After six-year hiatus, Aguilera finds her ‘Liberation’
to music.
Now 37, Ms. Aguilera is undertaking her latest reinvention, In the 20 years since one that was fueled Christina Aguilera’s arrival by the singer-songwriter helped usher in a new era of feeling “disconnected” from pop, the performer has her purpose. shown she’s unafraid of “I had to get back to my transformation. own artist body and self,”
Wexford’s own Ms. Aguilera she says. famously torched the Finding her way back to bubblegum teen-pop image herself and her passion is crafted for her with a pair of the core of “Liberation,” her leather chaps and edgier first album in six years. genre-blending music that Debuting at No. 6 on the announced a young woman Billboard 200 upon its release in full control of her agency. last month, “Liberation” It shocked America and the showcases a creatively then 21-year-old singer was renewed Ms. Aguilera, but slut-shamed by critics, peers don’t call it a comeback: “I and even Tina Fey. feel like a brand new artist,”
At one point she took her she says. cues from the styles of the Leaning mostly toward 1920s-1940s, committing R&B and hip-hop, genres wholly to a vintage pinup that have always informed aesthetic to match the modern her style, Ms. Aguilera’s take on vintage jazz, new album isn’t about being soul and blues she was exploring. progressive or chasing a trend — she’s not interested
She’s assumed the role of in any of that, she a cyborg, channeled Marilyn says — but instead it’s Monroe and Marilyn Manson about showcasing an artist — for the same project — reborn after losing her footing. and reemerged as a blissedout earth mother. The collection is some of
Shape-shifting has always her more forward-thinking been a part of Ms. Aguilera’s work in years. When she’s charm, but her real appeal not doing a mix of “The lies in that voice. Sound of Music” with Michael
With a fiery range that recalled Jackson, she’s crafting early Whitney Houston, downtempo R&B with Ms. Aguilera was able to D.C. rapper GoldLink, separate herself from the smashing the patriarchy pack of pop ingenues reaching and navigating collaborations superstar status during with Ty Dolla Sign, the early aughts. Kanye West, Anderson
For a generation who hit .Paak and MNEK. puberty during the great And yes, she’s embraced a Y2K pop explosion, Ms. new look — this time, however, Aguilera was an essential she’s found inspiration voice with music that tackled in her own skin, which is self-empowerment, feminism, why these days her aesthetic sex and domestic violence is more stripped back (her — subject matter her album cover is just her bare contemporaries were shying face). away from. While tending to her 3
Just look at the lasting year-old daughter, Summer impact of 2 0 0 2 ’ sRain, Ms. Aguilera discussed “Stripped,” her most ambitious the four-year journey work to date and to “Liberation,” her an album that has since first tour in a decade and become a blueprint for the why she gave up “The likes of Miley Cyrus, Voice.” Selena Gomez and Demi For a while there it felt Lovato — young singers like an album was never who have all come of age going to materialize. in front of the public and I do take my time with sought to shed their manufactured records, but Jesus, yeah, this image the way one was a while in waiting Ms. Aguilera once did. — for many different factors
Ms. Aguilera has sold and reasons. I love collaborating more than 50 million records so much and taking worldwide, notched dozens the time to get to know the of Billboard Hot 100 hits, people that you’re working won six Grammys, dipped with and truly do something into film and helped make meaningful and not just NBC’s “The Voice” a TV commercialized and cliche. phenomenon. I’m not the artist that’s going
Yet the past decade has to just get a bunch of songs been shaky for Ms. Aguilera from my label, record it and on the music front. put it in a little bow and send
Her most recent work — it off. 2010’s underrated “Bionic” What kept you away and it’s mostly forgotten follow-up from music for so long? “Lotus” — wasn’t I felt disconnected for a met with the same fanfare while and I wasn’t in the she was used to and a right headspace either being lengthy stint on “The Voice” in an environment that was left Ms. Aguilera’s fans wondering just not good for me. if she would ever return That environment Los Angeles Times you’re referring to is “The Voice.” You said you felt suffocated as a judge. When did it stop being fun for you?
Nobody expected [”The Voice”] to be as big as “Idol” or take off the way it did. It just became a whole different kind of a machine. You’d have two teams at once because they were overlapping seasons. It just wasn’t exactly what I wanted to be doing with my life. I’m not a spokesperson. I’m an artist.
The blind audition thing was very intriguing to me because it provided an opportunity for anybody to get on stage and be discovered, regardless of their look. Being in this business for so long and knowing how labels work and how packaging is so very important, that idea of not being able to see them was genius to me. But year by year, I kept seeing things that were not lining up with that original vision. The show progressed in a direction I wasn’t into and that I didn’t think was a lot of times fair.
Do you think there’s still any value to singing competition shows?
Look, everybody has their own experience, and I don’t want to devalue anyone’s own experience with any of those shows. As an artist, I believe in artists being able to express themselves how they feel they should. Just know there’s a lot of other people involved in those shows. Certain factors and things are dictated according to what ratings will be. It’s definitely a business. I also saw blatant things that I didn’t think were OK and that I’m sure no one would want to put up with in a work environment. It was important for me to step away.
Your last projects weren’t critical or commercial successes. Did that add any pressure while working on “Liberation”?
Because I am a real vocalist, I have always heard, “Why don’t you just stand and do a bunch of ballads?” That’s just one element of what I do, but it’s not everything. I would be so bored if I sat on the stage and just sang ballad after ballad. I’m an artist. The label was great in giving me the freedom to take my time and do what I wanted. I’m no stranger to knowing how to play the game.
It is an amazing thing whenever things are commercially received and successful. I’ve had those successes with “Genie in a Bottle” and “What a Girl Wants,” and I was still miserable because I wasn’t connected to the music and wasn’t being able to change it. I’ve done my share of that, and I see a lot of artists get into that trap of chasing the charts. After I’m dead and gone, I really want the music paid attention to and not because of where I charted or how commercially successful it was but because the quality has stood the test of time.
Although the album is heavily R&B and hiphop, it was still surprising to hear that Kanye West and Anderson .Paak were key to informing its direction. How did that happen?
I sat with Kanye a few years ago, while I was still on “The Voice” actually. We met at Rick Rubin’s studio where he was recording at the time — he was finishing “The Life of Pablo” record — and we just connected. I loved the tracks he was playing me. That’s where I heard “Maria” and [the album’s lead single] “Accelerate” for the first time. They had so much heart and depth. His music makes you feel something impactful, one way or another. He’s a controversial artist, and I’ve been that way myself. Working with him felt really good. I had done some recording before the Kanye meeting, but doing “Maria” with him gave me the base for the album. The whole story unfolded before me when I listened to the song.
And then Anderson really helped the album take shape. I met him last year, and things rapidly unfolded. He is just such a great musician. He’s such a great lyricist with such a strong cadence. I explored different ways to use my voice on this record, and it wasn’t all about hitting high notes and being acrobatic and full of ad-libs. I wanted to scale back again and just really vibe.
There’s always been a thread of empowerment in your music. How much of what was going on in the world influenced the music you were working on?
The climate right now is interesting because there are so many people that are feeling oppressed or suppressed. I’ve always been about putting out messages that I feel strongly about and about my truth. It’s why I did songs like “Beautiful” and “Fighter” so long ago and why I have songs like “Fall in Line” and “Sick of Sittin’” on this album, records that are perfect for anyone that maybe need to find their own truth. We’re in a place where people need to feel liberated and I wanted to reflect that.
You’re going on your first tour in a decade. What can fans expect?
Ever since I had my son [Max Liron, 10], the idea of the tour has actually scared me. I was like, “How does this work? How do people do this? Do I uproot my kids from their home life and everything?” With this more intimate tour, it’s kind of lessening the pressure. I’m dipping my toe back in the water and also giving my fans a real chance to see me after they haven’t in so long. I’m probably going to take my daughter with me because she’s so little. I don’t want to be separated. It’ll be interesting.