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The Guardian
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The moment I knew: he did silly struts around the dancefloor. I'd never felt so at ease
On a night out many years ago, Tara, the older sister of a friend, was politely listening to me slag off my then boyfriend. 'Blah Blah Blah, then he did this, then I did that, then I saw this on his phone,' I went on at her, enjoying my own drama. Tara was only a couple of years older than me but married with kids. Something I was not coveting for myself. Living in London, I was not dating to find 'the one' (statistically unlikely) or to commit for life (too long), I fell in love for sex, gossip and the subsequent weight loss that accompanied my broken heart a few years later. I felt very 'French' about the whole thing, y'know; lovers, life experiences, smoking and motorbikes*. I thought I was living life brilliantly, but on reflection Tara must have thought I was a knob. 'It's supposed to be easy,' she told me. I was uncomprehending. 'With the right person, it's just … ' Tara shrugs, she cannot think of a better word. 'Easy.' I felt sorry for the poor woman. 'Easy' I interpreted as boring. 'She must have settled,' I thought to myself. 'And now she's trying to rebrand the monotony of her marriage as a plus.' Sorry Tara. Cut to 15 years later. I was old. In my 30s** for God's sake, something I had sworn would not happen to me. I had not reflected on Tara's words; I had continued in serial monogamy; had trysts and flings and chanced impregnation with anyone I thought would make a decent co-parent. I did fear I'd never have a family, but I didn't believe my life would be poorer for that. To be stuck in an unfulfilling relationship – that was my idea of misery. After another sad breakup (I was so thin) a friend moved to the UK from Australia. His name was Steen (pronounced 'Steve' if you work in a coffee shop or 'Sting' if you're my father). We knew each other from the comedy circuit and had bumped into one another at festivals in Edinburgh and Melbourne. He was young and tall, liked sport and was a confident dancer. One night we went bowling and stayed for the disco. We were singing along to Christina Aguilera's Dirrty and drinking wine from the bottle (we'd accidentally smashed our glasses). Steen was attempting to strut like he was in chaps, glugging warm chardonnay and smiling at me. As I watched this guy, I realised his company was the easiest I'd ever been in. I was so comfortable spending time with him I hadn't noticed I'd been falling in love. This wasn't a huge thunderbolt moment – I didn't ask the DJ to turn the music down so I could propose. I didn't even declare my feelings or kiss him. But into my head popped Tara's words a decade and a half earlier and I realised the rightness of this person. We have two kids now. We had an awful time conceiving, years of infertility, procedures and miscarriage. Then IVF through Covid lockdowns and all that anxiety and heartbreak. And now having kids is even harder, haha, as they don't sleep and my brain is broken and the house is so messy and Steen and I both have erratic and stressful careers. The only easy bit is loving him, still. If your relationship is simple and straightforward that means you can focus your energy on actual hard stuff – things that should be tricky. I know it sounds dull, as it once did to me. Here is a more succinct way of putting it that I saw on a meme: 'You don't need butterflies in your stomach, you need someone who calms your nervous system.' Romantic bliss is more boring than you might imagine. * Emotional motorbikes. Fun fact, no one in London can actually drive. ** Please don't be shocked but I am even older than that now. Sara Pascoe is touring her show I am a Strange Gloop to the Adelaide fringe festival, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth comedy festivals from March to May 2025. Do you have a romantic realisation you'd like to share? From quiet domestic scenes to dramatic revelations, Guardian Australia wants to hear about the moment you knew you were in love. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
The National
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Review: Christina Aguilera revisits 26 years of hits with her unmistakable vocals and high-energy performance
The world has seen many versions of Christina Aguilera over the years: as a child star of The Mickey Mouse Club, as a doe-eyed young pop sensation, as the bold and unapologetic Xtina, and finally, as a seasoned veteran songstress. As Aguilera returned to Abu Dhabi for the first time in 17 years, performing at Saadiyat Nights on Saturday, she brought versions of those past selves with her and performed a one-hour and 15-minute show that featured some of her greatest hits. The six-time Grammy winner took to the stage at 9.15pm, kicking off the night with an energetic rendition of her 2002 track Dirrty, electrifying the sold-out crowd from the get-go. She then transitioned to a shortened version of Can't Hold Us Down before performing her 1999 debut single Genie in a Bottle, another crowd-pleaser which raised people from their seats to dance along. However, this enthusiasm highlighted one of the evening's few drawbacks: the intimate, open-air venue wasn't designed for standing audiences, as it risks obstructing the view for those behind. This meant that security and staff spent much of the night urging people to remain seated even though both Aguilera's energetic performance and impressive discography made it difficult to do so. Regardless, Aguilera powered through two decades worth of hits. This includes What a Girl Wants, Moves Like Jagger and Feel This Moment, the latter two in which she collaborated with Maroon 5 and Pitbull. And while her vocals impressed during each song, she understandably had some breaks in between. Even during those brief intermissions, the audience remained entertained by the dynamic performances of her dancers. After the first such break, Aguilera returned to perform her Spanish-language track Santo, and her electro synthpop songs Bionic and Vanity, complete with lasers and smoke machines. She brought back the hits with Ain't No Other Man and Candyman before shifting the mood. Aguilera took a moment to speak to the crowd, reflecting on the song she was about to perform next. 'It's a song for when you're at your most vulnerable, when you're not afraid to ask the universe for help and guidance in searching for what's next,' she said. 'And whatever that may be, for each and every one of you out there, I know we all have something we're dealing with in our daily lives, something we may be struggling with … because things get complicated. Just know that hope is always around the corner.' The music video for Say Something, her 2013 duet with A Great Big World, then began to play. She watched the opening moments alongside the crowd, facing the big screen behind her before turning around to deliver a tender performance. After the emotional track, there was another dance break as her dancers and backup singers prepared to transition to the next song. Next up the singer played tribute to her acting and musical career, singing Show Me How You Burlesque and Express, two tracks from the Burlesque soundtrack, a 2010 film Aguilera starred in alongside Cher. The evening's momentum just kept growing. Aguilera proclaimed, 'You know this!', as the snappy opening lines of Lady Marmalade got crowds on their feet once more, the willing audience singing and dancing along. She closed the show as powerfully as she began, revisiting songs that helped shape her career. This included performances of Beautiful and Fighter from her 2002 album Stripped. Throughout the night, Aguilera took fans on a journey through the many phases of her career, performing songs from the past 26 years. As she closed with Let There Be Love, one thing was clear: no matter the era, her powerful voice has remained the same – and it's just one reason why she is so beloved by her fans.
