I’m sort of a control freak so I’m extremely hands-on, to a fault to some point!
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Her new single might be called ‘Not Myself Tonight’, but we certainly like the way that Christina Aguilera is looking right now…
The kinky singer, who was gyrating in her chaps before Lady Gaga had learnt to walk in heels, has returned to work with a vengeance after a break; she’s got a new album out in June and her big-screen debut is due to hit cinemas in November.
Never one to rest on her laurels, the self-confessed control freak has brought a whole new sound to the party for her fourth studio album LP, ‘Bionic’, a futuristic, electronic sound if her single’s anything to go by.
As for her movie role, Xtina has stepped back to her Lady Marmalade era to appear alongside Cher and Kristen Bell in Burlesque.
What better time for us to sit down with the singer to talk about what she’s been up to – and what else could be on the horizon…
Playboy: Hi Christina – sounds like you’ve been really quite busy recently…
Christina Aguilera: The album has been done for quite some time but then I had to go into filming the movie ‘Burlesque’ so I’ll be releasing the album and then releasing the movie. This past year has been a huge preparation year for me to now release the work that I’ve done. I’ve worked so hard and I’m so, so excited to finally release everything I’ve been working on.
Playboy: Tell us about the album then…
Aguilera: It’s really a fun record, really futuristic. It’s full of different textures and things in my voice that I was really playing around with and having fun with on this record that I never knew I could do vocally. There are so many collaborations – M.I.A., Santigold – a lot of great producers and artists… I loved working on this record, it’s my favourite to date.
Playboy: Did you write it yourself?
Aguilera: Absolutely, always – it always has a personal touch. I try to come with as honest material as possible. I really make sure that I write all my own material because it’s really important that I feel it.
Playboy: There’s already quite a buzz – are you looking forward to the reception?
Aguilera: I’m super, super excited about it; it’s a completely different direction from the last. It’s very exciting working with new people; the new energy and the new people involved have just brought out a different side of me, vocally and musically. The whole reason for what I do is that it really comes from the heart and I’m extremely involved. I’m sort of a control freak so I’m extremely hands-on, to a fault to some point! I’m so detail-oriented I can drive myself and those around me a little insane.
Playboy: What’s the story behind Not Myself Tonight?
Aguilera: That song really spoke to me; I didn’t write it, actually, but that song showed up at my doorstep as I was just feeling like going back into the studio and expressing what I was feeling and what I’d learned. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I have to sing this song, it’s so me.’ It’s exploring my wild side a little bit again.
Playboy: And what about the album as a whole – any inspirations?
Aguilera: I was really inspired by a lot of electronic music, electronic artists, so you’ll hear all those elements. It’s all going along with the futuristic feel and I’m exploring a lot of different sides of myself.
Playboy: Is this a completely new direction for you?
Aguilera: Well, I think that certain things that I’ve done serve a great purpose for the time and place and mindset where I was in my past. I never like to do the same thing twice – I get bored easily! So I wouldn’t revisit any old direction that I’ve already done; rather, I strive for the new. Never regret – you only learn from your past and where you’ve been.
Playboy: So tell us about playing a stripper in Burlesque… Why did you choose this role?
Aguilera: Everything boils down to: there’s a right time and a place. Instead of jumping in years ago as I could have, I really wanted to make sure that it was something well thought out. I was waiting for the right script to come along and the right idea to really inspire me and this was it; ‘Burlesque’ was what it was for me. The character and the idea and the story involved really spoke to me.
Playboy: And, of course, we’ve seen you in the burlesque gear before…
Aguilera: From my ‘Back to Basics’ record, everything that I had done with that record being 20s-, 30s-, 40s-related, I love the idea of burlesque and I’ve also been intrigued by it. It has been really fun tapping in to this whole new experience and becoming someone else is just… interesting! And eye-opening.
Playboy: For your fans too! What did you learn from the movie process?
Aguilera: I actually grew a lot on the movie; I was finished with the record and then I put it on hold so that I could go film the movie, and by the time I was finished on the movie I had more things to say and more stories to write about – that’s how ‘Not Myself Tonight’ kind of got birthed because it was just exactly what I was feeling. I had grown and changed so much, learning so much on the film, that it all came full circle for me.
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Her new single might be called ‘Not Myself Tonight’, but we certainly like the way that Christina Aguilera is looking right now…
The kinky singer, who was gyrating in her chaps before Lady Gaga had learnt to walk in heels, has returned to work with a vengeance after a break; she’s got a new album out in June and her big-screen debut is due to hit cinemas in November.
Never one to rest on her laurels, the self-confessed control freak has brought a whole new sound to the party for her fourth studio album LP, ‘Bionic’, a futuristic, electronic sound if her single’s anything to go by.
As for her movie role, Xtina has stepped back to her Lady Marmalade era to appear alongside Cher and Kristen Bell in Burlesque.
What better time for us to sit down with the singer to talk about what she’s been up to – and what else could be on the horizon…
Playboy: Hi Christina – sounds like you’ve been really quite busy recently…
Christina Aguilera: The album has been done for quite some time but then I had to go into filming the movie ‘Burlesque’ so I’ll be releasing the album and then releasing the movie. This past year has been a huge preparation year for me to now release the work that I’ve done. I’ve worked so hard and I’m so, so excited to finally release everything I’ve been working on.
Playboy: Tell us about the album then…
Aguilera: It’s really a fun record, really futuristic. It’s full of different textures and things in my voice that I was really playing around with and having fun with on this record that I never knew I could do vocally. There are so many collaborations – M.I.A., Santigold – a lot of great producers and artists… I loved working on this record, it’s my favourite to date.
Playboy: Did you write it yourself?
Aguilera: Absolutely, always – it always has a personal touch. I try to come with as honest material as possible. I really make sure that I write all my own material because it’s really important that I feel it.
Playboy: There’s already quite a buzz – are you looking forward to the reception?
Aguilera: I’m super, super excited about it; it’s a completely different direction from the last. It’s very exciting working with new people; the new energy and the new people involved have just brought out a different side of me, vocally and musically. The whole reason for what I do is that it really comes from the heart and I’m extremely involved. I’m sort of a control freak so I’m extremely hands-on, to a fault to some point! I’m so detail-oriented I can drive myself and those around me a little insane.
Playboy: What’s the story behind Not Myself Tonight?
Aguilera: That song really spoke to me; I didn’t write it, actually, but that song showed up at my doorstep as I was just feeling like going back into the studio and expressing what I was feeling and what I’d learned. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I have to sing this song, it’s so me.’ It’s exploring my wild side a little bit again.
Playboy: And what about the album as a whole – any inspirations?
Aguilera: I was really inspired by a lot of electronic music, electronic artists, so you’ll hear all those elements. It’s all going along with the futuristic feel and I’m exploring a lot of different sides of myself.
Playboy: Is this a completely new direction for you?
Aguilera: Well, I think that certain things that I’ve done serve a great purpose for the time and place and mindset where I was in my past. I never like to do the same thing twice – I get bored easily! So I wouldn’t revisit any old direction that I’ve already done; rather, I strive for the new. Never regret – you only learn from your past and where you’ve been.
Playboy: So tell us about playing a stripper in Burlesque… Why did you choose this role?
Aguilera: Everything boils down to: there’s a right time and a place. Instead of jumping in years ago as I could have, I really wanted to make sure that it was something well thought out. I was waiting for the right script to come along and the right idea to really inspire me and this was it; ‘Burlesque’ was what it was for me. The character and the idea and the story involved really spoke to me.
Playboy: And, of course, we’ve seen you in the burlesque gear before…
Aguilera: From my ‘Back to Basics’ record, everything that I had done with that record being 20s-, 30s-, 40s-related, I love the idea of burlesque and I’ve also been intrigued by it. It has been really fun tapping in to this whole new experience and becoming someone else is just… interesting! And eye-opening.
Playboy: For your fans too! What did you learn from the movie process?
Aguilera: I actually grew a lot on the movie; I was finished with the record and then I put it on hold so that I could go film the movie, and by the time I was finished on the movie I had more things to say and more stories to write about – that’s how ‘Not Myself Tonight’ kind of got birthed because it was just exactly what I was feeling. I had grown and changed so much, learning so much on the film, that it all came full circle for me.
You may also be interested in:
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