Hurt (4:06)

“Hurt” is a pop ballad written by Christina Aguilera, Linda Perry and Mark Ronson for Aguilera’s third studio album, Back to Basics. It was released as the album’s second single in late 2006.
The song’s lyrical content describes how one deals with the loss of a loved one, and it has received praise from pop music critics. Aguilera performed the song live at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.

While the song had moderate success in the U.S., it became a huge hit across Europe and her biggest to date since Beautiful.

Critical Reception

“Hurt” was generally very well-received by contemporary pop music critics. Billboard commented that Aguilera’s ” relate the pain of moving past a relationship in ruins is daunting”, and that “this potential Grammy Award contender” has “a melody and lush production that carries into the clouds. Blogcritics claimed that song’s “slow opening to a soft piano all the way to the spine-tingling bridge” is “one weeper of a ballad”, and that Aguilera’s “power-belting” vocals were “better than ever”. Top 40 reviewer Bill Lamb gave the song five stars, saying “a single piano with the backing of strings gives way to one of the most technically stunning voices in pop music singing words of pain, guilt, and grief in the loss of a loved one”.

Trivia

Despite the name, this song is not a cover of the song made famous by Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash.