IN STORES OCTOBER 29

CHRISTINA AGUILERA Stripped (RCA) Don’t be fooled by the CD’s name — and the racy video for the eponymous single. Aguilera says this disc, the follow-up to her 1999 debut, is about her, you know, essence.

NICK CARTER Now or Never (Jive) With boy-band fatigue setting in, the title pretty well sums up the blond Backstreeter’s solo debut.

SHAGGY Lucky Day (MCA) Shaggy’s multiplatinum, shag-happy 2000 album made him a Hotshot. No doubt he hopes to get Lucky again.

TORI AMOS Scarlet’s Walk (Epic) Amos describes her new album — and first for Epic — as a ”sonic novel” about the America she found while touring last year. Songs include ”I can’t see New York” and ”virginia.”