Christina Aguilera has opened up about her struggles with weight and the pressure put on her by record industry executives to be skinny.
The Voice star told Billboard magazine: “During the promotion of Stripped in 2002 I got tired of being a skinny, white girl.”
Christina Aguilera, who has natural Latin curves, said: “I am Ecuadorian but people felt so safe passing me off as a skinny, blue-eyed white girl.”
“The next time my label saw me, I was heavier, darker and full of piercings!” the five-time Grammy Award winner laughed.
“Let me tell you, that wasn’t an easy pill for them to swallow. I had gained about 15 pounds during promotion and during my Stripped tour.”
“They called this serious emergency meeting about how there was a lot of backlash about my weight,” she said.
“Basically, they told me I would effect a lot of people if I gained weight – the production, musical directors.”
“[They claimed] people I toured with would also miss out if I gained weight because I would sell no records or tickets for my shows,” she adds.
“I was young, so I lost the weight quickly and was toothpick thin during Back to Basics promos and touring.”
But this year, older and wiser, Christina Aguilera was ready to hit back at music execs.
When it came to working on the soon to-be-released CD, Lotus, she told them: “You are working with a fat girl. Know it now and get over it.”
“They need a reminder sometimes that I don’t belong to them. It’s my body,” she said.
“My body can’t put anyone in jeopardy of not making money anymore – my body is just not on the table that way anymore.”
After the failure of her 2010 album Bionic, Christina Aguilera hopes that Lotus, in stores November 13, will mark a comeback.
“This album represents a celebration of the new me.
“And to me the lotus has always represented this unbreakable flower that withstands any harsh weather conditions in its surroundings.
“It withstands time and remains beautiful and strong throughout the years,” she said.
“I tried to infuse as much as I could to promote strength and inspire people with that message,” Christina Aguilera explained.
“And now I’m at a place at 31, where the last time I felt this way was when I was 21.. and I had a lot to say and a lot to express.”
