"Hurt" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Christina Aguilera | ||||
from the album Back to Basics | ||||
Released | September 17, 2006 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 4:03 (album version) | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Linda Perry | |||
Christina Aguilera singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Hurt" on YouTube |
"Hurt" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). It was serviced to US contemporary hit radio stations on September 17, 2006, [1] as the album's second single, and was released for purchase in November. Written by Aguilera, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson, and produced by Perry, the song is a pop ballad with lyrics describing how the protagonist deals with the loss of a loved one and was inspired by the death of Perry's father.
"Hurt" received mixed-to-positive reviews from music critics, who praised Aguilera's vocals but were ambivalent towards the production. The song peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). According to Nielsen SoundScan, the single has sold over 1.1 million copies in the United States. It was a top-ten hit in Europe and Oceania, entering the top ten of record charts in countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden.
A music video for the song was directed by Floria Sigismondi who had previously worked with Aguilera on the video for "Fighter". The video was also co-directed by Aguilera. It depicts Aguilera as a 1940s circus star who suffers from her father's death. It won two MVPA Awards for Best Video and Best Direction of a Female Artist in 2007, and was nominated for a Juno Award for Video of the Year. Aguilera has performed the song live on a number of occasions, including at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and on Saturday Night Live . The track was included on the setlist of Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour in 2006 and 2007.
Aguilera's fifth studio album, Back to Basics , which consists of two discs, was released in August 2006. The second disc, described by Aguilera herself as "a '20s, '30s vibe," was solely produced by her longtime collaborater–producer Linda Perry. [2] During the recording session, Aguilera wanted to record a song about the pain of losing a loved one and asked Perry for help. Perry developed the idea while thinking about her father, who had died less than a year earlier. She revealed, "And she [Aguilera] came to me, and had these two chords that her and this guy wrote, and she was like 'I really like these chords, can you turn this into a song? I want the song to be about losing someone'. And inside of me, I'm going 'You little fucking bitch, you totally know I lost my dad, and now you're gonna milk my emotions.'" [3]
"Hurt" was released as the second single from Back to Basics following the album's lead single "Ain't No Other Man", which was released in June 2006. The song was serviced to US contemporary hit radio stations on September 17, 2006. [4] It was subsequently released physically in Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom in November. [5] [6] [7] An extended play consisting of remixes of the song was made available digitally onto iTunes Stores on November 21, 2006. [8] In France, the single was released physically on January 8, 2007. [9] "Hurt" was not initially planned to be released as the follow-up to "Ain't No Other Man"; instead, "Candyman" was taken into consideration by Aguilera. [10] Nevertheless, RCA Records decided to release "Hurt" as the album's second single afterwards because the label thought that it would be a commercial success similar to Aguilera's previous ballad "Beautiful" (2002). [11]
"Hurt" is a pop ballad that lasts for four minutes and three seconds. [12] [13] According to the music sheet published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing, "Hurt" is set in the key of E minor [14] and has a moderate tempo of 72 beats per minute. Aguilera's vocals on the song range from the low note of G♯3 to the high note of E5. [15] Its instrumentation comes from bass, cello, contrabass, drums, guitar, piano, viola and violin. [16] It starts with a piano opening backed by strings and, as noted by Bill Lamb of About.com, "as the words work their way to a climax accented by percussion then gently fade away again leaving the listener in stunned silence from the beauty of the moment." Lyrically, "Hurt" is an evocation of pain and guilt that accompanies the loss of a loved one. [17] Joan Anderman from The Boston Globe commented that "Hurt" resembles her previous song "Beautiful" (2002), [18] while Lindsay Levan of News & Record considered it an "intensely personal tune." [19] Chuck Taylor of Billboard deemed the song's lyrics as "moving past a relationship in ruins." [12]
Chuck Taylor from Billboard praised the song's production and Aguilera's vocals, noting that the song gives, "testament to Aguilera's stupefying gifts as an emotive, mature powerhouse singer." [12] He also called the song "timeless pop". [20] Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly said that the song's "self-help bromides Aguilera delivers with melodrama that would make Barbra Streisand shudder." [21] Writing for Newsday , Glenn Gamboa opined that Back to Basics would not be complete without "big" ballads like "Hurt", which was described as a "wrenching" song. [22] Describing the song as "the centerpiece" of Back to Basics's second disc, About.com reviewer Bill Lamb gave the song a five out of five stars rating, commenting that the song "does not always fit easily into the typical pop radio, but it is a song that is very likely to generate significant listener requests.". [17]
Naomi West writing for The Daily Telegraph named "Hurt" a "supersized" ballad, [23] while Dan Gennoe from Yahoo! Music called it "over the top" (OTT). [24] In a review for musicOMH, John Murphy named the song a "touching ode", but was not impressed with the "sugary-sweet" string arrangement that "overwhelms" the song. [25] Judy Faber from CBS News shared that the second disc of the album did not bring back the 1920s and 1930s sound, particularly with the "overwrought weeper" "Hurt". [26] Rolling Stone magazine's Jenny Eliscu called "Hurt" an "incongruous schmaltzfest," [27] while Thomas Inskeep from Stylus Magazine named "Hurt" an "overblown" ballad. [28] Jason Scott, however, wrote in his review for PopDust: "It's a stunning, raw and evocative performance, and remains Aguilera's most honest." [29] The track was deemed by AXS as Aguilera's best song. [30]
In the United States, "Hurt" debuted at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart issue dated October 14, 2006. [31] During the week of December 16, the single reached its peak at number 19 after spending ten weeks on the chart. [32] The single peaked at number one the Hot Dance Club Songs, number six on the Adult Contemporary, and number ten on the Mainstream Top 40. [33] It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over 1,000,000 units in the country. [34] As of August 2014, "Hurt" has sold over 1,187,000 million digital copies in the US. [35] In Canada, "Hurt" peaked at number 28 on the Canadian Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Music Canada for exceeding shipments of 40,000 copies there. [36]
In the United Kingdom, "Hurt" peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks and spent 15 weeks on the chart. [37] In Scotland, it reached number eight on the Singles Chart in late November 2006. [38] The song debuted at number four on the Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart, ultimately peaking at number two and spent a total of 27 weeks on the chart. [39] "Hurt" peaked at number three in France, [40] number two in Germany, [41] and number one in Switzerland. [42] It reached number one on the Portuguese Airplay Chart in March 2007, as reported by Nielsen Music Control. [43] It was certified Gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), [44] Gold in Germany, [45] and in Switzerland. [46]
The music video for "Hurt" was shot over five days in September 2006. It was co-directed by Aguilera alongside Floria Sigismondi, who had previously directed the music video for "Fighter" (2003). The video's concept was described as circus-inspired. [47] During the first day of filming, the big top tent where the video was shot was "blown away" because of strong wind, which resulted in a delay in shooting and a change of location. [48] The video premiered on October 17, 2006, on MTV's Total Request Live . [47] In an interview with The Gazette , Aguilera revealed, [48]
I definitely had a story for it – a specific story – that's why I felt that it was important for her and I to co-direct this particular video and song and she completely got it. She got my vision for it. She [Sigismondi] got where I was trying to go and what she brings to the table is so incredible and she's so creative and outstanding. And I always have a great time working with her. There was no ego involved, you know, me - that was the first video that I'd ever stepped up to the plate to literally co-direct. I'd always been very opinionated and very you know, I always voice my ideas and whatnot in my videos, but this was the first one I actually took credit for in co-directing. And she was just so great and generous in teaching me some of the ropes and learning about the different camera angles and you know, all the facets and details that go into making a video. So, she was really great and we had such fun with that. [...] And she's amazing. I can't you know, she came to the set dressed in different outfits that related to the circus everyday, so she's such an imaginative, creative spirit that I just have such fun working with energy like that.
The video begins in black and white with the ending instrumental of "Enter the Circus"/"Welcome", over which a carnival barker (voiced by Linda Perry) introduces an audience to a circus. [49] The transition to color begins when Aguilera appears in an old-fashioned dressing room, receiving flowers and then an important telegram saying, "In respect to inform you of the death of your father on the day of 02/09/1947." A flashback then shows a young Aguilera, played by Laci Kay, with her father, played by Timothy V. Murphy, raptured by the sight of the tightrope walker, played by Elizabeth Glassco. With her father's encouragement, Aguilera begins to train herself to do the same.
When the video switches to the real Aguilera, she is seen descending from the top of a circus tent on a rope, onto the back of an elephant, in pointe shoes and a structured jeweled outfit, with her father watching in the audience. She later attempts to greet him but is pulled away by fans and photographers. After being informed of the death of her father from the telegram and realizing that she was too wrapped up in her stardom to deal with what matters, she races through the circus in a belated attempt to find her father. Overwhelmed, Aguilera collapses on the ground and sees a silhouette of a man standing in front of the circus tent. Hoping the shadow figure to be her father, Aguilera holds out her hand with the elephant necklace on it to him. She breaks down crying when she realizes the silhouette has disappeared and that her father is gone. The video ends with a shot of Aguilera sitting on a circus box, singing and crying, before fading out to Aguilera's grief-stricken form on the ground outside the circus tent. The camera then zooms out and Aguilera is seen on the ground.
Michael Slezak from Entertainment Weekly commented that "the video actually makes me like the song more than I did when I heard it on its own." [49] The video won two prizes at the 2007 MVPA Awards for Best Video and Best Direction of a Female Artist. [50] It was also nominated for Video of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2007. [48] The video received a Vevo Certified Award on YouTube for over 100 million views. [51]
Aguilera first performed the song at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 31, 2006; James Montgomery from MTV News named it one of the "high-gloss" moments of the event. [52] Aguilera also promoted the song during the holiday season later that year, performing on the TV special Christmas at Rockefeller Center, aired by NBC on November 29, 2006. [53] She sang the song on Saturday Night Live in November 2006. [54] The promotion of the song also included performances on the European TV shows: Wetten, dass..? (in Germany, in December 2006), [55] and Var mısın? Yok musun? (in Turkey, in October 2008). [56] [57]
"Hurt" was included on the setlist of Aguilera's Back to Basics Tour in 2006 and 2007. For the performance of the song, she dressed in a plume outfit designed by Roberto Cavalli and sang while a giant crescent moon descended from the ceiling. [58] The performance recorded during Aguilera's show in Adelaide, Australia in 2007 was included on the Back to Basics: Live and Down Under DVD release. [59]
In August 2023, Aguilera sang "Hurt" for the first time since 2008, during a concert in Rishon LeZion, Israel. She was accompanied by Eden Ben Zaken. [60] [61]
European CD single [62]
UK CD single 2
Digital remix EP [8]
Digital download [63]
| US CD maxi single (The Remixes) [64]
Australian CD maxi-single [65]
Japanese CD single [66]
|
Credits and personnel are adapted from Back to Basics album liner notes. [16]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [125] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [126] | Gold | 15,000* |
Belgium (BEA) [127] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [36] | Gold | 20,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [128] | Gold | 4,000^ |
France (SNEP) [44] | Gold | 200,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [45] | Gold | 150,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [129] | Gold | 15,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [130] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [34] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | September 17, 2006 | Contemporary hit radio | RCA | [1] [4] |
United Kingdom | October 30, 2006 | Digital download | [131] | |
Germany | November 3, 2006 | Maxi | Sony BMG | [6] |
Australia | November 4, 2006 | CD | [5] | |
United Kingdom | November 13, 2006 | RCA | [7] | |
Various | November 21, 2006 | Digital download (EP) | [8] | |
Taiwan | December 1, 2006 | Maxi | Sony BMG | [132] |
Japan | December 20, 2006 | [66] | ||
France | January 8, 2007 | CD | Jive | [9] |
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Christina María Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Recognized as an influential figure in music and having received widespread public interest, she is noted for her four-octave vocal range extending into the whistle register, artistic reinventions, and incorporating controversial themes into her music. Referred to as the "Voice of a Generation", she was also named a Disney Legend, in recognition for her contributions to The Walt Disney Company.
"Beautiful" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). It was released as the album's second single on November 16, 2002. A pop and R&B ballad, "Beautiful" was written and produced by Linda Perry and discusses inner-beauty, as well as self-esteem and insecurity. Aguilera commented that she put "her heart and soul" into the track, which she felt represented the theme of Stripped.
"Genie in a Bottle" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her self-titled debut studio album (1999). It was written by Pam Sheyne, Steve Kipner and David Frank, and produced by Kipner and Frank. The song was released on 22 June 1999, by RCA Records as the album's lead single. It is a soul-pop, teen pop and dance-pop song with elements of R&B. "Genie in a Bottle" uses sexual references to address the themes of self-respect and abstinence.
"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.
"What a Girl Wants" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her self-titled debut album (1999). Written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche as "What a Girl Needs", the song was originally released by French singer Ophélie Winter in 1998. On her album Privacy the song appeared in English and French. The French version was released as a single two years later. In the meantime, the song was pitched by Peiken and Roche to RCA Records. Following a change of the song title to "What a Girl Wants", it was recorded by Aguilera for her eponymous debut album.
"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."
"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.
"The Voice Within" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The song was written by Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production handled by Ballard. It is a piano-driven ballad that talks about trusting oneself and one's instincts. "The Voice Within" was released as the fifth and final single from Stripped on October 27, 2003, by RCA Records.
American singer Christina Aguilera has released nine studio albums, four extended plays (EPs), four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, 54 singles, and 17 promotional singles. After releasing the duet "All I Wanna Do" with Keizo Nakanishi in 1997 and later gaining recognition for her solo musical debut with "Reflection", the theme song for the Disney animated film Mulan (1998), Aguilera signed a multi-album contract with RCA Records in 1998.
Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 9, 2006, in the United States by RCA Records as a double album. Serving as executive producer, she enlisted a wide range of producers, including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson, and Linda Perry. Recording sessions took place between February 2005 and April 2006 at several studios in the United States and the United Kingdom.
"Ain't No Other Man" is a song recorded by the American singer and songwriter 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 its 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.
The Back to Basics Tour was the fourth concert tour and third world tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched to support her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). It visited Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia from late 2006 to mid 2007. Though initially planned, four dates for New Zealand and Australia were cancelled due to Aguilera's pregnancy with her first child, Max Liron Bratman, born January 12, 2008. In October 2008, three extra dates to Ukraine and Abu Dhabi were added; therefore, the tour was Aguilera's first to visit the Middle East.
"Candyman" is a song written and performed, by American singer and songwriter Christina Aguilera from the second disc of her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). "Candyman" was planned to be released as the second single from Back to Basics; however, RCA Records decided to release "Hurt" instead. Subsequently, the track was released on November 19, 2006, as the third single from the album. "Candyman" is described as a pop and jazz song that imitates swing music whose lyrics are about sex.
"Oh Mother" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006). The song was released on August 13, 2007, by RCA Records as the fourth and final single from the album in European territories, while "Slow Down Baby" was serviced as the final single in Oceania. It was written by Aguilera, Derryck Thornton, Mark Rankin, Liz Thornton, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi. Production was done by Big Tank and Q, with L Boggie credited as co-producer and Aguilera serviced as additional producer.
Back to Basics: Live and Down Under is the fourth video album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. It premiered on television on January 26, 2008, on VH1, and was released on DVD on February 4, 2008, by RCA Records. The DVD included material from recordings from two of Aguilera's concerts during her Back to Basics Tour in Adelaide on July 17 and 18, 2007. Behind-the-scenes footage is included with video from the concerts.
"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.
"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".
"Feel This Moment" is a song by American rapper Pitbull featuring American singer Christina Aguilera. The song was released on February 21, 2013, by Mr. 305, Polo Grounds Music and RCA Records, as the fourth single from the album Global Warming, which was released in 2012. It is a dance-pop number that talks about stopping to take a moment to appreciate life. "Feel This Moment" was written by the artists alongside Chantal Kreviazuk and producers Nasri Atweh, Adam Messinger, Sir Nolan, and DJ Buddha. The song interpolates "Take On Me" by a-ha, written and composed by Morten Harket, Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, and Magne Furuholmen.
"Say Something" is a song by American pop duo A Great Big World from their debut album, Is There Anybody Out There? (2013). Written by the duo members—Ian Axel and Chad King—alongside Mike Campbell, the song was originally recorded by Axel for his solo album This Is the New Year (2011). It was later released as a single by the duo on September 3, 2013, by Epic Records. Following its usage on American reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance, the track gained attention from singer Christina Aguilera, who wanted to collaborate with A Great Big World on the song. Soon afterwards, a re-recorded version of "Say Something" with Aguilera was released on November 4, 2013.
"Moves like Jagger" is a song by American pop rock band Maroon 5 featuring singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 21, 2011, as the fourth and final single from the re-release of the group's third studio album Hands All Over (2010). The song was written by Adam Levine, Ammar Malik, Benny Blanco, and Shellback; the latter two are also the producers. "Moves like Jagger" is an electropop song with modern disco style elements and is backed by synths and electronic drums. The lyrics refer to a male's ability to impress a love interest with his dance moves, which he compares to those of Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones.