Here is Christina Aguilera, Beyonce Knowles and Etta James singing “At Last”.
Christina:
Beyonce:
Etta:
Postscript: A few weeks after I posted this Beyonce wound up singing this song for Barack Obama when he took his first dance with his wife as president. Etta James, who is still alive and still singing, was understandably upset.
See also:
Abagond 
Very interesting. Keep in mind that Etta’s recording is from a studio session, where she had ample opportunity for multiple takes, studio quality (from her era) signal processing, etc.; whereas both Christina and Beyonce are live, with Beyonce live outdoors. Thus, it is in part comparing apples to oranges.
Christina to me always looks at home in front of a microphone. I’ve often felt about her a certain schizophrenia, a lower level of the same affliction that pushed Lauryn Hill over the edge. You can tell Christina loves to sing. The love comes out in her exuberant, balls-to-the-wall delivery. At the same time, her “pop star persona” feels more like a prophylactic than portal. One never feels like one sees the real Christina Aguilera. One wonders whether that person could even recognize herself by now.
In another era, where MTV looks were irrelevant, Christina could grow up to be an Etta James. As to this tune, there is never anything subtle about a Christina Aguilera vocal delivery. “At Last” calls for a certain subtlety. This tune isn’t well suited for Chritina’s “George Foreman” vocal style.
Beyonce’s singing is workmanlike. People want to hate on Beyonce for being maufactured or “fake,” but Beyonce can sing at least well enough to carry this tune for the purposes of promoting her movie. Who among us could get on that stage and sing it better? Is she anywhere close to as powerful as Christina, or as nuanced as Etta? No. But is she awful? No. And B is working that black catsuit. That suit alone is worth the price of admission. Fellas, am I lying?
Etta’s is of course the definitive version of this tune. The phrasing, the delivery, the passion, nothing can match it.
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given that ettas version was done in the studio and it rocks I take it out
Christina lost me in about 30 second. She killed this song.
Beyounce wins hand down
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all the ladies can sing but i say christina because she sings from her soul and someone so small can sing like that? beyonce can sing as well but i prefer christina.
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Davida, totally agree with you. Christiana killed the song for me, whereas Beyonce did a very good job and she was very good in the film.
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A bit of play with the notes is one thing. Running scales up and down so much that the melody is completely obscured is another. there is a style of music which does this to some extent and it sounds good. christine employed so much in the few opening bars that if Abagond didnt have the name of the song in the tops info I wouldnt know what the heck she was singing.
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Blanc2: It was a bit unfair letting Etta sing it in the studio instead of live, but it is so good that I could not NOT put it here.
I think Christina oversang it.
I was hoping Beyonce would nail it – she has the voice for it (so does Christina) – but she did not do it in my opinion. She started out well, but then kind of got lost.
We still listen to the Etta version because no one has clearly topped it – yet.
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Beyonce all the way!
And I’m Blanc2 is right – the catsuit is killing it.
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I read the comments before I viewed the vids.
Christina seemed to be attempting to give this a different interpretation. Honestly, I’ve only heard a few of her songs & didn’t realize she has this VOICE. I’ll have to pick up 1 of her CDs.
Yeah, Beyonce looks good here. I like this look on her better than that Vegas look she usually wears. Her rendition sorta drags at the end, but I like it.
Neither of them tops Etta, though.
Blanc2: Although Etta’s was done in the studio, wasn’t this at a time when there wasn’t millions of $ to waste doing lots of retakes?
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Etta’s version is still on top. It might be studio but there are no plug-ins. where as today you can add effects to live singing and studio.
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Etta James + Beyonce = Wicked Catfight
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Etta James all the way!
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centaur syndications
the aforementioned commentaries are mentally masturbating.
Etta herself preferred the way Christina sang the rendition–why do you the above think she sang at the funeral.The above are better suited to judge school baking contest. Cudos Christina!!!!
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