"What a Girl Wants" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her self-titled debut album (1999). The song was originally recorded by French singer Ophélie Winter in 1998 for her album Privacy, released a year before Aguilera's album. Written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche, the song was completed and pitched to RCA Records executive Ron Fair as "What a Girl Needs"; it was renamed "What a Girl Wants" and given to Aguilera. Though a songwriter along with Peiken and Roche, Winter was never credited as such for the song. A re-recorded version of "What a Girl Wants" was released as the album's second single on September 4, 1999, by RCA Records, following the commercial success of the album's lead single "Genie in a Bottle". A Spanish version of the song, titled "Una Mujer", was included on Aguilera's second studio album Mi Reflejo (2000). The song was described as a pop and R&B track and had similarities to "Genie in a Bottle". It received positive reviews from music critics, who described it as a "light" song and compared Aguilera's vocals on the track to those of Mariah Carey. Commercially, the song became her second consecutive US Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, and also topped the charts in Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain; the song is recognized as the first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single of the 2000s. The single eventually earned gold certifications in countries including Australia, Belgium and Sweden, as well as being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). A music video was directed by Diane Martel, who had also directed her previous video for "Genie in a Bottle". The video features Aguilera dancing in a room with female friends whilst being viewed by their boyfriends, and includes a scene where she is dressed as a medieval-style princess. In December 1999, the video reached pole position on the US music video chart TRL. Aguilera has performed the song at events such as the US Jingle Ball and the MTV New Year's Eve Special in 1999, as well as her tours including the Christina Aguilera: In Concert (2000–2001), the Stripped Live... on Tour (2003), the Back to Basics Tour (2006–2008), the Liberation Tour (2018), and most recently on both The X Tour and Christina Aguilera: The Xperience in 2019. Background After what was described as an "incredible" response to her debut single,