Linda Perry Says She Didn't Think Christina Aguilera Was Right to Sing 'Beautiful' at First: 'No, You're Like, a Hot Chick'
Linda Perry Says She Didn't Think Christina Aguilera Was Right to Sing 'Beautiful' at First: 'No, You're Like, a Hot Chick'
Daniela AvilaWed, May 20, 2026 at 10:21 PM UTC
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Linda Perry doubted Christina Aguilera was the right fit for her song "Beautiful" — until she heard her sing it
"That's when I discovered... 'Oh, beautiful people are actually insecure and just as damaged as I am,'" she said
"Beautiful" was featured on Stripped and won a Grammy in 2004
Linda Perry didn't think Christina Aguilera was the right fit for her song "Beautiful" — but the pop star quickly proved her wrong.
During an appearance on the Zach Sang Show on Friday, May 8, Perry opened up about how she felt when Aguilera first sang her song "Beautiful," which was eventually featured on Aguilera's 2002 record Stripped.
Shortly after Perry, 61, wrote "Beautiful," Aguilera, 45, visited her in the studio and she played her a demo of the song.
"She was like, 'Okay I want that.' And I'm thinking in my mind, 'No, you're like, a hot chick. I'm not giving you this song. No way. Are you kidding me?'" Perry recalled.
Linda Perry and Christina Aguilera
Credit: Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty; Jesse Grant/Getty
Then, Perry's manager suggested she let the pop star sing it. When she did, the song took on a whole new meaning for the singer-songwriter.
"It made sense," Perry said. "That's when I discovered... Oh, beautiful people are actually insecure and just as damaged as I am."
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She continued, "She's just as f---ed up as I am. Okay. And then it broke the ice between the both of us when I saw that."
Perry said that she then forced Aguilera to keep the demo they recorded because of how raw it was — even after the "Genie in a Bottle" singer begged her to re-record.
"That's the version that sold me [and] made me believe she had emotions. That she was insecure, that she was lacking in confidence in certain places, that she needed acceptance and approval," she said. "I said, 'Christina, what is wonderful about this vocal is you didn't know what you were doing. That's why it's going to be huge, because so many people are going to relate to this imperfect vocal. That's what this song is about. Not being perfect... I think that's an art that needs to come back.'"
In 2004, "Beautiful" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards, and was nominated for Song of the Year. The song also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On the 20th anniversary of Stripped, Aguilera released an music video for the hit song featuring young children tied to their phones. The pop star didn't appear in the video but she did share a message about the anniversary at the very end.
"In the last 20 years, since Stripped was first released, social media has transformed our relationship with our bodies, and in turn our mental health," the message read. "Research suggests that time spent on social networking sites is associated with body image issues, self-harm and disordered eating in children and teens. This needs to change."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
