Question:
Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, reality show personality and television personality. Born in Staten Island, New York and raised in Rochester and Wexford, Pennsylvania, she appeared on the television series Star Search and The Mickey Mouse Club in her early years. After recording "Reflection", the theme for Disney's 1998 film Mulan, Aguilera signed with RCA Records. She rose to prominence with her 1999 self-titled debut album that spawned the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come On Over Baby
When planning her fourth studio album, Aguilera leaned towards a new artistic direction that she felt had more musical and lyrical depth. She named the album Stripped and explained that the title represented "a new beginning, a re-introduction of [herself] as a new artist in a way". For the album, Aguilera served as executive producer and co-wrote most of the songs. The album was preceded by the single "Dirrty", which was released to shed Aguilera's teen pop image and express her sexuality and aggression. Its accompanying music video generated controversy for depicting various sexual fetishes and concepts. Aguilera's new image presented in the video started to overshadow her music, generating widespread criticism from both her peers including Shakira and Jessica Simpson and the public. Aguilera defended her new image, explaining that "I'm in the power position, in complete command of everything and everybody around me. To be totally balls-out like that is, for me, the measure of a true artist."  The final cut of Stripped incorporated various genres from flamenco and R&B to rock and lyrically revolved around the theme of self-esteem while also discussing sex and gender equality. It was released in October 2002 to mixed critical reviews; Jancee Dunn from the Rolling Stone praised Aguilera's vocals yet panned the album for its lack of musical concentration. The album was nonetheless a commercial success, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 4.3 million copies in the United States. It was a major success in the United Kingdom, having sold 2 million copies and became the second highest-selling album by a female US artist of the 2000s decade, behind Norah Jones with Come Away with Me. Stripped has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. The album was followed by four singles, "Beautiful", "Fighter", "Can't Hold Us Down", and "The Voice Within". "Beautiful" received universal acclaim for positive portrayal of the LGBT community and was the album's most commercially successful single, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It earned Aguilera a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2004 ceremony. The song was later listed at number 52 among the 100 Best Songs of the 2000s by the Rolling Stone in 2011.  During the promotion of Stripped, Aguilera cultivated a new image by adopting the alter ego Xtina, dyeing her hair black, and debuting several tattoos and piercings. She co-headlined the Justified and Stripped Tour alongside Justin Timberlake from June to September 2003 in support of Stripped and Timberlake's album Justified, before embarking on her solo The Stripped Tour until December. Aguilera garnered media attention after attending the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards in August, where she and Britney Spears kissed Madonna during their performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood". Later that year, she was the host of the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards, where she won an award for Best Female. Billboard also announced Aguilera as the Top Female Pop Act of 2003.
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How many copies did it sell?

Answer:
Stripped has sold over 12 million copies


Question:
The Smashing Pumpkins (or Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1988 by frontman Billy Corgan (lead vocals, guitar) and James Iha (guitar), the band included D'arcy Wretzky (bass guitar) and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums) in its original incarnation. It has undergone many line-up changes over the course of its existence, with the current lineup being Corgan, Chamberlin, Iha and guitarist Jeff Schroeder. Disavowing the punk rock roots of many of their alt-rock contemporaries, they have a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock,progressive rock, shoegazing, and electronica in later recordings.
After the breakup of his gothic rock band the Marked, singer and guitarist Billy Corgan left St. Petersburg, Florida, to return to his native city of Chicago, where he took a job in a record store and formed the idea of a new band to be called the Smashing Pumpkins. While working there, he met guitarist James Iha. Adorning themselves with paisley and other psychedelic trappings, the two began writing songs together (with the aid of a drum machine) that were heavily influenced by The Cure and New Order. The duo performed live for the first time on July 9, 1988 at the Polish bar Chicago 21. This performance included only Corgan on bass and Iha on guitar with a drum machine. Shortly thereafter, Corgan met D'arcy Wretzky after a show by the Dan Reed Network where they argued the merits of the band. After finding out Wretzky played bass guitar, Corgan recruited her into the lineup and the now-trio played a show at the Avalon Nightclub. After this show, Cabaret Metro owner Joe Shanahan agreed to book the band on the condition that they replace the drum machine with a live drummer.  Jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was recommended by a friend of Corgan's. Chamberlin knew little of alternative music and immediately changed the sound of the nascent band. As Corgan recalled of the period, "We were completely into the sad-rock, Cure kind of thing. It took about two or three practices before I realized that the power in his playing was something that enabled us to rock harder than we could ever have imagined." On October 5, 1988, the complete band took the stage for the first time at the Cabaret Metro.  In 1989 the Smashing Pumpkins made their first appearance on record with the compilation album Light Into Dark, which featured several Chicago alternative bands. The group released its first single, "I Am One", in 1990 on local Chicago label Limited Potential. The single sold out and they released a follow-up, "Tristessa", on Sub Pop, after which they signed to Caroline Records. The band recorded their 1991 debut studio album Gish with producer Butch Vig at his Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin for $20,000. In order to gain the consistency he desired, Corgan often played all instruments excluding drums, which created tension in the band. The music fused heavy metal guitars, psychedelia, and dream pop, garnering them comparisons to Jane's Addiction. Gish became a minor success, with the single "Rhinoceros" receiving some airplay on modern rock radio. After releasing the Lull EP in October 1991 on Caroline Records, the band formally signed with Virgin Records, which was affiliated with Caroline. The band supported the album with a tour that included opening for bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, and Guns N' Roses. During the tour, Iha and Wretzky went through a messy breakup, Chamberlin became addicted to narcotics and alcohol, and Corgan entered a deep depression, writing some songs for the upcoming album in the parking garage where he lived at the time.
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What was their big break?

Answer: