Today's Evil Beet Gossip

Watch This: Christina Sings “At Last” at Etta James’ Funeral

I have a bone to pick with Celebitchy. Ordinarily we are on the same page, but this time, the blog has gone TOO FAR. The headline there reads “Christina Aguilera Embarrasses Herself at Etta James’ Funeral.” WRONG.

Now, it is true that Aguilera’s version of Etta James’ “At Last” was overwrought. It is true that the girl knows how to wail. It is also true that, when Aguilera’s voice finally drops, low and soft, you wonder why the entire song couldn’t have been demure instead of brash. And lastly, it is true that Christina’s bronzer started to run. Gross.

So while I agree the song could have been soft and sweet, it was instead very Christina. Fine.

But it would be so terrifying to sing such a famous song at such an important event, I’m figuring. How can you give a song like that your “own spin”? How do you make it your own?

Christina Aguilera has long been one of my favorite voices, and anyway, you gotta know your audience. This girl knows her audience, for sure, because when she concludes her vocal acrobatics, the audience cheers and jumps to its feet. Christina got a standing ovation! How many people can say they got a standing ovation at a funeral? I ask you.

Now, if I were to change any one thing about Christina’s performance, I would add another camisole to her ensemble. I mean, seriously. The boobs, Christina! Put them away!

What do you guys think? Am I wrong? Is Celebitchy’s take more on the money? Did Christina Aguilera showboat at Etta James’ funeral?

Or did Christina Aguilera hit all the right notes?

17 CommentsLeave a comment

  • I think that she paid tribute to Etta. It was not my taste, but that is what Etta James would have liked. Over dramatic! I think Beyonce did a better rendition, but if Beyonce did the tribute Etta would have gotten up out of her casket and tried to whip Beyonce ass like she threatened.

  • Jenn, the only two things that were worthwhile during this pos performance WAS her boobs…calculated and waaaaaaay over the top. Celebitchy: 1 Jenn: 0

      • To be fair, her boobs were calculated and waaaaaaay over the top also! But they are fun to look at, I couldn’t watch the whole clip so I missed her tan-oozing down her leg.

  • Is it me or does she,indeed, look like a fat guy taking a grundle? To all those unfamiliar with the word “grundle” it means taking a dump…

  • I thought it was awful. In paying tribute to Etta, she not only talked about how much she, Christina, has used this song when she, Christina, has been touring for the last ten years (I watched a longer version of the video), but also butchered Etta’s song by making it entirely Christina’s rather than Etta’s. I hated it. And Jenn, when you said, “how do you make it your own?” I think the answer is “you don’t.” You pay respect to the woman who died by preserving what she did, not by trying to one-up her (I mean, by doing it this way, isn’t she sort of suggesting that Etta’s version wasn’t good enough?). Besides which, the vocal gymnastics were just too much for me. I don’t even think they sound good.

  • I thin Celebitchy just make two points:
    1) The Christina embarrassed herself- Which is true, due to the weird liquid down her legs and the fact that she butchered that song.
    2) That Christina made it all about her- which you sort of just admitted by pointing out that shehad to “make her the song her own”, by wearing that boobilicious outfit (at a funeral!) and the fact that she aimed to get such an ovation from people by exerting her vocals so much that rendered Etta’s song unintelligible and therefore unrecognizable–Yeah, she made it her own, that’s for sure.

    If she had dialled back a bit, she would and respected the melody and simplicity of the original song, that would have made it a sincere tribute. And maybe she wouldn’t have sweated so much (and thus avoided that embarrassing mishap down her legs) trying so hard to show off her vocal range to people.

  • If you close your eyes and just listen, she did a good job. Artists don’t replicate – they put their own spin on everything, from the national anthem to songs they cover in concert. She did a good job, not great. She did scream too much, but it was touching and the family KNEW that’s what they were going to get. There’s a reason they went out of their way to invite Christina to sing this song. They know that no artist would try to replicate it exactly as Etta would sing it, because that’s like artistic cutting. Newsflash, nobody does that.

    Now if you open your eyes, disgusting. She looks sloppy; her suit is fill-fitting and wrinkled, the spray tan running down her leg is just gross. She needs a stylist. Her makeup is horrible. Her hair is horrible. She needs a new look ASAP, even if she can’t help the fat.

    Everyone saying “oh Christina made it all about her and not Etta” is stupid. The whole point is to put your own spin on the song. When have you ever heard a rendition of a song by another artist as an exact replication? Never, because that’s not how it’s done. Where is all this outrage when people butcher the national anthem? Yea, that’s right, it doesn’t exist for the most part.

    • Ha! I stand with LegalEase. Vindicated!

      I also do the thing where I listen, without actually watching videos, and what I heard was show-stopping. I opened my eyes again, and yeah, she looked terrible (the boobs! Why?!). So I definitely had the same experience, here.

  • She had blood freakin’ trickling down her leg, boobs out at a funeral – totally disrespectful. The look detracts from the singing, at this point. Sorry.