Twenty-five years ago, the late Whitney Houston starred in a now-iconic movie called The Bodyguard and with it came the song that is now her trademark, “I Will Always Love You.” It’s a song that’s quintessentially Whitney: the dramatics, the opulence, the soaring high note at the end. Many view “I Will Always Love You” as Houston’s greatest vocal feat, which is impressive seeing as how she’s arguably the greatest vocalist of all time.
And tonight at the American Music Awards, another vocal powerhouse sang the song and paid tribute to both Houston and The Bodyguard: Christina Aguilera. Yes, Aguilera, clad in a black outfit and her hair slicked back, took the stage at the AMAs to give a special performance honoring the song and film that catapulted Houston into a fame stratosphere only a few celebrities reach. Aguilera whipped through several tunes from The Bodyguard, including “I Will Always Love You” and Houston’s cover of “I’m Every Woman,” which became a feminist anthem in the early 1990s.
The crowd was visibly moved by Aguilera’s performance—cameras caught several celebrities tearing up. Even Pink, who famously feuded with Aguilera in the early 2000s, couldn’t help but be moved by the performance. (If you follow celebrity news, though, then you know Pink and Aguilera put their beef to bed. “We were super young and super new at the whole thing, and I think I’m an alpha, and she’s an alpha,” Pink said about their up-and-down relationship a few weeks ago.)
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Check out some clips of the performance, below:
The Twitter reactions, though, weren’t as kind. Several people took issue with the fact Aguilera, a white woman, performed the tribute.
Others simply didn’t think she was up to par with Houston.
Click here for more of our coverage of the 2017 American Music Awards.
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