Beating Off Together: 150 Gayest Songs EVER

From:  Boy Culture

Christina Aguilera

"Beautiful" 

(2002)

"Beautiful" is a song by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, taken from her fourth studio album Stripped (2002). After lead single "Dirrty" failed to attain commercial success in the United States, RCA Records released "Beautiful" to contemporary hit and rhythmic radio as the second single from the project on November 16, 2002. The song was written and produced by Linda Perry. She initially intended to keep the track for her own career, though later allowed Aguilera to include it on her record after hearing her performance. "Beautiful" is a piano-driven pop ballad which tells the story of a woman who suffers from low self-esteem and insecurities, and encourages individuals not to let outside opinions affect their confidence.

Upon its release, "Beautiful" received universal acclaim from music critics, who identified it as a stand-out track from its parent album and among Aguilera's strongest work. Commercially, the song became an international success, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100; it was later certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 500,000 copies. Internationally, it peaked atop singles charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and attained certifications in Australia and New Zealand. It won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2004 ceremony, where it was additionally nominated for Song of the Year. In 2009, "Beautiful" was recognized as one of the greatest pop songs of the 2000s by Rolling Stone and VH1.

An accompanying music video for "Beautiful" was directed by Jonas Åkerlund. It features several scenes of bodybuilding, bullying and LGBT individuals. Its positive portrayal of homosexuality earned Aguilera a GLAAD Media Award in 2003. The song itself has been widely embraced as an anthem by the LGBT community for its message of self-empowerment and inner beauty. In 2011, UK LGBT rights organization Stonewall named "Beautiful" the most empowering song of the previous decade for gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. Aguilera performed the track on a number of shows, including the Justified & Stripped Tour, Stripped Live... on Tour, and Back to Basics Tour. "Beautiful" is recognized as one of Aguilera's signature songs and has been covered on numerous occasions, notably by David Archuleta, Kenny G, Chaka Khan, and Kelly Clarkson.