Liberation also helped Aguilera work out the kinks with how her kids would adapt to the hectic pace of life on the road or life during a residency. “Now it's in their blood. It worked out perfectly. They would get mad at me sometimes if they weren't able to come on stage,” Aguilera says. “It was a family affair by the end. It was a heartwarming, loving experience and I was, like, ‘okay, I need to do more of this’ and expand on it and allow more fans and more audience members to enjoy what this is all about.”
The Xperience will be a collection of creative ideas that Aguilera has been cataloging for years and she hopes the show will fulfill the audiences’ desire to melt away from reality and into the wonderment of the infamous adult playground.
“I'm such a visual person and I've been acquiring all these inspirations,” Aguilera says. “Las Vegas is an amazing place to put all of that together. People visit to experience something new, different, exciting, to escape their everyday world. I wanted to put together a fantasy and let people [slip] into a world of finding their own true selves. It will allow people to come, just for one night, to let go, to explore their own sense of freedom and give the audience a chance take off whatever mask they might have to wear in their regular lives.”
Expect an Aguilera spectacle through and through with interactive elements and surprises plus incredible custom costumes from an impressive list of designers. “You know I love a theme and a concept and I’m creating a specific world for this show,” she says. “ [We are] playing with elements of Mother Nature and visual effects. I'm excited where that takes us.”
The setlist is still a work in process but Aguilera says she is actively listening to fans for their feedback on what to put in the show. “I always like to get what they're feeling and thinking. We're going to touch on a little bit of everything and make that into an amazing experience— which is the title of the show.”
And while Aguilera has not yet seen any of her fellow Strip headliners, past or present—including Britney Spears, J-Lo, Gwen Stefani or Lady Gaga—a trip is in the works.
“I'm getting a bunch of my girls together and we're going to Vegas. Check out Gaga's new extravaganza. I'm sure it's going to be so exciting. She always brings a great show,” she says, noting that she will be watching the crowd as much as the action on stage. “[I’ll be looking at] what is a Vegas audience all about? How do they react to the show? I want to feel their energy, see what they react to.”
In terms of what the future may bring with regards to touring The Xperience, she is firmly focused only on the here and now onstage in Las Vegas.
“I have to listen to my creative voice at the end of the day and what I'm being inspired by. That’s really what has to drive where I go and what I do next,” Aguilera says. “Like The Liberation Tour, I want to make sure it's a right family fit, right for my kids, right for myself, my soul.”
Christina Aguilera: The Xperience is currently set for 16 dates in 2019: May 31, June 1, June 5, June 7, June 8, June 13, June 15, June 16, Sept. 20, Sept. 21, Sept. 24, Sept. 27, Sept. 28, Oct. 2 and Oct. 4. Tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster Feb. 2.