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LOS ANGELES — Christina Aguilera can't seem to catch a break, but at least she was able to catch herself.
Exactly one week after her much-talked-about struggle with the national anthem at the Super Bowl, the powerhouse pop singer slipped and nearly fell off the stage at the conclusion of the Grammy tribute to Aretha Franklin.
As the crowd leapt to a standing ovation and roared their approval of her unsurprisingly standout participation in the performance, Christina slipped and very nearly fell from the stage but caught her balance without smashing to the floor or causing any serious damage (save for some natural embarrassment).
Everything went smoothly for Aguilera at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles just before that, as she joined Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams for the show's opening performance, which consisted of a medley of Aretha Franklin's hits. Xtina kicked out the jams in typically bombastic fashion when she took center stage to tackle Aretha's "Ain't No Way." The 68-year-old Queen of Soul has battled against much more serious troubles than her 30-year-old platinum-blond disciple, reportedly undergoing surgery for pancreatic cancer last year.
The ensemble had just wrapped up "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" when Aguilera lost her balance as they took a bow. Luckily, she was able to right herself by grabbing hold of a microphone stand.
Christina's first performance since botching the words to the national anthem could have been viewed as a form of pop-culture redemption. But, thanks to this slipup, the Net is once again abuzz about her for all of the wrong reasons, with some even criticizing her take on Aretha's classics, which was full of her signature melisma — the packing of multiple notes into a single syllable — much as her version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was.
What did you think of the Aretha tribute? Let us know in the comments!
For Grammy Awards winners, analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News during the big show and beyond.
The 53rd Grammy Awards kicked off with a rousing tribute to soul legend Aretha Franklin with Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams tackling Franklin's classics.
At the 2011 Grammy Awards, sisters were doing it for each other. While the legendary Aretha Franklin may not have been able to attend (the 68-year-old singer underwent surgery in late 2010), some of today's fiercest female vocalists came together to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul.
Introduced by LL Cool J, a diverse quintet of "musical princesses" composed of Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride, Florence Welch and Yolanda Adams, opened the Grammy ceremony with a medley of Franklin tunes, kicking things off with the timeless "(You Me Make Feel Like A) Natural Woman," which they all sang on together.
Check out pictures from the Grammy show here.
From there on, each powerhouse performer did her own solo as the other four provided backup harmonies, all while images of the indelible Franklin appeared in the background.
Aguilera, fresh off last weekend's now-notorious Super Bowl national anthem mishap, didn't miss a beat (or lyric, for that matter) of Franklin's "Ain't No Way," which segued to country superstar McBride's cover of "Until You Come Back to Me."
Welch, whose band Florence and the Machine are vying for Best New Artist this year, took over the duties of singing the classic "Think (Freedom)." Then Hudson belted out the unrequited feminism anthem "Respect."
Adams brought her gospel sound to the song "Spirit in the Dark" before all five women closed out with "Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves," bringing the Grammy crowd to their feet.
After the performance, Franklin appeared via a video message in which she thanked Aguilera, Hudson, McBride, Welch and Adams, telling them, "I love you all." Standing before a piano in a white dress, the still-recovering Franklin went on to thank Clive Davis, Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich, and all the well-wishers who sent her cards, flowers and "most, importantly, your prayers."
"I wish I could have been there with all of you tonight," Franklin said, adding she hoped to be in attendance next year. After wishing the 2011 Grammy nominees good luck, Franklin concluded, "Thank you so much. I love you all. Have a good evening."
For Grammy Awards winners list, analysis, interviews, fashion and more, stick with MTV News during the big show and beyond.
