1 March 2003
Being from Kerry, I’ve never been burdened with false modesty or even true modesty. Still, I’ve read somewhere that the rest of you need a boost to team morale from time to time. I’m especially mindful that there’s a whole military-industrial-fashion-cosmetic complex out there whose sole purpose is to make women and girls feel shit about themselves. So, I won’t begrudge or be snide at anyone who gets some bit of genuine comfort, respite or reassurance from Christina Aguilera’s ‘Beautiful’.
In fairness, ‘Beautiful’—after ‘What’s Up?’ and ‘Get The Party Started’ the third Irish number one written by Linda Perry—feels like a sincere take on its subject matter. Yes, the latter half gets smothered by inevitable big-budget mainstream add-ons, notably the post-Mariah vocal contortions and an unnecessary pivot to the climactic platitude of “We are beautiful”. However, the uncluttered first half, with its precise piano and Aguilera’s strong, clear voice, has already stuck the landing. Added to that, given the general early-’00s prevailing wind of leering nastiness and particularly what preceded ‘Beautiful’ at number one, the empathetic video (below) has its heart in the right place. Maybe the world beyond the Kerry county line isn’t such a noxious cesspit of festering misery after all.
