by Andrew Hampp
Christina Aguilera hasn't felt this way in a decade. The singer is reflecting on the eventful two years leading up to the release of her fifth studio album, "Lotus," from her home in Los Angeles -- a period that heralded the commercial disappointment of her album "Bionic"; a divorce from husband Jordan Bratman; the release of her first movie, "Burlesque," and its accompanying soundtrack; her highly successful stint as a coach on NBC's "The Voice" and accompanying appearance on Maroon 5's mega-hit "Moves Like Jagger."
The last time she felt so inspired, the result was 2002's Stripped-a creative breakthrough that helped distance Aguilera from her teen-pop peers and produced memorable hits like "Beautiful," "Dirrty" and "Fighter."
Due Nov. 13 on RCA, "Lotus" refers to the "rebirth" Aguilera underwent both personally and professionally, opting not to work with longtime songwriting partners like Linda Perry in favor of such newer collaborators as Alex Da Kid, Sia, Candice Pillay and even pop maestro Max Martin, on first single "Your Body," which hit radio and iTunes last week and bows at No. 33 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart this week.
Like on Stripped, Aguilera dips into many genres-from dance-pop on "Your Body" and "Make the World Move" (a duet with fellow "Voice" coach Cee Lo Green), piano-driven power ballads ("Sing for Me," Sia collaboration "Blank Page") and rock-tinged empowerment anthems ("Army of Me," "Cease Fire"). The album even opens with a quick sample of M83's "Midnight City" on the title track, an experimental table-setter where Aguilera resolves to "leave the past behind/Say goodbye to the scared child inside."
Alex Da Kid, who first teamed with Aguilera for 2010's "Castle Walls" on T.I.'s No Mercy, worked with Aguilera on several Lotus cuts with songwriter Pillay, many of which were recorded at her home studio. "I've worked with big and smaller people, and the more established people can get stuck in their ways and say they're not open to critique," Alex Da Kid says. "She definitely had a strong opinion, but she'll go with the best idea in the room. That's really rare for someone that's had so much success."
With Aguilera more or less based on the West Coast for the entire period leading up to Lotus' release to finish taping the current season of "The Voice," that means an aggressive Los Angeles-based promotional schedule during the next few months-with expected stops on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" as well as prominent use of "The Voice" to premiere the video for "Your Body" and a performance during album release week.
"Nobody knows better than Christina that success doesn't come from simply having the voice, but from believing and trusting in that voice," "Voice" producer Mark Burnett says. "That knowledge and experience makes her an incredibly nurturing coach, and one who not only challenges her artists, but encourages and inspires them to challenge themselves."
"I have no time to even watch my own show.
So there's your answer."
- On whether she'll watch Britney Spears on "The X Factor"
"The Voice" is winning the music-competition show race and beating "The X Factor" in the ratings. But as the show shifts into full-year production, the singer confirmed that she would be taking a break for season four, set to air next spring, with Shakira filling in her chair and Usher taking that of Cee Lo Green. She's anxious to go back out on the road for the first time since 2007's Back to Basics tour, having canceled 2010's Bionic tour due in part to poor ticket sales. "It's been a joy to be a part of other people's journey, to be able to inspire and be a part of new singers coming up in this business," she says. "But I was starting to get really worried and concerned that I wouldn't have the time to go and be an artist again.
"Mark made it very clear that these chairs are always our chairs," she continues. "He said, 'I understand the only reason the show's going to work is if it doesn't get stale.' And he totally understood that I needed something to fulfill my creative soul, and said, 'This chair will always be yours to come back to whenever you do what makes you the best.'"
However long Lotus keeps her away from "The Voice," it likely won't be permanent. "I'll probably be back. I just need to do my thing for a minute, then I can come back and be that much better of a coach. I just need a second to get back to me."
Billboard spoke with Aguilera -- who's keynoting the Billboard/Hollywood Reporter Film & TV Music Conference, to be held Oct. 24-25 -- on the eve of a live Twitter Q&A where she officially announced the details around "Lotus."
Source Billboard
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