AGUILERA, BMG SONGS HOPE TO MAKE "DIRRTY" WORK

The pop diva has signed a long-term worldwide co-publishing agreement with BMG Songs, it was announced by BMG Songs President Scott Francis, who immediately took a cold shower.

Everything Aguilera has written to date is included in the deal, including the 14 tracks she co-wrote for her album, Stripped, which bows on the charts this week. At presstime, the album was slated to debut high on the charts and approach 300k sold.

Commented Francis: "I am thrilled that Christina Aguilera has chosen BMG Songs as her first music publisher. Her talents as a songwriter shine through on Stripped. She has made a very personal album, and her vocal performance conveys that these songs truly come from deep inside her. In fact, we needed a search party to go in there and bring them out."

Added Aguilera: "I’m so happy to extend my relationship with the BMG family to BMG Songs. Scott Francis and his team understand my desire to write songs not only for myself, but for other artists as well. I look forward to working with them, showering with them and writing songs that will last a lifetime."

Aguilera’s self-titled debut stormed the charts in 1999, selling more than 8 million copies on hit singles like "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants" and "Come On Over, Baby (All I Want Is You)," earning Best New Artist Grammy in 2000. In 2001, she returned to the top of the charts with the remake of LaBelle’s "Lady Marmalade" with Pink, Mya and Lil’ Kim, for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack.