More iconic: Christina Aguilera vs Katy Perry

[degen]

The 2 “other girls” if you will.

It’s hard to compare their sales and hits since their careers are about 10 years apart. Katy had more hits, but Christina had more influence and acclaim. Who is more iconic?

[leoapp]

Xtina as a musician overall is far more iconic, and some younger musicians cite her as inspiration. Katy is just one of the most successful popstar of 2010s.

But Katy's Teenage Drean era is indeed iconic, even far more iconic than Xtina's biggest era, Stripped

[degen]

Sept 6, 2021 19:33:55 GMT -5 leoapp said:

Xtina as a musician overall is far more iconic, and some younger musicians cite her as inspiration. Katy is just one of the most successful popstar of 2010s.

But Katy's Teenage Drean era is indeed iconic, even far more iconic than Xtina's biggest era, Stripped

“Teenage Dream” had 5 #1 hits, but what else about it is Iconic? I think “Stripped” is more iconic since it basically became the playbook on how a young female singer can mature and take control.

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:05 GMT -5 degen said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:33:55 GMT -5 leoapp said:

Xtina as a musician overall is far more iconic, and some younger musicians cite her as inspiration. Katy is just one of the most successful popstar of 2010s.

But Katy's Teenage Drean era is indeed iconic, even far more iconic than Xtina's biggest era, Stripped

“Teenage Dream” had 5 #1 hits, but what else about it is Iconic? 

everything?

[HamedM1 💔]

Teenage Dream alone wins this one for Katy tbh

[jenglisbe]

Katy Perry. At this point Christina is known more as a guest/feature. The Teenage Dream era is iconic, but so are "I Kissed A Girl" and "Roar."

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:05 GMT -5 degen said:

I think “Stripped” is more iconic since it basically became the playbook on how a young female singer can mature and take control.

What did it do that Janet, Madonna, Alanis, P!nk, etc hadn't done?

[degen]

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:39 GMT -5 Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:05 GMT -5 degen said:

“Teenage Dream” had 5 #1 hits, but what else about it is Iconic? 

everything?

I don’t agree. To me it feels like “Teenage Dream” was just an in the moment era. It was executed wonderfully, and yes “Firework” is her signature hit. But nothing about it was bold or memorable or pushed boundaries.

[degen]

Sept 6, 2021 19:49:16 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Katy Perry. At this point Christina is known more as a guest/feature. The Teenage Dream era is iconic, but so are "I Kissed A Girl" and "Roar."

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:05 GMT -5 degen said:

I think “Stripped” is more iconic since it basically became the playbook on how a young female singer can mature and take control.

What did it do that Janet, Madonna, Alanis, P!nk, etc hadn't done?

Alanis is not a pop star, and as far as Pink, I’m not sure why her material is never cited as influential by other singers. Maybe it’s because her music is too safe? People barely cite “ Mizundastood,” I guess Christina just did it better?

Christina is certainly not just known as a feature/guest. Maybe to you.

[HamedM1 💔]

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:05 GMT -5 degen said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:33:55 GMT -5 leoapp said:

Xtina as a musician overall is far more iconic, and some younger musicians cite her as inspiration. Katy is just one of the most successful popstar of 2010s.

But Katy's Teenage Drean era is indeed iconic, even far more iconic than Xtina's biggest era, Stripped

“Teenage Dream” had 5 #1 hits, but what else about it is Iconic? I think “Stripped” is more iconic since it basically became the playbook on how a young female singer can mature and take control.

Several artists did Stripped before Xtina, Janet comes to mind especially.

Also it's kind of hard to find many artists who can best a videography as impactful as Katy's it's why her music videos are some of the most successful of all time. Her image definitely was bigger than Xtina's during their respective peaks and nowadays Xtina is more so remembered for her vocals and time period rather than for iconic imagery 

[.indulgecountry]

Katy Perry, with ease.

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Sept 6, 2021 19:49:58 GMT -5 degen said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:39 GMT -5 Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ said:

everything?

I don’t agree. To me it feels like “Teenage Dream” was just an in the moment era. It was executed wonderfully, and yes “Firework” is her signature hit. But nothing about it was bold or memorable or pushed boundaries.

Halsey didn't lie.

[jenglisbe]

Sept 6, 2021 19:51:18 GMT -5 degen said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:49:16 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Katy Perry. At this point Christina is known more as a guest/feature. The Teenage Dream era is iconic, but so are "I Kissed A Girl" and "Roar."

What did it do that Janet, Madonna, Alanis, P!nk, etc hadn't done?

Alanis is not a pop star, and as far as Pink, I’m not sure why her material is never cited as influential by other singers. Maybe it’s because her music is too safe? People barely cite “ Mizundastood,” I guess Christina just did it better?

Christina is certainly not just known as a feature/guest. Maybe to you.

Alanis was a 'pop star' in Canada before Jagged Little Pill, and then she literally got personal with her music and took more control and changed the direction of her music (and career). My point was a more general one that it's basically a rite of passage for young women to be 'pop stars' at first, singing music that others wrote/produced, and then for them to take more control of their careers on the second or third album. Christina didn't do anything that hadn't been done before by many women.

It's also really ironic you say P!nk didn't have an influence considering Christina worked with the exact same people on Stripped that P!nk had used on Mizundastood. Without that P!nk album you don't get "Beautiful" and maybe don't get "Fighter" or "Can't Hold Us Down."

[degen]

Sept 6, 2021 19:58:40 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:51:18 GMT -5 degen said:

Alanis is not a pop star, and as far as Pink, I’m not sure why her material is never cited as influential by other singers. Maybe it’s because her music is too safe? People barely cite “ Mizundastood,” I guess Christina just did it better?

Christina is certainly not just known as a feature/guest. Maybe to you.

Alanis was a 'pop star' in Canada before Jagged Little Pill, and then she literally took control and changed the direction of her music (and career).

My point was a more general one that it's basically a rite of passage for women to be 'pop stars' at first, singing music that others wrote/produced, and then for them to take more control of their careers. Christina didn't do anything that hadn't been done before. It's also really ironic you say P!nk didn't have an influence considering Christina worked with the exact same producers on Stripped that P!nk had used on Mizundastood. Without that P!nk album you don't get Christina on "Beautiful" and maybe don't get "Fighter" or "Can't Hold Us Down."

Again, I never said what Christina did hadn’t been done before. I said she did it better, which is why “Stripped” is more remembered than any Pink album. And let’s not act like Pink hasn’t used producers that Christina and Britney were already using.

[jenglisbe]

Sept 6, 2021 20:01:41 GMT -5 degen said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:58:40 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Alanis was a 'pop star' in Canada before Jagged Little Pill, and then she literally took control and changed the direction of her music (and career).

My point was a more general one that it's basically a rite of passage for women to be 'pop stars' at first, singing music that others wrote/produced, and then for them to take more control of their careers. Christina didn't do anything that hadn't been done before. It's also really ironic you say P!nk didn't have an influence considering Christina worked with the exact same producers on Stripped that P!nk had used on Mizundastood. Without that P!nk album you don't get Christina on "Beautiful" and maybe don't get "Fighter" or "Can't Hold Us Down."

Again, I never said what Christina did hadn’t been done before. I said she did it better, which is why “Stripped” is more remembered than any Pink album. And let’s not act like Pink hasn’t used producers that Christina and Britney were already using.

You said it "became the playbook on how a young female singer can mature and take control." I'm saying it's a playbook that existed long before Christina. You conveniently haven't even addressed the mentions of Madonna, Janet, etc. I can throw Mariah into the mix with Butterfly, though her transition happened across a few albums.

The point about P!nk is that Mizundastood is where, on her second album, she moved away from the popular style of music on her debut to carve a more personal, diverse identity. Christina did that on Stripped with the same producers as P!nk, meaning for that move she used Pink's specific playbook.

[SPRΞΞ]

Sept 6, 2021 19:49:58 GMT -5 degen said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:39 GMT -5 Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ said:

everything?

I don’t agree. To me it feels like “Teenage Dream” was just an in the moment era. It was executed wonderfully, and yes “Firework” is her signature hit. But nothing about it was bold or memorable or pushed boundaries.

the imagery alone from the Teenage Dream era beats any imagery Xtina has managed combined from all her work.

What's memorable or iconic besides her record-breaking 6 #1's from the era? Well the whipped cream cone bra in California Gurls, the fireworks and the gay scene in Firework, the blue hue and gorgeous cinematography of the E.T. video, Katy with braces and her legendary transformation down the staircase in Last Friday Night, and even the old lady Katy in TOTGA. Plus the bookend of Wide Awake.

Most #1's ever
Most Top 10's ever
Longest consecutive weeks in the Top 10
Most single sales
Iconic looks

and that's just from Teenage Dream. Prism also wipes the floor with any Xtina era. I get that Xtina is a better singer, but there is nothing else about her that's memorable or iconic, imo.

[Joe1240]

Katy Perry on this one overall. One thing they both have in common is 3 successful eras but Katy wins this one because those were more successful than Christina. Comparing Bionic to Witness, Katy's Lead single from there peaked higher than Not Myself Tonight did. Christina only wins on songs that were featured hits here.

[degen]

Y’all hyping up “Teenage Dream” like it was massive yet Christina has 2 albums that sold way more. Funny how that’s not brought up. And yes I’m aware of the album sales decline but let’s be real for having 5 #1 hits you would think TD would’ve sold like 5 million copies domestically.

Christina was huge during her debut era. Way bigger than Katys debut. Then you have their 2nd albums. We can give Katy the edge, but Christina was pretty much on par relevancy wise. Their 3rd albums, they both seem on par.

I’d argue Christina is a bigger star. She may not have as many big hits as Katy but her place as a vocalist/gay icon and her time on “The Voice” when it was the biggest show on TV and even the movie “Burlesque” gives her the edge.

Not to mention Christina has more Grammys/acclaim and worldwide success that Katy never achieved. Christina has 2 albums that sold 10 million + worldwide. Katy doesn’t even have one. So other than more #1 Hot 100 hits domestically, Katy loses every other category. Keep the TD era, Christina doesn’t need one.

[SPRΞΞ]

^eww

I'll gladly take the Teenage Dream era over anything Xtina-related.

[HamedM1 💔]

Different time periods, by the time Katy cane into the market single sales were the new focus due to the rise of the digital age. Xtina's hayday it was album sales that were a bigger deal over their singles.

It's an unfair comparison to make since the gap in time allowed for differences in how music was being consumed.

Also during their respective third albums, Prism was definitely a bigger deal than Back To Basics given how huge both Roar and Dark Horse were.

Also Grammys and acclaim for Xtina come from her being a vocal powerhouse which again unfair comparison point since no one has not will ever claim Katy is known for her vocals. Katy is known for having catch pop songs not her vocals which is Xtina's biggest selling point.

Also they are both gay icons and no one outside of the gays remembers Burlesque lmao .

[degen]

Sept 7, 2021 1:35:25 GMT -5 HamedM1 💔 said:

Different time periods, by the time Katy cane into the market single sales were the new focus due to the rise of the digital age. Xtina's hayday it was album sales that were a bigger deal over their singles.

It's an unfair comparison to make since the gap in time allowed for differences in how music was being consumed.

Also during their respective third albums, Prism was definitely a bigger deal than Back To Basics given how huge both Roar and Dark Horse were.

Also Grammys and acclaim for Xtina come from her being a vocal powerhouse which again unfair comparison point since no one has not will ever claim Katy is known for her vocals. Katy is known for having catch pop songs not her vocals which is Xtina's biggest selling point.

Also they are both gay icons and no one outside of the gays remembers Burlesque lmao .

Christina
-More albums sold
-More accolades
-More worldwide success including Latin crossover
-More successful collaborations
-More success in Tv & movie ventures

Katy
-More Hot 100 #1s in the U.S

Did I miss something?

[HamedM1 💔]

Gurl I give up, please go outside and touch some grass.

[kimberly]

Katheryn, with ease.

Sept 7, 2021 2:05:15 GMT -5 degen said:

Christina
-More albums sold
-More accolades
-More worldwide success including Latin crossover
-More successful collaborations
-More success in Tv & movie ventures

Katy
-More Hot 100 #1s in the U.S

Did I miss something?

since you seem to be struggling with people disagreeing with you (and your alternate facts):

SALES:
in 2014, Katy Perry was honored by the RIAA as the "Top Certified Digital Artist Ever"—yes, most records sold among all artists to date.
in 2017, Katy Perry became the first artist EVER to have three songs certified Diamond (10x Platinum) in the US. 3 of 14 songs in history that were Diamond at the time.

Billboard ranked Katy Perry as the 61st Greatest Artist of All-Time in 2019. Christina Aguilera did not make the cut for the Top 125.

TV:
in 2015, Katy Perry's Super Bowl Halftime Show became the most-watched in history, getting 4 million more than the game itself even. Record yet to be topped.
in 2015, Katy Perry received an EMMY nomination for her halftime show—an accolade that's hard to get, not everybody has that.

WORLDWIDE SUCCESS:
Katy Perry's Prismatic World Tour is the #12 highest earning tour by a woman in history. Aguilera is not in the Top 20.
Katy Perry's 2019 hit "Con Calma" with Daddy Yankee is certified 41x Platinum (Latin). 

USA - Perry has 4 more #1 hits than Aguilera.
UK - Perry has 1 more #1 hit than Aguilera.
AUS - Perry has 1 more #1 hit than Aguilera.
CAN - Perry has 6 more #1 hits than Aguilera.
GER - Perry has 1 more #1 hit than Aguilera.
NZ - Perry has 4 more #1 hits than Aguilera.

VIDEOGRAPHY:
Katy Perry would be more iconic just based on her video catalog, anyway. she has the Top 2 most-watched videos among women on YouTube, and that's for a reason. even her "flops" like "This Is How We Do" and "Bon Appetit"  have great videos, and have garnered over 764 million and 1.15 billion views respectively. 

[HamedM1 💔]

Sept 7, 2021 3:05:01 GMT -5 kimberly said:

Katheryn, with ease.

Sept 7, 2021 2:05:15 GMT -5 degen said:

Christina
-More albums sold
-More accolades
-More worldwide success including Latin crossover
-More successful collaborations
-More success in Tv & movie ventures

Katy
-More Hot 100 #1s in the U.S

Did I miss something?

since you seem to be struggling with people disagreeing with you (and your alternate facts):

SALES:
in 2014, Katy Perry was honored by the RIAA as the "Top Certified Digital Artist Ever"—yes, most records sold among all artists to date.
in 2017, Katy Perry became the first artist EVER to have three songs certified Diamond (10x Platinum) in the US. 3 of 14 songs in history that were Diamond at the time.

Billboard ranked Katy Perry as the 61st Greatest Artist of All-Time in 2019. Christina Aguilera did not make the cut for the Top 125.

TV:
in 2015, Katy Perry's Super Bowl Halftime Show became the most-watched in history, getting 4 million more than the game itself even. Record yet to be topped.
in 2015, Katy Perry received an EMMY nomination for her halftime show—an accolade that's hard to get, not everybody has that.

WORLDWIDE SUCCESS:
Katy Perry's Prismatic World Tour is the #12 highest earning tour by a woman in history. Aguilera is not in the Top 20.
Katy Perry's 2019 hit "Con Calma" with Daddy Yankee is certified 41x Platinum (Latin). 

USA - Perry has 4 more #1 hits than Aguilera.
UK - Perry has 1 more #1 hit than Aguilera.
AUS - Perry has 1 more #1 hit than Aguilera.
CAN - Perry has 6 more #1 hits than Aguilera.
GER - Perry has 1 more #1 hit than Aguilera.
NZ - Perry has 4 more #1 hits than Aguilera.

VIDEOGRAPHY:
Katy Perry would be more iconic just based on her video catalog, anyway. she has the Top 2 most-watched videos among women on YouTube, and that's for a reason. even her "flops" like "This Is How We Do" and "Bon Appetit"  have great videos, and have garnered over 764 million and 1.15 billion views respectively. 

Truly my other half, love u bestie and thank you for having the energy for that cause I was too drained by that point lol

[dremolus - solarpunk]

Sept 6, 2021 19:49:58 GMT -5 degen said:

Sept 6, 2021 19:44:39 GMT -5 Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ said:

everything?

I don’t agree. To me it feels like “Teenage Dream” was just an in the moment era. It was executed wonderfully, and yes “Firework” is her signature hit. But nothing about it was bold or memorable or pushed boundaries.

YOU SET UP THE POLL.

Why did you set this up but try and debunk anyone who didn't vote for Christina? This is Leona levels of gatekeeping.

Anyway the answer is the women who wrote Swish Swish.

[born]

Yeah, it's Katy. Christina had a big decade (2000s) but her impact is nowhere to be seen at this point. If anything, she's more known for being featured on some big 2010-2015 hits and her growl loaded oversinging.

[jenglisbe]

Sept 6, 2021 23:46:41 GMT -5 degen said:

Y’all hyping up “Teenage Dream” like it was massive yet Christina has 2 albums that sold way more. Funny how that’s not brought up. And yes I’m aware of the album sales decline but let’s be real for having 5 #1 hits you would think TD would’ve sold like 5 million copies domestically.

Christina was huge during her debut era. Way bigger than Katys debut. Then you have their 2nd albums. We can give Katy the edge, but Christina was pretty much on par relevancy wise. Their 3rd albums, they both seem on par.

I’d argue Christina is a bigger star. She may not have as many big hits as Katy but her place as a vocalist/gay icon and her time on “The Voice” when it was the biggest show on TV and even the movie “Burlesque” gives her the edge.

Not to mention Christina has more Grammys/acclaim and worldwide success that Katy never achieved. Christina has 2 albums that sold 10 million + worldwide. Katy doesn’t even have one. So other than more #1 Hot 100 hits domestically, Katy loses every other category. Keep the TD era, Christina doesn’t need one.

Teenage Dream is 8x platinum, so you don't seem to have your facts together.

And since you want to be dismissive of time periods and changes in sales, let's compare singles sales. These are all RIAA certified higher than any Christina solo songs:

"Firework" - 12 million
"Roar" - 10 million
"Dark Horse" - 8 million
"Teenage Dream" - 8 million
"E.T." - 8 million
"Hot N Cold" - 8 million
"California Gurls" - 8 million
"I Kissed A Girl" - 6 million
"Last Friday Night" - 6 million
"Wide Awake" - 5 million
"Part of Me" - 4 million
"The One that Got Away" - 4 million

[Ling-Ling]

Haha, this thread is hitting upon two of Pulse's most overblown subjects. Christina Aguilera and her "legacy." And how "iconic" Teenage Dream is. Both ridiculously overrated IMO.

Christina Aguilera, no matter how hard she tries to fight it, will always be tied to the teen pop boom of the late 90's, early 2000's. And that gives her an edge, because nostalgia for that era is so much more massive than Katy's peak era. You can't mention Britney Spears, N Sync, BSB, Justin Timberlake without bringing her into the mix. And I think that's the main reason she's been able to maintain a name for herself, because it certainly isn't her music or success.

Teenage Dream was a perfectly engineered and executed pop era. And that's all it was. We hadn't seen an album worked that aggressively since perhaps Janet or Michael in the late 80's/early 90's. So it definitely stands out in context of the digital era. But unlike those albums, the music itself was rather soulless and forgettable and had hardly any impact outside of the charts. You can talk about the collapse of album sales all you want, but when an album has EIGHT hit singles and a re-release and can barely push triple platinum, it speaks volumes. Thankfully for Katy, "Firework" has latched onto July 4th and all things patriotic and will keep people coming back for eons. But that album and it's impact (outside of the charts) is beyond overblown.

I give the edge to Katy, simply because she's fresher in people's minds. And Christina has done a terrible job of maintaining whatever her legacy is.

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Sept 7, 2021 8:00:21 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

Haha, this thread is hitting upon two of Pulse's most overblown subjects. Christina Aguilera and her "legacy." And how "iconic" Teenage Dream is. Both ridiculously overrated IMO.

Christina Aguilera, no matter how hard she tries to fight it, will always be tied to the teen pop boom of the late 90's, early 2000's. And that gives her an edge, because nostalgia for that era is so much more massive than Katy's peak era. You can't mention Britney Spears, N Sync, BSB, Justin Timberlake without bringing her into the mix. And I think that's the main reason she's been able to maintain a name for herself, because it certainly isn't her music or success.

Teenage Dream was a perfectly engineered and executed pop era. And that's all it was. We hadn't seen an album worked that aggressively since perhaps Janet or Michael in the late 80's/early 90's. So it definitely stands out in context of the digital era. But unlike those albums, the music itself was rather soulless and forgettable and had hardly any impact outside of the charts. You can talk about the collapse of album sales all you want, but when an album has EIGHT hit singles and a re-release and can barely push triple platinum, it speaks volumes. Thankfully for Katy, "Firework" has latched onto July 4th and all things patriotic and will keep people coming back for eons. But that album and it's impact (outside of the charts) is beyond overblown.

I give the edge to Katy, simply because she's fresher in people's minds. And Christina has done a terrible job of maintaining whatever her legacy is.

Teenage Dream was the 12th best selling album of the decade in the US (behind 2 Adele's albums, Taylor's 3, Recovery, Buble's Christmas, Frozen, Need You Now, Sign No More and My World 2.0). Yes, those 3 million copies speaks volumes, but not for TD. You just can't compare 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.

Everything else you wrote is just your opinion, and while I disagree, I respect it.

[Ling-Ling]

Yeah, it's definitely all my opinion. But I don't think using charts to discuss an albums impact says much either. When we look at albums comparable to TD in terms of singles success (Thriller, Faith, Rhythm Nation, Born In The USA, etc), the discussion is never just "ZOMG, they slayed the Hot 100." They're all looked at as iconic bell-weather ALBUMS. Nobody, outside of Katy stans and chart fanatics, is holding Teenage Dream in that esteem. Even when TD was charting and she was getting #1 after #1, it was all about the KPU's and whether or not she could pull it off again. The chart success overshadowed the music and even Katy herself and it still does. Which is why when the hits stopped coming, she didn't just fall off the charts, she completely imploded as an artist.

[jenglisbe]

Sept 7, 2021 9:08:23 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

Yeah, it's definitely all my opinion. But I don't think using charts to discuss an albums impact says much either. When we look at albums comparable to TD in terms of singles success (Thriller, Faith, Rhythm Nation, Born In The USA, etc), the discussion is never just "ZOMG, they slayed the Hot 100." They're all looked at as iconic bell-weather ALBUMS. Nobody, outside of Katy stans and chart fanatics, is holding Teenage Dream in that esteem. Even when TD was charting and she was getting #1 after #1, it was all about the KPU's and whether or not she could pull it off again. The chart success overshadowed the music and even Katy herself and it still does. Which is why when the hits stopped coming, she didn't just fall off the charts, she completely imploded as an artist.

I agree with both of your posts on the whole, and in a way it's what makes this an interesting discussion because the two are similar in that general regard (Christina being part of but also overshadowed by the teen pop thing and imploding when that momentum fell off). I would guess to some degree the responses here are generational, but I'd also point out Katy Perry could do a Super Bowl halftime show on her own, but I doubt Christina has ever been in that conversation. To me the Super Bowl is something that gets into 'iconic.' I can name a lot of albums that sold a lot but aren't necessarily "iconic," which is the word used in the topic post question.