Twenty-four years after penning former “The Voice” coach Christina Aguilera’s self-acceptance anthem “Beautiful,” a ’90s hitmaker is revisiting the song, releasing her own version.
Linda Perry, the driving force behind 4 Non Blondes, wrote the Aguilera hit. It raced to No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 2002. On February 23, Perry released a music video for her version of the song, which contains a personal family connection.
What Makes Linda Perry’s Version of ‘Beautiful’ Different Than Christina Aguilera’s?
The message behind the Linda Perry-penned song remains as important as it was when it was released over two decades ago. It will be featured on her upcoming solo album, “Let It Die Here.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the singer/songwriter shared details of why she felt this was the perfect time to record the song, the significance of its music video, and her celebrity friends who star in it.
Perry told the magazine, “I feel like when I wrote this song, I always thought it was going to be my song that was going to go No, 1. It was going to be me singing it. It was going to be my comeback song.”
She added, “Not that I went anywhere. But it was going to be my solo journey song that was going to put me on the chart and make me a big superstar. And I had to go through a lot of emotions to let that go to Christina.”
By rerecording the song, Perry revealed she is “sharing the sentiment that I still believe today.” In this time, it is very hard to be yourself.”
“Inside, I’m seven feet tall, and I’m extremely powerful. I think it’s important to get the message out that we are amazing. Don’t get distracted by what you think people see. Only stay with what you feel inside truly, because that is the truth.”
The Video For Linda Perry’s ‘Beautiful’ is a Family Affair
The star of Linda Perry’s “Beautiful” video is none other than her child, Rhodes Perry. Rhodes is the child of Perry and her ex-wife, “The Conners” star Sara Gilbert.
Gilbert told Rolling Stone that she initially “hesitated” about collaborating on the project. “When [Linda] first asked me, I thought, ‘Well, this is such a special, important piece of her work.’ So I initially hesitated and just said, ‘Are you sure?’ I wanted to make sure she trusted me with it.”
She added, “She said, ‘Yeah, I want you to direct it.’ So we hung up the phone, and I just kind of had one of those lightning bolt moments.”
Along with Rhodes Perry, the “Beautiful” video stars actor Lukas Haas as the talent show host, Pearl Osbourne (Ozzy and Sharon’s grandchild), and crew members from Gilbert’s former ABC comedy series, “The Conners.”
The video for “Beautiful” is available to stream. Linda Perry’s album “Let It Die Here” will be released on May 8, 2026.
