Christina Aguilera was just a teenager when her breakout hit “Genie in a Bottle” made her a household name. While Christina, now 40, seemed to have an enviable life, she was struggling behind the scenes with insecurity and body image issues. The “Beautiful” singer told Health that she actually “hated being super skinny” while the public was fawning over her outfits and abs.
“I think we all have our good days and our bad days in how we feel about ourselves. Once I turned 21, I started filling out a little bit, and I was loving my new curves. I appreciated having a booty,” she said in the May 2021 issue. “I have a hard time looking at the early pictures of myself because I remember feeling so insecure. I would never want to relive my 20s — you’re so in your own head and finding your confidence.”
At 40, the “Lady Marmalade” singer has a better relationship with her body. “As you age, you stop comparing yourself to other people and start appreciating your own body and owning it,” Christina explained. And you can see the confidence! On the cover of Health, Christina is stunning in a curve-skimming champagne silk dress with a matching sheer shawl. On Instagram, she never shies away from showing off her impeccable outfits, either.
This isn’t the first time that Christina has spoken out about body image. She told L’Officiel Italia in September that she’s done trying to have the “perfect body” and fed up with feeling bad about it. “I have often clashed with my anxieties and with being hypercritical towards myself, but I have never stopped looking for new ways to push myself further, without neglecting to protect myself,” she said.
She’s also hoping to set a good example for her six-year-old daughter, Summer Rutler, when it comes to her use of makeup. If Summer’s on set when she’s getting glam for a photoshoot, Christina “[stops] everything and look into her eyes and listen to her. I want to make sure she understands that this is part of Mommy’s work, but that it’s what I create that matters more,” she told Health.
