Liberation (Christina Aguilera album)

Following the release of her seventh album Lotus (2012), Aguilera took a career hiatus to focus on her family.[5] Later in April 2014, Aguilera confirmed 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).[6] 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!"[7] 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.[8] During a promotional interview for the TV show, Aguilera stated about the album: "It will be an album of freedom."[9]

On June 16, 2016, Aguilera released the song "Change", dedicated to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting,[10] while on August 23, 2016, she released "Telepathy" for the TV series The Get Down soundtrack, which topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.[11] In February 2018, media reported that Aguilera was collaborating with Demi Lovato who confirmed a collaboration.[12] 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.[13] On May 3, 2018, Aguilera released the first single "Accelerate" featuring American singer Ty Dolla Sign and rapper 2 Chainz, as well as its music video,[14] while also confirming the album's title, Liberation, and its art, track listing and announced the album was available for pre-order online.[15]

Kanye West (left) and Anderson Paak (right) produced two tracks each.

Recording for the album initially took place in early 2014.[1] At early stages, the first producer that was confirmed to be working with Aguilera was Pharrell Williams, which according to the singer, had one song that she loved.[16] In 2015, Aguilera confirmed that she was still writing and gathering songs for the album to eventually record them.[16] In late November 2015, Aguilera confirmed she was working again with long time collaborator Linda Perry.[17] In February 2017, Aguilera claimed she was adding the final touches to the album,[18] however in the same month, Tayla Parx confirmed she had worked with Aguilera, as well as Da Internz, Kanye West and PartyNextDoor.[19] Billboard would later revealed that Aguilera met West in Rick Rubin's Shangri La studio in Malibu, California, a few months before West released The Life of Pablo in 2016.[20] About West, she commented: "I've always been a huge fan of Kanye. Outside of, you know, his controversial aspects, I just think he's a great artist and musicmaker and beatmaker. The artists that he chooses to pluck from different walks of life are so interesting."[20] He produced "Accelerate" as well as "Maria", which is Aguilera's personal favorite.[20]

Later in September 2017, Aguilera entered the studio again to work with Mark Ronson and Anderson Paak.[21] Aguilera also mentioned about working with Paak, which produced two tracks, by saying: "He and I connected big-time. He was like, 'I used to watch you on TRL!' He's a great lyricist, soul singer and rapper. And he murders the drums."[22] Billboard also revealed that Liberation would have a collaboration with Demi Lovato, which was in the same song co-written by singer and songwriter Julia Michaels.[20] Commenting about choosing Lovato, Aguilera claimed: "We went through a few names of women. I needed a belty singer, and she took it to the next level. I almost cried when I first heard her on the record."[22] American singer and songwriter Jon Bellion confirmed in a now-deleted tweet that he is the producer behind "Fall in Line".[23] The singer revealed that during the album's working process she regretted not having Cardi B and Childish Gambino on the album; the first "got lost in the shuffle", after being discouraged by a producer to work with her, while the latter was working on the TV series Atlanta and the two never had the time to materialize the collaboration.[22] It was reported in the media in June 2018 that Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton had performed on the track "Pipe", under the name XNDA.[24] Hamilton did not initially confirm this,[25] but confirmed the rumors in July 2020.[26][27][28]

Liberation is a pop, R&B and hip hop album,[29][30] with soul, reggaeton, trap, Southern rock and dancehall elements.[31][32][33][34] It was described as a "hip-hop and R&B inspired" album by Billboard.[20] 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."[20] 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."[20] 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..."[35]

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.'"[20] "Fall in Line" has been described as a feminist anthem.[20] 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."[35] 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."[35]

About the title of the album Aguilera explained, "I wanted to have a title that meant freeing myself from anything that wasn't my truth. That's a constant I think in everyone's life: every time you feel stifled in a current situation where you feel you're not quite yourself or being bogged down by other people's opinions. Or when you feel like you're stuck in a stagnant place."[36]

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."[37] 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.[38]

On April 28, 2018, Aguilera had a concert at Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix where she unveiled a promo video as an intro for the upcoming album.[39] On May 3, 2018, Liberation's release date in the United States was confirmed on to be June 15 and a teaser trailer titled "Liberation: Where's Maria?" was released on May 4 which she spoke the inspiration and concept of the album.[40] On May 9, 2018, Aguilera announced she will embark on the Liberation Tour to support the album, which is her first tour since 2006's Back to Basics Tour.[41] Aguilera performed "Fall in Line" with Lovato at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards on May 20, 2018.[42] The singer partnered with Pandora and held an album listening session on May 31, 2018, at The Peppermint Club.[43] On June 14, 2018, Aguilera performed "Think", "Fighter" and "Fall in Line" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[44] The next day, she performed on Today Show and was interviewed on Total Request Live.[45] On 12 September, Aguilera was interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[46]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.6/10[60]
Metacritic	71/100[61]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[62]
HipHopDX	3.7/5[63]
The Guardian	[64]
The Independent	[65]
NME	[30]
The Observer	[66]
Pitchfork	6.7/10[67]
Rolling Stone	[68]
Slant Magazine	[69]
The Daily Telegraph	[31]

Liberation has received positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Liberation has an average score of 71 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[61] Alim Kheraj from The Observer lauded the album for being "at her most artistically emancipated".[66] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone labelled the album "Xtina at her peak" and claimed that Aguilera's "greatest attributes is that she has rarely played it safe".[68] Mesfin Fekadu found the album "masterfully cohesive" in The Washington Post, while comparing it to Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi, "her 2005 comeback album that reminded the world to never count out the diva".[70] The New York Times critic Jon Pareles complimented the album's experimental styles incorporating various genres and wrote that "[Aguilera's] extravagant vocal flourishes connect with sweeping emotion".[71] HipHopDX writer Trent Clark opined that despite "occasional cheese-smothered lyric", the album featured Aguilera's "heavenly" vocals that was "a well-calculated offering from a living legend whose abilities are still very much intact".[63] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic discussed that while Liberation appeared to be personal, it still "resonate emotionally" despite not being "an easy route".[62] Claire Lobenfeld from Pitchfork, while unimpressed towards the album's "progressive moments" like "Pipe" or "Accelerate", claimed that the album's "sturdy moments" as on "Fall in Line" created "a promising first step toward a genuine pop rebirth—moments" that were comparable to Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope or Whitney Houston's My Love Is Your Love.[67]

Nick Levine from NME commented that while Liberation "may lack the grand ambition and massive pop bangers of her glory days", the album was "cohesive and surprisingly low-key" that may revitalize Aguilera's career.[30] The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick, by contrast, disapproved of the album's music styles incorporating "rock, R&B, soul, hip hop, reggaeton and anthemic balladry" that "never settles into a coherent listening experience".[31] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine shared a similar viewpoint, commenting that the album lacked cohesion by being both "forward-minded" and "frustratingly safe".[69]

Liberation was named the third best R&B album of 2018 by the BuzzFeed editor Dylan Nguyen. Nguyen called it "a throwback to Stripped", and praised its "amazing songwriting" and modern sound.[72]

In the United States, Liberation debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 68,000 album-equivalent units, becoming Aguilera's lowest-peaking and lowest-selling record in the United States.[81] It became Aguilera's seventh top 10 album in the nation, and was the highest ranked solo female album on the week ending June 30.[81] Liberation was also the third best-selling album of the week. It debuted at number three on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart, becoming her first album since Bionic to land in top-three.[82] Furthermore, the release saw Aguilera re-enter and peak at number eight on the Billboard Artist 100 chart.[83] The album spent two weeks on the chart, falling ninety-two spots to number ninety-eight in its second week before leaving the chart in its third week.[84] On the Canadian Albums Chart compiled by Billboard, the record debuted and peaked at number five, becoming her highest charting album since Bionic and overall, her fifth album that peaks inside the top-five.[85][86]

Liberation debuted and peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart with sales of 4,834 copies, the week's fifth highest debut, and second highest debut outside the top 10.[87] In Australia, the album debuted at number nine on the Australian Albums Chart, becoming her fourth top 10 album and earning her highest charting studio effort since Bionic.[88] Elsewhere, it became Aguilera's highest-charting album in Spain, entering the Spanish Albums Chart at number one. It also became her third top 10 album, following Back to Basics and Bionic.[89] In Switzerland, Liberation debuted and peaked at number three on the Swiss Albums, becoming her fifth consecutive top 10 album and also spending a total of seven weeks on the chart.[90] In Austria, it entered the Austrian Albums at number nine, her highest charting album since Bionic. Subsequently, Liberation stayed on the chart for a total of three weeks.[91]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies a co-producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies an additional producer
• ^{^[c]} signifies a vocal producer for Demi Lovato
• "Maria" contains a sample of "Maria (You Were the Only One)", written by Lawrence Brown, Linda Glover, Horgay Gordy and Allen Story, as performed by Michael Jackson.
• "Sick of Sittin'" contains a sample of "No Registration", written and performed by Janne Schaffer.
• "Accelerate" contains a sample of "I Like Funky Music" by Uncle Louie, and "I Feel So Good Inside", written by Ronald Brown, as performed by The Techniques IV.
• In July 2020, it was revealed that the rapper credited as XNDA on "Pipe" (track 13) was actually Formula 1 race driver Lewis Hamilton who opted to record his vocals under the XNDA pseudonym

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Liberation.

• Official website