20 years after its debut, Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' music video gets a 2022 update
We are (still) beautiful.

The message still rings true.
Odds are, if you were a teenager in the early 2000s, Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” was an anthem for self-acceptance. The iconic music video—which featured a more grounded, less pop diva Aguilera—touched on themes of distorted body image, gender identity and LGBTQ issues while sending a clear message of “you’re perfectly fine, just the way you are.”
It’s a message that still bears repeating today, especially for teens. It’s no secret that social media does real harm when there’s too much exposure, and younger generations in particular are flooded with images that seem to say anything but “you are enough.”
On October 19, 20 years after the original music video was released, Aguilera marked its anniversary with an updated version. Though it takes on a modern spin, the song’s inspiring message still rings true.
Aguilera herself does not appear in the video. Instead, viewers witness a slew of various teens, nearly all staring blankly into their phones. Each group is affected somewhat differently—a group of young dancers apply makeup under a ring light and obsessively find their best pose, another young woman surrounded by photos of voluptuous models contemplates breast implants, a boy watches an older, hypermuscular man lift weights, another girl stares into a vending machine filled with diet supplements, a teen boy sits alone in a mental health facility while staring at a razor and pills.
We also see a group of five very young girls awaiting plastic surgery, as indicated by the black marks on their faces, juxtaposed between a series of “before-and-after” shots. While the video itself is jarring, the sad reality is that there’s little exaggeration in it.
The video does end on a more hopeful note, concluding with the same kids playing together on a grassy field. You know, actually getting to be kids. And that kind of freedom, without a doubt, is truly beautiful.
However, the very last few frames are still rather sobering, depicting blood ominously flowing out of a cellphone, with the warning, “Social media has transformed our relationship with our bodies, and in turn, our mental health. Research suggests that time spent on social networking sites is associated with body image issues, self-harm and disordered eating in children and teens. This needs to change.”
Aguilera posted a short version of the music video onto her Instagram page, along with the caption:
“We are Beautiful, no matter what they say ❤️A message I will always stand by and a message I prioritize to instill in my own children through every chapter of their lives!"
"Today, it’s harder than ever to hear our own voice amongst so many others infiltrating our feeds and minds with mixed messaging... ultimately leading us to tune-out our own truth and self worth.
"The original ‘'Beautiful’ video set out to bring awareness and a sense of compassion in the face of judgment, criticism, and outside opinions. It still carries an important message to remember our core values outside of what’s being fed to us…to find a sense of balance and accepting ourselves for who we are.”
I can still vividly remember how much this original song meant to me as a teenager drowning in feelings of unworthiness, caused largely in part to being told how I didn’t measure up to standards projected by the media (namely magazines, in my time). Where I wish that young people today didn’t have to endure a similar kind of subliminal attack to their self-esteem, hopefully this video can offer them the same empowering reminder to not let toxic messaging bring them down.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.