Why Christina Aguilera Is the “People’s Voice”

Christopher Polk

Tonight, Christina Aguilera will not only perform at The People’s Choice Awards 2013 but receive a special honor called the “People's Voice” award to recognize her achievements in the industry. Nice!

But have the people really spoken to make the pop diva deserving of the award? We take a look back through her career to see why Xtina really IS the PEOPLE’S voice.

The people made their support for Christina clear right away when her first AND second singles both went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; a feat that made her only the third female to do so. The woman to do so before her? None other than Mariah Carey in 1990. “Genie In A Bottle” and “What A Girl Wants” rubbed fans the right way to send her self-titled debut album to No. 1 as well, beating out a new Diddy album that week. The next female to nab two No. 1s out of the gate would come almost a decade later with Lady Gaga.

Nothing really says “we like you” in the music industry like a Grammy Award and Xtina picked up one after just one single. Beating out stiff competition from Britney Spears, Kid Rock, and Macy Gray, the win for Best New Artist shocked no one more than than the singer herself as she shook through a cute, humble and unrehearsed acceptance speech. She has since won three more Grammys for "Lady Marmalade" (in 2002), "Beautiful" (2004), and "Ain’t No Other Man" (2007), not to mention a Latin Grammy for her Mi Reflejo album.

Xtina turned into XXXtina for her 2003 Maxim magazine cover featuring her "Dirrty" self stripping down to the bare essentials. The cover soon became the all-time best-selling issue for the men's magazine, proving that fans (i.e., dirty men) were willing to support more than just her record sales.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Before “Born This Way,” there was “Beautiful”—the 2002 universal anthem that struck a particular chord with the gay community for its music video. The visual featured a cast of misfits—including a gay male couple—dubbed by Christina "beautiful in every single way." For featuring the couple in such a positive light, The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) honored Christina at their 2003 ceremony with a special award.

It’s not easy landing an endorsement deal with two of the biggest brands in the world, but Christina nabbed both Coca-Cola and Pepsi in various points in her career. In her 2000 Coke commercial, she swept a lucky fan off his feet in a contest to meet the pop star. Her deal included an additional slot shown in Latin territories with her Mi Reflejo hit "Ven Comingo (Solamente Tu)" (or "Come Over Baby (All I Want Is You)"). Later in 2006, Pepsi snatched the diva for international promos and the U.S. representative for their 2006 FIFA World Cup ads with K-pop star Rain and Arab-pop star Elissa. You’re either a Pepsi or a Coke person, but apparently you’re an Aguilera fan regardless.

Rolling Stone gave Christina a big nod, including her in their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. While an honor to be just included in the list with a Top 3 consisting of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Elvis, the big-voiced diva was the only artist under the age of 30 at the time of publication. Why? Well Patti Smith put it nicely, telling the magazine her James Brown tribute at the 2007 Grammy Awards (above) was "one of the best performances that I've ever seen...I sat and watched it, and at the end, I just involuntarily leapt to my feet. It was amazing."

Christina has become a voice for the nearly one billion people who don't have enough to eat as an ambassador for the World Food Programme. The Grammy-winner has worked to raise awareness in her role with PSAs and service trips to affected areas like Guatamala and post-earthquake ravaged Haiti in 2010. Her efforts awarded her the George McGovern Leadership Award in 2012 with none other than Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton introducing her.

Michael Tran

Outside Hard Rock Café, you’ll find Christina's name eternally in stone on the Hollywood Walk of Fame right next to the great Greta Garbo. Nov. 15 was a special day for Christina; the unveiling of her star and the premiere of her first film Burlesque.

Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

When you’re the only female on a coaching panel for a show called The Voice, people are going to need to believe it. And, luckily, America co-signed! The Voice has been a ratings juggernaut for NBC, pulling in millions more viewers than The X Factor and at times beating American Idol in the ratings. 

“Moves Like Jagger” was the song of summer 2011 with a whistle hook we couldn't escape. The Maroon 5/Aguilera collaboration went to No. 1 for four weeks—an impressive feat—but particularly impressive for our girl. With “Jagger,” Christina accomplished the rare feat of earning Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s in three different decades with her '90s No. 1 hit “Genie In A Bottle" and three No. 1s in the 00s. Madonna, Michael and Janet Jackson and Stevie Wonder all earned No. 1s across three decades too in their heydays putting in particularly good company.

The American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Awards honored Aguilera in 2012 with the “Voice of a Generation” award for her multimedia appeal and philanthropic spirit. As her introduction confirms, “As Latinos we are so proud to see how she has become a role model for not only our entire community, but anyone who aspires to make the world a better place." Latin community support? Check!

YOU raised YOUR Voice to vote Xtina’s latest visual, "Your Body," as the No. 1 video of 2012! Christina thanked all her "Fighters" and "Unbreakable Flowers" that voted to beat out Katycats, Directioners, Beliebers for the top spot on Fuse’s Top 40 Videos of 2012 for a sweet victory to cap off 2012.