"Genie in a Bottle" is a song by the American singer Christina Aguilera from her self-titled debut album (1999). Pam Sheyne, Steve Kipner, and David Frank wrote the track; the latter two produced it. RCA Records released "Genie in a Bottle" as the album's lead single on May 11, 1999. A soul-pop, teen pop, and dance-pop song with elements of R&B, "Genie in a Bottle" uses sexual references to address themes of self-respect and abstinence: Aguilera's narration affirms to a love interest that to be with her, they have to know the right way to please her.
Reviews of "Genie in a Bottle" generally praised the production as catchy and Aguilera's vocals as soulful and expressive. It was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000. The single reached number one on record charts of 21 countries and has been certified double Platinum in Canada and the United Kingdom. In the United States, "Genie in a Bottle" spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has been certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Diane Martel directed the music video for "Genie in a Bottle", which was shot in Malibu, California. The video received heavy rotation on MTV's Total Request Live. "Genie in a Bottle" is one of Aguilera's signature songs, and was credited with establishing her name and for playing a part in the teen pop craze of the late 1990s. A Spanish version of the song titled "Genio Atrapado" was included on Mi Reflejo (2000), and the electropop remake "Genie 2.0" was included on Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits (2008). "Genie in a Bottle" was covered by multiple artists, including Dove Cameron, Darren Criss and Speedway.
Background
After receiving notification that the final season of The New Mickey Mouse Club (1993–94) would air, cast member Aguilera became determined to release her debut studio album during her senior year in high school. She began recording sessions with producers Roberts Alleca and Michael Brown, but was displeased with the pace of her developing career. As her international successes broadened, Aguilera caught the attention of future manager Steve Kurtz; she had previously had a verbal agreement with Ruth Inniss, which was never later formalized.
Kurtz spent much of his time devoted to finding Aguilera a record deal, sending demos to multiple companies. Just as communications with RCA Records began, she was offered the chance to record "Reflection", the theme song for the 1998 Disney film Mulan. Its success landed her a multi-album recording contract. RCA's financial state prevented them from contending with major labels at the time. In an attempt to encourage Aguilera to sign with them and maintain the hype surrounding "Reflection", they offered to record and release her debut studio album by January 1999, though such an arrangement ultimately failed to happen. Originally, Aguilera "wasn't too crazy" about the demo recording for "Genie in a Bottle", though she eventually became "proud" of the result. RCA executive Ron Fair sympathized with her reaction to the release and inclusion of the track, finding that the marketing decision would be to release a "sugar candy" number one single, something that was not necessarily a "great song" so that her career could strengthen. They began working together, and later collaborated with writer Pamela Sheyne.
Aguilera contributed a spoken hook for the song, saying there "wasn't enough time" between the Mulan soundtrack and Christina Aguilera recording sessions for her to provide more lyrical offerings. She later said that she had a substantial role in the production, stating that she adjusted instruments and lyrics after being displeased with its "rough beginnings". In the interview for Time Aguilera noted: "I actually had some contribution in writing in the first album. I didn’t know I should have a credit, so I kind of got cheated." Originally presented as "If You Want to Be with Me", Aguilera's management suggested the final name "Genie in a Bottle". RCA Records executive Ron Fair pushed for the track, the writers allowed Aguilera to record the track, and had "no doubt" she was the right performer after she completed the recording. Before Frank had met Aguilera most of "Genie in a Bottle" had already been completed, he had heard a tape delivered by RCA featuring Aguilera's performance of "Reflection" but Frank feared she could not perform in a "hip-hop oriented style". The instrumental for "Genie in a Bottle" was almost complete before the entire composition had been finished, it was only when he was contacted by songwriter Pam Sheyne that they progressed in writing the track and later Frank contacted Steve Kipner, "a good friend" of his, and after agreeing to collaborate the three continued writing "Genie in a Bottle". The track has been described as "blue-eyed-soul" and has been labelled "a skittish dance hit, propelled by indecision "My body's saying let's go [...] but my heart is saying no". The chorus then plays with "bubbly dance beats" as Aguilera metaphorically describes herself as a Genie trapped, and can only be released when rubbed "the right way". the comment went on to upset Aguilera who found her being a female was restricting what she could perform. but Larry Flick from Billboard commented, "Fueled by a chugging groove and richly layered vocals, the tune is punctuated by a breathy command to 'rub me the right way.'" Aguilera said that "the song is not about sex, It's about self-respect. It's about not giving in to temptation until you're respected." In Malaysia the controversial lyrics gained it a ban which led Aguilera to re-record some of the lyrics such as; "hormones racing" to "heart-beats racing" and "rub the right way" to "treat me the right way". According to Billboards Kenneth Partridge, a thirty-second note bass-drum pattern of the song "mimics the heart palpitations of a teenager in lust."