Christina Tries To Grow Up

Pittsburgh’s own Christina Aguilera, who graces the cover of this month’s Rolling Stone in a navel-themed midriff top and hot pants ensemble reminiscent of a ’40s chorus girl, is releasing her new album, Back to Basics, today. Inside the mag, the 25-year-old tres petite singer with the really big voice talks about her high tolerance for pain and her rebellious second album, Stripped, which featured the single “Dirrty.” Just to show how dirrty she could get, Christina sported buttless chaps in the song’s video. Remember? Well, now the little girl from Wexford comes across as a less risque, more mature artist with a two-CD set that includes jazzy, blues and soul-infused tunes like the single “Ain’t No Other Man.” “For me, my voice and music was always an outlet,” she tells Rolling Stone. “Growing up in an unstable environment and whatnot, music was my only real escape.”