Aguilera (album)

''Aguilera'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. It was released digitally through Sony Music Latin on May 31, 2022, as the follow up to her first Spanish-language album, '' Mi Reflejo'' (2000). As a trilogy album, ''Aguilera'' consists of three "chapters" with each being released as a separate extended play (EP): ''La Fuerza'', ''La Tormenta'' and ''La Luz''. Titled after her surname, the album pays tribute to Aguilera's Latin-American heritage, her Ecuadorian father, and her childhood and as a means to connect her children with their Latin heritage.

The album deals with themes of empowerment, vulnerability, and healing. Essentially a Latin album, ''Aguilera'' includes heavy dance-pop, Latin pop, and urbano influences, and features elements of cumbia, tango, tropical music, guaracha, reggaeton. The songs on the album range from beat-heavy uptempo tracks to slow ballads, such as piano ballads and rancheras and features collaborations with Becky G, Nicki Nicole, Nathy Peluso, Ozuna, Tini and Christian Nodal. Five singles were released from the album, including "Pa Mis Muchachas" and " Santo", which both received platinum certifications (Latin field) from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Upon release, the album received positive reviews and reached the top-twenty on the US Latin Pop Albums chart. Aguilera embarked on the EU/UK Summer Series promotional tour in summer of 2022 which featured five festival shows and three standalone shows in the UK. ''Aguilera'' and its songs received a combined total of seven nominations at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, with the album being nominated for Album of the Year, winning the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. The album also received two nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards including Best Latin Pop Album.

Development

Background

Aguilera's first Spanish-language album was '' Mi Reflejo'' which was released on September 12, 2000. After its release, Aguilera would continue release several collaborations in Spanish such as "Hoy Tengo Ganas de Ti" with Alejandro Fernández in 2013, as well as incorporating Latin themes and Spanish lyrics throughout her English-language albums including the songs "Infatuation" from '' Stripped'' (2002), and "Desnudate" from ''Bionic'' (2010).

While working on her eighth studio album, Aguilera took a trip to Ecuador in September 2015 as an ambassador for the World Food Programme. Being half-Ecuadorian herself, Aguilera revealed that the trip had inspired her and that she had begun accumulating ideas for a Spanish-language album. During her appearance on '' Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen'' in January 2019, Aguilera was asked about whether or not it was her Spanish album, to which she responded by saying, "It's definitely getting back to my roots again ..the follow up Spanish album has been on my to-do list forever".

Production

Recording sessions on the album began in 2021 following the cancellation of Aguilera's Las Vegas residency Christina Aguilera: The Xperience due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in September 2020. In early 2021, Aguilera relocated to Miami, Florida to continue working on the album in a writing camp held by Sony Music Latin. Sessions were held at Criteria and Art House recording studios starting in February 2021, and continued into April 2021. Aguilera enlisted producers Federico Vindver, Rafa Arcaute, and DallasK to work on the album. The first song created in the first session was the album's lead single, "Pa Mis Muchachas". Aguilera conceived the idea of a multiple part album, after the album's first part, ''La Fuerza'', was completed four weeks into production. She stated that the album would be split into three "six song increments", released as themed EPs throughout 2022 until the album's final full release.

Composition

Music and lyrics

Aguilera revealed that her goal with the album's musical direction was to pay tribute to Latin music genres. The genres featured on the album include guaracha, tango, ranchera, urbano, and pasillo. It also showcases heavy influences and elements of cumbia, dance-pop, Latin pop, reggaeton, and tropical music.

The album's lyrical content is separated into three parts, with each part dealing with its own theme. The album's first part, ''La Fuerza'' (), is a six-track set which focuses on emotional strength and female empowerment. The second part of the album, ''La Tormenta'' (), is made up of six tracks, and its main theme is vulnerability. The album's final part, '' La Luz'' (), features a spoken word intro and one song. ''La Luz'' is centered on forgiveness and closure, taking inspiration from Aguilera's own experience with domestic violence.

Content

The album's opening track, "Ya Llegué" (), is a "sultry futuristic track" which "gradually turns into a hard-hitting reggaeton". The song samples Aguilera's own 1999 song " Genie in a Bottle". The song is written in the key of E♭ Minor at a tempo of 95 beats-per-minute. The song is followed by "Pa Mis Muchachas" () with Becky G, Nicki Nicole and featuring Nathy Peluso and was described by Aguilera as "an homage to women". The song was drew comparisons to Aguilera's 2001 " Lady Marmalade" with Mýa, Pink, and Lil' Kim. Aguilera revealed that she chose Becky G, Nicole and Peluso "because of the strength they exude". "Pa Mis Muchachas" is a guaracha song written in the key of A Minor at a tempo of 118 beats-per-minute.

"Somos Nada" () is a "stripped-down piano-led nostalgic ballad that puts guilera'sdeep, powerful tone at the forefront". Written in C Major at a moderately slow tempo of 50 beats-per-minute, the song was named a signature song of Aguilera's and its lyrics are about overcoming obstacles and trying to not lose faith in love. " Santo" () is a collaboration with Puerto Rican singer Ozuna and is a perreo song which "later transitions to a hip-shaking cumbia". Lyrically it is about two people who are hooked on each other". It is written in the key of A minor at 96 beats-per-minute. "Como Yo" () is a club-friendly experimental Latin pop song. The dance-pop influenced track has been described as exploring "a different side of Xtina's musical trajectory". It is written in the key of D♭ Major at 104 beats-per-minute. The album's first part ends with " La Reina" (), a ranchera written in E Major at 174 beats-per-minute. The song was described by Aguilera as a "respectful response" to Vicente Fernández's 1973 rendition of "El Rey" (). The song received widespread acclaim from critics, calling it the best song ''La Fuerza'', and being named the album's anthem.

"Suéltame" (), a collaboration with Argentine singer Tini, begins the album's second part, ''La Tormenta'' (). The song is a "seducing, catchy mix of soft reggaetón and trap" with hints of bossa nova, written in F Minor at 138 beats-per-minute. "Suéltame" was called a "a sultry tango-meets- urban collab where the lady takes matters into her own hands". The following track, "Brujería" () is a slow song written in D♭ Major at 186 beats-per-minute. The following track, "Traguito" () was described as orthodox pop. This is followed by the ranchera " Cuando Me Dé la Gana" (). A duet featuring Mexican singer Christian Nodal was also released as the closing track on the second disc of the album. The song is written in the key of D♭ Major at a tempo of 146 beats-per-minute. ''La Tormenta'' ends with "Te Deseo Lo Mejor" (), a tropical song written in the key of D♭ Major at 186 beats-per-minute.

The final chapter begins with a spoken intro by Aguilera in which she noted in a ''Billboard'' interview saying that it is "about finding closure and understanding that everybody has a different story that leads us to why things happen the way that they do and it's not meant for us to understand it". This is followed by the song, "No Es Que Te Extrañe" () in which Aguilera sings about finding peace, closure and forgiveness for her estranged abusive father. "No Es Que Te Extrañe" is a pasillo song. It is written in D♭ Major at 184 beats-per-minute.

Title and artwork

The album title and original artwork were revealed on the day of the album's initial release on May 31, 2022. Naming the album after her father's surname, Aguilera expressed that she had the intention of "acknowledging, embracing and engaging with erroots "and with the intention to share "some closure in relation to erfather", and to have her children reconnect with their heritage. On the album's title, Aguilera noted that,

I am proud to be an Aguilera. This is a name that has been tried to be taken away from me on numerous occasions, you know, coming up in this business. But I was like 'No, I'm Aguilera.' I'm proud of who I am, I'm proud of my name, I'm proud of where I come from, my father being from Ecuador. It was important. I mean why not come full circle and on all of the chapters and close it on a name. My name I'm so proud to own.

The artwork used for the original release is a black and white image that portrays Aguilera in a room, seen through a balcony archway with her face obscured by a shadow. She's wearing a white dress with a long train which is flowing behind her. The top of the archway displays the album title "''Aguilera''" in all caps. On June 29, 2022, the artwork was changed to feature a front on view of Aguilera as a statue in a similar setting. According to ''Houston Chronicles Nina Hernandez, cover art is "striking" and "invokes the Mother Guadalupe".

Release and promotion

The album was first teased on October 4, 2021, on Aguilera's website which stated, "Redescubriendo raices. Nos vemos pronto!" () and featured alongside teaser videos of the album's lead single, "Pa Mis Muchachas". After the release of both "Pa Mis Muchachas" and "Somos Nada", Aguilera attended the 22nd Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas on November 18, 2021, where she performed both songs alongside piano player Julio Reyes Copello and singers Becky G, Nicki Nicole and Nathy Peluso. She also performed "Somos Nada" at the 47th People's Choice Awards as a part of a medley, and also received the show's first-ever Music Icon Award.

The first part of the album, ''La Fuerza'' (), was released on January 21, 2022, as an EP. ''La Tormenta'' (), originally set for release on May 27, 2022, was postponed following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, before being released on Monday, May 30, with no prior announcement. Aguilera took to her Instagram story to announce the postponement, saying,

I will be postponing the release of my new music as we mourn with the community of Uvalde. My heart breaks for the families and loved ones of the children and educators affected by this tragedy. I urge our leaders to make immediate changes on laws around gun control.

''Aguilera'''s initial release was in a double album format on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, four days into the tracking week. The double album featured the songs from ''La Fuerza'' and ''La Tormenta'' organized in separate discs. The next day, Aguilera announced that the final part of the trilogy of EPs will be called ''La Luz'' (). Aguilera promoted the album through the EU/UK Summer Series, a promotional tour which featured five festival and three standalone shows in the UK.

Aguilera hosted "Premiere Party with Christina Aguilera" as part of ''Billboard'' Latin Music Week on September 27, 2022, where she premiered "No Es Que Te Extrañe". On September 29, 2022, " La Reina" was performed for the first time at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards. On September 30, ''La Luz'' was released as a double A-side single, consisting of its spoken word intro and "No Es Que Te Extrañe" which were both also included on the third disc of the standard track list of ''Aguilera''. Aguilera alongside Christian Nodal performed their duet version of " Cuando Me Dé la Gana" for the first time at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards on November 17, 2022 where Aguilera also received the award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The performance's theme was inspired by the musical ''West Side Story''.

Singles and music videos

Five singles have been released from ''Aguilera''; three of them are featured on ''La Fuerza'', one on ''La Tormenta'' and one on ''La Luz''.

"Pa Mis Muchachas" () was released on October 22, 2021, as the lead single from the album. The song is a collaboration with Becky G, Nicki Nicole and features Argentine singer-songwriter Nathy Peluso. "Pa Mis Muchachas" debuted and peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Latin Digital Song Sales on the chart issue dated November 6, 2021, and was certified platinum (Latin field) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

"Somos Nada" () was released as the second single on November 18, 2021, coinciding with her performance at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards. Music videos for both "Somos Nada" and "Pa Mis Muchachas" were filmed simultaneously in Los Angeles and were released with their respective singles. They were directed by Alexandre Moors and tell a continuous story, with "Somos Nada" serving as a sequel to "Pa Mis Muchachas".

" Santo" () featuring Puerto Rican singer and rapper Ozuna was released as the third single from the album on January 20, 2022, one day before the release of ''La Fuerza''. The music video for the song was directed by Nuno Gomez and is a continuation of the storyline in "Pa Mis Muchachas" and "Somos Nada". An alternate video for the song was released on June 15, 2022. "Santo" was certified platinum in the Latin field by the RIAA.

While not officially a single, a music video for " La Reina" (), was released on May 6, 2022. "Suéltame" () with Tini was announced as the fourth single, alongside the announcement of its parent EP, ''La Tormenta''. It was postponed until its release alongside ''La Tormenta'' on May 30, 2022. The murder mystery themed music video was first shown during Aguilera's performance of the song at the Mallorca Live Festival and was eventually released on July 22, 2022.

"No Es Que Te Extrañe" () was announced and was released on September 30, 2022. A music video, which Aguilera co-directed, was also released and depicted her childhood with her abusive father.

Reception

Critical response

''Aguilera'' was met with strong critical acclaim upon its release. In his review for ''Latina'', Lucas Villa praised the album, stating that "Xtina really gives it her all on this album that pays homage to her Latina roots". He particularly applauded the song " Cuando Me Dé la Gana", recorded with "Mexican crooner" Christian Nodal, noting that "Aguilera once again sounds incredible while tackling the ranchera genre with her mighty voice". Neil Z. Yeung from AllMusic called ''Aguilera'' "a refreshing burst of artistry and heart from the Y2K generation's strongest voice, adding an unexpected late-era highlight to her he singer'sextensive catalog". Yeung also named the album "one of the strongest statements for the singer since the 2000s". BroadwayWorld writer Michael Major noted that Aguilera has "honoured her Latin roots in the best possible way". He adds that ''Aguilera'' "promises to delight Christina's fans, since she manages to fuse different Latin musical genres without losing that essence that has made her one of the most important and respected artists of her generation". '' Pollstar'' opined that the album was a "triumphant comeback to the Latin market" for Aguilera, also adding that the singer "proved her powerful vocal prowess is not limited to one language".

''Uproxx'' considered ''Aguilera'' as one of the ten best Latin albums of 2022, and Lucas Villa stated: "LatinXtina was a bicultural force to behold this year". ''Billboards Sigal Ratner-Arias shared the same sentiment, calling the album "an instant classic". TV Azteca listed ''Aguilera'' among the twenty-five best Latin albums of the year. Writing for ''Houston Chronicle'', Nina Hernandez ranked ''Aguilera'' at number five on the list of the ten best albums of 2022, noting that "it will stick out in her he singer'scatalog for years to come as perhaps her most authentic work". '' PopSugar'' included ''Aguilera'' on its list of the most anticipated albums of 2023. In the official write-up for the Grammy Awards website, Aguilera's Spanish-music comeback has been praised by Bianca Gracie who stated that "the long wait was worth it, with the star sounding more confident than ever before as she celebrated her rich heritage".

Accolades

At the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for Album of the Year and won the award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, while "Pa Mis Muchachas" received nominations for Record and Song of the Year, and was nominated alongside "Santo" for Best Urban Fusion/Performance. The duet version of " Cuando Me Dé la Gana" with Christian Nodal was nominated in the Best Regional Mexican Song category. With a total of seven nominations, Aguilera was the second most nominated female artist, behind Rosalía's eight, and third overall, tying Jorge Drexler. ''Aguilera'' also received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Latin Pop Album and Best Immersive Audio Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards which ''Entertainment Tonight'' noted as "a major moment in Latin music" for Aguilera. It received the Album of the Year nomination at the Top 50 Music Awards. Soon after the album was released, Aguilera was nominated for Best Latin Artist at the Gold Derby Music Awards.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 18 on the ''Billboard'' US Latin Pop Albums chart and at number 70 on the German's Digital Albums.

Track listing

Notes on track list

* On digital releases, the album is separated into three discs:
** Tracks 1–6 are part of the album's first chapter, ''La Fuerza''.
** Tracks 7–12 are part of the album's second chapter, ''La Tormenta''.
** Tracks 13 and 14 are part of the album's third chapter, ''La Luz''.
* Tracks 1-12 are co-produced by Afo Verde and vocally produced by Jean Rodríguez.

Personnel and credits

Musicians

* Christina Aguilera – vocals
* Rafa Arcaute – producer, arrangement, keyboards, programming (all tracks); percussion (2)
* Édgar Barrera – producer (11), keyboards (11), programmer (11)
*Luis Barrera Jr. – producer (11), keyboards (11), programmer (11)
* Luigi Castillo – background vocals (6)
* Santiago Castillo – background vocals (6)
* Jorge Luis Chacín – background vocals (2, 10, 12)
*Andy Clay – producer (9), keyboards (9), programmer (9)
* Kat Dahlia – background vocals (2, 10, 12)
* DallasK – arrangement, keyboards, programming (4)
*Feid – producer (8), keyboards (8), programmer (8)
* Roland Gajate – percussion (14)
* Yoel Henríquez – background vocals (2, 10, 12)
*Honeyboos (Daniel Rondón and Rafael Rodríguez) – producer (9)
* JonTheProducer – arrangement, keyboards, programming (1)
*Juan Diego Linares – producer (11)
* Yasmil Marrufo – background vocals (2, 6, 10, 12); bass, guitar (6, 14), producer (10, 12), keyboards (10, 12), programmer (10, 12)
* Christian Nodal – featured vocals (12)
* Servando Primera – background vocals (6)
*Mauricio Rengifo – producer (7), keyboards (7), programmer(7)
*Rafael Rodríguez – keyboards (9), programmer (9)
* Matt Rollings – piano (3)
* Davide Rosi – strings (14)
*Slow – producer (8), keyboards (8), programmer (8)
* Tini – co-lead vocals (1)
* Andrés Torres – producer (7), keyboards (7), programmer (7)
*Afo Verde – co-producer
* Federico Vindver – arrangement, keyboards, programming (all tracks), percussion (2), producer

Technical

* José Aponte – recording (4)
*Rafa Arcuate – recording engineer
*Édgar Barrera – recording engineer (11)
*Luis Barrera Jr. – recording engineer (11)
* Rachel Blum – assistant engineer (14)
*Ray Charles Brown, Jr. – recording engineer (7–11, 14)
*Andy Clay – recording engineer (9)
*Morgan David – assistant engineer (1, 5)
* Jaycen Joshua – mastering, mixing
*Juan Diego Linares – recording engineer (11)
* Yasmil Marrufo – recording (6, 10)
*Mauricio Rengifo – recording engineer (7)
* Jacob Richards – assistant engineer (14)
* DJ Riggins – assistant engineer (14)
* Jean Rodríguez – recording engineer, vocal producer
*Mike Seaberg – mixing engineer, mastering engineer
*Slow – recording engineer (8)
*Andrés Torres – recording engineer (7)
* Felipe Trujillo – engineering assistance, recording engineer (14)
* Federico Vindver – recording

Charts

Release history

See also

* 2022 in Latin music

Notes

References

External links

''Aguilera''
at Discogs (list of releases)

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