A re-recorded version of "What a Girl Wants" was released as the album's second single on September 4, 1999, by RCA Records, following the commercial success of the album's lead single "Genie in a Bottle". A Spanish version of the song, titled "Una Mujer", was included on Aguilera's second studio album "Mi Reflejo".
The song was described as a pop and R&B track and had similarities to "Genie in a Bottle". It received positive reviews from music critics, who described it as a "light" song and compared Aguilera's vocals on the track to those of Mariah Carey.
Commercially, the song became her second consecutive US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, and also topped the charts in Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain; the song is recognized as the first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single of the 2000s. The single eventually earned gold certifications in countries including Australia, Belgium and Sweden, as well as being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
What A Girl Wants
Christina Aguilera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Yeah, c'mon
Ooh, oh yeah, oh yeah
I wanna thank you for giving me time to breathe
Like a rock, you waited so patiently
While I got it together, oh
I only looked but I never touched
'Cause in my heart was a picture of us
Holdin' hands, makin' plans
And it's lucky for me you understand
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever makes me happy sets you free
And I'm thanking you for knowing exactly
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever keeps me in your arms
And I'm thanking you for giving it to me
What I want, is what you got
And what you got, is what I want
There was a time I was blind, I was so confused (yeah-yeah)
Run away just to hide it all from you
But baby, you knew me better than I knew myself
They say if you love something, let it go
If it comes back it's yours
That's how you know
It's for keeps, yeah, it's for sure
And you're ready and willin' to give me more than
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever makes me happy sets you free
And I'm thanking you for knowing exactly
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever keeps me in your arms
And I'm thanking you for giving it to me, yeah
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Somebody sensitive, courageous, sexy, cool, like you
What a girl wants, what a girl needs, oh yeah
What a girl wants (you're so right)
What a girl needs (you're so right)
You let a girl know how much you
Care about her, I swear
You're the one who always knew
You knew, you knew, you knew, you knew
Ooh, I'm thanking you for being there for me
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever keeps me in your arms
Whatever keeps me in your arms, that's what I need
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever makes me happy sets you free
And I'm thanking you for knowing exactly
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever keeps me in your arms
And I'm thanking you for giving it
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
Whatever makes me happy sets you free
And I'm thanking you for giving it to me
Oh baby, oh darling
Thank you, thank you for giving me what I what
And what I need
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah
I turn around there
Whenever you're not there
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Christina Aguilera’s song "What a Girl Wants" is about appreciating a man who truly understands her wants and needs. The lyrics show that despite being against love, she had a picture of the person who is now her love in her heart. She appreciates that he gave her time to breathe and figure things out. The song praises the man for providing her with what she wants and needs, and most importantly, he understands what those things entail. The lyrics praise his understanding of what makes her happy and sets her free. She expresses her deep gratitude for being able to stay in his arms.
The second verse of the song highlights how she was blind and confused at a certain point, and she tried to hide everything from him by running away. However, he knew her better than she knew herself, which shows that he understands her. Aguilera explains that the connection between the two of them is unbreakable, it is for keeps and that he is willing to give her more than what she wants.
In conclusion, the song is all about appreciating what the individual in the relationship wants and needs. It emphasizes respect, understanding, and patience between the two people involved. The song reiterates that a relationship should consist of what a girl wants and what a girl needs, and if the man understands that, then he would have a happy lady by his side.
Line by Line Meaning
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
The singer expresses the desire for her partner to understand her wants and needs
Yeah, c'mon
Expressing excitement
Ooh, oh yeah, oh yeah
Expressing happiness
I wanna thank you for giving me time to breathe
The singer appreciates her partner giving her space
Like a rock, you waited so patiently
Her partner was unwavering and patient with her
While I got it together, oh
The singer needed time to figure things out
While I figured it out (yeah-yeah)
Reiterating the need to take time to figure out things
I only looked but I never touched
The singer refrained from acting on her attractions to others
'Cause in my heart was a picture of us
The singer had a strong desire to maintain her relationship with her partner
Holdin' hands, makin' plans
The singer had specific goals for their relationship
And it's lucky for me you understand
The singer is grateful that her partner understands her feelings
Whatever makes me happy sets you free
Her partner is willing to let her be happy even if it means letting her go
And I'm thanking you for knowing exactly
The singer is grateful that her partner knows what she needs
What a girl wants, what a girl needs
The repeated chorus emphasizes the singer's desire and appreciation for her partner
What I want, is what you got
The singer values what her partner has to offer
There was a time I was blind, I was so confused (yeah-yeah)
The singer had trouble seeing what was important
Run away just to hide it all from you
The singer avoided confronting her problems
But baby, you knew me better than I knew myself
Her partner understood her deeply
They say if you love something, let it go
The singer believes in the philosophy of letting go to see if the love is true
If it comes back it's yours
If love is meant to be, it will come back to you
It's for keeps, yeah, it's for sure
The singer is confident in the longevity of her relationship
And you're ready and willin' to give me more than
Her partner is always willing to give her more
Somebody sensitive, courageous, sexy, cool, like you
The singer is singing praises for her partner
You let a girl know how much you
The singer appreciates her partner's communication skills
Care about her, I swear
Her partner shows his love for her
You're the one who always knew
The singer believes in her partner's understanding of her needs
Ooh, I'm thanking you for being there for me
The singer continues to express her appreciation for her partner
Whatever keeps me in your arms, that's what I need
The singer feels safe and secure in her partner's arms
Oh baby, oh darling
Expressing affection for her partner
Thank you, thank you for giving me what I what
Gratitude for fulfilling her desires
And what I need
Gratitude for fulfilling her needs
I turn around there
The singer feels supported by her partner
Whenever you're not there
The singer feels the absence of her partner when they're apart
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Shelly Peiken, Guy Roche
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@colinmcmahon5829
Talk to the IOC, or the IOU .
Duke it out and leave it, under those spots .
Can you ground this building please, it’s almost crying and I really like it. I just don’t need that anymore. I’m not. dodge’em car, with a remote reverse. Ok?
Next ...
You give a lot for your two Dans per hour.
@islandnative8084
Who listening 2024?
@BaladasDelRecuerdo2023
Even though this was "bubblegum pop" in 1999/2000, it's still better than most stuff on radio today. Christina's voice in this song was amazing
@missam3404
We loved this song 😂
@BaladasDelRecuerdo2023
@@missam3404 Por favor, apoyen a mis músicos, como el amor que les he dado, les deseo siempre felicidad.
@mrmagnetic8993
Anything better than that
@BaladasDelRecuerdo2023
@@mrmagnetic8993 Por favor, apoyen a mis músicos, como el amor que les he dado, les deseo siempre felicidad.
@richardzippler3330
What a girl wants is money
@MarloSoBalJr
Thanks a lot, AT&T and SGA! Now I can't get this song outta my head 🤬
@angelrosson9769
Christina Aguilera does not get her flowers. That girl, to this day, blows everyone out the water.
@danielle1216
including kissing madonna