Thinking about Christina Aguilera will prompt huge array of images to come to mind. You'll be as likely to remember her on the cover of the Genie in a Bottle, leaning against a marble wall with a blond 'Rachel from *Friends' *haircut, as you would be to envisage her in the middle of a boxing ring sporting that now iconic assless chaps and bikini top look.
Christina Aguilera has been on a mighty style journey. She went where many of us wouldn't dream of going and yes, while it was confusing at times, it was part of brand Xtina that we grew to over and avidly anticipate.
Over the years we've experienced varying degrees of dramatic make-up, rogue hair choices and barely-there outfits. So when her very fresh face appeared on the cover of the new issue of Paper Magazine, people had to look twice before recognising her as the experimental aesthetic chameleon that we know her to be.
'I'm a performer, that's who I am by nature. But I'm at the place, even musically, where it's a liberating feeling to be able to strip it all back and appreciate who you are and your raw beauty', Christina said in the accompanying interview. Safe to say it's damn hard to look at that cover and not appreciate. Christina looks undoubtedly incredible and there's little I wouldn't do to have nude, natural nails as perfect as hers. But this cover admittedly comes with a nostalgia for the wild days.
To that, Christina says: 'I mean, I'm a girl that likes a beat face, let's not get it twisted'. So let's have a little look back at the elaborate life and times of Christina Aguilera, as defined by those incredible style choices.
Debrief Christina Aguilera's Looks Over the Years
1 of 23In the beginning, there was a genie in a bottle and that fresh faced, pop-loving genie was called Christina Aguilera
2 of 23When Christina swapped 'Girl Next Door' for the almost-cool-girl-but-ruined-by-the-popularity-of-crimping vibe
3 of 23How do you announce to everyone that you're going to dabble in R'n'B vibes? Wear a really big bucket hat and braids, apparently.
4 of 23As inspired by Avril Lavigne...
5 of 23Embracing the Lady Marmalade days when people wore corsets and low-rise trousers like it wasn't even a thing.
6 of 23If this isn't a throwback to the 'Stripped' album, I don't know what is.
7 of 23Bye, bye braids, dreads and crimping irons and hello to what was probably the closet to OG Aguilera that Xtina had been for years.
8 of 23Not sure this is quite the 'beat face' that Christina has referred to loving so much but we're here for the late 00s aesthetic.
9 of 23Because hair must match bucket hats and peak-a-boo bras
10 of 23Don't recognise Christina Aguilera here? Neither do we. But this was taken backstage at the Givenchy AW04 show at Paris Fashion week and wow what a time to have been alive.
11 of 23Don't be fooled, this was in 2004 and pre-Candy Man but if anything Christina had been prepping the 50s/Marylin look for a little while
12 of 23How must one dress to an Elton John party in 2005? As Cinderella of the noughties, obvs.
13 of 23The year was 2006 and Candyman was released. Can you tell?
14 of 23BTS of the Back To Basics tour in which Christina rocked the 'I must wear a loose, ineffective belt with everything' look that got us through secondary school.
15 of 23Let's call this glow up 10.2. and the return of the choppy fringe.
16 of 23Short hair don't care. A moment of silence for those heels, though.
17 of 23It wasn't until 2010 that Christina was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Outrageous, really. But shout out to the happy guy in the background who was way more excited about being in Christina's presence than the woman on the right.
18 of 23Remember that Christina was a host on the Voice for a few years? This was circa this period.
19 of 23Brand new, shiny, grown up Christina, come on down.
20 of 23This, my friends, was only two years ago at a charity event with The Voice and if you ask me, it's the most Christina Christina had looked for a while
21 of 23Slicked back and super serious black dress? Christina can do that too...
22 of 23Pinstripes never die. Neither does Christina's long and eclectic style legacy
23 of 23And in the end there was make-up-free Xtina and it was good.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.