Like any pop star with staying power, Christina Aguilera has managed to master the art of reinvention. She intrigued us after bursting on the scene with “Genie in a Bottle” during 1999’s pop music renaissance, shocked us by separating herself from dozens of similar acts with chaps and piercings during 2002’s “Dirrty” period, then produced hit after hit—and a new pin-up look—with 2006’s jazz and soul inspired album Back to Basics. And that’s just a corner of her resume.
Now, the 37-year-old is switching things up again with the release of her sixth studio album Liberation (available to buy and stream now), which is her first since 2012. And it definitely commands your attention. (Just watch her passionate “Fall in Line” performance with Demi Lovato at the 2018 Billboard Music awards if you need convincing.)
To celebrate the new album, Aguilera answered “The Big Questions”—a rapid-fire assortment of things you definitely want to know—for Glamour’s August issue.
What’s your full name, and where does it come from?
Christina Maria Aguilera. I’m half Ecuadorian, half Irish. My mom said she named me after a princess.
What’s your idea of true happiness?
The idea of true happiness is seriously just peace of mind. No deadlines and no judgments.
What’s your idea of hell on Earth?
Suppression. Well my whole album is called Liberation for a reason. It’s about the anti-being suppressed and feeling stifled. There’s nothing worse in the world than feeling like you’re in a stifled place where you’re being told how to be, how to dress, how to act, how to feel. And it happens all the time. So I think at a certain level maybe we’re all a little suppressed. But you know yeah. That is definitely hell on earth to not be free.
What’s a headline about yourself you’d love to read?
Well I’m going to go for the unattainable. But these are pretty off the beaten path questions and a little bit imagination so “Christina Aguilera Does The Unimaginable Solves World Hunger” Or “Bridges Social Divide.”
Would you rather stop time or speed it up. And why?
Stop time for sure. It’s going too fast! My kids are growing up way too soon I’m like oh my dear lord. Where is time going? So definitely to be able to freeze time. I would do it in a heartbeat.
If you could phone a friend right now, who would it be?
I think Priscilla. Priscilla always makes me happy. She’s done my hair, my extensions for so friggin’ long. I’ve known her forever. She’s my ride or die.
If you could be anyone, who would you be?
Wonder Woman. Real people are too complicated for me. I want to kick some ass!
What’s the best invention of all time?
Social media. It allows you to speak your mind and squash rumors. But it’s also the worst, for so many reasons.
What three things would you take to a desert island?
I’d need company, so either my dog or my man, water or wine, and definitely a boat, so I can get the fuck out of there.
How do you stand up for what you believe in?
You just do it! Very Nike campaign, but you have to be unafraid to go against the grain.
You have to give up sex, booze, or laughter. Pick one.
Booze. I’d have to start being a good stoner then, I guess.
Illustration by Helen Green.
What’s something you wish you’d written?
“Imagine,” by John Lennon.
What’s your most irrational fear?
The dark. I sleep with candles lit, a night-light, a nineties sitcom in the background, and a sound machine…. Yeah, it’s special.
What advice do you think your 18 year old self would give to you?
Probably to get out more. Leave your bedroom!
What advice would you give to your 18-year-old self?
Start yoga. It helps everything.
This story appeared in Glamour’s August 2018 issue.
