Christina Aguilera Gets Candid About Making Her First Spanish-Language Album In Over 21 Years

Christina Aguilera is embracing her Latin heritage through music. Aguilera's latest EP, "La Fuerza," just dropped, which features a sizzling new collab with Ozuna, "Santo." The new project represents a return to form for the pop star as her first Spanish-language album since 2000 when she released the record "Mi Reflejo." Aguilera has made a comeback to Latin music, as she slayed the stage at the 2021 Latin Grammy Awards with a performance of her song "Pa Mis Muchachas," a power-house collaboration with fellow Latin female artists Becky G, Nicki Nicole, and Nathy Peluso.

Ahead of her new album release, Aguilera opened up to Hola! about her history of speaking (and singing) in Spanish. "Spanish is not my first language, but it is very much a part of my childhood and a part of how I grew up," she explained. "I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household. My father is from Ecuador, and we lived for a period of time with my [paternal] grandparents, and so it was constantly being spoken." After her parents divorced, Aguilera said she fell out of touch with the language, but committed to learning again years later for a Latin music project. Now, Aguilera is opening up about her big return to the genre with "La Fuerza."

Following the release of her Spanish-language album "La Fuerza," Christina Aguilera said that Latin music has always been rooted in her and explained why her new project is so special. "Once that connection is there it's with you forever," she wrote in part of her culture in a tweet. "'La Fuerza' is a project for myself, my roots, and my kids — so they can sense a deeper level of who they are." Aguilera went on in a separate tweet to say it's a "dream" to share her history and respect for the Latin culture within her. "I'm proud to explore more about myself & my musical passions with every new project," she wrote.

After her performance at the 2021 Latin Grammys, Aguilera revealed to Entertainment Tonight she has been planning for a project like "La Fuerza" for a long time. "I've been wanting to do this since 'Mi Reflejo,' when I was baby Christina, just coming out with 'Genie,' and all of that," she shared. "So now as a woman, as a grown woman, and being a mother, having had the career that I've had, I was really able to tap into what I want [to] write about on a deeper level with this."

Aguilera teased more Latin music to come, tweeting in part, "This is only the first chapter!" According to ABC News, "La Fuerza" is the first of a trilogy of projects Aguilera will release throughout 2022.