Christina Aguilera is back in full music mode, and we’re not mad at it.
One week after the pop icon appeared at the Billboard Music Awards to perform her fiery duet with Demi Lovato, “Fall in Line,” Aguilera sat down with Entertainment Weekly to talk everything about her upcoming album Liberation.
“I kinda felt like I was asleep at the wheel and going in autopilot for the past few years, not living up to my full potential and the purpose of why I’m living on this Earth: to sing and make music,” she told the publication of her album title. “So I’m getting back to that and getting back to my own personal truth. It’s almost like a new shedding of skin.”
Her last album, Lotus, came out six years ago and since then, Aguilera has been taking care of her two children and bringing the girl power as a judge on The Voice–which she admits was, at times, exhausting. “Having to do all the obligations that come with working for a network, you just feel like you’re being sucked dry and you’re not being able to truly do anything for you. Then at the end of the day coming home from work and having to [care] for your kids and making up for lost time.”
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She’s ready to do things for herself now. As far as her smash duet with Lovato, Aguilera said the two vocal powerhouses “just fit together like an Oreo cookie.” Two of her other new songs, “Accelerate” and “Maria,” were produced by Kanye West, who’s been under fire for his recent controversial comments. Aguilera, however, said that she preferred to keep their relationship strictly music-based: “He’s always said things that have stirred controversy and attention. I’m not getting involved in what he’s saying or anything like that. I know him as an artist.”
“I do know that when we sat down and he played me these tracks, he got me,” she continued. “I think he’s an artist first and foremost and we’re not always going to agree with artists. I loved our initial meeting and we totally clicked. I found him to be very endearing.”
Liberation is available everywhere June 15. Read Entertainment Weekly‘s full interview here.