Beautiful

Linda Perry wrote and produced it, and Aguilera recorded it at The Enterprise Studios in Burbank and Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood. Perry told Rolling Stone that Aguilera came to her studio and asked her to play something to break the ice. Perry played this song, Aguilera asked for a demo, and as she stood to sing it she said to a friend, "Don't look at me." Perry kept the whisper at the start of the track. Aguilera wanted to re-record the vocal, but Perry stopped the attempt after about half a minute and said the original was perfect because it was flawed.

It went to radio on 16 November 2002 as the second single from Stripped. Jonas Akerlund directed the video, which touches on self-image, bullying and LGBT issues, and it won a special recognition award at the GLAAD Media Awards. The song peaked at two on the Hot 100, topped the chart in several countries including Britain, Canada and Australia, and won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2004. It was also nominated for Song of the Year. In 2011 Stonewall named it the most empowering song of the decade for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Billboard ranked it number two among the best songs of 2002. Aguilera re-recorded it as You Are What You Are (Beautiful) for Keeps Gettin' Better in 2008.

Live

She sang it at the Grammy Awards in February 2004, and again in 2011 with her Voice finalist Beverly McClellan.