Christina Aguilera - Stripped (LP)

Label: RCA – 07863 68037-1, BMG – 07863 68037-1
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Hip Hop, Funk / Soul
Style: Pop Rap, Contemporary R&B

Stripped is the fourth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on October 22, 2002, by RCA Records. Looking to transition from the teen pop styles of her self-titled debut album (1999), Aguilera took creative control over her next album project, both musically and lyrically. She also changed her public image and established her alter ego Xtina. Musically, its music incorporates pop and R&B with influences from many different genres, including soul, rock, hip hop, and Latin music. Lyrically, most of the songs from the album discuss the theme of self-respect, while a few other songs talk about sex and feminism. As an executive producer, Aguilera enlisted numerous new collaborators for the album.

Upon its release, Stripped received generally mixed reviews from music critics; many criticized its lack of musical focus, while some of them called it "almost" an album for grown-ups, with comparisons made to Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson. Commercially, Stripped debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 330,000 copies. It was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping over four million copies in the United States. The album also charted within the top five of charts in Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It was Aguilera's best-performing album in the United Kingdom, becoming the 29th and 40th best-selling album of the decade and millennium there, respectively, with two million copies sold. Despite its initial critical reception, Stripped received multiple Grammy Award nominations, including one win, and has since gone on to be called one of the most influential albums of all time, inspiring a generation of artists. It has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century.