Christina Aguilera Marks 20 Years Of ‘Beautiful’ With Powerful Message About Mental Health

Christina Aguilera celebrated the 20th anniversary of her seminal hit “Beautiful” by putting a 2022 twist on the song’s message of self-acceptance.

On Wednesday, Aguilera unveiled an updated music video for the track, which first appeared on her 2002 album, “Stripped.” Though the five-time Grammy winner does not make an appearance in the video, the footage now reflects the impact of social media on mental health, particularly among young people.

Directed by Fiona Jane Burgess, the new “Beautiful” shows young girls with their faces made up as if they are preparing to undergo cosmetic surgery. Other segments show a teenage boy appearing to contemplate suicide, and a room filled with ballerinas who are seemingly mesmerized by their screens.

The video concludes with an eerie shot of a cell phone that appears to be dripping blood.

“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,” an on-screen message proclaims. “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.”

Watch the new video for “Beautiful” below.

On Wednesday, Aguilera said she was aiming “to bring awareness and a sense of compassion in the face of judgment, criticism, and outside opinions” by giving “Beautiful” a modern update.

“Today, it’s harder than ever to hear our own voice amongst so many others infiltrating our feeds and minds with mixed messaging… ultimately leading us to tune-out our own truth and self worth,” the pop star wrote on Instagram.

She went on to note that the song was a reminder “to remember our core values outside of what’s being fed to us … to find a sense of balance and accepting ourselves for who we are.”

2002’s “Stripped” is frequently cited as Aguilera’s coming-of-age album, marking a foray into emotionally candid territory after the bubblegum pop of early hits like “Genie in a Bottle” and “What a Girl Wants.”

Aguilera said on Twitter Monday that the album “gave me the strength and freedom as an artist to tell my story the way I wanted.”

“My favorite memory was just the freedom to finally do what I wanted to do,” she explained in a short video accompanying the tweet. “It was so important to me on my sophomore album that I truly made music that represented who I was.”