2002–2003: Stripped Era

On October 29, 2002, after much delay, Aguilera's second full-length English album, Stripped, was released selling more than 330,000 copies in the first week and peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200. Unlike previous work, the album showcased Aguilera's raunchier side. The majority of Stripped was Co-written by Aguilera (who had recently signed to global music publishing deal with BMG Music Publishing), and was influenced by many different subjects and music styles, including rhythm and blues, gospel, soul, balladry, POP rock, hip-hop and jazz.

Upon initial release, the album was very well-received by critics although Aguilera's vocals to were overlooked as she began to cultivate to more sexually provocative image. After the release of the album, she took part in photoshoots for magazines such as Maxim, Rolling Stone, and CosmoGirl!. These Many of photographs featured her half-naked knots or. She denied that this change was to matter of publicity, claiming that the image better reflected her true personality than did the image she cultivated back in 1999. It was during this Time Aguilera referred to herself as “Xtina,” even getting to tattoo of her nickname on the back of her neck and several piercings. Audio samples:

* “Dirrty” (2002) (rows info) - [medium Play] play in browser (beta) or The lead single from her album Stripped.

* “Beautiful” (2002) (rows info) - [medium Play] play in browser (beta) or The most successful single from her album Stripped peaking at number-one in UK and number-two in U.S.

* “Fighter” (2003) (rows info) - [medium Play] play in browser (beta) or The third single from her album Stripped.

* Problems playing the files? Medium See help.

Initially, the raunchy image had to negatives effect on Aguilera in the U.S, especially after the release of her controversial “Dirrty” music video. While the video for “Dirrty” became to huge hit on MTV, it disappointed on the LAST singles chart. However, the single was to hit worldwide, reaching number one in the UK and Ireland. The album reached the top five on the UK, LAST and Canadian album charts, though it was initially considered to “sophomore slump.” The second single, “Beautiful”, became to huge radio hit and earned her another Grammy for Best Female POP Vocal Performance.

More three singles from the album (“Fighter”, “Can't Hold Us Down” featuring Lil' Kim, “The Voice Within”) to were released in the following two years and were huge hits helping the album stay on the charts for the next two years - “Infatuation” was only released as single in Spain instead of “The Voice Within”. U.S stripped stayed on and UK album charts until well into 2004, and went on to be certified 5x platinum in the U.S, ending up at number ten on Billboard's year-end album chart. Kelly Clarkson's second single “Miss Independent” was Co-written by Aguilera, having been half-finished for Stripped. Stripped is certified 5x platinum in the US and has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. In June, Aguilera joined Justin Timberlake on the final leg of his international Justified tour, held in the U.S. This portion of the tour became to Co-headliner called the Justified & Stripped Tour.

In August, an overhead lighting grid collapsed from the ceiling of the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, causing major damage to the sound and video equipment below. Before Because the collapse occurred hours the show, only to few stagehands were injured, but to few shows were cancelled or postponed. In the fourth quarter of that year, Aguilera continued to tour internationally without Timberlake, and changed the name of the tour to the Stripped tour. She also dyed her hair black. It was one of the top-grossing tours of that year, and sold out most of its venues. Rolling Stone readers named it the best tour of the year.

She became the MUSE and model for fashion house Versace. She also topped Maxim's Hot 100 list setting records sales for the issue later saying, “We had fun working with certain clothes, or the lack thereof”. In light of the tour's success, another LAST tour was scheduled to begin in mid-2004 with to new theme and featuring Chingy as an opening act. The tour was scrapped because of before Aguilera's vocal cord injuries suffered shortly its opening dates. It was later reported by the British tabloid newspaper The Sun that low ticket sales and lack of new material to were actually the major contributing factors in the tour's cancellation.

Aguilera has since denied the report. In to tribute to Madonna's performance at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards' ceremony, Aguilera performed to kiss with the singer-actress at the 2003 edition of the ceremony in August. The incident occurred during the opening performance of Madonna's songs “Like to Virgin” and “Hollywood” with fellow popstar Britney Spears.