Entertainment
Christina Aguilera Reflects On Her VMAs Kiss With Britney & Madonna
“It was pretty magical.”
![Britney Spears, Madonna and Christina Aguilera shared an on-stage kiss at the 2003 VMAs.](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/getty/2024/8/16/26813298/britney-spears-madonna-christina.jpg?w=248&q=50&dpr=2)
Christina Aguilera is looking back on one of her most iconic live performances.
In a new interview with Glamour, the singer reflected on the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards where she performed a medley with Britney Spears and Madonna. During the performance, Madonna kissed both Spears and Aguilera on stage, creating one of the most memorable moments in VMA history.
“Love a good makeout moment,” the Grammy winner said of the performance. “I love a theme, I love a concept. I love a specific character to get into,” she added, referring to the trio’s bride and groom theme at the awards ceremony.
“You know, Madonna playing the role of the groom. It was such a cool…like, wow — we’re up here with Madonna and we’re part of this huge moment,” Aguilera told the outlet. “It was really fun. The energy leading up to it, the rehearsals, everything. It was pretty magical.”
Spears recently reflected on the moment, too. In her memoir, The Woman in Me, she revealed that the trio practiced “an air kiss” during rehearsals, but minutes before taking the stage, she changed her mind and wanted to create a bigger spectacle, similar to her performance at the 2000 VMAs.
“I thought to myself: I want a moment like that again this year. With the kiss, should I just go for it?” Spears wrote, adding that the VMAs kiss became “a huge cultural moment.”
Xtina’s Big Break
In her interview with Glamour, Aguilera also discussed her debut studio album, released in 1999. The self-titled record includes hits like “Genie in a Bottle,” “What a Girl Wants,” and “Come on Over.” She said she remains “grateful” for the album’s success.
“It got my foot in the door. After 25 years I’m so proud of it,” she said. “I think to sustain anything for a lengthy amount of time takes a lot of work and dedication and passion. There are many elements that go into being able to build something.”
However, she also admitted she got “bored” during the infancy of her career, despite her chart success.
“I didn’t love the bubblegum thing, where you had to play a virgin but not act like one,” she said. “When I was performing ‘Genie’ and ‘What a Girl Wants’ and ‘Come on Over,’ I got bored easily. Creatively, it was one-dimensional.”