Maps of Music

Liberation (2018)

Where the lyrics of Liberation take you, and where it was really made.

Lewis Hamilton performed on one track under the name XNDA, and the album's title was meant to free Aguilera from anything that was not her truth.

Key places

Germano Studios, New York City (2018)

Recording site Germano Studios — The credits list Germano Studios in New York City as the place where the XDNA vocals on track 13 were recorded. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

EastWest Studios, Los Angeles (2018)

Recording site EastWest Studios — The credits list EastWest Studios in Los Angeles as the place of engineering work on track 15. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Liberation: eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera
• Released June 15, 2018 through RCA Records
• Last album under RCA; she parted ways with the label in 2024
• First studio album in six years, following Lotus (2012)

Background

• Following Lotus (2012), Aguilera took a career hiatus to focus on her family
• In October 2015 she confirmed she was recording two albums, one in English and one in Spanish
• She described the album as an album of freedom during a promotional interview
• Pharrell Williams and Linda Perry were in the studio in early stages but ended up not on the album
• Anderson .Paak, Kanye West, Che Pope, Mike Dean and Tayla Parx were confirmed as contributors

Recording

• Recording began in early 2014, with work continuing through 2015 and 2017
• Studios used included sites in Los Angeles, Hollywood, London, New York City and Whitley Heights
• Guests include Demi Lovato, Keida, Shenseea, GoldLink, Ty Dolla Sign and 2 Chainz
• Lewis Hamilton performed on the track Pipe under the name XNDA

Cover

• The black-and-white cover shows Aguilera with messy hair, freckles and little to no makeup

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born December 18, 1980, in Ocean Breeze, New York; American singer, songwriter, and actress.
• Appeared on The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1993–1994); recorded "Reflection" for Mulan (1998) and signed with RCA Records.
• Debut album Christina Aguilera (1999) topped the US Billboard 200 and produced three Hot 100 number-one singles.
• Stripped (2002) and Back to Basics (2006) reinvented her image; Back to Basics was her second US number-one album.
• Known for a four-octave range, melismatic style, and use of the whistle register; ranked among the greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone.
• Sold over 100 million records worldwide; five Grammy Awards.
• Acted in Burlesque (2010), The Emoji Movie (2017), and Zoe (2018).
• Coached The Voice (2011–2016); named a Disney Legend in 2019.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: generally favorable reviews, weighted average score of 71 out of 100 from 17 critic scores
• AnyDecentMusic?: 13 reviews compiled, weighted average score of 6.6 out of 10
• Rolling Stone (Brittany Spanos): labeled the album Xtina at her peak and said Aguilera has rarely played it safe
• The Washington Post (Mesfin Fekadu): found the album masterfully cohesive and compared it to Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi
• The New York Times (Jon Pareles): complimented the album's experimental styles incorporating various genres
• NME (Nick Levine): found the album cohesive and surprisingly low-key
• The Daily Telegraph (Neil McCormick): disapproved of the music styles, saying the album never settles into a coherent listening experience
• Slant Magazine (Sal Cinquemani): said the album lacked cohesion by being both forward-minded and frustratingly safe

Reappraisal

• Critical opinion was mixed, with praise for the vocals and cohesion set against complaints about the varied styles

Records

• In the United States, Liberation debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 68,000 album-equivalent units (62,000 in album sales)
• UK Albums Chart: debuted and peaked at number 17 with 4,834 copies sold
• Canada: debuted and peaked at number five
• Australia: debuted at number 9
• Spain: entered the chart at number 1, her highest-charting album there
• Switzerland: debuted and peaked at number three
• Austria: entered at number nine
• France: reached number three on SNEP's Digital Albums chart
• Nominated for International Album of the Year at the 2018 GAFFA Awards and the 2018 Luvpop Awards

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Lewis Hamilton's performance on Pipe under the name XNDA was reported in June 2018 and he confirmed it in July 2020
• Accelerate reached number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart, Aguilera's tenth song to do so and Ty Dolla Sign and 2 Chainz's first number-one song
• Aguilera said she regretted not having Cardi B and Childish Gambino on the album
• Several songs from Liberation were later performed during her Las Vegas residency Christina Aguilera: The Xperience (2019–2020)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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