Beautiful (3:58)

“Beautiful” is a song written and produced by Linda Perry and recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera for her second studio album, Stripped (2002). It is a cello-driven, classically-flavored ballad in which its protagonist deals with hurtful statements made against her that cause her to feel insecure and have low self-esteem. She does not let other people’s negativity get the best of her.

According to the Beautiful Songfacts, before recording the song, Aguilera and Perry talked, and Christina recalled suffering physical abuse at the hands of her father. Apparently, she began to cry and asked for the session to be abandoned, but Perry thought it was the perfect opportunity to record the song.

It was released as the album’s second single in late 2002 and reached number one in several countries. The song earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.