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Page 1
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Teen pop stars are singing, dancing time bombs ...
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Page 2
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Christina one-ups Britney ...
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Page 3
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Jessica moves from singer to iconic ditz, Nick Carter's star dims ...
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Britney Spears: 'I Don't Want To Be A Tease'
Mandy Moore: O-Town Girl
Jessica Simpson: Simply Jessica
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Christina Aguilera
Even as a teenager, Christina was racier than Britney, her former Mouseketeer peer. Her 1999 hit single "Genie in a Bottle" may have been about restraint in the face of sexual arousal, but "When You Put Your Hands on Me," also from her self-titled debut, was more about letting go: "When you put your hands on me I feel ready/ And I lose my self-control."
When Spears was dating Justin Timberlake everyone asked, "Did she do it?" With Christina, the question was "Who did she do?" In some ways, Aguilera's more adult subject matter seemed a direct reaction to Britney's early virginal message, and her revealing attire a one-upmanship of Britney's sexy displays. Aguilera's heavy sweatin' path to adulthood reached its climax with her second full-length album of originals, Stripped, which spawned the sleazy, visually arresting video for "Dirrty."
Released when she was 21, Stripped encapsulates the brimming libido of a sexual performer who is not afraid to expose her desires to the public. With the help of an abundance of producers including Rockwilder, Linda Perry, Scott Storch and Glen Ballard, Christina's pop confessions were backed by a variety of hip-hop styles and R&B flavors that could make a monk bob his head as his cheeks grow redder by the second.
Then: "What a girl wants, what a girl needs/ Whatever makes me happy and sets you free." — "What a Girl Wants" (1999)
Now: "Straight sweatin', our bodies are rubbin'/ Gotta hit that spot just right/ Work me like a 9 to 5." — "Get Mine, Get Yours" (2002)
Justin Timberlake
Like his ex-girlfriend Britney, and touring partner Christina, Justin matured by tapping into his sexuality. As a member of preppy pop act 'NSYNC, he was the image of wholesome suburban entertainment — a group even Joe Lieberman could accept with a smile. But around the time Justin broke up with Britney and went solo, he put his sex drive front and center and created Justified, a passionate album that bubbled with lyrical heat.
While Timberlake's provocative songs were an escalation of his post-Britney manhood, the sounds on Justified were even more of a breakthrough. Timberlake had previously praised rap and broken into a human beat box onstage with 'NSYNC, but his transformation into a street-savvy hybrid of pop and hip-hop was pretty unprecedented. What's more, Timberlake pulled it off — with help from the Neptunes, Timbaland, the Clipse and Janet Jackson — without seeming like a kid in a pimp suit.
Then: "Don't really wanna make it tough/ I just wanna tell you that I had enough." — 'NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye" (2000)
Now: "Let's hit the floor and cause a scene/ Get real wet if you know what I mean." — "(And She Said) Take Me Now" (2002)
Pink
From the start, Pink felt misunderstood. Her 2000 debut, Can't Take Me Home, featured poppy club songs produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid, so she was immediately categorized with the teen-pop crowd. And though her music sounded a lot like TLC, she had larger goals than pop clonedom, and was clever enough to know how and when to evolve. That Pink was already 21 when her first album came out might have eased her musical transition. Rather than going hip-hop or getting dirty, Pink rocked things up. She hooked up with ex-4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry to write songs for her second album, Missundaztood, which came out in 2001 and featured contributions by Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. The disc was lyrically personal and musically diverse, blending elements of R&B, dance-pop and rock. Then, for the follow-up, Try This, Pink got even more colorful, joining forces with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, who co-wrote over half the record, a dancey, rock mish-mash, much of which is reminiscent of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
As Pink continues to evolve, she also finds new ways to surprise her fans. Last year, she wrote angry letters to Prince William condemning his hunting expeditions, and has since hooked up romantically and publicly with Tommy Lee.
Then: "Eyes lead and I'm thinkin' bout the sheets now/ Wonderin' should I really take it there now." — "You Make Me Sick" (2000)
Now: "I've been the girl, middle finger in the air/ Unaffected by rumors, the truth, I don't care." "God Is a DJ" (2003)
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Photo: MTV News
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