Christina Aguilera opens up about the debate about changing her last name for recognition

Christina Aguilera recently opened up about the times when she was pressurised to change her last name. In an interview with a news portal, Christina Aguilera recalled how professionals feared that her name wouldn’t catch on as it was ‘too ethnic’. She said that she remembers when she was coming up on-screen for the first time, there was a big debate around her on changing her last name.

She added that this is because all the businessmen around her thought it was too long, complicated and ethnic. Talking about what name the professionals wanted to give her, Christina Aguilera said that the option they kept in front of her was ‘Christina Agee’ but clearly that didn’t happen. Aguilera added that she was firmly against the idea of changing her name as she wanted to represent who she really was.

Furthermore, Christina Aguilera said that being Latina, her name was part of her heritage and her identity. Talking about another instance where she was pressured to change her name, she said that during her childhood she was asked to change her name legally by her stepfather who adopted her. Christina Aguilera continued that she was completely against the idea of changing her name. She also added that she has been fighting for her last name her whole life.

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Christina Aguilera also talked about recording Spanish versions of her hit songs Genie in a Bottle and Come On Over (All I Want Is You) for her Spanish-language album Mi Reflejo. She said that she was excited to bring a new life to her songs and reinvent somethings. Christina continued that she was allowed to create and express new ad-libs and vocal runs which she wasn’t able to do during her original record. She wrapped up the conversation saying that if she says it honestly, everything sounds better in Spanish.

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Christina Aguilera was born to an Ecuadorian father and a mother who is of European descent, the former Voice coach has often received grief for juggling between multiple heritages and not being Latina enough. Christina Aguilera in an interview with a Latina magazine, said that she doesn’t speak the Latin language fluently. Aguilera added that she is right in the middle, half Irish and half Ecuadorian. She continued that she should not have to prove her ethnicity to anyone, she knows her identity and that’s enough of her.

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