A couple of weeks ago I bought Bionic, the new album by Christina Aguilera, and I listened over and over again to one specially great hit song called Vanity, that closes the album. I loved Vanity‘s futuristic sounds and I believe the music is great, but today I’d like to focus on the lyrics.
The thing is, when I first listened to Vanity, I wasn’t sure I had it all figured it out. Is she actually calling herself “bitch” all those times? What are the lyrics all about? References to fairy tales “mirror mirror, on the wall…”-, a despise for other people’s opinions, all mixed up with a message on self-esteem. All in one heavy, powerful cocktail with a contagious rhythm that makes even the ugliest duckling feel as the party queen, at least for a little while.
There are many possible readings: the first one I thought, and I still consider possible, is that she’s referring to many so-called pop princesses such as Britney, GaGa or even Madonna, who live a life of scandals… and seem to enjoy it big time! It’s not that Christina is necessarily making fun of them (or is she? That seems in certain parts…). On the contrary, I believe the whole song sounds like a real hymn that allows them to be what they are. These girls are everywhere. They are sexy, they are hot, and men don’t last in their arms… but keep on coming! After all, don’t we all girls wanna be like them one way or another?
Among all these pop princesses and queens, it is Christina who wears the crown, of course, and her own little boy claims it at the end of the song (she has the right, it’s her album after all!).
But enough with pop singers: this song is not all about them, it is also about every girl! I tried to take the lyrics seriously and I also found an important message on self-esteem: I love myself, I find myself sexually appealing, I don’t need men to be telling me how much they want me, I don’t even care if they do, cause I do! In fact, most health professionals agree that no woman can live a healthy, pleasurable sexuality unless she finds herself sexual, desirable and lovable. Turning yourself on would be the key for turning on any other of any sex, by the way!-. Instead of running after boys, the key would be to tell Prince Charming to screw himself and focus on you.
While listening to Vanity, I only hope every girl worldwide gets this message that is she not just Christina- who is desirable, lovable and sexy. No matter if you are fat, if you are skinny, if you are black or if you are white, if you are a bitch or a virgin, if you are short or tall. We are all beautiful and desirable, and we all deserve a time to be vain. You can get Vanity in the app store or on Amazon.
Technically coming from a man, she needs to think or herself as desirable to her and not worry about a man. I personally think she is not hot at all, far from it actually