Christine Hahn/Glamour
Speaking with Glamour, Aguilera addresses the media scrutiny on her body, admits what she "didn't love" about being a "bubblegum" pop star, and looks back at that infamous VMAs kiss.
Christina Aguilera DGAF about anyone's comments about her body.
In a new Glamour cover story, the "Dirrty" singer opens up about scrutiny over her weight, something she's dealt with from both the public and media ever since she started in the industry back in 1999 with the release of "Genie In a Bottle"
Looking back, the now 43-year-old singer told the magazine most of her self-esteem came from "how skinny I was" back in the day.
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Christina Aguilera Recalls Being Pitted Against Other Pop Stars, Won't Be 'Baited' Into New Conflict
View Story"When you're a teenager, you have a very different body than when you’re in your 20s. I started to fill out, and then that was unacceptable because it was like, 'Oh, she’s getting thicker,'" she recalled. "Then I had industry people: 'They liked your body and how you were as a skinny teenager.'"
While that was then, Aguilera said now, she doesn't listen to the noise.
"I have a maturity now where I just don't give a f--k about your opinion. I'm not going to take it on," said the singer. "It must be your responsibility to take up your space. Other people's opinions of me are not my business."
Christine Hahn/Glamour
It wasn't just the focus on her physique that bothered her about those earlier days of her career, as Aguilera also admitted she "didn't love the bubblegum thing" she was part of at the time.
"Where you had to play a virgin but not act like one," she elaborated. "When I was performing 'Genie' and 'What a Girl Wants' and 'Come on Over,' I got bored easily. Creatively, it was one-dimensional."
She was also way too busy at the time -- telling the mag, "Literally every second [of my life then] was accounted for in a schedule. You can't just live your life for work where it's unenjoyable. You get burnt out."
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One bright spot: her infamous threeway kiss with Britney Spears and Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.
"Love a good make out moment. I love a theme, I love a concept. I love a specific character to get into," she said of the performance, which saw the trio perform a mashup of "Like a Virgin," "Hollywood" and "Work It" -- Britney and Christina dressed as brides and Madonna as their groom.
"You know, Madonna playing the the role of the groom. It was such a cool … like wow — we're up here with Madonna and we're part of this huge moment," she added. "It was really fun. The energy leading up to it, the rehearsals, everything. It was pretty magical."
