Upon first glance, it's hard not to compare "Stripped" with P!nk's 2001 breakthrough "Missundaztood". They both are the products of musical catharsis, brought on by the same producer/songwriter Linda Perry, they both arrive at a time where both P!nk and 'Xtina' fought for musical and artistic freedom, and they both contain content pertaining to their troubled childhoods. But with all of these similarities, "Stripped" and "Missundaztood" are different albums, mainly due to the fact that one is enjoyable and the other one is tedious.
Christina's debut in 1999 was a fabrication of studiocraft and excellent, cleaned-up production, neither of which suited her voice or persona. True, "When You Put Your Hands On Me" was sensual, but what wasn't able to come across in "Christina Aguilera" as a whole is that sex is a driving force for Christina. Her debut was so squeaky-clean, it didn't leave much wiggle room for what her personality was actually like. Come 2002, after she's left her teen years and has found her identity, bright and shiny pop wasn't going to satisfy her musical ambitions. "Stripped", as the title implies, is what Christina is really like. She's sexual, not coy, she's bold, not softspoken, and she posesses a soaring and rich voice, not a simplistic one. This is her first attempt at baring it all, and while most artists would sound unsure of a change so drastic, Christina goes for it unabashed. And in comparison to its rival "Missundaztood", "Stripped" actually utilizes the Linda Perry collaborations to a grand effect, and this time around, they're not as laborious to listen to. "I'm Ok" shows vulnerability not present in any artist in 2002, and it shows that while P!nk dealt with a traumatic divorce, most of her childhood problems stemmed from her drug use. Christina has more to bare, as her mother was abused, and Christina was not only caught in the middle, she was also the target of her father's rage. Since her platform for healing is stronger, she has more to offer in "Stripped". Obviously, "Beautiful", the track written solely by Linda Perry, is the best track on the record by far. "Soar" and "Fighter" capture the angst of a victim but the strength to keep moving on in a fantastic fashion, while "The Voice Within", with its full choir and cinematics, and the closer "Keep on Singing My Song" provide the ultimate chicken soup for the soul. All four tracks are long, but yet still manage to seem not long enough. But the highest points come when Christina is allowed to let loose and explore her new-found freedom. "Dirrty" is an exact personification of Christina Aguilera, the person, and it describes the junky-thrill of the album nicely. Even though she still has a team of expert producers behind her, they are only a part of the gargantuan pop record that is "Stripped". Also notable is the anthem for mistreated women "Can't Hold us Down", and "Makeover", a full-fledged rock anthem for the abused. "Stripped" only implies the raw emotions that bedeck each of its twenty tracks. It's not all that sexy, besides the wonderful "Get Mine, Get Yours" and "Dirrty", the rest of this material is just unadulterated power-pop. It's unapologetic yet respectable, 'dirrty' yet put together, and all of its elements from the producers to the singer are woven to present an album that delivers what is promises, and then it exceedes expectation. All of these facts, and given the fact that it is a sensational journey from start to finish, undoubtedly make "Stripped" superior to "Missundaztood", and is by far the best album of 2002.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Stripped Intro 2. Can’t Hold us Down 3. Walk Away
4. Fighter 5. Primer Amor 6. Infatuation
7. Love’s Embrace 8. Loving Me 4 Me 9. Impossible
10. Underappreciated 11. Beautiful 12. Makeover
13. Cruz 14. Soar 15. Get Mine, Get Yours
16. Dirrty 17. Stripped, part 2 18. The Voice Within
19. I’m OK 20. Keep On Singing My Song
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