Christina Aguilera‘s glow-up may be getting unanimous praise, but reports that she was paid despite not performing at Philadelphia’s Fourth of July concert have divided the internet.
The five-time Grammy winner, 45, was due to headline the finale of the city’s annual One Philly July Fourth concert on the Ben Franklin Parkway, but a severe storm forced organizers to cancel the event. According to reports, Aguilera will still receive payment under the terms of her contract – although it’s unclear whether she will receive her full fee – and social media users are divided over whether that’s fair. Keep reading for more info…
@agirlindixie Replying to @bbygf4040 @Christina Aguilera #christinaaguilera #fourthofjuly #dressrehearsal ♬ original sound – agirlindixie
Christina Aguilera Reportedly Gets Paid For Philadelphia’s Canceled ‘One Philly’ July Fourth Concert
Mayor Cherelle Parker’s office reportedly said the Nexxtina founder would still be paid after spending several days rehearsing for the event, as outlined in her contract. However, it remains unclear whether she will receive her full performance fee.
Several videos have emerged on TikTok and Instagram showing rehearsals for the show. And the “Genie in a Bottle” singer herself also shared a behind-the-scenes rehearsal video on Instagram following the cancelation, giving disappointed fans a glimpse of the performance they missed out on. And spoiler alert: it would have been epic!
“We poured so much heart and soul into this one,” Xtina wrote alongside footage from several days of rehearsals. “But safety always comes first,” she went on, adding: “And sadly, the storm meant we couldn’t give you the show we worked so hard to bring to life.”
The “Pa Mis Muchachas” singer finished off by saying: “Thank you to everyone who came out, and to my team for all the hard work that went into building this show… I hope to be back to Philly soon!”
@agirlindixie When you get your own private show the night before the Fourth of July in Philly with the one and only Christina Aguilera. @Christina Aguilera #dressrehearsal #soundcheck #christinaaguilera #fourthofjuly #philadelphia ♬ original sound – agirlindixie
Social Media Is Divided
Many people argued that taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for a performance that never happened. Others defended the “Lady Marmalade” hitmaker, pointing out that neither she nor her team could control the weather and that they had already invested significant time and money preparing for the show.
“Paid for by our tax dollars y’all,” wrote one Instagram user. “Why are taxpayers paying for a concert that the entire city wouldn’t even be able to see? Fix our roads or something,” demanded a second.
A third commented: “Worst 15 million ever spent by local tax payers.” “The bigger scandal is that what she walked away with is equivalent to about half the entire arts budget for the city. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong),” claimed a fourth. A fifth tagged the mayor and wrote: “@phillymayor thank you for gifting Xtina our tax money.”
@themrkingalex @Christina Aguilera STOPS THE CAR IN PHILLY AFTER 4TH OF JULY SHOW GETS CANCELED DUE TO RAINSTORM. . #ChristinaAguilera #Xtina #Fighter #4thOfJuly #FYP ♬ original sound – King Alex
Others rushed to Aguilera’s defense. “As she should! If you cancel your party right before the big event guess what, you’re still paying for the food you ordered,” wrote one fan.
“She and her team still spent time and money to prepare the performance. Why wouldn’t they get paid? That’s like saying you don’t get paid for the whole month of November because an emergency closed your store on Black Friday,” noted a second. “Well yeah, she put a show together, had a team to make it happen and dancers to pay. She deserves to be paid,” commented a third.
A fourth pointed out: “She can’t control the weather, not her fault.” “She was forced to cancel due to the weather. I saw her after the show and she was really upset she couldn’t perform,” echoed a fifth. A sixth joked: “Are we forgetting what she did for us as a society? The music?! I’d give her my next paycheck just for giving us Burlesque alone.”
