What a Girl Wants

by

Christina Aguilera

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"What a Girl Wants" is the second single from Christina Aguilera's debut album, Christina Aguilera. The song was released on December 28, 1999, which was ten days after Aguilera's nineteenth birthday. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 15, 2000 for two weeks, becoming Aguilera's second number-one single. In the U.S., it became the first #1 single of the 2000s, and of the 21st century. The single also peaked at number three in the UK and at number five in Australia. Often considered one of her signature songs, the single is most known for establishing Aguilera's placement in the music industry. Many critics had written off the success of her last single, "Genie in a Bottle", as a fluke; "What a Girl Wants" served to prove that Aguilera was not a one-hit wonder. The single earned her five MTV Video Music Awards nominations; Best Female Video, Best New Artist, Best Pop Video, Viewer's Choice, and Best Choreography (Tina Landon), and also a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2001.

The song appears on the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol.

The song's music video was directed by Diane Martel.