Christina & Sabrina sing “What a Girl Wants” 😀
I got a call from my old friend Ron Fair last week. He was excited: Christina Aguilera, who he signed 25 years ago, has reimagined a handful of songs from her debut album (2 of them mine) for Spotify Anniversaries.
I love good news. I waited until it dropped and promptly pressed play.
In a beautiful staged, elegantly orchestrated celebration of nostalgia and appreciation for the past Christina goes down memory lane. She sings “Come On Over Baby,” “Genie in a Bottle,” and then … my jaw drops as Sabrina Carpenter emerges and joins her for “What A Girl Wants” (see vid below at 16:00). How did I not know about this? Why didn’t anyone (my publisher) tell me? This is what happens when you sell your catalog. No regrets but … beware. 😳
Anyway … where was I? Christina and Sabrina. The legend and the hottest new star. They bring value to each other. It’s the modern must-do marketing model.
Christina sounds as stellar as ever, perhaps even a bit richer. Sabrina brings a freshness in her youth. (She has recently said that Christina was one of her “very first idols and icons,” and “Those songs raised me.”) And now poetically, there are quite a few young girls out there who will be raised on Sabrina. 💙
Ron makes an appearance onset. Christina gives him props for being the first one to believe in her. (I give Ron props all the time for recognizing a song that had been rejected over and over again.) Today “What A Girl Wants” is a song that keeps giving. And I’m eternally grateful for its life.
However I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a wee bit disappointed that my name wasn’t uttered even in the small print of a conversation celebrating these songs. You’ve heard it said that “It all starts with a song”? Aside from the lovely Heather Holly, a longstanding personal friend of Christina who drops in to accompany her on her song “Obvious,” I don’t believe any other songwriters were mentioned. Did someone say Diane Warren? Matthew Wilder? Guy Roche? Pam Sheyne? Well, at least I’m in good company.
And … allow me one more little vent. Spotify. Do you know how much they paid per song for a license? $750. Disgusting. This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned how Spotify lowballs songwriters. 😡Such is the digital music business economy.
Christina has come a long way since I picked her up and drove her to sessions for this debut album - when she (understandably) asked me to turn off the AC as it was toxic for her vocal cords. Respect.
Over the years I’ve heard her express that the songs on her debut album weren’t necessarily her cup of tea. That said she was coming off of being a Mouseketeer and Ron knew what would work. I’m happy to hear that she now appreciates them and that they were stepping stones for material with which she would feel more at home. Fair enough.
As for not being mentioned, it’s a sting, not a burn. I’ve come to expect being unsung. I don’t let this stuff bother me (too much or for too long) any more. I’m thrilled about the iconic duet. Seriously. There’s more than just one feel here. I don’t have to hear my name mentioned to know my worth.
Time gives us all perspective.
Me, Xtina, and Guy Roche at her Debut Album Release Party
Backstage Hollywood Bowl 2021
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