What do you think of Christina Aguilera’s 1995 Demo Album, Just Be Free, Released without her permission in 2001

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This is Christina’s demo album and it’s very much a 90s record. She was about 14/15 

After finishing her run on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, a then fifteen-year-old Aguilera began recording the album with New Jersey-based producers Robert Allecca and Michael Brown. The pair gave Aguilera the opportunity to use a recording studio and presented her with demo music with the understanding that they could use the material for their own purpose, but also claiming they would not commercially release the recordings.

 

The record was conceived to showcase Aguilera's vocals in an effort to reach out to record labels, a venture which actually backfired after the recordings were not very well received among critics. Six years after the completion of the album and Aguilera had achieved mainstream success, Brown and Allecca released the record. Just Be Free has sold over 129,000 copies in the United States.

Background

Lawsuit and releaseEdit

After discovery that Allecca and Brown would be releasing the album, Aguilera started developments to sue the pair in an effort to stop the release.[1]Aguilera filed a suit against Warlock Records and the affiliates Platinum Recordings and JFB Music for "improper use of her name and license on the upcoming album Just Be Free".[1] Carla Christofferson, her lawyer at the time, explained that "We're trying to stop them from releasing these early recordings which is not the quality she is associated with right now."[4] However, Warlock Records president Adam Levy felt that despite Aguilera disliking the material, he found it to be a look into her life at the time of recording. He stated "It's a great look at what she was doing, We're pleased [to be putting the record out]. I'm more pleased for the album's producers who wanted to get it out. I hope the fans can appreciate it."[5]Christofferson responded by alleging that Warlock Records tried to "boot strap" on Aguilera's success. In response to the lawsuit, Warlock Records filed their own lawsuit in an attempt to ensure the release of the record.[4] During the proceedings, Aguilera agreed to let Warlock Records release Just Be Freeafter reaching a settlement with the company and its affiliates. She allowed the release under the condition that the label would have to include a letter written by Aguilera in each album released.[5]Since November 13, 2015, the album is available to stream on Spotify and Deezer.[6][7]
 

 

“Just Be Free was recorded when I was 14 and 15 years old. At that young age, I made the recordings as a possible stepping stone to a career in music, which is my ultimate passion. They were made just so that I could get my foot in the door of the music business. I did not intend that the recordings would be widely released, especially after I signed with a major record label. I have not updated or finished the versions recorded in my childhood, and they are being released "as is," although I tried to prevent the release for several years. The recordings do not in any way reflect my current musical taste and where I am as an artist. The growth and vocal development I experienced as I matured into young adulthood is not reflected in the recordings. The album of new recordings that I intend to release this fall will be the album that truly reflects my artistry, my vision, and my passion. The Just Be Free recordings will hopefully be a footnote in a musical career that I dream will last for many years to come”

— Aguilera, in the album's accompanying letter, [8]