Lil' Kim shares a similar sentiment during her verse in the bridge, questioning why a man is able to give a woman "some sex or sex her raw" while "if the girl do the same and then she's a whore". Aguilera comments on the double standard with the lyrics "The guy gets all the glory the more he can score / While the girl can do the same and yet you call her a whore". At the song's first verse, Aguilera sings "Call me a bitch 'cause I speak what's on my mind / Guess it's easier for you to swallow if I sat and smiled" she later rejects that all women "should be seen, not heard" and encourages them to "shout louder" during the chorus. In the book Therapeutic Uses of Rap and Hip-Hop, Susan Hadley and George Yancy discuss that "Can't Hold Us Down" is a hip hop song that "encourages young women to be proud, strong, and empowered to be all that they can be". "Can't Hold Us Down" lyrically discusses feminism the song criticizes "common" gender-related double standards, in which men are applauded for their sexual behaviors, while women who behave in a similar fashion are disdained. Aguilera and Kim's vocals on the track, which Taylor described as "faux-R&B", span two octaves, from F 3 to F 5. Todd Burns writing for Stylus Magazine also noted elements of dancehall towards the end of the track. Chuck Taylor from Billboard described it as a R&B track, while The New York Times 's Kelefa Sanneh characterized it as a hip hop song. "Can't Hold Us Down" is written in the key of E♭ major.
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Problems playing this file? See media help. A 12-inch edition of the song was released in the United States on September 9, 2003. The song was distributed as a CD single from September to October 2003 in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Italy by RCA Records and Sony Music Entertainment. "Can't Hold Us Down" was serviced to mainstream radio and rhythmic stations in the United States as the fourth single from Stripped by RCA Records on July 8, 2003. Though her verse was never released, Eve can be heard chanting "Christina Aguilera" on one of the song's official remixes, at the conclusion of Lil' Kim's verse. Eve was originally intended to be featured on the song and recorded a verse that was later replaced by Lil' Kim's verse. Additional writing credits for the song were provided by Aguilera and Matt Morris. Hip hop producer Scott Storch wrote and produced several tracks for the album, including "Can't Hold Us Down".
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She named the album Stripped, explaining that the term represented "a new beginning, a re-introduction of as a new artist". In late 2000, Aguilera hired Irving Azoff as her new manager and announced that her forthcoming album would have more musical and lyrical depth. However, she was dissatisfied with being marketed as what her then-manager Steve Kurtz desired rather than Aguilera's own wish. The single has been widely recognized as a feminist anthem.Īmerican singer Christina Aguilera rose to prominence with the successes of her first three studio albums Christina Aguilera (1999), Mi Reflejo (2000), and My Kind of Christmas (2000). The song was included on the setlists of Aguilera's four major concert tours: Justified and Stripped Tour (2003), the Stripped Tour (2003), Back to Basics Tour (2006–08) and the Liberation Tour (2018).Ī music video for "Can't Hold Us Down" was directed by David LaChapelle, inspired by the Lower East Side of New York City in the 1980s.
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Billboard Hot 100 and charted within the top ten of record charts of several countries including Australia, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The single peaked at number 12 on the U.S. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 2004 ceremony, but lost to " Whenever I Say Your Name" by Sting and Mary J.
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"Can't Hold Us Down" received mixed reviews from music critics. An R&B and hip hop song with a dancehall outro, "Can't Hold Us Down" criticizes gender-related double standards. The track was written and produced by Scott Storch, with additional songwriting by Aguilera and Matt Morris. It was released by RCA Records on July 8, 2003, as the fourth single from the album. " Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album Stripped (2002).