Music

After 21 Years, Christina Aguilera Is Finally Releasing New Spanish-Language Album ‘La Fuerza’

Lead Photo: Photo by Zoe Rain.
Photo by Zoe Rain.

Can you believe it’s already been two decades since Christina Aguilera gave us bops like “Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú)” and “Falsas Esperanzas?” Well, Xtina is finally blessing us with a follow-up to Mi Reflejo, La Fuerza, out tomorrow Jan. 21. The album is the first installment in a trilogy that will be released throughout 2022. 

Later today, Aguilera will drop her latest single from La Fuerza, the collaboration with Ozuna “Santo.” This new, upcoming track follows “Pa Mis Muchachas” and “Somos Nada,” with its music video’s plotline picking up where the latter left off.   

During an online press conference with various Latine media outlets on Jan. 19, Aguilera talked about all things La Fuerza. “As a woman, we have to be so many things to so many different people, but it’s so important to honor yourself and to find strength in your weaknesses and make them into your superpower,” she explained about the album’s theme. The album will be a six-track EP that includes the two previous singles and “Santo.”

As opposed to its predecessor, La Fuerza does not include any crossover songs, meaning every song was made from scratch in Spanish and not translated from an existing English song. One of the tracks, “La Reina,” Aguilera explained is a direct homage and response to the recently deceased Vicente Fernandez’s emblematic song “El Rey,” who she cites as a big influence, as well as Chavela Vargas. “It’s basically saying, today, ‘It’s amazing that you’re the king, you will always be the king, but you’re nothing without your queen,” she said with a laugh.

The singer also took a moment to clarify that it had never been her plan to not return to making music in Spanish. “‘Mi Reflejo’ [was] a beautiful, special time in my life, but it was 20 plus years ago when I was just coming on the scene,” she said. “I was baby Christina, and 20 years later, I’m a grown woman who has had an incredible career. Now I get to come back having reflected on that.”

Throughout the press conference, Aguilera kept referencing how much she enjoyed working on the songs on La Fuerza. She shared that during the creative process, she worked on so many tracks that she loved that she didn’t want to part with any nor pile them onto a single album. That’s how the idea of the three-part series came about. Though she couldn’t say much about what’s to come or when, she did share that the next chapters would see her address her relationship with her estranged father, a first for her. “I’m coming from a place where I’m making peace with certain parts of my past,” she explained.   

On “Santo,” Aguilera said she loved working with Ozuna, who kept telling her the collab would be a hit. “It’s more important to me now that I do things with artists that I not only admire, but I know I’m doing it because I love and want the experience,” she explained. “Latin music is such a community-based, beautiful environment. There’s so much love there.”

Though released last year, Aguilera also took the time to talk about her collab with Nicki Nicole, Nathy Peluso, and Becky G. “‘Pa Mis Muchachas’ was such an important way to come [back] into all of this, in a celebratory way with such incredibly accomplished women in music,” she said. But the praises for her collaborators didn’t stop there. She added that Nicki reminded her of herself when she was young, applauded Peluso for her on-stage performances, and called Becky G a “smart businesswoman” with who she loved having conversations.  

To conclude the event, when asked if she plans on going on tour, Aguilera responded with an immediate and excited, “YES! When everything makes sense.” She mentioned touring Latin America in the past and how it was the most amazing experience, and said fans were “like nothing else” there. She also mentioned that there will be “dates to come for a few appearances.” 

Well, whatever these appearances are and whenever they take place, she can charge our credit cards in full cause we’re ready to see her performing in Spanish again! And while she’s at it, also charge us for La Fuerza, out tomorrow.