Express (Christina Aguilera song)

Last updated

"Express"
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side "Show Me How You Burlesque"
ReleasedNovember 12, 2010 (2010-11-12)
Recorded2009
Genre Electropop
Length4:20
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • C. "Tricky" Stewart
  • Claude Kelly
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"I Hate Boys"
(2010)
"Express"
(2010)
"Show Me How You Burlesque"
(2010)
Licensed audio
"Christina Aguilera - Express (Burlesque Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" on YouTube

"Express" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for the accompanying soundtrack album to her film Burlesque (2010). Written by Aguilera, C. "Tricky" Stewart and Claude Kelly and was produced by Stewart, "Express" is an uptempo electropop number. The track premiered on November 3, 2010 on On Air with Ryan Seacrest to promote the soundtrack. It was also released to Italian radio as a single on November 12, 2010, [1] and to Australian radio on December 6. [2]

Contents

"Express" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who praised its both old-school–and–contemporary sound. It attained moderate chart success, peaking at number two on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and also charting in other territories. Aguilera performed the track at the American Music Awards of 2010 and during her Vegas residency Christina Aguilera: The Xperience.

Background and composition

In support of her sixth studio album, Bionic , Aguilera planned to embark on the Bionic Tour. [3] However, on May 24, 2010, the singer and tour promoter Live Nation both posted messages on their websites stating that due to excessive promotion of Bionic and preparing for her upcoming film debut in Burlesque , she felt she would need more time to be able to put together a show that her fans deserve to see. [4] Aguilera stated that this was not possible to do in less than one month between the release of the album and the start of the tour as she would need more time to rehearse. [4] [5] For the accompanying soundtrack for the film, Aguilera worked with Tricky Stewart; [6] he co-wrote and produced two songs, "Show Me How You Burlesque" and "Express", and produced several other tracks including "Something's Got a Hold on Me", "Tough Lover" and "But I Am a Good Girl". [7] "Express" was premiered on the On Air with Ryan Seacrest radio show (KIIS-FM) on November 3, 2010 as a promotional single from the album. [8] [9]

"Express" was written by Aguilera, Christopher Stewart and Claude Kelly, and was produced by Tricky Stewart. [7] Aguilera's vocals on the track span two octaves, from the low-note of E 3 to the high-note of E5. [10] It is an electropop song; [11] the melody of "Express" is similar to the old-school style of "Lady Marmalade", [12] and has a dance production. [13] Thus, "Express" has an old-school sound, but is also modern. [13] Lyrically, the song evokes sexual theme, as she "seductively" sings, "Show a little leg, you gotta shimmy your chest". [14]

Reception

"Express" received mainly positive reviews from music critics. Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine called the song "nasty, buzzing bump-and-grind" and "a bionic 'Lady Marmalade'". [12] Blogcritics thought that "Express", among with "Show Me How You Burlesque" are the two songs that "work better in the context of the movie, where the elaborate visuals help distract from their lack of melody and strong hooks". [13] An online website, Movie-Moron was positive toward the track, saying that it is "the most modern sounding thing" in the soundtrack, also compared "Express" to Aguilera's 2002 single "Dirrty". [15] Jamie Tabberer of the Attitude magazine named "Express" a "glam big band number", and ranked it among the best songs ever recorded by Aguilera. [16]

Commercially, "Express" charted on several music charts worldwide, despite not being released as an official single. In the United States, the song peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. [17] In the United Kingdom, "Express" peaked at number 75 on the UK Singles Chart, [18] [19] and also charted on the UK R&B Chart at number 21 on December 25, 2010. [20] On the Swiss Singles Chart, "Express" debuted and peaked at number 54 on January 21, 2011, and stayed there for 3 weeks. [21] In Japan, the track also peaked at number 32, [22] and in Italy it charted at number 91. [23] The song reached number 58 on Australian Singles Chart in January 2011. [24]

Live performances

To promote "Express" and Burlesque, Aguilera has performed the track on two shows. Aguilera performed "Express" for the first time at the American Music Awards of 2010 on November 21, 2010, held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. [25] During an interview with MTV News about the performance, Aguilera stated that the performance would be "fantastic" and would "give a fitting look inside the movie". [25] Wearing a "black spangly bodysuit" with knee-high boots and a bowler, Aguilera seated in a chair with her back to the audience in the beginning of the show. [25] She began to snap her fingers and leaned into the "jazzy, skittery rhythms" of "Express". [25] Later, the scene revealed a set made up to mimic the backstage at a burlesque club, with the singer surrounded by a number of dancers. [25] Gil Kaufman of MTV News said that the performance is a flash back to the "Dirrty-era" of Aguilera. [25]

On December 11, 2010, Aguilera performed "Express" again on the seventh series of British television singing contest The X Factor . Aguilera's performance, as well as Rihanna's one of "What's My Name?", received criticism for being inappropriate for pre-watershed television. [26] ITV was later exonerated and the performances were deemed to be "at the limit" of acceptability for pre-watershed television. [27] However, Ofcom received about 2,868 complaints about the matter. [27] The song was later included in the setlist for Aguilera's Vegas residency Christina Aguilera: The Xperience, as well as her European/Mexican The X Tour.

Impact

On February 18, 2011, a video featuring a 10-year-old Taiwanese boy dressing in drag and performing a dance number choreographed to "Express", channeling Aguilera's performance of the song in Burlesque, was uploaded to the Internet. [28] The video was met with controversy, with Billboard magazine questioning if "the kid's parents filmed his sexualized dance routine and uploaded it to YouTube". [28] In January 2021, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won the gold medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. During the 2020–21 season they danced to a medley of Aguilera's Burlesque songs, which included "Express". [29] [30]

Accolades

YearCeremonyCategoryResultRef.
2011 J-Wave Awards Song of the Year Nominated [31]

Charts

Chart (2010–11)Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart [24] 58
Italy (FIMI) [23] 91
Japan (Japan Hot 100) [22] 32
Swiss Singles Chart [21] 54
UK Singles Chart (OCC) [19] 75
UK R&B Chart (OCC) [20] 21
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 ( Billboard ) [17] 2

Release history

CountryReleasedFormatLabel
Italy [1] November 12, 2010 Contemporary hit radio RCA Records
Australia [2] December 6, 2010 Sony Music Entertainment

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Aguilera</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1980)

Christina María Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Referred to as the "Voice of a Generation", she is noted for her four-octave vocal range, musical reinventions, sustaining high notes including use of the whistle register, and a signature use of melisma throughout her music. Recognized as an influential figure in popular music, she also became known for incorporating controversial themes such as feminism, sexuality, LGBT culture and the sex-positive movement into her work. Aguilera was also honoured as a Disney Legend, for her contributions to The Walt Disney Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tricky Stewart</span> American record producer from Illinois

Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. Stewart, a five-time Grammy Award recipient, began producing music in 1992 and has contributed to unit sales of over 50 million for his work on commercially successful releases for hip hop, R&B and pop artists. Often in tandem with production partner and R&B singer The-Dream, he has been credited on the singles "Case of the Ex" (2000) by Mya, "Me Against the Music" (2003) by Britney Spears, "Umbrella" (2007) by Rihanna, "Just Fine" (2007) by Mary J. Blige, "Single Ladies " (2008) by Beyoncé, "Touch My Body" (2008) and "Obsessed" (2009) by Mariah Carey, "One Time" (2009) and "Baby" (2010) by Justin Bieber, "Ride" (2010) by Ciara, and "Water" (2023) by Tyla, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirrty</span> 2002 single by Christina Aguilera featuring Redman

"Dirrty" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring American rapper Redman, released as the lead single from her fourth studio album Stripped. Despite Aguilera's first three years of commercial success, she was displeased with the lack of control over her image. In response, she desired to create a song that would represent her authentic persona. She approached hip hop producer Rockwilder and suggested using Redman's 2001 song "Let's Get Dirty " as a guide. The final result, "Dirrty", is an R&B and hip hop song that also features rapping verses from Redman and describes sexual activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighter (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 2003 single by Christina Aguilera

"Fighter" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The song was written by Aguilera and Scott Storch, and produced by the latter. It was released by RCA Records as the third single from Stripped on March 10, 2003. Inspired by Guns N' Roses' song "November Rain", "Fighter" was characterized as a hybrid of rock and R&B that incorporates elements of arena rock and rock and roll. The track sees Aguilera thanking a man who had done her wrong for making her a "fighter."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Hold Us Down</span> 2003 single by Christina Aguilera

"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). It was released by RCA Records on July 8, 2003, as the fourth single from the album. The track was written and produced by Scott Storch, with additional songwriting by Aguilera and Matt Morris. An R&B and hip hop song with a dancehall outro, "Can't Hold Us Down" criticizes gender-related double standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Aguilera discography</span>

American singer Christina Aguilera has released nine studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), six compilation albums, one soundtrack album, 54 singles, and 17 promotional singles. To date, Aguilera has sold around over 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female music artist of all time. Billboard ranked Aguilera as the 37th Greatest Hot 100 Women of All Time and the 44th Greatest Billboard 200 Women of All Time. In the United States alone, Aguilera has sold 18.3 million albums. Through the RIAA she has 18.6 million certified albums units and 10 million certified digital singles units. Aguilera is recognized as the 20th best-selling artist of the 2000s. She has also achieved 10 number one hits on Billboard's Dance Club Songs. In the United Kingdom, Aguilera has sold over 3.3 million albums and 6.1 million singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ain't No Other Man</span> 2006 single by Christina Aguilera

"Ain't No Other Man" is a song by the American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006). Aguilera co-wrote the song with Kara DioGuardi, Charles Martin Roane, Harold Beatty and the producer DJ Premier. "Ain't No Other Man" is a pop, funk and R&B song that incorporates elements of soul, blues and jazz music. Lyrically, the song was inspired by her marriage to Jordan Bratman in 2005.

<i>Bionic</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2010 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Bionic is the sixth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 4, 2010, by RCA Records. Inspired by Aguilera's taste for electronic music, Bionic is characterized as an electropop, futurepop and R&B record. The first half consists of electronic songs incorporating synthesizers and electronic beats, while the second half displays a balladic production. The album's main themes include sex and feminism.

"Bionic" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera, taken from her sixth studio album of the same name (2010). The song was written by Aguilera, Kalenna Harper, John Hill and Switch, while production was done by the latter two. "Bionic" is an electronic number and has garnered comparisons to works by artists including Santigold and Janet Jackson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Myself Tonight</span> 2010 single by Christina Aguilera

"Not Myself Tonight" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera for her sixth studio album Bionic (2010). It was released by RCA Records as the lead single from the album on April 2, 2010. Produced by Jamal Jones a.k.a. Polow da Don and co-written in collaboration with Greg Curtis, Ester Dean and Jason Perry, "Not Myself Tonight" is an electropop, electro-R&B and dance-pop song, which explores Aguilera's adoption of different personas on the dance floor.

"Woohoo" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. The song was written by Aguilera, Onika Maraj, Claude Kelly, Ester Dean and Jamal "Polow da Don" Jones, and produced by Polow da Don, for Aguilera's sixth studio album, Bionic (2010). "Woohoo" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary crossover airplay as the album's second radio single on May 25, 2010. The song, which samples the 1972 song "Add már uram az esőt" by Hungarian singer Kati Kovács, is about oral sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Lost Me</span> 2010 single by Christina Aguilera

"You Lost Me" is a song by American recording artist Christina Aguilera from her sixth studio album Bionic (2010). It was written by Aguilera, Sia, and producer Samuel Dixon. "You Lost Me" was released on June 25, 2010 by RCA Records as the third single from Bionic. The track is a down-tempo ballad that talks about an unfaithful man, who has left Aguilera's world "infected".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Hate Boys</span> 2010 single by Christina Aguilera

"I Hate Boys" is a song recorded by American recording artist Christina Aguilera for her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010). The song was written by Aguilera, Ester Dean, William Tyler, Bill Wellings, J. J. Hunter and Jamal Jones, who also handled the production of the track. "I Hate Boys" is a glam rock, pop and electropop song, containing elements of urban pop and synth-pop. Lyrically, it is a hate-driven song about ridiculing all boys.

<i>Burlesque</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Christina Aguilera and Cher

Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released by Screen Gems, Inc and RCA Records on November 19, 2010. The soundtrack consists of ten songs sung by the film's stars, American singers Christina Aguilera and Cher; Aguilera sang eight of the tracks, while Cher performed the remaining two. The album is inspired by jazz music style, in style with Aguilera's fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006), but contrasting to her then-recent release Bionic (2010), which was recorded concurrently with Burlesque. Burlesque served as Cher's first album since the release of Living Proof nine years earlier.

"Show Me How You Burlesque" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for the accompanying soundtrack album to the film Burlesque (2010), which stars Aguilera. It was written by Aguilera, C. "Tricky" Stewart and Claude Kelly and was produced by Stewart. The song was released for digital download onto iTunes Store in 2010. Before being released, a demo version of the track, entitled "Spotlight" was leaked online.

"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" is a song performed by American singer-actress Cher, taken from the soundtrack Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the accompanying film Burlesque (2010). After a long time of hiatus in her acting career, Cher returned to the screen in Burlesque, which co-stars Christina Aguilera. It was released to adult contemporary radio station in the United States on January 15, 2011, as the first single from the soundtrack by RCA Records. Prior to the release, a remix EP which includes uptempo dance versions of the song was made available to purchase iTunes Stores on November 24, 2010. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Matt Serletic and Mark Taylor, "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" is a power ballad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Body (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 2012 single by Christina Aguilera

"Your Body" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written by Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Shellback and Tiffany Amber, while its production was done by Martin and Shellback. RCA Records premiered the song on September 14, 2012, on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, and later sent it to US contemporary hit and rhythmic radio stations two days later as the lead single from Lotus. "Your Body" is an R&B, electro, EDM and pop number with elements from dubstep and Eurodance. Its lyrics express Aguilera's desire to have sex with an anonymous partner.

"Make the World Move" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It features guest vocals from Cee Lo Green. The song was written by Alexander Grant, Mike Del Rio, Candice Pillay, Jayson DeZuzio, Dwayne Abernathy and Armando Trovajoli. Musically, the track is an up–tempo inspirational song, which combines dance, R&B and soul genres. Lyrically, it is a positive attitude song which features horns and synthesizers as part of its instrumentation.

"Blank Page" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, taken from her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written by Aguilera, Chris Braide and Sia, with production done by Braide. Aguilera had worked with Furler on her previous two albums Bionic and Burlesque, both released in 2010. Following the release of Lotus, Aguilera revealed that Furler is one of her favorite people to work with and that she is very inspiring.

References

  1. 1 2 Tozzi, Edoardo (November 8, 2010). "Christina Aguilera – Express (Burlesque). Radio Date: 12 Novembre 2010". EarOne (in Italian). EarOne S.r.l. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Christina Aguilera – Express (SME)". The Music Network (816). Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2013.
  3. "Leona Lewis to tour with Christina Aguilera". Now Magazine. May 12, 2010. Archived from the original on December 15, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  4. 1 2 Sisario, Ben (May 24, 2010). "Christina Aguilera Postpones Tour – ArtsBeat Blog". The New York Times . Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  5. "A Message About The BIONIC Tour". ChristinaAguilera.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  6. Mitchell, Gail (November 12, 2010). "Tricky Stewart Talks Jessica Simpson, 'Burlesque' Production". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Burlesque (liner notes). Christina Aguilera. RCA Records. 2010.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Finn, Natalie (November 3, 2010). "Hear Christina Aguilera E-X-P-R-E-S-S Herself in New Burlesque Track!". E! Online . E! . Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  9. Turner, Sadao (November 3, 2010). "Ryan Seacrest - World Premiere: New Music from Christina Aguilera 'Express'". Ryan Seacrest . Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  10. "Christina Aguilera Express Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. April 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  11. "Showgirl Aguilera shows her skills". The Advertiser . January 16, 2011. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Henderson, Eric (November 21, 2010). "Burlesque: Original Soundtrack Music Review". Slant Magazine . Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  13. 1 2 3 "Music Review: Burlesque Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Blogcritics . December 13, 2010. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  14. Daw, Robbie (October 11, 2010). "Hop On The 'Express' That Is Christina Aguilera's 'Burlesque' Theme Song". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  15. "Burlesque Soundtrack Songs". Movie-Moron. November 23, 2010. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  16. Tabberer, Jamie (August 2, 2022). "Christina Aguilera's 17 best songs ranked – from Dirrty to Beautiful". Attitude . Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  17. 1 2 "Christina Aguilera - Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  18. "Chart Log UK: New Entries Update". Zobbel Archive. Archived from the original on 2019-07-07. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  19. 1 2 "Christina Aguilera Artist Official Charts". Official Charts Company . Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  20. 1 2 "2012–12–25 Top 40 R&B Singles Archive". Official Charts Company . Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  21. 1 2 "Christina Aguilera - Express". Schweizer Hitparade (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  22. 1 2 "Hot 100 − JAPAN Charts − Billboard JAPAN". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). December 20, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-12-15. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  23. 1 2 "Tutti i successi del 2011" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  24. 1 2 "Every ARIA Top 100 Single in 2011". Top 100 Singles. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kaufman, Gil (November 21, 2010). "Christina Aguilera Strust Through 'Express' (Burlesque) At AMAs". MTV News. Viacom. Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  26. "Christina Aguilera: As raunchy in Burlesque as she was on the X Factor". Daily Mirror . Trinity Mirror. December 17, 2010. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  27. 1 2 Conlan, Tara (April 20, 2011). "The X Factor cleared over Rihanna and Christina Aguilera dance routines". The Guardian . London: The Guardian News and Media. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  28. 1 2 Mapes, Jillian (February 18, 2011). "Watch: Little Boy Dresses Up like Christina Aguilera, Dances to 'Express'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  29. Prahl, Amanda (January 17, 2021). "Watch the Sexy, Burlesque-Inspired Skate That Propelled These Ice Dancers to a National Title". PopSugar UK . Group Nine Media. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  30. "Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE – isuresults.com". ISU Results. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2020-11-26. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  31. "2011 Tokyo Hot 100 Charts: Song of the Year" (in Japanese). J-Wave. Credit Saison. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2024.