Liberation by Christina Aguilera

"Liberation" is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 15, 2018, through RCA Records. The album features collaborations with Demi Lovato, Keida, Shenseea, Ty Dolla $ign and 2 Chainz. It is Aguilera's first album in six years, following Lotus (2012). She received two nominations for Grammy Awards in 2019 in the categories Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Fall in Line (with Demi Lovato) and Best Rap/Sung Performance for Like I Do (with Goldlink). Following the release of Lotus, Aguilera took a career hiatus to focus on music and her family. Later in April 2014, Aguilera confirmed she was working on new music, whilst pregnant. In 2015, Aguilera also participated on a few episodes of the TV series Nashville, having two new songs. Later, in October 2015, Aguilera announced during an interview for Today Show that she was recording two albums: one in English and one in Spanish (which was slated to be her second after 2000's Mi Reflejo. During the interview, she also elaborated on the album's working process, saying: "I've been loosely working and sort of accumulating ideas for what my next album will be over the last couple of years. I'm excited for my fans to finally be getting something from me — it's been a while!" In 2016, she returned to The Voice season ten, winning the series with her contestant Alisan Porter, making Aguilera the first female coach to win the series at that time. During a promotional interview for the TV show, Aguilera stated about the album: "It will be an album of freedom." On June 16, 2016, Aguilera released the song "Change", dedicated to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting, while on August 23, 2016, she released "Telepathy" for the TV series The Get Down soundtrack, which topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. In February 2018, media reported that Aguilera was collaborating with Demi Lovato who confirmed a collaboration. In March 2018, a low-quality snippet of a song called "Masochist" leaked online, as well as the full-length demo of the song "Fall in Line", which prompted rumours that the tracks were supposed to be on the album. On May 3, 2018, Aguilera released the first promotional single "Accelerate" featuring American singer Ty Dolla $ign and rapper 2 Chainz, as well as its music video, while also confirming the album's title, Liberation, along with its artwork and track listing, the album was made available for pre-order online. Aguilera worked with names such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and long-time collaborator Linda Perry during the making of the album, which initially took place in early 2014. Liberation was described as a "hip-hop and R&B inspired" album by Billboard. Aguilera commented: "To me, there's nothing like an amazing hip-hop beat", while also claiming: "At the end of the day, I am a soul singer. When you strip back the words 'pop star' and the many things that I've done, singing soulfully is where my core, my root, and my heart really is. And as you can see, it's what I'm inspired by." Billboard described the third track, "Maria", as "a pulsing, intricately orchestrated piece that includes a Michael Jackson sample and an extended introduction in which Aguilera sings from The Sound of Music." Aguilera commented that the influence behind the title was Julie Andrews' character in the film as well as her middle name, adding: "Within my house, a form of escape for me was opening my bedroom's window and singing out to the world pretending that I was her. It's about getting back to that little girl who just wants to sing for all the right reasons, not necessarily for charting and all the things that this business kind of does to you over the years and shaping how you look at making music..." The introduction to "Fall in Line", the duet with Lovato, is the track "Dreamers", which "features a group of young girls declaring goals like 'I want to be a journalist,' 'I want to be heard,' 'I want to be president.'" "Fall in Line" has been described as a feminist anthem. Aguilera stated that the track was recorded a few years ago and before movements such as Time's Up and the Me Too movement came out. She added: "It was the song that needed to be heard. Because of what I witnessed when I was growing up I always felt really driven to have a voice that my mom kind of never had in my childhood. So I've always wanted to be that advocate for women and anybody that was struggling to have their own voice." She also explained that the song "Sick of Sittin'" "was born out of feeling stagnant in one place for too long, feeling a little asleep at the wheel. Anytime that you get just too comfortable in a place where you just feel that you're not living up to your full potential it's time to flip the script and move." On the May 2018 cover of Paper magazine, Aguilera appeared bare-faced without makeup and retouching, saying "I'm at the place, even musically, where it's a liberating feeling to be able to strip it all back and appreciate who you are and your raw beauty." (Stripped inspiration). The similar photography style was chosen for the Liberation artwork—posing with a natural look, Aguilera is seen in closeup. The cover of the standard edition was revealed on Aguilera's website on May 3, 2018. ℗ 2018 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment