Justified & Stripped Tour with Justin Timberlake

The Justified & Stripped with Justin Timberlake was a co-headlining concert by Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake.

The tour was in support of Christina's fourth album Stripped and Justin's debut album "Justified."

Justin announced that he would go on a co-headlining tour at the 2003 American Music Awards and it was officially announced that Christina would be the co-headlined artist of the tour on January 14, 2003.

The tour dates were revealed on February 21, 2003. It kicked off on June 4, 2003 in Phoenix, Arizona and visited 45 cities in North America. The Black Eyed Peas were serviced as the tour's supporting acts.

The setlist was composed generally from Justin's "Justified" album and Christina's "Stripped" album.

However, both artists also added material from their early works, including Timberlake's work with 'N Sync and Christina's self-titled debut album. She also performed two of Etta James' songs: "At Last" and "I Prefer You."

The tour was divided into five segments: two for Christina & three for Justin with each segment being followed by an interlude to the next segment and it ended with an encore, lasting for a total of 160 minutes.

The tour was met with mixed reviews from most contemporary music critics.

Some praised the maturities of the two artists, while others criticized their vocal abilities during the tour.

They also believed that Christina's image during the tour resembled that Cher and her part concentrated too much on her vocal abilities while Justin's part worked his considerable sex appeal.

However, the tour was a commercial success, garnering more than US$30 million and becoming the sixteenth highest-grossing tour in 2003.

It also became the third highest-grossing co-headlining tour of the year.

In late 2003, the tour's extension The Stripped Tour was held to promote Christina's "Stripped" album without Justin's act.

An extended play, entitled "Justin & Christina" was released exclusively at Target Stores to support the tour.

Concert Development

When asked why she & Justin decided to go on tour together, Christina replied:

"We both put out records around the same time that kind of introduced ourselves to the world as new artists, in a way. So it was just a good time. And I've known Justin since the Mickey Mouse Club days, since we were twelve or thirteen, so we go back in our friendship, and it kind of works."

Synopsis

The concert began with the video introduction of "Stripped Intro" featuring Christina handcuffed, blindfolded and sitting in a chair as the words "scandal," "gossip" and "lies" flashed across the screen.

Backed by a five-peace band and eight back-up dancers, Christina strutted out singing "Dirrty" and "Get Mine, Get Yours" with curly black hair, a black and "hot-pink halter with belly-baring plunging neckline," pants and spiked heels. She performed "The Voice Within" as the follow-up with a long black dress.

During the acoustic version of "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)", she gave a speech:

"Thank you so much for coming... I'm getting that feeling again and it's a blessing. Yes, I've grown up a little bit. Now I'm 22... I'm so happy you've grown with me."

Christina went onstage again, performing the "Egyptian-turned-metal" version "Genie in a Bottle" where she rolled on a giant "X" which portrayed her then newly established alter ego "Xtina."

Wearing "hot pink straps attached to her outfit," she slowly unraveled herself is the "genie" in the song, provocatively dancing her way out of the bottle.

The performance of "Can't Hold Us Down" featured a pink "spark-shooting" motorcycle.

Then, she belted out "Make Over" with the "rhythmic trot of a Spanish spaghetti Western" featuring "chain-link fence."

Following the video interlude of "Loving Me 4 Me", she performed the ballad "Impossible."

Christina later changed into a "silky empire-waisted" red dress to channel her favorite singer, Etta James and performed two of her hit songs "At Last" and "I Prefer You."

The rendition of "Lady Marmalade" from the soundtrack Moulin Rouge! was described as "a playful romp" between four male dancers dressed as sailors and four female members of the troupe in lingerie.

During the medley of two Spanish songs from Mi Reflejo, "Contigo en la Distancia" and "Falsas Esperanzas," a male dancer ripped off the skirt Christina wore, revealing tiny denim boy-cut shorts underneath.

Later, Christina "saucily" replied, "Just because my album name is Stripped, doesn't mean you can take my clothes off." She continued with the "gorgeous ache" of "Walk Away."

The performance of "Fighter" "had more feelings and excitements" and the performance version of "What a Girl Wants" was provided with some "well-deserved" dance moves in which she wore a purple shirt and shorts.

Christina ended her part with "Beautiful," wearing jeans and a T-shirt which emblazoned with the words "God sees no color."

Justin's part began with a video interlude of "Ghetto Blaster" followed by the performance of "Rock Your Body."

He yelled, "Scream!," "What's up?," and "We got some crazy people in the crowd tonight," he responded. "I'll be your host for this evening. I'm gonna test your knowledge a little bit with this one. Let's see if you can spot this one."

Setlist

Christina Aguilera

"Stripped Intro" (Video Introduction)

1. "Dirrty"
2. "Get Mine, Get Yours"
3. "The Voice Within"
4. "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)"
5. "Genie in a Bottle"
6. "Can't Hold Us Down"
7. "Make Over"

"Loving Me 4 Me" (Video Interlude)

1. "Impossible"
2. "At Last"
3. "I Prefer You"
4. "Lady Marmalade"
5. "Contigo en la Distancia" / "Falsas Esperanzas"
6. "Walk Away"
7. "Fighter"
8. "What a Girl Wants"

Encore

1. "Beautiful"

Justin Timberlake

1. "Ghetto Blaster" (contains elements of "Like I Love You", "Girlfriend" and "Rock Your Body") (Video Introduction)/"Rock Your Body"
2. "Right For Me"
3. Medley: "Gone" / "Girlfriend"
4. "Señorita"
5. "Still On My Brain"
6. "Nothin' Else"
7. "Tap Dance" (Dance Interlude)/"Cry Me a River"
8. "Let's Take A Ride"
9. "Beat Box" (Dance Interlude)/"Last Night"
10. "Take It From Here"

Encore

1. "Like I Love You"

Critical Reception

The Justified and Stripped Tour garnered mixed reviews from contemporary critics.

Longtime critic Robert Hilburn for the Los Angeles Times called Christina's part "tedious" and her stage persona "uncertain" while praising Justin's act, considering him "born for the stage (with) the savvy instincts to put together a show that works. Rather than make himself the constant center of attention, he was comfortable enough at times simply to be part of a talented ensemble."

By contrast, The Orange County Register's Ben Wener complimented Christina's performance, writing:

"I'd favor Aguilera's sex-appeal feast over Timberlake's club jam... Christina is simply a more well-rounded entertainer."

Meanwhile, he criticized Justin's part and compared him to George Michael.

Darryl Morder from The Hollywood Reporter was not impressed with either artist, naming the tour "more a case of egofied and cluttered."

Morder further said that Christina's numbers were "too often swathed in bloated arrangements" while Justin's voice was "whiny and thin."

Multiple critics also believed that Christina's image during the tour resembled Cher's look during the 1980s.

Christina Fuoco from MTV News drew similarities between the two artists: big curly black locks, a black and hot-pink halter with belly-baring plunging neckline, pants, and spiked heels.

Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, Neva Chonin also compared Christina to Cher, with "a torso-baring black ensemble, a shock of dark hair exploding from the back of her head."

In 2003, the tour was the sixteenth highest-grossing tour of the year, with a total gross of US$30,261,670.

546,483 tickets were sold out of 592,360 available (approximately 92%), including 23 sellout shows out of 45 (approximately 51%).

It was also the third top-grossing co-headlining tour of the year, only behind "Face to Face" by Billy Joel & Elton John and Rocksimus Maximus by Aerosmith and Kiss.

Broadcasts & Recordings

As the tour commenced, BMG released a six track EP entitled Justin & Christina that was exclusive to Target retail stores.

It featured remixes of the artists' hit songs including one new track from each artist. The tour was featured on MTV's "Making the Tour."