"Can't Hold Us Down" | |||||||||||
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Single by Christina Aguilera featuring Lil' Kim | |||||||||||
from the album Stripped | |||||||||||
Released | July 8, 2003 | ||||||||||
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Length | 4:14 | ||||||||||
Label | RCA | ||||||||||
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Producer(s) | Scott Storch | ||||||||||
Christina Aguilera singles chronology | |||||||||||
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"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album Stripped (2002). It was released by RCA Records on July 8, 2003, as the fourth single from the album. The track was written and produced by Scott Storch, with additional songwriting by Aguilera and Matt Morris. An R&B and hip hop song with dancehall elements, "Can't Hold Us Down" criticizes gender-related double standards.
"Can't Hold Us Down" received mixed reviews from music critics. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 2004 ceremony, but lost to "Whenever I Say Your Name" by Sting and Mary J. Blige. The single peaked at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and charted within the top ten of record charts of several countries including Australia, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The song was included on the setlists of Aguilera's three major concert tours: Justified and Stripped Tour (2003), The Stripped Tour (2003) and Back to Basics Tour (2006–08).
A music video for "Can't Hold Us Down" was directed by David LaChapelle, inspired by the Lower East Side of New York City in the 1980s. The single has been widely recognized as a feminist anthem.