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#redirect [[Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)]]
{{Good Article}}

{{Infobox song
{{Rcat shell|{{R from song}}
| Name = Walk Away
| Artist = [[Christina Aguilera]]
⚫
| Album = [[Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)|Stripped]]
| track_no = 3
| Recorded = 2002
| Length = {{duration|m=5|s=47}}
| Genre =
| Label = [[RCA Records|RCA]]
| Writer = {{flat list|
*Christina Aguilera
*[[Matt Morris (musician)|Matt Morris]]
*[[Scott Storch]]}}
| Producer = {{flat list|
*Scott Storch
*Christina Aguilera {{small|(vocals)}}
*E. Dawk {{Small|(vocals)}}}}
| prev = "[[Can't Hold Us Down]]"
| prev_no = 2
| next = "[[Fighter (song)|Fighter]]"
| next_no = 4
}}
}}
"'''Walk Away'''" is a song by American recording artist [[Christina Aguilera]], taken from her fourth [[studio album]], ''[[Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)|Stripped]]'' (2002). The song was written by Aguilera, [[Scott Storch]] and [[Matt Morris (musician)|Matt Morris]]. Its production was handled by Storch, while Aguilera and E. Dawk served as vocal producers. The track is a piano-driven [[ballad]] which talks about an abusive relationship. Upon its release, "Walk Away" received mainly positive reviews from [[music journalism|music critics]], who praised its melody. On March 14, 2008, the song peaked at number 35 on the Danish [[Tracklisten]] chart, becoming the only non-single entry from ''Stripped'' on the chart.

== Background and recording ==
Following the release of the [[Christina Aguilera (album)|self-titled debut album]] in 1999, Aguilera had achieved major success with four worldwide number-one hits.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dominguez|first=Pier|title=Christina Aguilera: A Star Is Made, the Unauthorized Biography|year=2003|isbn=0-9702224-5-9|url=http://books.google.com.vn/books?id=Y-aIMqk_YUEC&printsec=frontcover&hl=vi#v=onepage&q&f=false|accessdate=July 18, 2013|chapter=The Seduction of Fame}}</ref> Despite the international success, the singer was dissatisfied with the music and image that her manager, [[Steve Kurtz]], had created for her, having been marketed as a [[bubblegum pop]] singer because of the genre's upward financial trend.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stitzel|first=Kim|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/a/aguilera_christina/news_feature_feb_02/|title=Christina Aguilera: Not Your Puppet|work=''[[MTV Networks]]''|publisher=[[Viacom]]|year=2002|accessdate=January 29, 2009}}</ref> She mentioned plans for her next album to have more musical and lyrical depth.<ref name="USAToday">{{cite news|publisher=[[Gannett Company]]|work=[[USA Today]]|date=October 24, 2002|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2002-10-23-christina-aguilera_x.htm|title=Aguilera's image is 'Stripped'|accessdate=July 3, 2009|first=Gardner|last=Elysa}}</ref> Aguilera decided not to continue the contact with Kurtz.<ref name="USAToday"/> By late 2000, after terminating Kurtz's services, [[Irving Azoff]] was hired as her new manager.<ref name="USAToday"/> Aguilera decided to take a more prominent role in the musical direction of her next record. She also used her new [[alter ego]], "Xtina", and changed her appearance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/christina_aguilera/0,,,00.html|title=Christina Aguilera: Five Fun Facts|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|publisher=[[Time Inc.|Time Inc]]|accessdate=May 25, 2013}}</ref>

Speaking about the conception of the album, Aguilera told [[MTV News]] that "it is a new beginning, a re-introduction of myself as a new artist in a way, because for the first time people are really seeing and getting to know I really am".<ref name="mtvnews">{{cite news|title=Christina Stands Up For The Ladies, Discusses Father's Abuse|work=''[[MTV News]]''|publisher=Viacom|first=Jennifer|last=Vineyard|date=October 31, 2002|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458433/christina-talks-stripped.jhtml|accessdate=July 9, 2013}}</ref> She also revealed, "Coming off of the height of being a part of such a big pop-craze phenomenon, that imagery of that cookie-cutter sweetheart, without it being me, I just had to take it all down and get it away from me. And that is why I actually named the album ''Stripped'', because it is about being emotionally stripped down and pretty bare to open my soul and heart".<ref name="mtvnews"/> "Walk Away" was written by Aguilera, [[Scott Storch]] and [[Matt Morris (musician)|Matt Morris]], with production handled by Storch.<ref name="Notes"/> The song was recorded by Oscar Ramirez and Wassim Zreik in 2002.<ref name="Notes"/> Aguilera's vocals were produced by herself and E. Dawk.<ref name="Notes"/> [[String instrument]]s were carried out by Larry Gold, while mixing was taken by [[Dave Pensado]].<ref name="Notes"/>

== Composition and critical reception ==
[[File:Alicia Keys no Pavilhão Atlantico 01.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Bill Aicher of Music Critic compared "Walk Away" to the works of [[Alicia Keys]] ''(photo)''.<ref name="musiccritic"/>]]
"Walk Away" is a piano-driven [[waltz]] [[ballad]].<ref name="musiccritic"/><ref name="slant"/><ref name="lasvegas"/> Written in the [[key (music)|key]] of [[G major]], it is a [[downtempo]] song, with a moderate slow and bluesy [[tempo]] of 52 beats per minute.<ref name="sheet">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0043933&|title="Walk Away" Music Sheet|work=''Musicnotes.com''|publisher=[[Universal Music Publishing Group]]|accessdate=July 12, 2013}}</ref> It is followed by a [[chord progression]] of Em&ndash;C7 in the verses.<ref name="sheet"/> Aguilera's vocal range on the song span nearly two [[octave]]s, from the low-note of [[E (musical note)|E<sub>3</sub>]] to the high-note of [[G (musical note)|G<sub>5</sub>]].<ref name="sheet"/> In the track, Aguilera uses a "sultry lower range".<ref name="slant"/> Lyrically, "Walk Away" is about an abusive relationship, where she uses a "clever" metaphor.<ref name="slant"/> At the song's beginning, the lyrics "What do you do, when you know something's bad for you, and you still can't let go?" are spoken by Aguilera.<ref name="sheet"/> In the first verse, she sings, "Your love was like candy/ Artificially sweet, I was deceived by your wrapping".<ref name="slant">{{cite web|last=Cinquemani|first=Sal|title=Christina Aguilera: Stripped &ndash; Music Review|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/christina-aguilera-stripped/216|accessdate=April 26, 2012|work=''[[Slant Magazine]]''|date=November 2, 2002}}</ref> Aguilera continues to "ponder", "What do you do when you know something's bad for you and you still can't let go?"<ref name="digitalspy">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/thesound/a224306/christina-aguilera-the-ten-essential-tunes.html|first=Nick|last=Levine|title=Christina Aguilera: The ten essential tunes|work=''[[Digital Spy]]''|publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]]|date=June 10, 2010|accessdate=September 20, 2013}}</ref> The track was described as a non-sense song by Amanda Murray for [[Sputnikmusic]].<ref name="sputnikmusic"/>

Upon its release, "Walk Away" received mainly positive reviews from contemporary [[music journalism|music critics]]. [[Slant Magazine]] editor Sal Cinquemani chose "Walk Away" as one of the stand-out ballads from ''Stripped''.<ref name="slant"/> Janceen Dunn from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' called it a "torchy can't-let-go number",<ref>{{cite news|first=Janceen|last=Dunn|last=Dunn|first=Jancee|title=Stripped &ndash; Album Reviews|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/stripped-20021105|accessdate=April 26, 2012|work=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=November 5, 2002}}</ref> while Bill Aicher from Music Critic described it as an "[[Alicia Keys]]-esque piano-laden ballad".<ref name="musiccritic">{{cite news|last=Aicher|first=Bill|title=Area Critic Admits New Christina Album "Better Than He Expected"|url=http://www.music-critic.com/pop/aguilera_stripped.htm|accessdate=April 26, 2012|work=''Music Critic''|date=October 29, 2002}}</ref> Doug Elfman for ''[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]]'' labelled it "gorgeous",<ref name="lasvegas"/> while Amanda Murray from Sputnikmusic wrote that the song "sounds sexy", although it is "one of the only songs on the album that makes no effort to, certainly not lyrically".<ref name="sputnikmusic">{{cite news|last=Murray|first=Amanda|title=Christina Aguilera &ndash; Stripped|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8088/Christina-Aguilera-Stripped/|publisher=Jeremy Ferwada|first=Amanda|last=Murray|accessdate=April 26, 2012|work=''[[Sputnikmusic]]''|date=July 3, 2006}}</ref> In 2010, Nick Levine from [[Digital Spy]] listed "Walk Away" as one of Aguilera's ten best songs.<ref name="digitalspy"/> He calls Aguilera's vocals "emotive" and the song's theme "heartfelt", commenting that the song would have been a single.<ref name="digitalspy"/>

== Live performances ==
Aguilera first performed "Walk Away" on the [[Justified & Stripped Tour]], a concert tour which was held in summer 2003 to support [[Justin Timberlake]]'s album ''[[Justified (album)|Justified]]'' (2002) and Aguilera's ''Stripped''.<ref name="lasvegas">{{cite news|title=Aguilera Skillfuly Blends Her Two Sides|work=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]]|publisher=[[Stephens Media]]|first=Doug|last=Elfman|date=June 23, 2003|issn=1097-1645}}</ref> In late 2003, Aguilera continued to perform the track on the former's extension, [[Stripped Live... on Tour]], which happened without Timberlake's acts.<ref name="dvdtour"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1536125/20060711/aguilera_christina.jhtml|title=Two Years Later, Aguilera Fans Finally Getting Their Due: A Refund|date=July 11, 2006|accessdate=July 6, 2013|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=''MTV News''|publisher=Viacom}}</ref> The performance in London is included on the singer's first full-length DVD ''[[Stripped Live in the U.K.]]'' (2004).<ref name="dvdtour">{{cite video| people=Julia Knowles (director), Sharon Ali (producer) and Christina Aguilera (singer-songwriter, producer) | title=[[Stripped Live in the U.K.]] | location=United Kingdom | publisher=RCA Records |date=October 12, 2004 }}</ref> Aguilera also performed "Walk Away" on the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' on January 16, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0628506/|title=Late Show with David Letterman|work=''[[Internet Movie Database]]''|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|accessdate=July 15, 2013}}</ref>

== Credits and personnel ==
* Christina Aguilera &ndash; Songwriting, vocals, vocal producing
* Scott Storch &ndash; Songwriting, producing
* Matt Morris &ndash; Songwriting
* E. Dawk &ndash; Vocal producing
* Larry Gold &ndash; Strings
* [[Dave Pensado]] &ndash; Mixing
* Oscar Ramirez, Wassim Zreik &ndash; Recording
Credits adapted from liner notes of ''Stripped'', RCA Records.<ref name="Notes">Aguilera, Christina (2002). ''[[Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)|Stripped]]'' (liner notes). Christina Aguilera. [[RCA Records]]</ref>

== Charts ==
On March 14, 2008, "Walk Away" debuted and peaked at number 35 on the Danish [[Tracklisten]] chart, becoming the only non-single song from ''Stripped'' to chart on the Tracklisten.<ref name="dan"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (2008)
!Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row"|Denmark ([[Tracklisten]])<ref name="dan">{{cite web|url=http://www.danishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Christina+Aguilera&titel=Walk+Away&cat=s|title=Christina Aguilera &ndash; Walk Away|work=''[[Tracklisten]]''|publisher=Hung Medien|accessdate=July 13, 2013}}</ref>
|align="center"|35
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* {{MetroLyrics song|christina-aguilera|walk-away}}<!-- Licensed lyrics provider -->

{{Christina Aguilera songs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walk Away (Christina Aguilera Song)}}
[[Category:2002 songs]]
[[Category:Christina Aguilera songs]]
[[Category:Pop ballads]]
[[Category:Songs written by Christina Aguilera]]
[[Category:Songs written by Scott Storch]]
[[Category:Songs written by Matt Morris (musician)]]
[[Category:RCA Records singles]]

Latest revision as of 06:52, 29 March 2022

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