Christina Aguilera Calls ‘Lady Marmalade’ Video ‘1 of My Favorite Moments of My Career’
Christina Aguilera has been a vital part of the pop culture scene for decades, from her early days as a teen icon to her current status as a pop diva. She has been a part of many buzzworthy moments over the years. But few are as enduring and beloved as the song and music video for the tune “Lady Marmalade.” Released as part of the soundtrack for the film Moulin Rouge!, “Lady Marmalade” was a collaboration with three other major music divas, Pink, Mya, and Lil’ Kim. In a recent video breakdown for Vogue, Aguilera talked about her experience making the music video. She considers it one of the highlights of her career despite the rumored tension between the artists at the time.
‘Moulin Rouge!’ spawned the popular music video for the song ‘Lady Marmalade’
Moulin Rouge!, released in 2001, was the brainchild of filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. The jukebox musical incorporated songs from various time periods into the storyline, including “Material Girl,” “Heroes,” and “Roxanne.” There were also original songs written into the soundtrack, such as “Come What May,” the song that serves as a culmination of the tragic love story between Satine, the courtesan, and Christian, the talented writer who loves her.
“Lady Marmalade,” while not a new song (the tune was originally written in the ’70s and performed by the girl group Labelle), became one of the hottest songs on the soundtrack. As performed by Aguilera, Mya, Pink, and Lil’ Kim, and with contributions by Missy Elliott, the song became a hit all over again, with the sassy, suggestive music video that accompanied it making waves with fans.
What did Christina Aguilera say about performing in the ‘Lady Marmalade’ music video?
In a recent interview with Vogue, Aguilera reminisced about the making of the music video for “Lady Marmalade.” She told the publication that she absolutely loved the glamorous burlesque wardrobe that she rocked in the video. “That was one of my favorite moments of my career,” she said. “I loved working with these girls and seeing what they’re doing now.”
The four singers worked together seamlessly in the video, their vocals blending perfectly to create a danceable tune that really rocks. But there are longstanding rumors that the singers, most notably, Pink and Aguilera, did not get along.
There were rumors of tension between Christina Aguilera and Pink
Lil’ Kim herself confirmed the rumors of tension on the set of the “Lady Marmalade” music vide, in 2019. “We worked really hard that day,” the iconic rapper said. “I remember there was a little tension because, you know, Mya’s my girl … but a lot of the girls didn’t know each other. I knew almost everybody, but it was like everyone was in their own little corner.”
She went on. “Everybody talked to me, but everybody else wasn’t talking to each other. Everybody loved each other, don’t get me wrong, but they didn’t know each other, so it was like, ‘let me talk to Kim, because I know Kim.’ It was hard ‘cuz I had to be the host of ‘Lady Marmalade.'”
Pink has also confirmed the tension on the set. She admitted there was a misunderstanding about which singer would get the showstopping “high part” of the song itself. Pink and Aguilera’s feud became public knowledge. It wasn’t until 2017, when Pink revealed to Andy Cohen that the two women had “hugged it out” that the rumors of tension were finally put to rest.
