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Dreaming Of Genie
05/15/1999 7:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Rob Goldstein
"I get a lot of comparisons these days," says blonde, blue-eyed bombshell Christina Aguilera, as she attempts to explain where she fits into today's musical landscape. "And usually they go in two totally different directions: It's either the Britney [Spears] comparisons from people who just look at things on the surface, or I get compared to people like Mariah Carey, which is amazing, and I think that comes from [the ones] who are more aware of my vocal abilities and what I can really do."
Since the success of her seductive single "Genie In A Bottle" has made Christina Aguilera the new it-girl of pop, the demand for a piece of this 18-year-old Wexford, Penn. sparkplug has been out of control. "I just got back from Japan recently, and soon I'll be heading to Europe to do a bunch of promotional gigs for my album," she states like a showbiz veteran.
But immediately she chimes in excitedly, "It's crazy, I get to do [some] of the biggest shows on TV--Leno, Rosie! Plus I'm doing shows with the Backstreet Boys for their fall tour in the States as well," all said with the charm of a starstruck schoolgirl.
But this sudden shot of stardom isn't that much of a surprise for Aguilera, who originally got her first taste of fame when she competed on Star Search at the ripe age of eight. Though she lost that night ("I was totally upset and crying afterwards, but my mom had me congratulate the guy who beat me. But I don't know what he's doing now," she muses), Christina would one year later plant the seed that inevitably changed her life forever: When word got out that the Disney channel was looking for a few good Mouseketeers for The New Mickey Mouse Club Show in Orlando, a nine-year-old Aguilera came with bells on.
"I auditioned and didn't hear anything back for the next few years, so I just figured I didn't make it," she says. "But when I was 12 years old I got a call back, and they said they had held on to my tape because I was too young for the part before. So I auditioned again, and I got one of the six new spots they filled that year." She ended up co-starring with what now would be considered a virtual jackpot of teen talent--The New Mickey Mouse Club featured other aspiring young stars like Britney Spears, Justin and JC from 'N Sync, and Felicity's Keri Russell. But now that each of her former fellow Mouseketeers have gone on to enormous success, it's Christina's turn to shine.
Though she may look like just another teen pop singer, this kid's got the voice to back up all the hype--a rarity in this day and age. Culling from such influences as Etta James and Whitney Houston, among others, Christina's self-titled debut album starts off glitzy and poppy with the opening track (her recent chart-topping hit "Genie In A Bottle"), but the rest of the album leans more towards Aguilera's soulful side and shows off the amazing power of her voice.
"With my record, we tried to make something that would appeal to the teen market," she says, "which is really hot right now with acts like Britney Spears and 'N Sync. But we also wanted to bring in a mature and older audience as well, and I think we've got a really good balance on this record with the uptempo songs as well as the ballads."
Of course, with Aguilera's youth and talent, a successful long-term music career is a certainty--that is, if she wants it. "I plan on going out there and making a great impact on the world!" she declares with a laugh. "No, seriously, I plan on venturing out into all different kinds of fields in this business and not just singing, but that's my main love right now and hopefully we'll see what the future brings."
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