Just a few words from a new "official" fan. Though I have never joined a fan base such as this, it is high time I did. I am 52 years old, and have listened to and played lots of music in my life, from a myriad of styles and a myriad of performers. Yet, for as far back as I can remember first hearing Christina sing, I have been praising Christina's talent. I have said that she is not only as hot an entertainer/performer/singer/songwriter/producer, etc. as they have come, but that she is purely, a blessed creative force, ultimately very difficult to define, except by considering her a perfect example of an expression of what I consider genius to be.

Unlike other re-created or invented, over-produced, hyped and falsely marketed "divas" of the past 20 years as well as up to the present recent ones of all sizes and shapes, colors and sounds, Christina has always been purely talented and purely creative. Of course, no doubt her talent also shows discipline and hard work. This is obvious in her voice, her appearance, her actions before a camera and on a stage. What I am saying is not meant to invite comparisons, nor is it meant to incite controversy by appearing to criticize or take away from any other performers. Let me be clear: there can be no comparisons. There is no need to criticize others. Pure talent does not take away. On the contrary, it inspires, shines upon and lifts everything else around it.

I believe Christina has one of the purest, most creative vocal talents of the last 30 years in Pop music, and I'd venture to say in music, period. It is no accident she is in the Hall of Fame as the youngest singer ever, under 30! to have that honor. Barring stylings that do inspire comparisons between she and others, but only because noone reinvents the wheel, no other Pop singer of the last 30 years has had her pipes, her vocal control, her presence, her sense of timing and rhythm, her sincere sense of emotion when performing, her honest boldness, her joie de vivre on stage, her sense of style, her cool and all that while also being super hot to watch!! Barbra, Aretha, Patti (both LaBelle and Austin!), and maybe a few others, all grand dames of singing and music history, would come close, and only as far as only singing would be concerned! And, of course, this is my personal bias. Yet, Christina goes beyond only singing, (as only Barbra did through film). Look closely at Christina's work for the camera in her videos. (Moreover, this is only as far as performing goes. I am not even going into her personal initiatives to make this world a better place. That is another conversation.)

All this is obvious in her recordings, her stage performances and her videos. With every album she has grown and has landed herself perfectly into the sound and sense of the culture, albeit on her own terms and in her own timing. Kudos to her for that. And she is received with open arms because her integrity as an artist is recognized and felt on various levels. It is the essence of a true artist that allows and compels us to receive that artist into our hearts and minds in such a way. Somehow, this is how I believe genius exists. Not as a continuously present entity, but as a momentary explosion of pure potential of a collection of gifts, perfectly expressed at a given moment in time through the perfect medium for that collection of gifts to be appreciated. Christina shows us what I believe genius is. And we know it is that because it compels us to witness it over and over again. It transports us and transforms us over and over again. We get that energetic, spiritual, other-worldly-chill-making-our- hairs-stand-on-end experience over and over again. And we can't help the smile over our lips that almost makes us cry. And as we celebrate her, we celebrate ourselves.

I am thrilled to see Christina Aguilera fulfilling her destiny. Her talent, her creative gifts and her fulfillment of them are a marvel to behold. They ought to inspire all of us to do the same with our gifts. The world is a bit more electric, more alive, hell!, almost Bionic for it!!! Thank you, Chrisitna Aguilera, for being on the planet!!!