Originally posted on

September 12, 2012

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Christina Aguilera had some big news to share with fans on Wednesday. The Voice coach announced that her upcoming album, titled Lotus, will hit stores in November.

“Representing an unbreakable flower that survives under the hardest conditions and still thrives,” Aguilera wrote, explaining the title choice.

In a chat on Twitter, the pop diva also released the art for the album's lead single, “Your Body.”

The song will be have a Sept. 14 release, and Aguilera promised a special clip of the video for “Your Body” during the Monday, Sept. 17, episode of The Voice. The music video was shot in August and is directed by Melina Matsoukas, who directed Rihanna’s “We Found Love” video.

The Max Martin-produced song is an upbeat club hit, but Aguilera said there will be a wide variety of songs on her next release.

“There are some beautiful personal ballads on this album. I wouldn't do a record without them,” she tweeted on Wednesday. Lotus will be Aguilera’s first album since 2010’s Bionic.

Here's the Lotus track listing:

"Lotus Intro"
"Army of Me"
"Red Hot Kinda Love"
"Make the World Move" feat. CeeLo Green
"Your Body"
"Let There Be Love"
"Sing for Me"
"Blank Page"
"Cease Fire"
"Around the World"
"Circles"
"Best of Me"
"Just a Fool" with Blake Shelton

Deluxe Edition

"Light Up the Sky"
"Empty Words"
"Shut Up"
"Your Body" (Martin Garrix Remix)

September 21, 2012

Aguilera talks with Billboard in this week's issue. (Q & A - excerpted from the full article).

"Lotus" is an evocative title for your new album, given the events in your career and personal life during the past two years. What does that name signify to you?

This album represents a celebration of the new me, and to me the lotus has always represented this unbreakable flower that withstands any harsh weather conditions in its surroundings, that withstands time and remains beautiful and strong throughout the years. Once I could start writing my own songs, beginning with Stripped, I tried to infuse as much as I could to promote strength and inspire people with that message. And now I'm at a place at 31, where the last time I felt this way was when I was 21 with Stripped and I had a lot to say and a lot to express.

Some of the songs on Lotus are thematically similar to "Stripped," too. Was that intentional?

Absolutely. There's a song called "Army of Me," which is sort of a "Fighter 2.0." There is a new generation of fans from a younger demographic that might not have been with me all the way but that watch me on the show now. I feel like every generation should be able to enjoy and have their piece of "Fighter" within. This time, the way it musically came together it just felt right for this time and this generation. There's always going to be a fighter in me getting through some obstacle and some hurdle.

"Lotus" is also a return to putting your vocals front and center in a way that you didn't always do on Bionic in 2010. What did you learn from that experience?

With Bionic I fully went in there with [the idea], "I'm going to experiment and not be commercial or pop." I wanted to play with different sounds and textures of my voice while bringing an electronica feel to it because that's what I was listening to a lot at the time. And it was a blast.

Were you disappointed with how it was received?

I can proudly say it was ahead of its time, to be honest. It wasn't so commercialized. You had to really be a music lover, be a true fan of music and the love of being open to really appreciate that record. It's just a special piece in my body of work that will forever live on. The older the record gets the more people will come to appreciate it actually and check it out.

How has your experience with "The Voice" influenced you as a performer?

Seeing all the singers, you really come face to face with a lot of people-my teammates especially this season that you'll get to know-that are predominantly younger. That's inspiring, because they come up to you and they're such big fans and they share with you what song touched them the most and how they had to learn every single ad lib and dissect it.

As a vocalist it brought me back to, "Yeah, that's what I used to do to my Whitney Houston record and my Mariah Carey record and my Etta James record." It brings you back to a place where it becomes your personal responsibility to infuse the next generation with more information about learning every intricate note. That's why a song called "Sing for Me" is special song. It's one of those singer's songs where if you're not a vocalist you can't mess with that song.

"Your Body" marks your first time working with Max Martin, which is surprising to a lot of people given the teen-pop era where you got your start.

[laughs] Max is legendary in the business. He's known about me but we haven't crossed paths. I think when I came in you heard his name with Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, Britney Spears -- those records were the kind I wanted to stray apart from. If you look at what I did in the past [after my debut], I always try to do things that will challenge me and challenge the listener, too. Could this have worked 10 years ago? I'm not sure. It's taken us a decade in the same business and watching each other from a distance, so for us to now come together and respect each other's work ethic and how we like to be heard and making a marriage out of it, I think "Your Body" is the best culmination of that.

You've expressed interest in taking a break from "The Voice" in the near future. When might that open your schedule for a tour?

We're still trying to figure that out. My fans do deserve to see me back out on the road. It'll be exciting for me. The road is a lot of work. I want to make sure the timing is right and that I'm fully ready to go, otherwise I would have to pull tickets if I'm not feeling it. I want to press the fact that I want to be feeling it before I go out.

Going back to the current season of "The Voice," what's been exciting for you so far?

I'm actually very excited about this season in particular. It's absolutely the most young and full-of-hungry-energy group we've had yet-this little next generation of future pop stars. Last year I had a different team as far as different genres, but this year it so happened to come together that they were all pop.

One of your contestants from last season, Chris Mann, will be the first season-two alum to release an album this year. Will you be involved with that project?

Absolutely. He's working with [Front Line Management Group consultant] Ron Fair, the man who signed me and is still a very, very dear friend of mine. I know he's in totally safe hands and in great hands musically. Ron Fair really gets it and gets him. One of the songs was sent to me for my participation and I said, hands-down, "yes." It's a beautiful song, the way he's expressing himself on the album-his tone, his richness, his soul. He's not overdoing it, just coming through strong, clear and rich. I'm very happy for him.

Beyond the technical aspects of executing a melisma, what are some career pointers you've been able to hand down to your own artists on "The Voice"?

A lot of these kids are coming from their own kinds of dance and arts schools, which is just like what the Mouseketeers was for obviously me and Britney and Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling-need I say more? We all come from that training camp mentality, but then it was a matter of us to be able to absorb everything, take it all in and now throw it all away. That's what I'm trying to teach those kids. Everything can't be so structured, so learned or taught. You guys have an individual self in all of you.

Speaking of Britney, will you be watching "The X Factor"?

[Laughs] I have no time to even watch my own show. So there's your answer.

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There seems to be little buzz for this. I wish her the best though.

the material is defintely stronger than the last one. but she still doesn't know how to fully use her voice tastefully. by the end of the record...or even after a few tracks...you feel like you've been hit over the head with a cast iron skillet. less is more, girl.

She has done very little with regard to promotion efforts. It wouldn't surprise me if the first-week sales are flat, which would be another missed opportunity for her because Lotus is a far better album than Bionic.

She has done very little with regard to promotion efforts. It wouldn't surprise me if the first-week sales are flat, which would be another missed opportunity for her because Lotus is a far better album than Bionic.

"Your Body" debuted and peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 which doesn't sound too promising. Maybe with the right selection of the 2nd single and more promotion the album can really take off in sales.

im not wit all the 2.0 stuff stop not trying 2 recreate the past just build on it and do something different 2 add 2 your history stripped was her greatest 2 date yet its her past . im not feeling this cd thou too much of whats now boring music

I'm surprised how good this album is. Bionic was garbage to me so I didn't expect this. Of course it's going to be a big flop because there's no interest in her music now.

Too bad about the lack of interest in Christina, since she does have a great voice. Honestly haven't given much thought to this either since I didnt like her Bionic album. I'll give it a spin this week based on your reviews. Thanks.

While I admit the album is a grower, I definitely like it much more than I did on first listen, it's still an average album at best. I always have high expectations considering how good Stripped was but with every new album I'm dissapointed. I dont get why I havent gotten that Stripped was a fluke album from her and shes not that great. Maybe its because she still does have flashes of genius every now and then like 'Welcome', 'Í Am' and the Burlesque soundtrack.

Arnotts said:

While I admit the album is a grower, I definitely like it much more than I did on first listen, it's still an average album at best. I always have high expectations considering how good Stripped was but with every new album I'm dissapointed. I dont get why I havent gotten that Stripped was a fluke album from her and shes not that great. Maybe its because she still does have flashes of genius every now and then like 'Welcome', 'Í Am' and the Burlesque soundtrack.

Christina seems to have gone the Janet route...meaning nobody cares about them doing music anymore for some inexplicable reason. I think it's a strong album myself...

She remains a gifted vocalist and a proven songwriter, unlike many of the cookie-cut female acts. It remains unclear why she has done interviews to discuss her stint as a judge on The Voice, while leaving the album to suffer from a severe lack of promotion.

Identity said:

She remains a gifted vocalist and a proven songwriter, unlike many of the cookie-cut female acts. It remains unclear why she has done interviews to discuss her stint as a judge on The Voice, while leaving the album to suffer from a severe lack of promotion.

She does promote 'The Voice' constantly in interviews but I think she's done quite a nice amount of promotion for this album but in a very discreet way which I didn't even realize until watching 'The Voice' tonight. She has literally performed almost every song from the album visually. She did 'Your Body' on Jimmy Fallon's show in that segment. She did 'Make The World Move' on 'The Voice' opening last week. She did 'Lotus Intro', 'Army of Me', I think 'Let There Be Love' on the AMAs last night. She did 'Just A Fool' with Blake Shelton on 'The Voice' opening tonight. I think she's promoting the album by performing all the songs either in their entirety or in snippets (a la the AMAs which was a bit all over the place I thought but I loved the message behind the performance). I think she's definitely promoting 'Lotus' a whole lot more than she did with 'Bionic'. 'The Voice' is her platform to help not only sell her proteges but also her album. I think she's being smart with it because 'The Voice' is killing it in the ratings right now so good thinking in promoting the show thus having more people tune in to watch and see her perform songs from the album. Brilliant marketing all around I think. On a side note, her standing next to Blake makes her look like a little girl. I know Blake is a tall man but dang he made her look soo tiny. I'm pretty sure that no matter how much she promotes 'Lotus' it won't come in on top this week simply because One Direction's album dropped on the same day and releasing an album at the same time as a teenybopper phenomenon is really just a suicide because very few artists have the ability to outdo the dedication and obsession of thousands upon thousands of screaming tween girls.

novabrkr said:

Arnotts said:

While I admit the album is a grower, I definitely like it much more than I did on first listen, it's still an average album at best. I always have high expectations considering how good Stripped was but with every new album I'm dissapointed. I dont get why I havent gotten that Stripped was a fluke album from her and shes not that great. Maybe its because she still does have flashes of genius every now and then like 'Welcome', 'Í Am' and the Burlesque soundtrack.

Ok haha I didnt mean it literally!

SchlomoThaHomo said:

she still doesn't know how to fully use her voice tastefully. by the end of the record...or even after a few tracks...you feel like you've been hit over the head with a cast iron skillet.

I guess I'm alone here, but I loved Bionic. I don't usually listen to every album that's realeased, I like it better to keep discovering the oldies and music from other eras, but Bionic was the first Christina album I bought, and the album released in 2010 that I listened to the most. She said she was trying to be bold, inventive and non-commercial (THANK GOD, and it shows), and to my biggest surprise, her voice was for the first time in the right measure. I loved what she did with Mia, Switch, her ballads with Sia and Not Myself Tonight and Woohoo are two of the best songs she's ever made. She tried a lot of different things and her voice has a lot of different textures. I didnt particularly like Vanity (maybe this songs humour is more touching to a natural English speaker) and Stronger than ever, but all the other songs I found from enjoyable to great.

Just listen to the first 3 songs in a row, do u guys really think it was crap? I got chills listening to these everytime!!

As for the new album, I was disappointed. She is hysterically defensive, this pastiche of Stripped 2.0. is mediocre and nonsense, she got back to needless screaming again (Sing for me and Blank Page, for instance, could be good songs if she didn't scream her guts out in the chorus, almost as if she was trying to pass me a literal Black Page through the loudspeakers).

The songs are overall just avarage pop, which is the more disappointing given the creativity she's shown many times before. Overall the lyrics are self-help cheapness and the lyrics for songs like Around the world are shamefully poor (was it written by Pitbull or something?). And what about Circles and Shut Up? What was she going for? Teenage Disney Channel rebelion? I only enjoyed Your Body and Army of Me.

[Edited 11/20/12 16:23pm]

I loved Bionic and I'm totally into Lotus. Can't wait for the tour.

Lotus reached 73,000 copies in its debut week. Bionic sold slightly better at 111,000 copies but I don't believe it ever achieved gold status.

MidniteMagnet said:

Christina seems to have gone the Janet route...meaning nobody cares about them doing music anymore for some inexplicable reason. I think it's a strong album myself...

This might be the case. Janet's Discipline was great, and Feedback was one of the top 5 best songs in her career, Darkchild sheer pop genius. Yet nobody noticed it. Same with Bionic and Not Myself Tonight/Woohoo.

And now she's going for a pastiche of that country hit Need You Now, with Blake Shelton, for the second single, trying to go country for numbers. This is a SOLD album aesthetically. No creativity, self-help lyrics, common places. Very sad.

Wait a minute..the album is out?

paisleypark4 said:

Identity said:

Lotus reached 73,000 copies in its debut week. Bionic sold slightly better at 111,000 copies but I don't believe it ever achieved gold status.

Ouch.

just watched the vid..I think Its REally Good!

I liked it.

paisleypark4 said:

just watched the vid..I think Its REally Good!

I liked it.

Just now you've watched it? I agree it's great. Thinking in retrospect, she has a good amount of great videos, Hurt, Fighter, Dirty, Candyman and this last one are all amazing videos.

I've listenned to it.

It appears, like most of her albums, to rest souly on the merits of her formidable singing skills. However, it feels sort of safe---I mean, not Madonna safe---but safe for what her voice is capable of.

I find it odd that she can't sell albums to save her life.

Is it because she's unpleasant? I mean, Madonna is unpleasant, and not nearly as gifted a singer, but she sells albums like hotcakes.

What gives on xtina? The material, I admit, often isn't as memerable as some of Madonna's older stuff.

Lotus crashed badly and has been declared an unmitigated flop. Her reluctance to promote it in earnest still bewilders me.