Stripped

I am not a fan of the late 90s, early 2000s R&B infused pop sound. That made it so that this album had an uphill battle from the start. It did not succeed in overcoming these prior biases, but it was inoffensive, at least. I agreed with most of the messages presented on the album, but found them getting repetitive over its nearly hour-and-a-half runtime, and the sound itself changed very little as well. There were more hits here than expected, but I still fail to remember them despite their popularity, and the whole thing is just of its time. It isn't bad, but every passing day makes this age worse, not due to its message, but rather the aesthetic behind it. Just a bleh feeling, it's hard to put into words, but it is easy to recognize when you go through it all.

Pre-listening thoughts: I think I’m familiar with three songs here. Even in her heyday I was more of a Britney person. I can guarantee I’ve never listened to this album.

Underappreciated was a new find. Dare I say, an underappreciated one?

But I think generally, Christina is not for me because her project is not one I’m interested in. Of the Britney/Jessica/Mandy generation, she’s the One Who Can Sing. No denying that. But that’s not what I want. So when she Sings, it falls flat for me. Not her fault. I’m just not going to keep coming back to this, except for the songs where she’s just doing pop stuff.

Way overlong, Christina obviously can sing but in the main the material here isn't that great.

Easy for music snobs to slate this album. It was huge at the time and clearly influenced a lot of female pop stars, and marked a huge change in Christina’s image. It’s also very well produced. But still isn’t my cup of tea and not sure it’s really an album you need to listen to in 2023

2.58 per track. Excluded intro and interludes

Christina has a unique growl to her voice that comes out when she is emphasizing lyrics, and it is great! She has a beautiful singing voice, and I would say that of the 00's pop divas, Christina is the best. Her music has aspects of jazz, rock, and soul to it on top of the pop backdrop.

I feel like my ears need a shower after listening to Dirrty. I can distinctly remember seeing the music video on Much Music when I was in high school and thinking my eyes needed a shower after watching it too! So much sweaty gyrating!!

The album definately overstays its welcome, at 78 minutes of runtime, over 20 songs. There is only so much female led pop I can stomach at once. It isn't necessarily bad, it just gets old fast.

Favourite songs: Dirrty, Fighter, Beautiful, Underappreciated, Make Over, Can't Hold Us Down, The Voice Within

Least favourite songs: Stripped Intro, Primer Amor Interlude, Loves Embrace Interlude, "Stripped, Pt. 2", plus the dumb skit at the end of the album (fuck skits), Impossible

3/5

Yea 2000s pop not my thing usually but it was an enjoyable listen. Pharrell was all over this thing which elevates it big time

Is that her poosy?!?!?! Oh...

Can't Hold Us Down is pretty tight! Fighter is another bop. Impossible is good. It generally comes off as a cusp of adulthood sort of album, with naive songs on the first fulfillment of love, the stripping away of the dumb rougeishness of young affection, but also wanting to be swept up in that all encompassing way that is just too exhausting for a full adult. Beautiful is a nostalgic hit. Her ballads are just not my thing, otherwise. On the whole, its an ambitious album that I don't think has the chops to back up the ambition. It's spread thin.

I was ready to bitch about this album, but for the genre it's in, it really is not bad at all. The reason she wasn't taken seriously definitely had to do with the transformation from Micky Mouse Club Girl to her slutty image around this time. Which fully felt forced and fake. Even the title of 'stripped' did her no favours.

And that's too bad, because she's an amazing vocalist with a voice that can do R&B as easy as soul, pop and even rocky.

The album itself, with its 77 minutes, has some great songs on it, and some terrible filler. It could've done with some major cutting and demoting about 5 to 6 songs to B-sides.

And like her voice, this album is all over the place, from jazzy funk ballads, to poppy piano ballads, to soulful powersongs, to rocky bangers. It feels very disjointed.

All in all, I didn't mind it, but also won't listen to it again.

Fighter and Beautiful are good songs, and some what nostalgic of my teenage years, but as for the rest of the album, it's too long and a bit boring. I had to quit about halfway through - I just can't with the weird honking singing and endless vocal runs.