Critical Reception
"Beautiful" received universal acclaim. Entertainment Weekly found it to be a highlight of Stripped, finding it "more restrained" than the rest of the album. Stylus Magazine described the song as "a typical ballad that actually tastefully reins in Aguilera's frequent vocal acrobatics". "Beautiful" received critical praise from some critics, appreciating how Aguilera and Perry released an opposite genre than the previous single, "Dirrty'. Some critics felt the change in Aguilera's style was too fast, but most appreciated her toying with her image. "I'm truly proud of that song. To me it almost sounds like a Beatles song. I was trying to write a song that affected everybody – this almost desperate cry that 'I am beautiful, no matter what you say," Linda Perry once stated in an interview. Paul Bryant, music director of influential New York top 40 station Z-100, praised the track, saying "Beautiful' is hands-down a runaway number one record. It's taken her to the next level and given her more respect in the adult community. It's just a classic ballad." Amanda Murray from Sputnikmusic gave the song a mixed review, criticizing the lyrics as "platitude-drenched", but praising the music arrangement.
In 2004, Perry received a Song of the Year award from Musicnotes, Inc. for "Beautiful"; Musicnotes CEO, Kathleen Marshall, referred to it as "a classic song with a universal message"; meanwhile Bill Aicher, the organization's creative director, called it "more than just a song", stating that "songs like 'Beautiful' lift listeners to another place". In early 2012, The Examiner named "Beautiful" as 'The Greatest Pop song', of the past 20 years.
Read more about this topic: Beautiful (Christina Aguilera Song)
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