20 years have passed since Christina Aguilera’s song “Beautiful”. The world has changed drastically since then, not least due to the triumph of social networks. A reason for the singer to re-illustrate her hit and set an example.
“You are beautiful, no matter what they say” (“You are beautiful, whatever they say”) – with this line of text, Christina Aguilera made a plea for self-love in 2002. Her song “Beautiful” from the album “Stripped” not only became a worldwide hit with top positions in the charts. It’s also becoming an anthem for the LGBTQ community.
This is probably not least due to the video clip that was published for the song at the time. It not only shows young people who suffer from the usual ideals of beauty – a girl rips out the pages of a fashion magazine and burns them. For example, it also shows a gay couple kissing and a transgender protagonist with make-up and an evening dress.
20 years have passed since then. A lot has changed in this time. Written by former 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry, the message of the song itself has remained the same. Apparently, Aguilera had reason to give her emphasis again. She’s doing that by re-releasing “Beautiful” with an all-new video.
A few days ago, the singer announced on her Instagram page: “In celebration of the 20th anniversary of ‘Stripped’ and World Mental Health Day, I’m honored to present a new music video for ‘Beautiful’.” In another post, she later added: “Today it’s harder than ever to hear our own voice when so many others are invading our feeds and minds with their ambiguous messages.”
The “Beautiful” video of the year 2022 focuses in particular on the beauty craze that is wafting through social networks. You can see children and young people staring at their smartphones while muscle groups train in front of them or a doctor draws surgical lines on a woman’s skin. Eventually, however, they wipe the cosmetic surgery markings from their faces and go play – very simple the way they are.
At the end of the clip, a smartphone lies on the floor with blood pouring out of it. “In the 20 years since ‘Stripped’ was released, social media has transformed the way we relate to our bodies and with it our mental health,” the statement read. Research has suggested that social media engagement is linked to physical problems, self-harm and eating disorders in children and adolescents. “That has to change,” Aguilera summed up.
