"Can't Hold Us Down" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and rapper Lil' Kim for the former's fourth studio album, Stripped (2002).

"Can't Hold Us Down" received mixed reviews from music critics upon its release, although it was widely praised in retrospective commentary.

A music video for "Can't Hold Us Down" was directed by David LaChapelle, inspired by the Lower East Side of New York City in the 1980s.

[6] "Can't Hold Us Down" was serviced to mainstream radio and rhythmic stations in the United States as the fourth single from Stripped by RCA Records on July 8, 2003.

[7][8] The song was distributed as a CD single from September to October 2003 in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Italy by RCA Records and Sony Music Entertainment.

[15] "Can't Hold Us Down" lyrically discusses feminism;[19] the song criticizes "common" gender-related double standards, in which men are applauded for their sexual behaviors, while women who behave in a similar fashion are disdained.

[14][20] In the book Therapeutic Uses of Rap and Hip-Hop, Susan Hadley and George Yancy discuss that "Can't Hold Us Down" is a hip hop song that "encourages young women to be proud, strong, and empowered to be all that they can be".

[21] At the song's first verse, Aguilera sings "Call me a bitch 'cause I speak what's on my mind / Guess it's easier for you to swallow if I sat and smiled";[22] she later rejects that all women "should be seen, not heard" and encourages them to "shout louder" during the chorus.

[20] Media outlets speculated that the lyrics of "Can't Hold Us Down" were directed towards rapper Eminem, who referred to Aguilera in his songs "Off the Wall" and "The Real Slim Shady".

[28] Chuck Taylor from Billboard criticized the song as a "real waste of time and talent",[16] while Rolling Stone's Jancee Dunn called the track "curiously lifeless".

[29] Stylus Magazine's Todd Burns was critical of the song's "bland" lyrics yet appreciated the dancehall elements that emerged at the end of the track.

[22] In the video, Aguilera wears a pink midriff shirt matching a sleeveless sports jacket and pair of shorts, a purple baseball cap embroidered with the words "Lady C", and white long socks.

[20] Andy Cohn from The Fader provided a more favorable review, and opined that Aguilera's "sass" helped to highlight her mixed Irish-Ecuadorian background.

[52] In their article "Naughty girls and red-blooded women: Representations of female heterosexuality in music video", published in Feminist Media Studies, Diane Railton and Paul Watson made specific note of the conflicting message raised by the lyrics "all my girls around the world", while "blackness and whiteness are clearly inscribed on and through the bodies of Aguilera and Kim."

They suggested that this example detracted the message of the track by emphasizing the problem that "female heterosexuality" is confined to "the very limited range of ways" in mainstream culture, in this instance "gender and race [and] sexual behaviour".

[53] In March 2019, Brazilian singer Anitta paid tribute to Aguilera's attire from the "Can't Hold Us Down" music video, wearing an almost identical outfit.

[61][62] She also sang excerpts from the song during the 47th People's Choice Awards,[63] and later made "Can't Hold Us Down" part of her setlist at the EuroPride concert in Malta in September 2023.