Sexism in the music industry: Madonna & Christina Aguilera

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This episode on this web series talks about two discs by two controversial artists, that faced huge backlash when released: Madonna’s erotica and Christina Aguilera’s stripped.

Released in 1992 simultaneously with Sex, a coffee table book containing explicit photographs of the singer. Erotica is a concept album about sex and romance, incorporating her alter ego Mistress Dita. Some songs take a confessional tone, influenced by the loss of two of Madonna's close friends to AIDS. The lead single suffered mainstream condemnation due to its explicit sexual imagery. Years later the album has been considered as one of the most revolutionary pop albums of all time, since few women artists have been so outspoken about their fantasies and desires.

Stripped was the second album of Christina Aguilera and marked the birth of her Xtina persona; transitioning from teen pop to an album filled with soul, rock, hip hop and Latin influences where Christina has creative control over the project, musically and lyrically. Despite most songs from the album discuss self-respect, sex and feminism, Christina was publicly trashed by her extra raunchy image that departed from her more innocent debut look and because of the lead single featuring an Aguilera dancing in a seedy location surrounded by mud wrestlers, furries and contortionists while wearing a bikini and butt-baring chaps. The album went on to become one of Aguilera's strongest albums on charts and legacy, influencing newer artists like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus, citing it as inspiration when recording.

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