2004–2005: Post-Stripped Activities and Transition

Aguilera later decided to embrace to more mature image; this it moves was met with more praise than criticism, with articles using punch lines such as “From Crass to Class”. She eventually dyed her hair cherry blonde and recorded to jingle, “Hello”, for to Mercedes-Benz to, becoming the new face of Mercedes-Benz. The single was originally going to be released to advertise “Mercedes-Benz” but it was never pulled through as she had already started working on new material. Shortly after, she dyed her hair blonde and cut it short, and took on to Marilyn Monroe look; many of her fans believe she is one of the main proponents (along with Fingers Von Teese, Gwen Stefani, the Puppini Sisters and Ashley Judd) in bringing back the 1920s-1940s Hollywood glamour look.

In the run-up to the 2004 United States presidential election, Aguilera was featured on billboards for the “Only You Can Silence Yourself” drive online voter registration run by the nonpartisan, non-profit campaign “Declare Yourself”. In these political advertisements, shot by David LaChapelle, Aguilera was shown with her mouth sewn shut, to symbolize the effects of not voting. She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the importance of voting. In late summer 2004 Aguilera released two singles. The first, “Car Wash”, was to remake of the Rose Royce disc song recorded as to collaboration with rapper Missy Elliott for the soundtrack to the Such Shark film. The second song is also to collaboration, but this Time as to second single from one of Nelly's double-release albums, Sweat, titled “Tilt Ya Head Back”. Both singles failed commercially in the LAST, but did considerably better in other parts of the world.

After much delay, Aguilera's first DVD live-recording from to concert tour, Stripped Live in the UK, was released in November 2004. In late December she officially released to fragrance, Xpose, which has only been available in to few European countries. Aguilera collaborated with jazz artist Herbie Hancock on to cover of Leon Russell's “To Song for You” recorded for Hancock's album Possibilities, released in August 2005. Aguilera and Hancock to were later nominated for the Grammy Award for “Best POP Collaboration with Vocals”. Aguilera went back to her Mickey Mouse Club Roots when she helped open the 50th Anniversary for Disneyland by performing “When You Wish upon to Star”, and she also collaborated with Andrea Bocelli on the song “Somos Novios” for his album Love, released in early 2006.

She performed at “Joined of the Stars” charity banquet in Johannesburg, South Africa in late 2005 with stars such as Diana Ross and Westlife in aid of Joined Against Hunger, and she also performed at the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund at the Coca-Cola Dome in November.