and rocketed the album to #1 upon its release in August 1999. The follow-up single 'What A Girl Wants' reached the coveted first Billboard Hot 100 #1 slot of 2000 (the first #1 hit of the new millenium) and helped to push the album into platinum territory many times over ('Come On Over Baby' became the third #1 from the album later in 2000).
Among other honors, along with stars like Jodie Foster and Aretha Franklin, Christina was named one of the most fascinating women of 1999 on the 'Ladies Home Journal' CBS-TV special earlier this year. Christina also won 1999's Best New Artist at this year's ALMA Awards, the annual event honoring the best in entertainment from the Hispanic-American community. She graced the covers of many

national magazines, including Entertainment Weekly, Teen People and Latina and performed as a musical guest on 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,' 'The Rosie O'Donnell Show,' and was the only female guest performer on VHI's 'Men Strike Back.' She also performed on other TV specials such as 'The Essence Awards,' 'Disney Summer Jams,' and 'People Magazines's 25 Hottest Stars Under 25.'

    Other highlights for Christina over 1999 included a duet with blues legend BB King and a solo performance of 'The Christmas Song' for President Clinton on TNT's 'Christmas at the White House' TV special. This led to the President asking Christina to sing the first song on his televised Millenium special from Washington. Christina had to decline due to a prior commitment to perform from Times Square in New York on MTV's New Year's Eve broadcast.Christina's amazing new year of 2000 began with a great duet performance with Enrique Iglesias at the Super Bowl Half Time Show which also featured Phil Collins and Toni Braxton.

   

What made all her commercial success so much sweeter, were Christina's two Grammy nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal performance. In February 2000, Christina's incredible ride to the top reached new heights as Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge and Sara McLaughlan announced that the Grammy for Best New Artist goes to - Christina Aguilera! 'It was an incredible shock for me,' Christina recalls of that amazing night. 'I was completely unprepared. My album had been out the least amount of time compared to everyone else, so I thought there was no way I'd win. But I was overwhelmed, shocked and overjoyed all at the same time.'


As for her national summer 2000 tour, co-sponsored by Sears and Levi's, Christina was equally enthusiastic. 'It was exciting to take my full band and my dancers out on the road,' she says, 'and giving the show an edgy, theatrical vibe. I was in on all the creative aspects of planning the show, of covering new ground, doing more blues, soul, and some spectacular choreography.'

    Christina recorded a Spanish language album 'Mi Reflejo' released in fall 2000 and a seasonal album ready in time for the holidays. Said Christina, 'I've always been proud of my Ecuadoran heritage. Recording a Spanish album and working with a great producer like Rudy Perez, gave me a chance to explore my Latin side.' As for the Christmas album, Christina was excited about performing with a 70-piece orchestra and the opportunity to record both new and traditional holiday tracks. 'I did a duet with Dr. John on 'Merry Christmas Baby,' she notes, 'and several new pop Christmas songs with a real R&B edge.'

    In March 2001, Christina collaborated with Ricky Martin on 'Nobody Wants To Be Lonely' that peaked at number 11 on Billboard charts, and became a worldwide international hit.

    Christina also proved that she can work with other divas, as she did in the remake of 'Lady Marmalade,' from the 'Moulin Rouge' soundtrack which spent five weeks at #1. Teamed with Pink, Mya and Lil' Kim, their video took home the 2001 MTV Video Award for 'Best Video of the Year' (among many awards the record received). She also appeared on the All-Star Tribute remake of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On?,' with a star-studded cast including Bono and Nelly Furtado. She capped off an amazing 2001 by winning her second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for 'Mi Reflejo.'

    Billboard Magazine recently wrote about her great prospects for a long future:

    'Christina Aguilera's much anticipated sophomore album is likely to be a hit with the critics and crowds alike. Boasting an edgier sound and self-written lyrics, this CD should end comparisons between Aguilera and bubblegum queen Britney Spears.

    It's been two years since the release of Aguilera's self-titled debut disc - which was home to #1 hits like 'Genie In A Bottle,' 'What A Girl Wants' and 'Come On Over Baby.' This former Mousketeer has risen to a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum pop powerhouse.

    In the time since her entrance into the music world, Aguilera has proven successful in both the English and Latin fields. Aguilera has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including BB King, Brian McKnight, Sting, Ricky Martin and most recently Pink, Mya and Lil Kim on their #1 smash 'Lady Marmalade.' Not bad for a 20-year old.

    The outlook is very good for her newest record. She has expanded her horizons musically and gained new and excited fans. There's nowhere for this young and talented beauty to go except up.'

    With fans ranging beyond the teen market, Christina has shown that this 'Genie in a Bottle' has been released - and is soaring.

'This (new) record is extremely personal,' Christina recently told Time magazine. 'It's so personal that I feel like people from my past will say 'Oh my God, she's singing this to me.' I have a lot of things to say and a lot of things to let out of me. I feel like I was very confined in that first record to be very pop-driven. I want to be a poet and have a chance to explore that and let people know what's really on my mind.'
Over all, Christina Aguilera is as overwhelmed as she is thrilled by her enormous success, but she remains reflective and grateful. 'It's been quite a roller-coaster ride,' she laughs, 'But I think I've grown and learned a lot about myself. In this business, it's often all about hype, record sales, and a crazy schedule of traveling, performances, and it can be easy to get lost in all that. But for me, the greatest thing is being able to interact with fans and touch peoples' lives. I know that's a greater accomplishment than selling records. For that I give thanks. I simply love the job I'm doing.
From the moment you first place Christina Aguilera's new album Stripped in your CD player, the transformation she has gone through, both as an artist and a person, is evident.
Nowadays, she adorns a collection of slender gold chains around her neck; a Playboy bunny logo charm dangles off one, while another bears a flashy b-girl nameplate reading "X-tina," her nickname. A tiny barbell pierces the skin just below her lower lip - a recent companion to the stud in her left nostril. Gone is the "green and inexperienced" fresh-faced former mouseketeer who sang the readymade ballads and spunky, safe pop of her self-titled debut.

For Christina Aguilera, it all begins by getting real. "I'm completely excited and I'm not really scared, because this is me," she confidently asserts. "I can't hide. I'm not a puppet. I can't just sit up there and keep doing the same kind of music. It's time for me to explore." And explore she will; up next is a tour with former fellow mouseketeer Justin Timberlake, and a movie if she has her way. If the content of her album is anything to go by, she almost certainly will. And that is by no means a bad thing.

A January 2004, ZOO magazine (a Danish men's tabloid magazine) article reported that Aguilera is possibly bisexual. The article quotes her stating in an interview: "I find it hornier looking at women than men. Sorry, I love experimenting with my sexuality. If that means girls, then so be it." The article also reports that Christina enjoys casual sex: "I have casual sex, I love casual sex. But that doesn't mean I'm incapable of keeping my legs together", Aguilera was quoted as saying.

Aguilera later decided to embrace a more mature image; this move was met with more praise than criticism, with articles using punch lines such as "From Crass to Class". She eventually dyed her hair cherry-blonde and recorded a jingle, Hello, for a Mercedes-Benz ad, becoming the new face of Mercedes-Benz. Shortly after, she dyed her hair blonde and cut it short, and took on a Marilyn Monroe look; she is believed by many of her fans to be one of the main proponents (along with Gwen Stefani and Ashley Judd) in bringing back the 1920s-1940s Hollywood glamour look.

In the run-up to the 2004 United States presidential election, Aguilera was featured on billboards for the "Only You Can Silence Yourself" online voter registration drive run by the nonpartisan, non-profit campaign "Declare Yourself". In these political advertisements, Aguilera was shown with her mouth sewn shut, to symbolize the effects of not voting. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the importance of voting and having a say in the future.

In late summer 2004, Aguilera released two singles. The first, "Car Wash", was a cover of the Rose Royce disco song recorded as a collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the film Shark Tale. The second song is also a collaboration, but this time as a second single from one of Nelly's double-release albums, Sweat, titled "Tilt Ya Head Back". Aguilera copied another legendary look for the video: Marilyn Monroe's. Both singles failed commercially in the U.S., but did considerably better in other parts of the world.

After much delay, Aguilera's first DVD live-recording from a concert tour, Stripped Live in the UK, was released in November 2004. In late December, she officially released a fragrance, Xpose, which has only been available in a few European countries.

She dated Latin dancer Jorge Santos for two years until the relationship ended in September 2001. She began dating music executive Jordan Bratman in late 2002 (Christina has said he is not in the music business, despite what many think). After dating him for almost three years, their engagement was announced in February 2005. They were married on November 19, 2005, in the Napa Valley.

The VH1 program The Fabulous Life of... Christina Aguilera (2002) estimated that the singer has a net worth of between thirty and forty million dollars.

Aguilera collaborated with jazz artist Herbie Hancock on a cover of Leon Russell's "A Song for You", recorded for Hancock's album Possibilities, released in August 2005. Aguilera and Hancock were later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Christina went back to her Mickey Mouse Club roots when she helped open the 50th Anniversary for Disneyland by performing "When You Wish upon a Star".

Christina performed at "Unite of the Stars" charity banquet in Johannesburg, South Africa in late 2005 with stars such as Diana Ross and Westlife in aid of Unite Against Hunger, and she also performed at the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund at the Coca-Cola Dome on November 9. She held a full headlining concert the next day at the same venue.

She has also shown an interest in becoming an actress throughout her career. Although Aguilera has been offered many projects over the years, she continues to insist that she is looking for a particular role. She is said to prefer ones similar to those played by Angelina Jolie. She still avoids roles that portray herself, or any character resembling her.

Aguilera collaborated with Andrea Bocelli on the song "Somos Novios (It's Impossible)" for his album Amore, released in early 2006. The song leaked to the Internet on January 21, 2006.

On the TRL Awards in late February 2006, Aguilera played unmixed, unmastered raw clips of songs from her upcoming album.

In the March issue of Rolling Stone magazine, it was confirmed that the album title is Back to Basics and she's considering a double-disc album. She also revealed that the album will be released in late-spring. She graced the cover of ELLE UK magazine, confirming her work with Mark Ronson, and P. Diddy. Christina also revealed that she is still looking into movie roles and she plans on getting pregnant within the next 18 months. "I've always wanted to be a young mother", gushed Christina.

Promosquad recently released a one minute preview of Christina's new single, "Ain't No Other Man", in their promotional phone survey. No confirmation on the single's release date, however Billboard Magazine confirmed a June release date for Back to Basics via RCA Records.

Christina is set to perform at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards, being broadcast June 8, 2006. It is unknown at this time if she is performing a new single or older material