Linda Perry didn’t think Christina Aguilera was the right fit for her song Beautiful at first. She shared her initial thoughts on the Zach Sang Show, saying she saw Christina Aguilera as just a hot chick and didn’t want to give her the song.

But then her manager suggested she give Christina Aguilera a chance, and Linda Perry was pleasantly surprised by what she heard. She realized that Beautiful was about being insecure and damaged, and Christina Aguilera brought that to life.

Linda Perry decided to use the original demo of Beautiful because it was raw and emotional. Even though Christina Aguilera wanted to re-record it, Linda Perry thought the initial version was perfect. She told Christina Aguilera that the imperfect vocal was what made the song special and relatable.

Christina Aguilera ended up singing Beautiful and included it on her 2002 album Stripped. The song won her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2004. Recently, Christina Aguilera attended the 35th anniversary celebration of The Abbey in West Hollywood.