Christina Aguilera Opens Up on How Being a ‘Disney Kid’ Shaped Her Career

Christina Aguilera, a renowned music sensation and movie star, has a unique backstory that many of her loyal fans know well: she started her career with Disney. At just 13 years old, Aguilera appeared on the small screen in “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club,” and her early years as a child actor played a significant role in shaping her future career.

In a recent interview with Aguilera for Paper Magazine, the mother of two discussed the impact of being a child actor on her creative freedom. “Growing up, there was a mold that was clear to me they wanted me to meet,” she explained. “And I get it, you want to sell your records. I grew up on the Mickey Mouse Club, I was a Disney kid, so I knew about following a schedule and doing what you can to get ahead and follow this dream. It showed me early on what it feels like to have massive success and still not feel creatively fulfilled.”

Reflecting on her journey, Aguilera noted the significant changes in the industry. “Now, artists are coming out and having more of a say and creative control, even in their own voice, with what they can put out over social media,” she said. “It’s a more self-controlled world out there, which is great.”

After achieving success during a period of limited creative freedom, Aguilera decided to shift her focus to what she genuinely wanted to produce. This change in direction was most evident with the release of her 2002 album, “Stripped.”

“So I started accumulating and writing what would be ‘Stripped,’ while I was having that massive success and charting,” she recalled. “I noticed it wasn’t about that for me. Of course, my dreams were coming true and it was fantastic to feel that wave and see that I was being received by fans, people that would later call themselves ‘Fighters,’ but it showed me that it’s not about charting or numbers.”

Aguilera emphasized the importance of creating work that speaks to one’s heart, stating, “Because when you have that and you’re on stage doing songs that don’t speak truly to your heart, then what’s the point? I need in my soul to be more fulfilled than that. So that’s where ‘Stripped’ was able to be birthed.”

She concluded with an inspirational thought that resonates across various fields: “You’re going to get criticism from both sides no matter what you do, so I learned that I might as well be doing what I want to do and get criticism for it.” It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of staying true to oneself.

Source: Paper Magazine