“Damita Jo” showcased Jackson’s resilience as an artist. No matter how the landscape of pop music morphed, she was able to carve out a sonic space for herself. In 2004, R&B and Hip-Hop dominated the charts like never before. Producers like Dallas Austin, Rich Harrison, and Kanye West dominated the charts by producing hits for younger pop stars, all of whom Jackson had inspired. On “Damita Jo,” Jackson brought in a wide array of producers to work alongside the tried and true trio of herself, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis. It made for an album that sounded refreshing, yet still classic Janet.

We’ll be exploring the album in further detail in Issue 2 of THE 97 ZINE out this summer. We’re still ironing out the details, with the formal announcement and preorder coming in May, but you can subscribe now to receive Issue 1 starring @MariahCarey’s “Me. I Am Mariah…” album, as well as Issue 2 starring “Damita Jo” and Issue 3 starring “Destiny Fulfilled” by Destiny’s Child. If you’d like to pitch an essay for the zine, email [email protected].

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Until then, check out my top 5 songs from “Damita Jo.” Each track I selected represents one of the five prevailing moods on the album.

Damita Jo: My Top 5

5. “Damita Jo”

The ever-innovative Ms. Jackson was ahead of time with this succinct track, clocking in at just under 3 minutes long. Some may consider the track as a sort of second intro song for the album, and thematically, it is, but it’s a fully fleshed out track … and a complete banger. With quips like “A little lady, a whole lotta class, but do me wrong and I’ll get in that ass,” how can you not get your entire life? This track represents the more playfully revealing, “behind the velvet rope” sort of vibe of several other songs on the album, like “My Baby,” “Thinkin’ Bout My Ex,” “Truly” and the poetic interludes.

4. “All Nite (Don’t Stop)”

This club-ready jam deserved to be a smash hit. Effortlessly showing us why she, and not Madonna, is Britney Spears’ true pop mother, “All Nite” proved that Ms. Jackson was still ready and able to hang with the young girls. Unfortunately, the powers that be made that impossible. “All Nite” represents the album’s more contemporary dance-pop sound, also found on “Strawberry Bounce,” “SloLove” and the elusive “Love Me” remix of “Just a Little While.”

3. “Like You Don’t Love Me”

Perhaps her most unabashed album to date when it comes to sexually-explicit lyrical content, “Like You Don’t Love Me” is my favorite of the hyper-sexual tracks on “Damita Jo.” It’s a high-energy bop that’s filled with confidence and swag. “Sexhibition” also does this well, as does “Strawberry Bounce.” There’s also the pair of bedroom (or, rather, backseat) ballads, “Moist” and “Warmth” if you need an oral instructional manual.

2. “R&B Junkie”

This battles for #1 in my book, and for a long time, it was. The throwback fun of “R&B Junkie” is irresistible and infectious, and a highlight of the album. Atop the funky Evelyn King sample, the song is impossible to skip. “Junkie,” as well as lead single “I Want You” and bonus track “Could This Be Love?” perfectly play with this soulful, R&B vibe. “R&B Junkie” is the album’s best uptempo, for sure.

1. “Spending Time With You”

If the album’s interludes are any indication, Jackson must’ve spent a lot of time in the Caribbean while recording “Damita Jo.” This groovy jam encapsulates the breezy beach vibe echoed on other tracks, like “Island Life” and bonus track “I’m Here.” While perhaps best known for her danceable uptempo tracks, Jackson’s slow jams are severely underrated. Filled with intricately layered background vocals and soulful leads, “Spending Time With You” is the perfect example of that aspect of Jackson’s artistry overall, and the sensual, slower side of “Damita Jo.”

Listen to Janet Jackson’s “Damita Jo”

The post Top 5: Janet Jackson’s “Damita Jo” appeared first on THE 97.

Of course, Carey’s place in the music record books is more than secure. She has spent more weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other artist (91) and has more #1 singles than any other solo artist (19). Her albums have been certified for a total of 74 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making her the top-ranking woman, and second to only Michael Jackson among Black artists. It’s only natural that, for most of her career, Carey surely felt pressure to succeed as a hitmaker.

“When ‘Caution’ finally came, at that point in her career there was nothing else for her to prove,” says Princess Gabbara, an entertainment journalist, editor, and author whose writing has appeared in ESSENCE, Vibe, MTV News, and Billboard, where she interviewed Carey.

“She was able to create music for fun again, just for herself and the people who appreciate it most: her fans.”

Released after a tumultuous period both personally and professionally, Carey was a woman liberated on “Caution.” No longer confined by commercial expectations, she commanded the respect she deserved and earned. Carey, seemingly more comfortable and sure of herself than ever, returned to the studio in early 2018 to begin the recording sessions that would compose “Caution.”

“The studio is such a safe place for me, the right environment,” Carey told Rob Markman during her “Genius Level” interview. “I had been outside of that environment for too long and doing too many superfluous things that I really didn’t need to be doing.”

Over the four and a half years between “Caution” and 2014’s “Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse,” Carey indeed had a lot going on. She got divorced, engaged, and then broke it off. She changed managers a few times, went on three tours, had two Las Vegas residencies, produced a cringe-worthy reality TV show… and then there was the New Year’s Eve 2017 debacle. However, she kicked off 2018 by returning to the very same stage, vindicating herself with a stellar performance. 

Later that year, she disclosed that she’s battled bipolar disorder since 2001, saying she could no longer “live in constant fear” of someone exposing her (spoiler alert: someone was about to do so). In an exclusive interview with People, Carey admitted, “​​I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music.” Seven months later, she released “Caution.”

“’Caution’ is a return to her creative prowess because all of the negative drama was gone, and she could just create with no distraction,” says Gabbara. 

During her “Genius Level” interview, Carey also spoke on the creative process behind the album: “I really wanted to collaborate. One of my favorite things to do is collaborate and go back and forth…I did a lot of that on this record.”

That she did. “Caution” found Carey collaborating with an array of producers and songwriters, most of whom she had never worked with before. The result was an impressively fresh, modern R&B album. Teaming up with trusted names like Timbaland, No ID, Shea Taylor, Poo Bear, Bibi Bourelly, DJ Mustard, Nineteen85, and The Stereotypes, Carey masterfully combined contemporary R&B styles with her signature, crossover sensibilities. She also worked with less predictable collaborators, such as EDM producer Skrillex and, most notably, Dev Hynes of Blood Orange. Though each of the album’s ten tracks pairs Carey with a different set of co-producers, they mesh perfectly.

“It’s one of her most cohesive albums,” says Taylor Gray, indie R&B artist and playlist curator. “She was able to fuse many different sounds and collaborators and it worked seamlessly. It was very forward-thinking for Mariah … a little more alternative in certain elements.”

One of the album’s most “alternative” sounding tracks is “Giving Me Life.” Penned by Carey and Hynes, with a guest verse from Hip-Hop legend Slick Rick, the track is like nothing Carey has ever recorded, yet still manages to sound unmistakably her own. 

“I think her collaboration with Blood Orange is an indication of the future for her,” says Andrew Chan, author of “Why Mariah Carey Matters,” a book critically examining Carey’s legacy. “The whole weird psychedelic outro that she does, it’s just fantastic.”

Praise for “Caution” is not limited to Gabbara, Chan, or Gray. On Metacritic, a website that creates an aggregate score for albums based on published reviews, the album has a score of 82 based on nine reviews, which they note as “universal acclaim.”

“She started to finally receive a lot of her flowers,” says Gabbara. “It felt like a full-circle moment. Not only the fans, but the critics recognized that too.” 

Critics were definitely impressed. In Entertainment Weekly, Leah Greenblatt wrote, “On … the breezy, pleasingly defiant ‘Caution,’ she finds a freshness that’s been missing from her recent material.” Similarly, in the Pitchfork review by Maura Johnston, she noted that Carey employs “of-the-moment producers to add current touches to her tracks, but the way she uses them on ‘Caution’ results in her fine-tuning her aesthetic, not bending to current playlist-friendly trends.”

For Spin, Winston Cook-Wilson gave Carey, and “Caution,” high praise: “More than just a sound effect, “Mariah Carey”-ness is a style and an attitude, a mode in which so many artists continue to make music. On ‘Caution,’ she is still doing it better than most of her students, and sounds more comfortable than she has in quite a while.”

Chan, too, notes that this album marked a shift in how critics wrote about Carey, but he also attributes that to a change in demographics among critics: “Things change when more people of color start writing about music; when more queer people start writing about music. Much of the music criticism was controlled by a certain type of straight white man who really had no interest in what Mariah or a lot of other black women were bringing to the table musically.” 

“It also says something about how Mariah’s legacy has solidified,“ he adds.

While Carey is famously averse to acknowledging time, the album was released 28 years into her career, on the cusp of her fourth decade in the industry. At 54, Carey is far from retirement but is certainly a veteran, a “legacy act” – which comes with good and bad elements. Due to ageism (and slightly confusing single choices), the album barely made a dent, commercially. However, its critical acclaim and subsequent celebrations of her legacy that followed “Caution” show that Carey is beginning to receive the respect that an artist of her caliber deserves.

“People started to realize we need to appreciate our living legends while we have them,” says Gabbara.

Since “Caution” was released, Carey herself has made several conscious decisions to celebrate her legacy and catalog. While she may opt to refer to them as minutes and not years, she celebrated the 25th Anniversary of iconic albums “Daydream,” and “Butterfly,” the 30th Anniversary of “Music Box,” and her entire career with a campaign called “#MC30.” In 2020, she also released her first memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” alongside an album of unreleased songs “from the vault,” titled “The Rarities.” 

Each of these events was met with celebration from fans and critics alike, perhaps contributing to the snowballing success of Carey’s evergreen classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which, after notching its first week at #1 in 2019, has only grown more popular. With it, Carey’s profile as the “Queen of Christmas” continues to elevate. 

This year, her “It’s Time” video announcing the start of the holiday Mariah season became the most-watched video on Twitter (X), with over 122 million views. On TikTok, it has over 93 million. Currently, Carey is on tour spreading Christmas cheer with a setlist that includes holiday favorites, as well as some of her biggest hits and fan favorites. Just in time to celebrate its 5th anniversary, there’s even a “Caution” cut included, the Lil’ Kim-sampling gem that should’ve been its lead single: “A No No.” 

As she continues to release (GRAMMY-nominated) special editions of her classic albums and trek around the world each Christmas as obligated by The Crown, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Mariah Carey is no longer shying away from reminding us that while she may be the Queen of Christmas, she is not just the Christmas lady. Following the acclaim she received for “Caution,” Carey has definitely seemed more emboldened and aware of her worth. 

“I think maybe there is something that happens with artists who just don’t get any critical respect,” says Chan. “It’s almost like you feel shy about praising yourself or putting yourself forward as a major musician, maybe because you’ve never been made to feel that by people who have respected positions and can judge that. Once you have a sense of how influential you are and it’s being acknowledged in the press, I can understand how that would make you go back and reflect on what your contribution has been over decades.”

In celebration of the album’s release, Sony Music installed an exhibition called “The Mariah Carey Experience” at Sony Square in New York City. With different photo booths that allowed fans to recreate a couple of her iconic album covers, a museum-style display of her #1 hits and memorable ensembles, and of course a Christmas moment, it simultaneously placed her legacy front and center alongside her then-new album.

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Before landing on “Caution,” Carey originally planned to title the album after a different track, the reflective ballad “Portrait.” A tradition at this point, she bares all on the dramatically introspective album closer. She sings, “I won’t let the teardrops spill tonight/ Just conceal myself and hide/ This portrait of my life.” Dripping in insecurity, “Portrait” illustrates a woman fighting to survive, remaining resilient (“down but not demoralized”), but in shame (“how do I disappear?”).

The last song recorded for the album, “Caution,” became the album’s title track instead. A wise choice, from both a stylistic (the song is more representative of the set, sonically) and marketing (the artwork and other caution-taped theme promo materials were really cool) standpoint. However, maybe unconsciously, “Caution” paints the picture of a much different woman in comparison to “Portrait.” On the slinky, Caribbean-inspired groove, Carey confidently sings, “Proceed with caution, but don’t make me wait/ Before too long, it just might fade away.” 

While yes, the song is about a new relationship, perhaps as an album title it was metaphorical. “Caution,” the album, was a catalyst; it was Mariah Carey putting the world on notice. She demanded respect as an artist, and releasing a damn good body of work was the most effective form of statement to make her case.

Recently, Carey announced that she’s back in the studio working on her next album – the follow-up to “Caution” that fans have been eagerly anticipating. Indeed, “it’s time.”

Revisit “Caution” by Mariah Carey

The post Mariah Carey and the Catalyst of “Caution” appeared first on THE 97.

When it came to R&B, Carey’s more authentic offerings with less commercial gloss and more bluesy introspection were kept from the spotlight. However, the diva-to-be sure did try.

This playlist is a reimagining of “Music Box,” a supposition of what, based on her later work, Carey might have preferred the album to sound like. Some of its singles have been swapped in favor of a remix or a live version. And, perhaps most controversially, a pair of discarded tracks replace album tracks. This is Mariah’s Version.

Music Box (Mariah’s Version)

1. Dreamlover (Bam Jam Soul) Remix

The story goes that Carey crafted a sparsely produced “Dreamlover” with Dave Hall, using the same sample as Big Daddy Kane’s “Ain’t No Half Steppin’.” However, Carey’s then-husband and label head Tommy Mottola called in her frequent, pop-friendly collaborator Walter Afanasieff to give the song the gloss it needed to become a commercial pop confection. Rumor has it that this remix is a little closer to how it would’ve sounded.

2. Hero (Live at Tokyo Dome)

You’ve probably heard the story: Carey wrote “Hero” with Gloria Estefan in mind for a film of the same name. Mottola heard it, and told her to keep it for herself, and the rest is history. “Hero” is one of Carey’s signature songs, but she’s always expressed her reservations about it, saying that she didn’t appreciate the song until she began performing it live and connecting with fans over its sentiment. For that reason, as well as the warmth that the live arrangement adds to it, I selected a live performance to replace the album version.

3. Anytime You Need a Friend (Soul Convention Remix)

While the album version is a gorgeous ballad complete with gospel-inspired background vocals, the Soul Convention Mix has more dreamy, sparse R&B sensibilities and soulful vocals to match. This mix really complements the lyrics and elevates the song beyond its more adult-contemporary-ready album version.

4. Music Box

The gorgeous title track remains; a chilling song that is likely an ode to Carey’s true soulmate: music. It not only gives the album its title, it also sets the tone sonically. Many of the songs on the album echo its enchanting qualities.

5. Do You Think of Me

Originally released as the b-side to “Dreamlover,” this song deserved to be on the album. A sensual track with all the hallmarks of a classic 90s R&B sound, “Do You Think of Me” was probably Carey’s sexiest song to date at that point. “When you feel the touch of another lover, do you think of me?” she asks, possibly to her then-husband’s dismay.

6. Never For You (Radio Edit)

Co-written with Babyface, the album version is pretty perfect, but the Jermaine Dupri-produced remix gives the song an extra thump. Literally; the heavier bass makes the song fall in line with Carey’s later penchant for a ballad with a beat.

7. All I Live For

Fresh out of the vault, Carey found “All I Live For” in 2020 while assembling her compilation of unreleased or obscure tracks, “The Rarities.” Fitting right in with the other, equally dated (but inferior) up-tempos that follow, Carey rightfully referred to “All I Live For” as “soooo 90s” in the “Rarities” liner notes. It’s puzzling that they left this one on the cutting room floor.

8. Now That I Know
9. I’ve Been Thinking About You

This pair of C&C Music Factory collaborations are fun and energetic, offering a hint at Carey’s soon-apparent love for House music. While Carey’s soaring vocals and C&C’s sizzling production succeed at uplifting an otherwise sleepy album, they are a bit substantively generic. For any other artist, they would be standouts, but after 30 years and 12 more albums… the bar is high for Carey.

10. Dreamlover (Def Club Mix Edit)

On 1995’s “Daydream” and 1997’s “Butterfly,” Carey included the shortened edit of one of her house mixes (“Fantasy” and “Butterfly” respectively) on the album itself. While it probably wasn’t recorded in time for the album’s release in 1993, this game-changing remix deserved to be on a Diamond-selling album.

11. Without You

Carey’s cover of Badfinger’s “Without You” has (debatably) become the definitive version, and one of her biggest hits internationally. While she certainly loves R&B and Hip-Hop, Carey has made it well-known that her knowledge of music is pretty limitless, and was choosing to cover Rock songs long after her musical liberation.

12. Everything Fades Away

On the international edition of “Music Box,” Carey’s worldwide fans were treated to “Everything Fades Away.” On Mariah’s Version, it’d be a non-negotiable, following in her oft-practiced tradition of closing an album with a deeply personal ballad. This haunting tale of a heart that’s breaking could’ve been autobiographical or could’ve been one of Carey’s many successful exercises in showcasing her literary prowess. Either way, its lyrics had more depth than the rest of “Music Box” and her first two albums. More of that would certainly follow.

**Just to Hold You Once Again
** All I’ve Ever Wanted

Something had to get cut, dahhlings! While these two songs boast some simply stunning vocals, they are by far the least interesting of the bunch… and the most adult-contemporary leaning. Never fear, “Dreamlover” would still need a b-side, and the album would still need an international bonus track, so do with that what you will. Or, there’s always the vault…

Listen to “Music Box (Mariah’s Version)”

Available on Apple Music, Spotify, and elsewhere.

The post Playlist: Music Box (Mariah’s Version) appeared first on THE 97.

The world watched her reach dizzying heights and stunning lows. In admiration, the public saw Whitney Houston morph from a church girl from Newark, N.J. into an otherworldly Pop deity beloved by massive throngs of fans and peers alike. That audience soon balked at the slightest indication of Houston’s imperfections, fiercely rebuking her overly-documented history with ex-husband Bobby Brown, her long-rumored queerness, and admitted issues with substance use disorder. The public, abetted by the constant intrusion of the press, callously mocked her struggles, claiming in one breath to be concerned for her well-being while simultaneously waiting for her next misstep.

When the protagonist of this Greek tragedy perished at just 48 years old, the public mourned, though they did not attempt to hide their disdain for choices made in her private life. Though she retains the record for the most consecutive number-one hits on the Billboard charts, is the third best-selling recording artist of all time, and is one of the most highly decorated artists of all time, her legacy serves as more of a cautionary tale than that of the musical titan she rightfully was, and remains.

It’s time for the narrative to change.

Whitney Houston’s death is not the end of her story, nor is it the embodiment of her life. The unshakable truth is that Houston was one of the greatest entertainers that ever graced the earth. With joyful noise, the instrument that emanated from her very being was indeed an act of the divine. An expression of love that came from the higher power she so deeply loved. While in use, that instrument brought you closer to HIM. Whitney Houston’s talent was not of this world, which is the true culmination of who she was and is. The following is a deeper look into Whitney Houston’s greatest live performances, curated by her fans in loving memory.

Whitney Houston’s Greatest Live Performances

“I Loves You Porgy”/, “And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going)”/“I Have Nothing” at the 21st Annual American Music Awards, 1994

Performed on the same night Houston took home a record eight awards (a feat only matched by Michael Jackson), this performance is the closest to perfection that anyone on this Earth will ever come. To sing one of these songs (well) individually is a task that challenges even the most experienced vocalists. Houston seamlessly weaves all three songs together without breaking a sweat (albeit her signature bead of slight perspiration on her upper lip. Stage lights are hot!). During each of these songs, Houston uses her supreme skills to accurately pull off each transition vocally, while simultaneously portraying the emotional differences within each of them, physically.

Starting with “I Loves You Porgy,” a standout penned by Gershwin & Gershwin for the opera Porgy & Bess, she entices her captive audience into a lusty seduction absent from her earlier stage work. It is the perfect foil to Houston’s fiery rendition of “And I Am Telling You, (I’m Not Going),” an iconic tune from the 1981 Broadway hit production “Dreamgirls,” which is my preference between the first two selections of this set. The song, synonymously associated with vocal giant Jennifer Holliday, would undoubtedly be intimidating for most singers; however, Houston devours the piece with a ferocity that illustrates her innate vocal superiority and technique. This may be a hot take, but I prefer Houston’s version to Ms. Holliday’s.

One of the nuances of Houston’s set is that each selection is an iconic love ballad. Watching her masterfully breeze through these above songs as she approaches the final act of this performance, Houston’s Olympian-like stamina had the audience in a trance. For the finale, she performed her 1992 hit, “I Have Nothing,” from the mega-blockbuster film, “The Bodyguard,” wherein, just like her movie counterpart Rachel Marron, Houston becomes the fully realized Pop empress, with the audience merely being her adoring subjects. With them in the palm of her hands, she transitions from lightly caressing her vocals and phrasing during particular parts of the ballad to plummeting to the guttural parts of her lower register, only to just as quickly ascend to the highest peaks of her memorable falsetto. Two years removed from the single’s initial release, Houston not only solidified this song’s place among the best in her catalog of hits but of any recorded in the 20th century. Houston was as confident as she was elegant throughout, and using “Nothing” as the set’s closer further cemented the track’s impact. Ultimately, we are left with nearly 10 minutes of superb, uninterrupted, anointed singing. The enormity of this triumphant performance was indicative of Houston’s astronomical success at that time. It was Whitney’s world; we were all just living in it.

“The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV, 1991

Set at the height of America’s involvement in the Persian Gulf War, Houston performed this song at Tampa Stadium with approximately 73,813 in attendance and an additional 73 million people watching globally. According to longtime musical director Ricky Minor, Houston intended for her rendition of the song to be of similar impact to Marvin Gaye’s soulful performance at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. While Minor has since confirmed that the music was pre-recorded (a precaution used to avoid audio issues during the live broadcast), Houston’s effort has become the most well-known cover of The National Anthem and one of the most memorable moments in television history.

Like Gaye’s interpretation, Minor modified the song’s original 6/8 time signature into 4/4, commonly used in more African-American-derived music. In doing so, Minor afforded Houston enough room to utilize the full extent of her wide vocal range while also allowing her to infuse the song with a Gospel element that’d never been heard before. Ironically Houston, who had not listened to the provided modified instrumental of the track before its recording, nailed Minor’s arrangement in just a singular take.

Three years after her infamous appearance at the 1988 Soul Train Music Awards, in which the majority black audience booed her after claims of “selling out” (I’m talking to you, Al Sharpton) to white audiences, Houston had successfully reclaimed her blackness throughout her creative output and overall public persona. What is most telling about this point is that one of Whitney Houston’s greatest live performances finds her in her most natural state. Eschewing the evening gown suggested by her team in favor of her famous red, white, and blue tracksuit, Houston looks as patriotic as she does relatable, a fact that I hope the audience that once so venomously booed her at Soul Train appreciated. She was always that girl from Newark, and nothing could change that. Her showing was as joyful as it was yearning; joy in the expression of this black woman’s gifts while longing for freedom that has never been fully allowed for so many black people past and present. It’s hard for me to speak positively on the song’s supposed theme of freedom, as divisiveness and inequality continue to attack the moral fabric of this country. However, watching this always transports me to where I can at least hope things will improve. Most importantly, a black woman did that. KNOW THIS!

“The Greatest Love of All” from Welcome Home Heroes With Whitney Houston, 1991

This could very well be sacrilegious, but “The Greatest Love of All” has not always been a favorite Whitney tune of mine. Growing up in a household where the 1988 film Coming To America was in consistent rotation, my primary association with the song was tied to Eddie Murphy’s hilarious version sung in the movie. My immature brain wrote the original off as corny and unsuited for my more soulful musical preferences. I later learned of the song’s origin, and my views began to soften.

Initially written in 1977 for the Muhammad Ali biopic “The Greatest,” songwriters Martin Masser and Linda Creed crafted the song during Creed’s terminal fight with breast cancer, one that she’d lose nine years later. A proper coping mechanism during her illness, Creed hoped the lyrics would inspire others to thrive in adversity, specifically children. Still, I held on to that opinion until I watched this stunning 1991 rendition.

In a benefit concert staged to welcome home over 3,000 servicemen and women from The Gulf War, Houston’s voice had fully matured by this period of her career, and she’d begun to take more risks with her onstage vocal delivery. Gone were the restrictive days of mimicking herself to sound like she did on wax, and she takes several artistic liberties with the song that makes it far superior to the original release. Houston’s chilling ad-libs and vocal control are put to work here, an impressive feat given that it was the penultimate song on the vocally acrobatic setlist she’d performed that night. The most notable moment of the performance is when Houston brings an adorable young fan on the stage to serenade him in the spirit of Linda Creed’s aspirations for the song’s impact. Wherever that young man is, I hope he made something of himself because Whitney and Linda told him to!

“All The Man That I Need” from Welcome Home Heroes With Whitney Houston, 1991

I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched this one, for it is easily one of the most outstanding examples of Houston’s extraordinary falsetto and immense vocal power. The album version was exceptional, a standout from her 1992 career-changing album “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” However, this live performance, along with many other iterations of it sung during this era, eclipses Houston’s studio recording and the original incarnation of the track, released in 1981 by Linda Clifford.

This performance, along with the famous “Love Medley” (also included in this list) that preceded it, is possibly the highlight of a supremely high-quality concert and finds Houston as she reaches her vocal peak mid-performance. The dramatic incantation of Houston’s repetition of the phrase “I need,” punctuated by a nearly operatic tone and pitch, lend themselves to the reverent nature of the song’s lyrical theme.

While Houston was known for her expansive vocal tricks, none felt too showy or out of place. I’ve often wondered if Houston’s well-known religious beliefs played a role in her passionate delivery of this track; instead of Houston singing to a romantic partner, the song’s recipient is her creator. Her creator brought her there, and that creator was the only man Houston would ever need. This performance and the entire show’s production gave audiences a brief glimpse into the historical commercial success that Houston, and by proxy, the world, would experience in just one year.

“This Day,” from “Whitney Houston: This is My Life” TV special, 1992

As previously discussed, Houston’s relationship with the church was a significant facet of her life and career, even at their low points. Her devotion to her higher power and commitment to her professional pursuits were inextricably bound together, yet somehow at odds. Every musical note that ever left her body expressed the complexity of this internal struggle and Houston’s intense desire to live her life as a scripture-abiding Christian woman; despite her flaws.

Rewinding the clock to the “Bodyguard” era, “This Day” showcases Houston returning to the familiar well of her early childhood experiences from within the church. Flanked by the robust support of three backing vocalists and her band, one could be forgiven for assuming that her accompaniment was on a much larger scale for this cover of the Edwin Hawkins classic. In this instance, Houston starts the song softly, then gradually intensifies as she directs the band to the track’s climax. A staple in her live stage concerts at this point of her career, what I love most about this particular performance is her role as a choral mistress, guiding the arrangement in a manner similar to that of her mother, Cissy Houston. Her demeanor at the song’s conclusion was that of genuine adoration and praise, and it transports the listener back to Houston’s pre-showbiz days of singing at her church home, New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

“I Love The Lord/“Joy To The World” at Ebony 50th Anniversary Celebration, 1996

Moving along to 1996, this performance of “I Love The Lord” and “Joy To The World,” from Houston’s soundtrack album, “The Preacher’s Wife,” may not be the most technically sound performance of her career, but the shining point is her genuine happiness during its latter section. Accompanied by The Georgia Mass Choir, Houston produces a deeper-toned, coarser take on the song than its album counterpart. The most enjoyable aspect of this is that, done intentionally or not, Houston’s delivery is that of one who has genuinely experienced hardship yet is still grateful for the blessings imparted to her, something that I relate to. Not every moment in our lives will find you at your best, but faith in whatever personal doctrine you ascribe to will drive you out of whatever obstacle is thrown your way. Let the church say Amen!

Remembering Nippy at 60, with 60

I’m unable to quantify the enormity of Whitney Houston’s contributions to the entertainment world. She was a businesswoman, humanitarian, and pioneer in the modern landscape of popular music. Nippy was for the girls, always striving to lift as she climbed and never dimming anyone else’s shine to bolster hers. Like every other living person on this planet, Whitney was imperfect. She was not above criticism, and she made questionable judgments in her life. But it was HER life. And it is that life and the many gifts that it left that should be revered, not the tragic ending she suffered. On this day, the 60th anniversary of the birth of this majestic creature, it is my sincere hope that we remember her with love, compassion, and appreciation.

Today, we celebrate… with 60 of Whitney Houston’s greatest live performances.

In further celebration of her 60th birthday, three of Whitney’s most iconic albums have been newly re-issued on vinyl:

The Preacher’s Wife

I’m Your Baby Tonight

My Love Is Your Love

Watch Whitney Houston’s Greatest Live Performances

1. “I Loves You Porgy”/“And I Am Telling You”/“I Have Nothing”  (American Music Awards, 1994)
2. “I Will Always Love You” (GRAMMY Awards, 1994)
3. “Saving All My Love For You” (GRAMMY Awards, 1986)
4. “A Song For You” (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
5. “All At Once” (American Music Awards, 1987)
6. “I Am Changing” (Arista 10th Anniversary, 1984)
7. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (Top of the Pops, 1987)
8. “One Moment In Time” (Atlanta, 1992)
9. “How Will I Know” (MTV, 1986)
10. “I’m Every Woman” (Concert for a New South Africa, 1994)
11. “I Say A Little Prayer” (with Natalie Cole, 1990)
12. “The Star Spangled Banner” (Super Bowl, 1992)
13. “The Greatest Love of All” (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
14. “I’m Your Baby Tonight” (Arsenio Hall Show, 1991)
15. “It Hurts Like Hell” (Poland, 1991)
16. “Home” (Merv Griffin Show, 1983)
17. “When You Believe” (with Mariah Carey, Academy Awards, 1999)
18. “For The Love Of You” (California, 1987)
19. “So Emotional” (Japan, 1991)
20. “I Belong To You” (London, 1991)
21. Love Medley: “Didn’t We Almost Have it All”/“A House Is Not A Home”/“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
22. “You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)” (Brazil, 1994)
23. “The Battle Hymn of The Republic” (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
24. “Revelation is Here” (Brazil, 1994)
25. “All The Man I Need” (Welcome Home Heroes, 1991)
26. “This Day” (1992)
27. “Queen of The Night” (Brunei, 1996)
28. “Anymore” (Japan, 1991)
29. Waiting to Exhale Medley (GRAMMY Awards, 1997)
30. “Higher Love” (Japan, 1990)
31. “In Return” (Japan, 1990)
32. “I Learned From The Best” (Germany, 1999)
33. “Heartbreak Hotel” (with Kelly Price & Faith Evans, Rosie O’Donnell Show, 1998)
34. “Jesus Loves Me” (Rio de Janeiro, 1994)
35. “Ain’t No Way” (with Mary J. Blige, VH1 Diva’s Live, 1999)
36. “You Give Good Love” (Soul Train Awards, 1987)
37. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (with Natalie Cole)
38. “A Quiet Place” (1987)
39. “I Love The Lord”/“Joy To The World” (ft. The Georgia Mass Choir, Ebony 50th Anniversary, 1996)
40. “That’s What Friends Are For” (with Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, & Dionne Warwick, Soul Train Awards, 1987) 
41. “We Didn’t Know” (with Stevie Wonder, Arsenio Hall, 1990) 
42. “Lover for Life” (Brunei, 1995)
43. “Something in Common” (duet with Bobby Brown, Soul Train Awards, 1994)
44. “Just The Lonely Talking Again” (California, 1987)
45. “Hold Up The Light” (with Bebe & Cece Winans, NAACP Image Awards, 1989)
46. “Hold Me” (1987 rehearsal)
47. “My Love is Your Love” (with Bobbi Kristina Brown, Germany, 1999)
48. “Step By Step” (Italy, 1998)
49. “I Look To You” (with Kim Burrell, BET Celebration of Gospel, 2011)
50. “I Was Made To Love Him” (with Stevie Wonder, Diva’s Duets 2003)
51. “Don’t Cry For Me” (Commitment For Life AIDS Benefit, 1994)
52. “There’s Music In You” (Rosie O’Donnell, 1998)
53. “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” (Germany, 1999)
54. “One of Those Days” (Good Morning America, 2002)
55. “Love Will Find A Way” (Texas, 1985)
56. “Who Do You Love?” (Japan, 1991)
57. “If Told You That” (Poland, 1999)
58. “You’re a Friend of Mine” (with Dionne Warwick, Solid Gold, 1985)
59. “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” (American Music Awards, 1999)
60. “So Amazing” (Soul Train Awards, 1999)

Watch Whitney Houston’s Greatest Live Performances

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It All Started With a Purr.

Not quite the kind of vocal purr that Eartha Kitt famously once possessed. This purr was vastly different: vaguely androgynous, with a fry that would horrify most experienced vocal coaches, yet intrinsically worked for her. The purr was deep. One now disgraced singer once facetiously quipped that the owner sounded like “the female Elvis.” This proved to be untrue, as the purr was strangely feminine and unmistakably seductive, yet tinged with an innate and sometimes guttural hint of pain. It was deceptive, mostly coming from the proverbial “basement” of the owner’s register, while seemingly out of nowhere, reaching a falsetto a singer like that rarely has in their wheelhouse.

Church Girl

When the owner of this vocal purr, a diminutive 25-year-old woman hailing from Severn, Maryland, linked up with pioneering singer-songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, what resulted was not only one of the most enduring musical partnerships of all time but one of the greatest debut albums the world has ever seen. In July 1993, Toni Michele Braxton arrived and proved she was here to stay.

By the time her self-titled debut album dropped, Toni Braxton up until that point had lived a life that was a far cry from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Born the first of six children, Braxton had grown up with the strict religious teachings of her clergyman father, and under the restrictive tutelage of her mother. She’d known minimal success previously, as along with her four sisters, she served as the lead singer of the original incarnation of the R&B group, The Braxtons. While it was obvious that the sisters were talented to varying degrees, it was Toni who was the unmistakable star.

A “Musical Marriage”

By 1993, Kenneth Edmonds and L.A. Reid had found a way to exploit their new star’s talents in the best way possible. It began of course, with the music. Recording of the album began just under a year earlier in Atlanta, where by that point, Braxton had already recorded her duet with Edmonds, “Give U My Heart” and her first solo single “Love Shoulda Brought You Home”, both for the soundtrack to the 1992 film, Boomerang. Love as it turned out, would be the album’s center-point, as the work perfectly embodies the ebbs and flows of relationships. We take a seamless journey throughout a love story in its different phases.

With a relatable ear, we journey with Braxton as she girlishly describes “the honeymoon phase” in tracks such as “How Many Ways” (Shemar Moore, anyone?), “Best Friend,” “I Belong To You” and “Candlelight.” We feel through her the emotional uncertainty during rougher times with “You Mean The World To Me.” We even condoned more immoral behavior from Toni, as she coyly entertains the thought of infidelity in “Love Affair,” just because it was so damn sexy. Come on, when she sings the line, “I have a boyfrieeeennnd!” you can’t tell me that you didn’t want her to choose chaos, and cheat!

The Boomerang Effect

There is a strong chance that you’ve seen your mamas or your aunties recreating the famous scene in Boomerang, in which Halle Berry’s Angela “muffs” Eddie Murphy’s Marcus in the forehead, while cooly saying, “Loooove, shoulda brought your ass HOME last night!” – an obvious reference and evidence of the aforementioned track’s impact. Continuing that wave of accountability, the track “Seven Whole Days” sees Braxton sassing her man ALL the way together. Flanked by her younger sisters (R.I.P. Tracie), this visual is easily my favorite of the era. By the time we reach the stage of full-on heartache with songs like “Another Sad Love Song” (one of my absolute favorite songs of all time), and “Breathe Again,” we’ve run the whole emotional gamut that one can expect in a romantic relationship.

Living Legend

With one stroke of the proverbial wands of Babyface and L.A. Reid, Toni “Living Legend” Braxton had arrived. By shedding her homely Maryland aesthetic – repackaged as a tantalizing, lovesick R&B goddess – she easily stood toe-to-toe with her admitted influences of Anita Baker and Sade. With the sensual stage presence of a 1940s torch singer, Braxton quickly developed a sex appeal that rivaled her contemporaries Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston.

Donning her iconic pixie cut, denim jeans, bold red lipstick, and black leather jacket on the album’s cover, Braxton would go on to shift not only what an R&B diva looks like, but would shatter the whole notion of what one is. Toni Braxton’s debut album, which would go on to nab her three GRAMMYs including one for Best New Artist, easily rendered the newcomer as one of the most commercially viable artists of the 1990s. The little plain girl from Severn, Maryland with the funny purr in her voice went on to become a living legend because she has one of the most distinguishable voices of all time.

Listen to or purchase Toni Braxton’s debut album

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The song, released on June 2, 2003, as the third and final single off of the superstar’s ninth studio album “Charmbracelet,” originally appeared on the British rock band’s 1981 album “High ‘n’ Dry.” Written by band members Steve Clark, Pete Willis, and Joe Elliott, “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak” only reached a peak of #61 on the Billboard Hot 100, a stark contrast from a majority of the more successful hits Carey’s chosen to cover on her other albums. Released through Island Def Jam Records and Carey’s own (now defunct) record label, MonarC Entertainment, “Heartbreak” wasn’t any more commercially successful in Carey’s hands, but was well-received by critics and even the song’s creators.

Cover Girl

Lead singer Joe Elliott recounts that he heard Carey became interested in covering the band’s song after she heard it playing during a photoshoot. “I think she did a great version of it,” he told Rolling Stone in 2019. Def Leppard’s guitarist Phil Collen described Carey’s version as “genuine,” stating, “She’s on our side and it’s an honour she’s done it.” Other reviewers were appreciative of Carey’s surprising transformation from pop to rock star. Praising its live instrumentation, Sal Cinquemani of “Slant” labeled the track as “daring.” After all, it’s not every day a diva like Carey trades in her stilettos for a guitar.

“Gypsy, sittin’ looking pretty / A broken rose and laughing eyes…” are the first lines elicited by Carey’s airy but fervent vocals as she swoons over a somber piano and soft guitar strings. While Leppard’s original version begins with an immediate clash of electric guitars and drums, Carey’s version takes you on a journey of suspense – a gentle, almost whispered start, with a ferocious ending. “The record had a crescendo, so we started out in one place and ended up in a really big epic moment,” Carey said about the song during a 2002 promo interview. Though the five-octave crooner, who’s cemented her musical legacy with innumerable pop/R&B hits, surely wouldn’t be first in mind for a rock ‘n’ roll selection, Carey’s rendition of “Heartbreak” further proves that her voice can fit seamlessly within any musical genre. And, her glass-shattering high note towards the song’s finish – the one Elliott said makes “Minnie Riperton sound like Tom Waits” – could actually be mistaken for an electric guitar squeal. The diva’s voice is indeed an instrument. Everything else around it is just background noise.

Punk-riah

Though the 2003 release of “Heartbreak” was the first rock single that the self-proclaimed “elusive chanteuse” publicly took credit for singing, it was not her first foray into the genre. Carey later revealed in her 2020 memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” that she recorded an alternative rock album during the recording of her 1995 studio album, “Daydream.” The secret album, titled “Someone’s Ugly Daughter,” was released under the band name, Chick. Carey wrote, produced, and sang each track from the album, enlisting her friend Clarissa Dane to sing over her voice as a means of disguising it. Carey, however, has hinted about the album in the past. “I’ve written some alternative things that nobody knows about,” she revealed to Craig Seymour, in 1999, saying, “I’m a musical person.” Unfortunately, “Someone’s Ugly Daughter” is still not available on any music platforms. But honestly Ms. Carey, it’s time for the world to become reacquainted with the much more elusive, “Punk-riah.”

A music video for “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak,” directed by Sanaa Hamri, was shot in Los Angeles in early 2003. Inspired by the 1979 film, “The Rose,” the song’s video chronicles the pressures of a renowned rock star, one who is adored by the world but struggles to find her own inner peace – much like the film’s protagonist Mary Rose Foster, played by the legendary Bette Midler. Dressed like a vampy Stevie Nicks, Carey is draped in headscarves and hippie beads but stays true to character by leaving her enviable physique on full display. Shots of her being swarmed by screaming fans, backed by close-ups of a saddened starlet and clips of a risqué love scene between her and model Damon Willis in the sheets, all lead to the video’s finale, where – much like Rose – Carey is performing onstage for her doting followers, with Randy Jackson on bass and Dave Narravo shredding his guitar. Though the song’s style and video are not on brand of the familiar “Mariah Carey” archetype, they certainly coincide with the tales of this diva’s storied career.

Mimi’s Heartbreak

The song’s parent album, “Charmbracelet,” was released during a rather unsuccessful and complicated period for the music icon. After closing out the ’90s as the best-selling artist of the decade, with at least one number-one single in each year, Carey entered the new millennium with her own personal heartbreak. Freshly divorced from the then-CEO of Sony Music, Tommy Mottola, Carey signed a record-breaking contract deal with Virgin Records ahead of the release of her 2001 motion picture debut, Glitter. Following a series of setbacks and delays brought on by Carey being hospitalized for exhaustion, the film and its accompanying soundtrack were commercial failures and panned by critics. Ultimately, the superstar was bought out of her contract by Virgin Records. It was “a complete and total stress-fest,” according to Carey. “I made a total snap decision which was based on money and I never make decisions based on money. I learned a big lesson from that.”

The following year, the songstress jetted out to Capri, Italy, where she began writing and recording fresh material for a new album before even being signed to a new label (ultimately choosing Island Def Jam). Carey not only found a new home with another record company but also launched her very own record label – MonarC Entertainment (which was abandoned in the summer of 2004). In the wake of commercial blows, critical mockery, and record label confusion, Carey’s father passed away shortly after the two had reconciled after years of not speaking to one another. She honored her late father with the song, “Sunflowers For Alfred Roy,” on “Charmbracelet.”

“Charmbracelet” (released December 3, 2002) was not the commercial comeback Carey had intended it to be, however. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, while all three of its subsequent singles received shockingly poorer chart success than Carey was known for. “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak” reached #25 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary Chart, but managed to peak at #5 on the Billboard U.S. Dance Club Songs, thanks to its club remixes. The song was performed on several television programs, including “The Today Show” and Mexico’s child fundraiser program “Teletón,” as well as on the album’s supporting tour, “The Charmbracelet World Tour.” Carey’s future, though, was anything but heartbreaking. The Grammy winner returned to her former glory with her 2005 comeback album, “The Emancipation of Mimi,” and eventually broke Elvis Presley’s record for having more number-one hits than any other solo artist in music history. Over the decades, she has completely transformed herself into the quintessential symbol of Christmas. Her years of heartache are certainly long gone.

Although Carey’s rendition of “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak” didn’t match the success of her most beloved covers, it certainly speaks to her musical diversity. With a song catalog that practically shimmers from catchy pop melodies and honeyed vocals, “Heartbreak” is a rock ‘n’ roll rarity. For both the likeliest and unlikeliest of song choices, a voice like Carey’s is always the perfect fit. But be warned – when Mariah Carey covers your song, it just isn’t your song anymore.

Listen to “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak”

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Released on May 6, 2013, as the lead single from Carey’s fourteenth studio album, “Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse,” “#Beautiful” marked a new era for the celebrated songstress. The track was her first release to garner significant traction since the 2009 hit single, “Obsessed.” The inspirational but polar opposite singles “Triumphant (Get ‘Em),” released in the summer of 2012, and “Almost Home” (the theme song to Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful) released just 3 months prior, both failed to chart. Coming out at the tail end of Carey’s rather infamous stint as an American Idol judge, “#Beautiful” had the perfect markings (and marketing) of a summer smash.

Mariah Meets Miguel

Starting off with a sleek guitar lick, the song already paints the five-octave diva in a much different light than her previous singles. There’s a little edge, a little grit, a little rock ‘n’ roll – three ways a casual observer of Carey’s would not even think to use to describe the songbird’s twinkling index of high notes. The song’s featured guest, Miguel, holds the reins for a majority of the song’s opening, while the only offering Carey even makes in the song’s introduction is a repeated “uh, uh, you’re beautiful” and some faint, girl-group-inspired “ooh’s” and “ahh’s.”

In true diva fashion, Carey’s voice comes swinging in, full throttle, and fashionably late to her own song. She seemingly responds to Miguel’s invitation to ride atop his bike, crooning, “I like when you run red lights” at the start of the second verse. The double entendre here is an example of the pair’s playful banter throughout the song. Its surprisingly bawdy yet catchy chorus about admiring each other’s beauty echoes the juvenile feelings of a brewing romance. The chorus also reveals the song’s only defect: the hashtag in its title acts as a placeholder for the f-word. It was an attempt at embracing trends that fell flat.

Though the song served as the lead single from Carey’s then-upcoming album, it was originally conceived by Miguel. He comprised the opening guitar riff before pitching it to Carey. The two then collaborated to complete the song, and as Mariah revealed in an interview with Ryan Seacrest, “We just wanted to do something different that has a texture, that feels fresh.” The result wasn’t just fresh, it was superb. As Carrie Battan wrote in her review for Pitchfork, “#Beautiful” had “the finger-snapping R&B throwback charm that sounds primed for repeat play through the summer.”

The #Beautiful Video

A Joseph Kahn-directed music video premiered on the May 9, 2013, episode of American Idol. In it, the two singers are depicted riding into a summer’s sunset on a motorcycle, with a very James Dean-styled Miguel at the controls, as Mariah sits pretty in the back. It soon becomes nighttime, and they’ve traded in their motorcycle for a vintage, candy apple red Porsche Speedster (which actually belonged to Carey’s father) to set up shop in an old barn that just so happens to be adorned with crystal chandeliers emitting the perfect lighting for Ms. Carey’s approval. The music video really doesn’t serve anything other than some picturesque shots of Mariah twirling around and fluttering her fingers like she’s about to sprinkle some fairy dust from her hands. She’s beautiful, and there’s no denying that.

The Queen of the Remix

“#Beautiful” was further promoted through a series of television performances and remixes, including a re-sung hip-hop remix with Jeezy, a Spanglish version with Miguel, and a version with a rap from A$AP Rocky.  Though the song’s remixes really didn’t match the quality of the original, they are a welcomed addition to Carey’s canon of remixes nonetheless. Two of them even had music videos.

A second music video was filmed a month later for the song’s Spanglish version, “#Hermosa.” Now the two have left the countryside for a more scenic ambiance – Capri, Italy. This time, we catch a glimpse of the pair recording the blended version of the song in the studio, mixed with clips of Miguel cruising about the town and Carey being the bonafide diva that she is – cheers-ing with champagne, frolicking in the water (diamonds on, of course), and teetering to her yacht while being assisted by handlers so she doesn’t fumble over her heeled sandals. If anything, the two videos just give Carey an opportunity to show off her body two years after giving birth to twins.

A third music video for the Jeezy remix was also planned. However, while filming, Carey suffered a shoulder injury after a pretty serious fall. Carey later revealed that the video had been edited, and would presumably be released, but it never was. This unfortunate turn of events also derailed the recording of a planned dance remix and ultimately delayed the release of its parent album until May 2014. Instead, we got served with an array of very stylish arm slings – ranging from leather to feathers to fur – the singer donned while recovering. One word: chic.

The Summer Hit That Got Away

Debacles aside, the song became Carey’s 33^rd Top 20 hit, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It found even more success on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart, where it peaked at number three. It also became the superstar’s third-highest debut on the Pop Songs Chart, behind her 1993 smash-hit “Dreamlover” and her 1994 duet with Luther Vandross “Endless Love.” After being certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, it later received a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association and a gold certification from Recorded Music NZ. For an artist who was 23 years into her career at that point, its chart performance was quite impressive.

Although the song garnered critical praise and modest commercial success, “#Beautiful” deserved far more. Having been released right before the official start of the summer season, there’s no doubt that this song could have served as the soundtrack to plenty of summer memories in the making – road trips, beach dates, riding in the car during the warm golden hour, singing along to the song’s effortlessly cool spirit. But summer is right around the corner, and even 10 years later, “#Beautiful” is still just as fresh and current as it was when it first came out – except for the hashtag. TikTok, do your thing.

Listen to “#Beautiful” by Mariah Carey and Miguel

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I was recently at a friend’s house for game night, and upon finally finding the lost remote and taking over music (as I regularly do), I found an excuse to descend down a YouTube rabbit hole purely focused on performances from VH1’s Divas concerts. They’re my favorite series of concerts and are responsible for the most formative moments in my music taste.

At the beginning of 1998, a few months shy of my 8th birthday, I discovered Aretha Franklin. My entire world shifted the moment that I consciously heard her voice. As my interest grew, my parents took a blank VHS, labeled the spine with “Aretha Franklin” and began taping Aretha anytime she was on TV. The second entry on the tape took place on April 14, 1998. VH1 staged a benefit concert for their non-profit organization, Save The Music. The organization was formed in 1997 to combat the widespread removal of music programs happening across schools in America.

The benefit they produced was called VH1 Divas Live. It assembled an array of women from different corners of music, uniting all for a common cause: music. What transpired on that stage, and in the six years of shows that followed represents the most formative moments in my love and interest in music. I even half-jokingly refer to it as my “musical fertile crescent.”

For a decent chunk of time, I had just a fraction of that first VH1 Divas Live show. My parents taped Aretha’s parts only. Months later though, when the show was officially released, my dad got me the CD and I got my ears on the rest of the show. In between, I also caught reruns of the program, and eventually the whole show in the ramp up to VH1 Divas Live ‘99 the following April.

What happened on that stage still feels a little bit like magic, in part because programs like that just don’t take place in this day and age. Even when VH1 resurrected the Divas brand in the late 2000’s and 2010’s, none of their revivals ever matched the immensity of the initial run.

The magic was also in what happened at the show’s conclusion. Yes, there’s much to say about that finale, but for this moment, focus on the presence. All five of the show’s headliners stood shoulder-to-shoulder and sang together for the first (and only) time. Only one other time, at the 2000 show, did every performer from the show unite together on the stage. At every other show, it was fractions and fragments of those who took the stage that night. And at no show aside from 1998’s original did every woman get a moment to shine during the finale.

I had never heard the word ‘diva’ prior to the show, but I became obsessed with it thereafter. I have a few compilation cds from other corners of the world that bear the name. Aretha Franklin’s final studio album, released in 2014, even includes the word in its name.After the show I remember my mom printing out an article that created an acronym for “diva.” It’s been a quarter of a century so the “i” is lost to time, but I do remember “divine” and “virtuoso,” and the reason my mom printed it out for me was what they had for a: Aretha. From then on, when the word “diva” was mentioned, I perked up and paid attention.

What made the first Divas so special is that it sequenced all these formidable performers from different edges of pop and other genres, and then converged them all together for one culminating moment of female unity.

Revisiting the show a quarter of a century later, all of these women were in the midst of a high in their respective careers. Franklin was in a renaissance. Dion and her Titanic theme were ubiquitous. Carey was in a state of liberation. Twain was transcending the barriers between country and pop. And Estefan, perhaps experiencing the least remarkable moment of the group, was still in her own high, dancing her way into her next chapter.

I have a love for Mariah Carey that some believe is first and foremost in my musical palette (it’s the merch. I can go a solid 40 days in nothing but Mariah attire and never repeat a top). But like Mariah, Aretha is “my North star and high bar.” I am only a Mariah fan because I saw her sing with Aretha on Divas Live. And because of what I heard when I got the CD. With that said, when I think of Mariah, I first see her with the big hair and black dress she donned during the show’s closing number.

Mariah opened ‘Divas’ in true diva fashion: with a ballad. “My All” was her current single, slated to be physically released on April 21, the week after ‘Divas’ took place. The Puerto Rico-inspired production was rearranged to include an orchestra, adding a lushness to the dramatic record of longing.

At the end of the record though, instead of simply fading out, a pounding dance beat emerged. Mariah delivered what should have been the final “tonight” as the beat took hold, and tilted her head down and a smirk grew on her face. She couldn’t contain her own excitement as she launched a dance mix of the record, produced by David Morales. The audience loved it. As the dance beat took hold, audience members could be heard screaming in excitement for what was about to unfold. And Mariah delivered some powerhouse vocals over that dance beat, as any good diva should be able to do. Hey, divas gotta dance too!

A few years later when I finally heard the studio version of “My All,” I was dismayed when the ballad simply faded out at the end, no pulsing dance beat to be found. I searched high and low for that dance version. Not long after securing the audio file of one of the dance mixes (thanks Morpheus!), began acquiring the CD singles that held all the mixes. My voracious appetite for CD singles, and undying love for dance remixes can be credited largely to Mariah incorporating that “My All” remix into her performance.

Mariah also served up Diva in her ensemble, which she playfully joked about between songs. “Do you like the ensemble?” To which you can hear an audience member respond with “you’re werkin it!” And she continues with “cause it’s all about the ensemble when you’re a diva.”

Her second song of the evening was a gospel-inspired cut from her 1991 album Emotions. The song, in which Mariah details some of the many perils she endured on her road to stardom, was co-written and produced with C&C Music Factory’s David Cole and Robert Clivilles. It’s a beautiful intersection between gospel and house music, and came accompanied by a gospel choir for this performance. “I know you’re all music industry people, but you can get up,” Mariah playfully shaded to the audience, who willingly obliged. Mariah got so into it that one point she started running back and forth on the stage, a moment that has been endlessly gif’ed in years that followed.

Up next was the incredible Gloria Estefan. It’s unclear how the sets were doled out, but Gloria was the only artist to receive a 3-song slot and not include any guests during her performance. She did however, give a solid history of her catalog, from old, to new.

Gloria was the only artist who’s promoted release wasn’t already in stores. Gloria! wouldn’t arrive until June of 1998, but Gloria still made sure to promote. She opened her set with her hit cover of Vicki Sue Robinson’s disco classic “Turn The Beat Around.” This live performance gives it a heavier emphasis on the Miami Sound Machine percussion. It’s also hysterical to watch Gloria fight with her wrap, which got caught in her heel as she attempted to shed it. Aside from a little laugh as it happened, she didn’t miss a note.

She gave the Divas audience the premiere of gloria!’s lead single. Funny enough, “Heaven’s What I Feel” was originally pitched to another diva on the roster that night: Celine Dion, who passed on it. The song made for a perfect fit for Gloria, with highs and lows.

Finally, Gloria gave the audience some “oldies” as she called them, a 5-song 80’s medley that began with her earliest hit with Miami Sound Machine, “Dr. Beat,” and spanned all the way to 1989’s “Get On Your Feet.” These selections further emphasized Gloria’s dominance over a dance beat, making her announcement of a “dance album, top to bottom” feel formidable for the audience.

Up next was one of country music’s brightest stars, Shania Twain. Shania was riding high by 1998. Her second album, 1995’s The Woman In Me, had recently been certified 11x Platinum (that’s a Diamond certification plus one). Her third album, 1997’s Come On Over was already 3x platinum by the time Divas took place. She opened her set with the now-classic “Man! I Feel Like A Woman.” It’s always been a Shania staple for me because of this show. However, it wasn’t a single when Divas occurred, and the iconic music video was likely not even conceptualized, let alone shot. In fact, it wasn’t even released as a single until almost a year later. It’s one of, if not the, earliest live performance of “Man! I Feel Like A Woman.”

Shania was the only performer who paused in the middle of her set to discuss the subject at hand and emphasized the importance of music education in schools. “If it wasn’t for music class in school, I think I would’ve been a dropout,” she told the audience.

She wasn’t the only one who shared remarks though. Just before Shania’s set, Mariah took to the podium to not only crack a few diva jokes but also emphasize the importance of music education. She then looked to the monitors, where a video package provided more information. It also included a special message from President and First Lady Clinton, who helped kick off the initiative, which included President Clinton presenting his famed saxophone to a budding school-age musician, underscoring just how significant Save The Music was.

After her first song, Shania grabbed her guitar, sat down, and delivered a stellar rendition of her then-current single “You’re Still The One.” It remains one of my favorite tracks on the album. It’s country enough to twang through, but pop enough to satisfy my pop-leaning palette. And Shania’s vocal that night is flawless. Then it was time for the big moment.

The center spot on the show was given to Aretha, who damn near skipped the whole thing. As has been heavily documented, an air conditioning snafu caused Aretha to walk out of rehearsal and leave the entire crew unsure as to whether or not she would actually return for the show. There’s actually rehearsal footage that’s been broadcast where Aretha can be heard recognizing the issue. “The air is on,” she can be heard saying to producer Ken Ehrlich, prior to her departure.

I most enjoy Mariah’s recollection of the situation. Mariah was simply in awe of the fact that she was going to sing with Aretha. It also didn’t help that Aretha initially suggested the two sing a Mariah song that she loved, “Dreamlover,” which Mariah said her heart wouldn’t have been able to take. At Mariah’s suggestion and relief, Aretha “mercifully” agreed to do “Chain of Fools.”. Until she arrived, giddy as a schoolgirl to rehearsal, to find Aretha on her way out. She greeted her with, “Mariah, they’re playing games, and I’m not having the games. So we won’t be rehearsing this evening.” Though she didn’t say it out loud, Mariah’s reaction was “Wait. Who the fuck is playing games?!”

Aretha did return, and the twelve dozen roses the producers sent her ahead of the show as an apology for the air conditioning probably didn’t hurt the situation. Aretha was on fire in 1998. Aretha’s first studio album in 7 years, A Rose Is Still A Rose, had been released just weeks earlier. The lead single, produced by an on-the-cusp-of-superstardom Lauryn Hill was proving to be a surprise hit. And less than 2 months before Divas, Aretha had made her monumental last-minute opera debut stepping in for Pavarotti at the Grammys.

Her set opened and closed with cuts from A Rose Is Still A Rose. She performed the title track and the second single, “Here We Go Again.” The latter was coincidentally produced by Mariah’s friend Jermaine Dupri and co-written by Mariah’s friend/background singer Trey Lorenz. Both performances were curiously left off the official releases of the show. They were the only performances from the broadcast omitted from the releases.

Despite the omissions, Aretha’s label didn’t waste her appearance. The single cover for “Here We Go Again” used a photo taken at Divas. And the song’s music video was built around Aretha’s performance of the song on the show.

That didn’t mean it wasn’t available through other methods. My interest in Aretha prompted my dad to start taking me to then then-abundant record stores in the West Village. The first stop was a spot called Revolver Records on 45 W. 8th St. As I’ve learned in my adult years, they specialized in bootlegs. One such bootleg was of VH1 Divas Live. With a blue cover instead of the standard red, along with some photo editing worse than the actual design, it stood out. What also stood out was that it had both of Aretha’s tracks that were cut from the official release. It took a few trips but I finally convinced my dad to shell out the $24.98 for it (the very faded price sticker is still on it, along with the very faded 10-98, indicating the month it hit the shelves). And I’m glad he did.

The crowning moment of Aretha’s mid-show set came mid-set. After receiving an overwhelming response from the audience (hey, this was the Queen of Soul after all), she launched into a not-untrue story about not being able to rehearse, and how her “newest girlfriend” came and hung out with her in her trailer. That new, unnamed girlfriend would be joining her on stage. As Aretha launched into “Chain Of Fools,” out came Mariah Carey, donning not just a new dress, but also new nail polish. She had three dresses and three polish changes throughout the show “just for laughs.”

The performance garnered a lot of attention for how Aretha performed around Mariah. Whenever Mariah hit a note, Aretha hit a note beyond that, higher or lower. To some, it seemed as though Aretha was asserting dominance or trying to upstage Mariah. Producer Ken Ehrlich didn’t see it as a conscious effort. “I think Aretha just falls in love with those lights, and falls in love with crowd.” Mariah didn’t see it that way, either. Moments after leaving the stage with Aretha, she told VH1 cameras the moment was “an incredible honor.”

Later, she expanded further. “I was there in reverence of the Queen of Soul,” Mariah said in 2001. “I was inconsequential in that moment, That was Aretha’s moment, cause she’s her.” “She’s just a really cool person as well as an amazing idol. But the moment doing “Chain of Fools,” I didn’t know what was gonna happen.” And one of the most amazing things that occurs during this performance neither could have predicted. Mariah begins to follow Aretha’s runs. They hit first notes, second notes, and then on the third and final, they hit the same note. On the right footage, you see a look of satisfaction exchanged between the two.

The final performer of the night was Celine Dion. Forget winning album of the year at the 1997 Grammys, Celine was on fire thanks to a famous shipwreck. “My Heart Will Go On” was absolutely inescapable, to the point where Saturday Night Live even had to get in on the fun, and their parodies of the Divas even made it into 1999’s show.

Celine was the first confirmed booking for the show. While it’s never been suggested, it’s something of a coincidence that the date of the show was the “exact date, 86 years ago, that the mighty Titanic struck that iceberg,” as Celine told the audience. Funny enough, it was the one moment during the show that relied on a backing track. Not a vocal backing track, but the music itself. The band did play along, but the application of the track had something to do with the complexity of the music. Either way, Celine delivered a stellar performance and no one was the wiser.

My sister latched onto Celine, which I’ve always thought was because Celine’s jacket had a pink lining and she loved pink. I’m not entirely sure though. But either way Celine became hers and I became a closet Celine fan as a result. It was something about us both not being able to like her. God knows. I was young. Celine opened her set with another diva’s classic: Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” It had been included on her 1996 album Falling Into You, even after the song’s original producer, the now-disgraced (and dead) Phil Spector, refused to produce Celine singing the song. It was a dynamite performance.

One of the other high points of the show, was Celine’s duet with Carole King. Carole had just contributed a song to Celine’s 1997 LP Let’s Talk About Love, and this marked their first live performance of the song together. She was also a late addition to the show, and confirmed her appearance 9 days prior to the show date.

Despite being labeled a “special guest,” Carole King proved to be a crucial element in the show. As the Aretha drama unfolded, it provided an opportunity to add another performance. They came up with an acoustic piano-bar style performance of “You’ve Got A Friend.” Carole took the lead and accompanied on the piano, with Celine, Gloria, and Shania sitting shoulder to shoulder. They rehearsed it for the first time just hours before the show.

And then, it was time for the grand finale. As the audience cheered the immensity of the acoustic performance, Carole King emphatically told them, “this is why we write songs, so you get people like this to sing them… and this!” Aretha took the stage mid-sentence for the grand finale.

It wasn’t a guarantee that it was going to happen though. Wayne Isaak, VH1 Divas co-producer and EVP of Music & Talent Relations at VH1 (and the author of the album’s liner notes) said on a 2001 VH1 All Access episode about the Divas shows that there was no plan set in stone for the finale to actually happen with all six women. They had asked everyone to participate, but there were no guarantees, especially concerning Aretha.

A Page Six item the day of the show also helped compel participation. It implied that Mariah didn’t want to be on the same stage as Celine Dion. As the producers recalled though, Mariah saw the article and effectively said, “to hell with that, I’m going to blow that whole notion out of the water.” Shania Twain even recalled everyone doing a run-through of the finale in her bus before the show.

The Divas all lined up, and after Aretha not only credited Clive Davis and VH1 for her appearance at the show, she acknowledged that she’d never performed “ (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” with Carole King, and that the song had been associated with her for “almost *ahem* 20 years,” a little time joke that didn’t seem to land. And away they went.

As it began, Aretha sang “would you forgive me? If I didn’t sing this song tonight? I don’t think so,” naturally nodding to her near-absence after the air-conditioning fiasco. The plan was for Carole to start it off, and in the live audio you can hear Carole begin, but Aretha took the reins instead. Aretha thanked her and continued on, and after Carole made one more failed attempt to get a verse in (Celine took over instead), she stuck to the chorus. Each Diva got their line in, with Aretha adding some authoritative melisma after, and they delivered a once-in-a-lifetime rendition of the classic.

At the end of the song, Aretha took charge, acknowledged her background singers, and delivered a stunning finish that reaffirmed her title of Queen of Soul. Celine inserted a few runs that have been deemed “competitive,” but Aretha maintained her dominance over the moment, which only extended as she immediately cut into Rev. Clay Evans’ “I’ve Got A Testimony,” which was retitled “Testimony.”

For nearly 10 minutes, Aretha took the Divas and the audience to church. Though the full footage has either never been released or is sitting in a vault somewhere, watching the other women attempt to keep up is amazing. They truly had no idea what to do, short of Mariah Carey, who has endlessly recalled slipping back towards the background singers and giving Aretha room to run the show.

This of course, is that big “diva moment” that is seen as a competition. Out came Celine, seemingly attempting to compete with Aretha again. And yet, it was a simple cultural gap. Celine didn’t understand gospel and what was happening, she saw it as an opportunity to have her moment with Aretha, and has said as much in years that have followed. Aretha on the other hand, was, as Mariah put it, the equivalent of a jazz bandleader. She ran the show, and was going to make sure you knew it.

Eventually, Aretha had delivered an adequate testimony, and the surprise gospel performance wound down as the women said their goodnights. They posed for a group photo backstage, and VH1’s first installment of Divas came to a close. At the time, it became VH1’s highest rated program in the network’s 13-year history, with over 20 million tuning into the initial broadcasts. It also helped raise significant awareness for Save The Music, which has done tremendous work in its 25+ year history.

I have worn out the audio of that show. The CD and booklet are a little beat-up, and I love that it shows the life it’s lived since I got it nearly a quarter century ago. The performances I staged in front of my tv and in my bedroom as a child, pretending to be each of these incredible women, have long informed the person I am today. And I can go riff-for-riff lip-syncing nearly every performance of this show. Try me sometime.

With the exception of Aretha, my first exposure to so many of these great women began on that stage, and the stages the show occupied in the years that followed: Mariah Carey. Gloria Estefan. Shania Twain. Celine Dion. Carole King. Tina Turner. Mary J. Blige. Whitney Houston. Brandy. Faith Hill. Diana Ross. Destiny’s Child. RuPaul. Jill Scott. Celia Cruz. I learned all of their names and became fans of many of them because of VH1’s Divas series. That’s the power of music, and of a solid concept.

25 years later, I’m still waiting for a lot on the Divas front. Right now, only Mariah’s solo performances, and her duet with Aretha have made it into the streaming age. The show is in desperate need of a reissue on vinyl. It’s also long been time that not only Aretha’s solo tracks, but also Carole King’s performance of “It’s Too Late” (which happened before “You’ve Got A Friend”), all see the light of day. Plus all the years that followed. These shows were formative to so many, not just me. It’s long been time that they be made available for the world to enjoy and marvel over. The network had no problem officially uploading “Chain Of Fools” to YouTube in the wake of Aretha’s 2018 passing. Now it’s time to do the rest. And that’s my testimony.

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Mariah Carey had one of the most notable transformations of the last few decades. Her rebellion on 1997’s Butterfly embraced a stripped-down, sexy image and heavier reliance on R&B and hip hop than previous efforts. It also served as a direct defiance to abusive ex-husband and label head Tommy Mottola’s controlling hand. It set the tone for Carey’s career from there on out. 

Mariah was a huge influence on Christina Aguilera. As Christina recorded her debut album, she listened to Carey’s albums on repeat and studied her riffs. She even wrote a song for her debut based on Carey’s 1990 piano ballad “Vanishing.” “I Will Be” didn’t make the final tracklist for her debut, but was released as the b-side to Stripped’s lead single, “Dirrty.” It also makes its digital/streaming debut on the newly released 20th anniversary edition of Stripped. 

After notching zero writing credits on her debut and being built up as a big-voiced bubblegum star, twenty-one year-old Christina popped the bubble. She fired her management, replaced them with industry power-player Irving Azoff, and did a heavy rebrand. She also co-wrote all but two songs on Stripped, and even racked up her first production credits, co-producing nearly half the album. 

Stripped is, without a doubt, Christina Aguilera’s magnum opus. Over twenty, yes twenty tracks (which does include a few interludes), she embodies the album’s title, empowering herself to strip down, both literally and figuratively. On the album’s black and white cover Christina stands topless in a pair of american flag jeans, front and center. Her eyes are shut, she’s posed with a bend at her hips, extensions covering her bare breasts, and arms above her head. It’s a statement in its own: Christina’s bubblegum era is over, and she’s letting loose. 

The album is also unrestricted to a single genre. It can be classified as pop thanks to the infectious melodies she weaves together from song to song. Like her debut though, there’s a heavy R&B influence. Below that R&B influence are elements of hip hop, rock, and latin music all of which bring welcomed diversity to the album’s sonic profile. It’s also an album full of big statements. Christina is dirrty. She can’t be held down. She’s beautiful, no matter what you say. She’s underappreciated. She needs to walk away. She’s leaving today. She’s okay. She needs to trust the voice within.  

Stripped’s introduction (and the later arriving part II) hone in on the gossip that surrounded the starlet, with clips that highlight everything from the men to the embellished Britney rivalry. “We’re gonna let Christina tell her side of the story,” crackles through as those sound-bites dissipate. She unravels a list of half-apologies between the two tracks: “Sorry you can’t define me, sorry that I speak my mind,” she declares in part 1. On part II she’s more blunt, declaring, “Sorry I’m not a virgin, sorry I’m not a slut,” carefully distinguishing herself from the virginal image being put forth on behalf of Britney Spears, while attempting to dismantle the idea that she can exist between the two extremes. “This is me… stripped,” she declares as the introduction slides into the album’s first full-length track. 

One of the most important players that helped craft Stripped is hip hop icon Scott Storch. Producing and co-writing seven of Stripped’s twenty tracks, Storch made the largest contribution outside of Christina herself. It’s his adept ear for hip hop and R&B that fuels most of the album’s first half. His experience as a keyboardist for The Roots and mentee of Dr. Dre helped him develop a sound that became absolutely essential to the landscape of pop, R&B, and rap in the 2000’s. Stripped was also his first major success as a leading producer. 

The album’s first full length song is the Storch-produced feminist anthem “Can’t Hold Us Down.” Aguilera runs through a list of inbalances between the treatment of men and women when it comes to authority, sex, and more, while vowing not to be suppressed. To further herpoint, Christina’s “Lady Marmalade” cohort Lil’ Kim cruises through and ponders things on her own. It’s a fitting reconnection. After all, this is the woman who just two years earlier brashly declared “if I was a dude I’d tell y’all to suck my dick.” It’s one of Kim’s many other moments of unapologetic sex-positive music that forever turned hip hop on its head. She pulls no punches, questioning why a man can have three girls and be considered “the man,” but when a woman does the same, “she’s a whore.” 

Fun little aside: the original version of “Can’t Hold Us Down” featured Eve, not Lil’ Kim. No one knows what happened there, but a “Christina Aguilera” ad lib from Eve sits largely unrecognized at the end of Lil’ Kim’s verse on The Sharp Boys’ vocal mix of the song. I spoke with George of The Sharp Boys to see what they might know about the situation. He remembers receiving a call the day they finished their remix. They were notified that they would have to remove Eve’s verse because “Lil’ Kim was recording the new vocals that HAD to be used.” Though they couldn’t remember (and may not have been privy) to the specifics, “I think there was some sort of fall out after the original recording,” George told me. The mystery continues. 

On the rock banger “Fighter,” she dismisses victimhood in the face of “this man I thought I knew… (who) turned out to be unjust, so cold.” Instead she draws on being used to emerge with an empowered statement of defiance. “Made me learn a little bit faster, made my skin a little bit thicker… thanks for making me a fighter,” she declares on the anthemic chorus. It’s a big, arena rock record that allows Christina to display her versatile instrument in a new arena. It also showcases Storch’s capacity for flourishing in genres outside of hip hop and R&B. Dave Navarro provides the lead guitar for some extra rock edge. 

What makes Stripped such a strong record is the multifaceted nature of the material. Aguilera comes out looking like a helluva songwriter. She captures emotions ranging from frustration and infatuation to heartbreak and resilience. In most cases she’s just one of two or three writers on the songs, indicating that she’s not just a name added to the credits. 

She painstakingly details the inner tug-of-war trying to detach from a poisonous significant other on “Walk Away.” She describes them like a drug, suffocating and haunting her, like a nightmare she can’t wake up from. The music is top tier; it’s a torch song with fluttering piano notes layered alongside strings and a hi hat-heavy drum part. Her vocal performance on “Walk Away” is dizzying. The runs she executes embody the torture and conflict she’s conveying with expect precision. She does some fantastic vocal work across Stripped, but her work here is some of the album’s best. It also foreshadows the vintage R&B material she’d dig into further on her next album. 

One of the most exciting collaborations on Stripped was Alicia Keys, who was riding high after exploding on the scene in 2001. Though she almost gave Christina what would become one of her signature records, “If I Ain’t Got You,” she was advised against that move and instead composed a new record. “Impossible,” is dripping with Aretha Franklin. After a glittery introduction, the record simmers like the Muscle Shoals backbone of “I Never Loved A Man,” while knocking off “Ain’t No Way,” both musically and lyrically. Phrases like “give you all you need” and “how can I” are applied in similar fashion on across the two songs, which both detail an exasperation with an inexpressive significant other. Built on the foundation of such classics, with two forces like Christina and Alicia bringing it into 2002, it’s a stellar collaboration. 

There’s feistiness and defiance on the funky “Underappreciated.” It also possesses flairs of Aretha at her feistiest (down to the ooo’s during the chorus), not to mention that “I feel underappreciated” is just a roundabout way of saying she wants some respect. Given a contemporary edge with a hip hop-minded drum track and funky keyboards from Storch, it even nods towards some of the funkiest sounds that had recently been emerging from the neo-soul movement. 

Halfway through the album, the tone flips and the R&B and hip hop influence is largely superseded by rock and edgier sounds. Enter Linda Perry. The former 4-Non Blondes member was introduced to a new generation in 2001 thanks to her work with P!nk on Missundaztood. That caused Christina to take notice, and recruited Perry to help her access a new side of herself. 

The first Perry contribution sequenced on Stripped is the massive second single, “Beautiful.” The heartfelt, resilient record about finding the beauty in yourself “no matter what they do, no matter what they say,” struck a chord. It rocketed to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard’s Dance, Adult Contemporary, and Top 40 charts. It also topped charts in ten countries across three continents. The accompanying video was gritty and full of representation, most notably of the LGBTQ+ community. It ultimately earned Aguilera recognition by GLAAD and remains one of her signature songs. 

Though “Beautiful” was written solely by Perry, her other contributions are co-writes with the singer and stoke Christina’s introspection. The Mexican-flared “Make Over,” highlights the singer’s angsty side finds Christina “ready to fight… (wanting) to live simple and free,” while “feeling confined.”  On their mid-tempo “Cruz,” Christina is on the other side, feeling the freedom and liberation in the face of shedding resistance and restriction. 

Perry and Christina dive deep on “I’m Okay,” the album’s most personal track. It achingly details the abuse at the hands of her father and the effects of trauma she continues to feel. She pulls back at first, delivering the early verses in a delicate and fragile voice that magnifies the vulnerability of raw lyrics like “hurt me to see the pain across my mother’s face, every time my father’s fist would put her in her place.” As the song progresses, she finds her strength, belting “It’s not so easy to forget, all the marks you left along her left,” during the bridge, into an empowered final chorus. 

The influence Perry had on Stripped extends beyond the four tracks she contributed to the album. Another single, “The Voice Within,” has a “Beautiful”-esque quality to it. It’s a big ballad that again showcases her vocal immensity. Where “Beautiful” is a pillar of confidence that comes both externally and internally, “The Voice Within”  pushes for that same self-love by finding reassurance from within. 

Then there’s the album’s lead single. “Dirrty.” Based on Redman’s 2001 cut “Let’s Get Dirty (I Can’t Get In Da Club)” it was an explosive statement to introduce Stripped to the world. Hard percussion and synth bass lines courtesy of producer Rockwilder gave Christina a gritty foundation to make it crystal clear that singing about genies on the beach was a thing of the past. Redman joined the party to lend his stamp of approval to the experience. 

“Dirrty” also highlights the importance of the music videos for Stripped. With the release of “Dirrty,” Christina caused an uproar. Here was the sweet “Genie In A Bottle” girl from the beach, descending to an underground boxing ring donning leather chaps, a barely-there bikini, and a nose ring all while surrounded by dirt and grime. There’s mud-wrestling and a shower scene. It’s chaotic, it’s messy, and most importantly, it successfully got her point across. 

The aforementioned “Beautiful” video made a splash in its own way, and Christina even remade the video in 2022 as a commentary on the world and the impact social media has on children. Its message continues to resonate even with a new set of visuals to accompany it. 

She’s an insect personified going through a tense metamorphosis on “Fighter.” There’s no pretty butterfly here a la Mariah. Instead, Christina comes out looking more like an ant that bursts through to become a glowing moth. It’s more gritty and defiant, and also displays Aguilera going dark, literally. She debuted black hair that would last through the touring piece of the album cycle. 

Stripped closes on with one last Aretha nod, on the ah-oo background vocals of “Keep On Singin’ My Song.” It’s also one last Scott Storch production to close out the record after cohesive, yet diverse production in the second half. He even recruits The Roots’ inimitable drummer Amhir ‘Questlove’ Thompson to contribute percussion to the track. It’s a sort of resilient to-be-continued after a record of introspection and vulnerability. It perfectly punctuates the record. “They can do what they wanna, say what they wanna, but I’m gonna keep on singin’ my song,” she declares, completing her evolution through empowerment.

Stream the 20th Anniversary edition of Christina Aguilera’s Stripped:

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A year or two before the album dropped, my dad joined Sam Goody’s rewards program Replay because I basically lived at our town’s Sam Goody by that point. Joining the program included a subscription to their members’ magazine, Request, which I reasonably devoured each month. As I thumbed through the June 2002 issue, Anastacia’s photo caught my eye. Accompanying the photo was a blurb about her new album Freak of Nature. I was immediately taken by the writer’s audacious comparison of Anastacia’s voice to that of my idol, Aretha Franklin. They name checked the album’s lead single “One Day In Your Life” and within 10 minutes I was in the basement on the computer I shared with my sister downloading the song on Kazaa. I was hooked from the first listen, and days later was at Circuit City buying my copy of Freak of Nature.

“One Day In Your Life” begins slowly; The first verse lands on top of a building arrangement that gives way to the song’s big, driving hook. It’s a tenacious record that kisses off a detached lover in a fashion that is reminiscent of Mariah Carey’s “Someday.” She swirls with heartbreak, but is also confident in her convictions that he’ll come around. It’s driving, with an emphasis on the keyboard and synthesizers, giving it a funky, Euro feel. 

In the U.S. it was the album’s lead single and though it didn’t make any waves on the pop charts, it did top the Billboard Dance chart. “One Day In Your Life” is one of three songs on Freak Of Nature that was remixed for the U.S. market. The original version was produced by Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello, who co-wrote the song with Anastacia. The duo handled a bulk of co-writing and production duties on both Freak of Nature and Anastacia’s 2000 debut Not That Kind. 

The US version was produced by Wake, which retains all the vocals but replaces most of other parts of the track. What was a funky, Euro club track became a pop-rock track. Keyboards  became electric guitars to cater to the U.S.’ rock-leaning pop market. Both are stellar, but the original version resonates more and better fits Anastacia’s sonic profile. Because the song wasn’t widely released in the U.S. and I was downloading before the album dropped, the version I downloaded on Kazaa was the original, international version. It took me years before I understood the difference. I sensed it when I listened, but I just figured some Kazaa user doing their own thing to augment the version I’d downloaded. I still prefer that international version.

Anastacia’s voice sounds like something you might expect to hear from a drag queen, because despite it’s clear femininity, it has some masculinity in its depth and tone, which is combined with a nasally quality. Make no mistake, her voice is massive. It has just the right amount of grit and rasp, but also can soar to stupendous heights. Her voice recalls Taylor Dayne, but Anastacia’s is more intense and has a greater emphasis on her head voice. It’s one of the most versatile voices in contemporary music. In the years since her debut she’s demonstrated a unique ability to seamlessly move between genres. She can command the dance floor with a pulsing uptempo, compete with big-voiced balladeers, and go toe-to-toe with rock royalty. 

On Freak of Nature though, she focused her energy on being a funky diva with a voice big enough to conquer Celiné Dion-level ballads. She’d already begun laying this foundation on her 2000 debut Not That Kind, which included her most successful U.S. single “I’m Outta Love,” which can still be heart at the club on the right night. Her style was quirky: sunglasses became a trademark, and she bounced around stage in belly shirts, leather pants, platform boots, and the occasional oversized hat. As a closeted gay boy, her style showed me a lot of things I wanted (I still need some of those belly shirts). She was also knocking 8 years off her age at the time, succumbing to the sexist industry pressure for women to be young.

The album opens with the title cut and an impression of a New York Puerto Rican accent that has certainly aged poorly, to say the very least. Introduction aside, it’s a strong opening cut where she leans into her unique voice and personality, which initially hindered her ability to get a record deal. The song represents her owning her shit and spinning it into gold. 

Ric Wake, who produced a third of Not That Kind (and, coincidentally, Taylor Dayne’s early work), returned to take the lead on the album’s production. Remix aficionado Richie Jones joined Wake on most of his contributions. Sam Watters and Louis Biancaniello of The Runawayz cover most of the other tracks. Together they threaded together an eclectic mix of funk, pop ballads, and in the US market, touches of pop-rock. 

Second cut (and lead single) “Paid My Dues” oozes with resilience as she details the trials and tribulations she faced in her quest for success. “So like I told you, you cannot stop me,” she declares, between verses. It’s a powerful cut that serves as a vessel for her soaring vocal capacity. It’s more of a power ballad with funk undertones (featuring thick keyboards that recur throughout the album). It also proved to be the album’s most successful track, topping half a dozen international charts. 

The album’s two big ballads hit both sides of the Celine Dion coin. “You’ll Never Be Alone” is an inspirational record with an abstract subject, in the tradition of records like “Hero,” “When You Believe,” and of course the similarly titled “You Are Not Alone.”  It has a big, dramatic climax that lets Anastacia show off the full breadth of her voice. The other is the adoring, acoustic closer “I Dreamed You.” It dials back the fireworks and lets Anastacia shine over a stripped back arrangement, akin to some of the ballads from Not That Kind. 

The second half of the album also features two songs which were not new for U.S. listeners. “Why’d You Lie To Me” and “Don’tcha Wanna” were included on the U.S. release of Not That Kind and unapologetically reappear here. “Why’d You Lie To Me,” with hard acoustic guitar strums and effervescent synths is not far from the sounds of Destiny’s Child and TLC at the time. It was the album’s fourth international single, and is one of the most unique cuts because of its contemporary R&B-driven sound. I gravitated towards the song early on, and the artwork of the CD single, which I stumbled on a year and a half after the album came out in the US. 

“Don’tcha Wanna” cuts 17 seconds of fade-out from the version that appeared on the U.S. edition of Not That Kind. The song contains the only sample on the album, a prime cut of the breakdown from Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever).” The sample moves sensually as Anastacia prowls towards her target. It fits the funky motif of the album perfectly, and hey, let’s be honest, not everybody can rock a Stevie sample like that.

In a strange and seemingly contrary move, the U.S. version plopped one new song into the middle of the album. “I Thought I Told You That” is a very middle of the road pop record, with both funk and rock elements in the arrangement. The record is an indictment of a cheating man, more topically in the vein of Whitney Houston and Deborah Cox’s 2000 “Same Script, Different Cast” than Brandy and Monica’s classic “The Boy Is Mine.” But while both of those songs pitted the protagonists against each other, this one finds them uniting to decry the cheater. 

What made the song particularly unique is that it landed Anastacia the only feature on the album: Faith Evans. She judged Anastacia on MTV’s The Cut in 1998 and offered her some “encouraging words,” according to Anastacia’s thank you’s in the liner notes. Anastacia does most of the heavy lifting on the verses and blends to the backgrounds to let Faith take the lead on the choruses and bridge. It’s a solid, albeit perplexing collaboration that didn’t get the attention it warranted. 

As if all the musical changes weren’t enough, the U.S. version of Freak Of Nature even featured a slightly different shot for the album cover. The U.S. cover shot features a more sensual pose that accentuates her breasts more than the original cover. Sex sells, and the label was intent on putting her chest on the market. 

They tried, and boy did they try hard to make Anastacia work in the US. She made her formal US debut (after two singing cameos on Ally McBeal) duetting with Celiné Dion on the opening number of 2002’s VH1 Divas Las Vegas. She performed on The Tonight Show, The View, Regis and Kelly, The Late Late Show, Good Morning America, and sang the National Anthem at the MLB All-Star Game. In late 2002 she even landed on the Grammy Award winning soundtrack to the film Chicago. “Love Is A Crime” played during the film’s end credits, and would have been heavily promoted had Anastacia not been diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2003 (she famously filmed the song’s music video that month with a 104 degree fever). Nothing took, and aside from “One Day In Your Life”’s success on the dance chart, Freak of Nature floundered in the United States. Twenty years later it remains her most recent album to be physically released in the United States, much to this fan’s frustration. 

Overseas Freak Of Nature was a star-solidifier for Anastacia, but she was on the precipice of an even biggest moment in her career. A 2003 battle with breast cancer proved to be a blessing in disguise, inspiring her third album Anastacia, which moved away from funk and into a blend of soul, pop, and rock that she termed “sprock.” The album was massive, debuting at number one in almost a dozen countries and landing at number 2 on the European Year-End chart for 2004 (behind Norah Jones). Future albums would delve more pointedly into both pop and rock, but the funk she forged on Not That Kind and Freak of Nature continue to be her unshakable foundation, and a crucial element of her catalog and her 20-plus year career. 

Listen to both versions of Freak of Nature on Spotify:

U.S. Version:

Deluxe International Version:

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