La Fuerza (transl. The Strength) is the first solo and Spanish-language extended play (EP) by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released through Sony Music Latin on January 21, 2022 as the first part of her ninth studio and second Spanish-language album Aguilera (2022).[1] It is her second EP, following her promotional EP, Justin & Christina (2003), with Justin Timberlake. While recording her ninth studio album in Miami in early 2021, Aguilera decided to release the album in an unconventional way, by releasing it in three separate parts. La Fuerza was the first part of the trilogy. The EP is centered around female empowerment and strength and features guest vocals from Becky G, Nicki Nicole, Nathy Peluso, and Ozuna.
| La Fuerza | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| EP by | ||||
| Released | January 21, 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2021 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Latin | |||
| Length | 19:17 | |||
| Language | Spanish | |||
| Label | Sony Latin | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Christina Aguilera chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from La Fuerza | ||||
| ||||
Three singles were released from the album: "Pa Mis Muchachas" with Becky G, Nicole and Peluso, "Somos Nada", and "Santo" with Ozuna. Upon release, the EP received positive reviews and debuted at number two on the US Latin Pop Albums. La Fuerza was rereleased as the first disc on Aguilera along with its followup, La Tormenta on May 31, 2022.
Background and recording
edit"At home I used to listen to music in Spanish. Now, as a mom, having the career I've had, with over twenty years in the industry, I am happy not to have recorded this earlier, because now I've got a better perspective [as an artist]."[2]
—Aguilera, about La Fuerza (2022)
In 2000, Aguilera released her second studio album Mi Reflejo, her first Spanish-language album, which went on to be ranked number ten on the Billboard's Top 20 Latin Albums of All Time and become the best selling Latin pop album of 2000.[3][4]
Aguilera began teasing the release of her second "overdue" Spanish-language album two decades later in late 2020, noting in a Health magazine interview in April 2021 that, "I'm months away from anything being announced [...] I am reinspired and have reconnected with myself. I've fallen in love with music all over again, which is a really big thing to say, having spent my entire career in music".[5]
Aguilera noted that she took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to retreat to Miami, Florida in a COVID-safe writing camp with the intention to pay homage to her Ecuadorian heritage. The album was recorded over four weeks, with the first song recorded being the album's lead single, "Pa' Mis Muchachas".[6] Aguilera further teased the release of the album in an interview with Insider in September 2021.[7] Aguilera revealed that she planned to release the album "throughout the next year in sort of six song increments every few months".[8] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Aguilera revealed that the album would be released in three pieces, confirming that the first part of the album would be titled La Fuerza and that it would celebrate her power as a woman.[9] The full Spanish album, Aguilera was released on May 31, 2022 and features all of the songs from the EP La Fuerza as well as its follow-up La Tormenta.[10]
Music and lyrics
editLa Fuerza is a Latin EP, influenced by dance-pop, piano ballads, ranchera, urbano music, cumbia, guaracha and reggaeton.[11][12]
Singles
editThree singles were released for the EP. These include "Pa Mis Muchachas",[13] "Somos Nada",[14] and "Santo".[15]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Atwood Magazine | 8.5/10[12] |
| Rolling Stone |    [16] |
Upon release, the EP received positive reviews from music critics. La Fuerza was named the best album of the week by Billboard Argentina.[17] Reviewing the EP for Rolling Stone, Lucas Villa wrote that Aguilera's "vocal prowess is extraordinary in any language", and labelled its ballads as "highlights", considering "La Reina" the best song on the record.[16] Billboard described La Fuerza as "not only an homage to her [Aguilera's] Latin roots but a project full of passion, innovation, exploration and, of course, powerhouse vocals."[11]
Josh Weiner, writing for Atwood Magazine, praised the EP for its quality and opined that La Fuerza "is nineteen minutes of excellent, fully-realized music", and cheered Aguilera for "embracing an exciting new artistic identity". Weiner concluded his review by claiming that "seeing the veteran performer shake things up so drastically in this late phase of her career is massively impressive".[12] The music magazine later named La Fuerza one of the best EPs of 2022, stating that "her [Aguilera’s] powerful pipes continue to dazzle; even when she’s singing in her second language, it all sounded smooth, natural, and never forced".[18] Pip Ellwood-Hughes of Entertainment Focus claimed that "hearing her [Aguilera] singing in Spanish again is a joy and this collection of songs is better than anything she’s released in years".[19] Enrique Cerros from NEIU Independent gave La Fuerza a 5/5 score, and noted that it is "a successful comeback for Aguilera, and it can be considered her best work to date".[20] The Tab's Harrison Brocklehurst applauded the EP for its "excellent Latin bangers" and for the reggaeton beats that help Aguilera's voice "truly soar".[21]
Two songs from the EP, "Pa Mis Muchachas" and "Santo", were nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards.[22] A ranchera titled "La Reina" was named one of the best Latin songs of 2022 by the Time magazine.[23] Esquire placed La Fuerza on its list of the thirty-seven best albums of 2022.[24]
Commercial performance
editLa Fuerza debuted at number two on the US Latin Pop Albums chart and at 14 on Top Latin Albums chart with 4,000 album-equivalent units sold of which 2,000 were pure album copies.[25] It charted in multiple countries, including the United Kingdom (where it reached number thirty-one on UK Album Downloads Chart),[26] Germany (where it reached number forty-six on Digital Albums Chart),[27] and Spain (where it reached number fifty-four on PROMUSICAE's official albums chart). The EP was also commercially successful in Portugal, as reported by Vogue in March 2022,[28] as well as in Panama and Guatemala.[29]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ya Llegué" |
|
| 3:03 |
| 2. | "Pa Mis Muchachas" (with Becky G and Nicki Nicole featuring Nathy Peluso) |
|
| 3:36 |
| 3. | "Somos Nada" |
|
| 3:01 |
| 4. | "Santo" (with Ozuna) |
|
| 3:03 |
| 5. | "Como Yo" |
|
| 2:46 |
| 6. | "La Reina" |
|
| 3:48 |
| Total length: | 19:17 | |||
Notes
- All songs co-produced by Afo Verde
- All songs vocally produced by Jean Rodríguez
Personnel
editMusicians
edit- Christina Aguilera – vocals
- Federico Vindver – arrangement, keyboards, programming (all tracks), percussion (2)
- JonTheProducer – arrangement, keyboards, programming (1)
- Rafa Arcaute – arrangement, keyboards, programming (all tracks); percussion (2)
- Jorge Luis Chacín – background vocals (2)
- Kat Dahlia – background vocals (2)
- Yasmil Marrufo – background vocals (2, 6); bass, guitar (6)
- Yoel Henríquez – background vocals (2)
- Matt Rollings – piano (3)
- DallasK – arrangement, keyboards, programming (4)
- Luigi Castillo – background vocals (6)
- Santiago Castillo – background vocals (6)
- Servando Primera – background vocals (6)
Technical
edit- Jaycen Joshua – mastering, mixing
- Federico Vindver – recording
- Jean Rodríguez – recording
- Rafa Arcaute – recording
- Ray Charles Brown, Jr. – recording
- José Aponte – recording (4)
- Yasmil Marrufo – recording (6)
- Felipe Trujillo – engineering assistance (1, 5)
- Morgan David – engineering assistance (1, 5)
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Digital Albums (Official German Charts)[27] | 46 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[30] | 54 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] | 79 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[26] | 31 |
| US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[32] | 41 |
| US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)[33] | 14 |
| US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard)[34] | 2 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | January 21, 2022 | Sony Latin | [35] |
References
edit- ^ Flores, Griselda (January 19, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Unveils Release Date & Tracklist for Her Upcoming Spanish-Language EP 'La Fuerza'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Hansen, Lena; Mangal, Mayra; Utset, Joaquim (March 9, 2022). "¿Quiénes son las 25 Mujeres Más Poderosas de People en Español? ¡Mira el resto de la lista!". People en Español (in Spanish). Dotdash Meredith. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
- ^ Roiz, Jessica (October 11, 2020). "Hispanic Heritage Month: Longest-Leading Top Latin Albums Chart No. 1s Ever". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
- ^ "Top 20 Latin Albums Of All Time | Billboard". Billboard. October 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Brandle, Lars (April 15, 2021). "Christina Aguilera Is Working on a Spanish-Language Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Returns to her Roots with a New All-Spanish Album". Ocean Drive. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ Ahlgrim, Callie. "Christina Aguilera teases the release of her new Latin album — but fans shouldn't expect the new music all at once". Insider. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "101.1 The Eagle on Twitter: Christina Aguilera Says New Music's Coming "Very Soon"". Twitter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera habla de su ambicioso proyecto en español y de su sencillo con Becky G". Los Angeles Times en Español (in Spanish). October 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ Major, Michael (May 31, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Releases New Album 'Aguilera'". Broadwayworld. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
- ^ a b "Every Song on Christina Aguilera's 'La Fuerza' Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c Weiner, Josh (January 28, 2022). "Our Take: Christina Aguilera Makes a Triumphant Return to Latin Music with 'La Fuerza'". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera stuns in sexy Spanish-music comeback song 'Pa Mis Muchachas'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Listen to Christina Aguilera's new Spanish-language ballad 'Somos Nada'". NME. November 24, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Teases 'Santo' Collab With Ozuna & New EP 'La Fuerza': See The Photo". NewsOpener. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ^ a b Villa, Lucas (January 24, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Successfully Embraces Her Roots on 'La Fuerza'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "Billboard Álbum de la Semana: 'La Fuerza' de Christina Aguilera". Billboard Argentina (in Spanish). Sociedad de Editores ABC1. January 24, 2022. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ "The 22 Best EPs of 2022". Atwood Magazine. December 12, 2022. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (January 27, 2022). "Christina Aguilera – 'La Fuerza' EP Review". Entertainment Focus. Piñata Media Limited. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ Cerros, Enrique (March 5, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Embraces her Latin Roots with 'La Fuerza'". NEIU Independent. Illinois College Press Association/Associated Collegiate Press. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (March 23, 2022). "The 20 greatest Christina Aguilera singles of all time, ranked from worst to best". The Tab. Tab Media Ltd. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ Enos, Morgan (September 20, 2022). "2022 Latin GRAMMYs Nominees Announced: See The Complete List". Grammy Awards. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ Mendez II, Moises (December 16, 2022). "The Best Latin Songs and Albums of 2022". Time. Time USA, LLC. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ Cordero, Gonzalo (January 2, 2023). "Los 37 mejores discos de 2022". Esquire. Hearst España S.L. Todos. Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ Bustios, Pamela (February 1, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Returns to Billboard Latin Albums Charts After Two Decades With 'La Fuerza'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "Download Charts Album – Aktualisiert am: 31.01.2022" (in German). Official German Charts. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Andrade, Sara (March 11, 2022). "Christina Aguilera: The X Factor". Vogue Portugal. Condé Nast/Lighthouse Publishing. Archived from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Nowicki, Albert (May 31, 2022). "Christina Aguilera – 'La Tormenta' (EP Review). The Storm in the Heart We've All Been Waiting For". Prime News. Ex Aequo et Bono. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ "SpanishCharts.com – Christina Aguilera – La Fuerza". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Christina Aguilera – La Fuerza". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Top Latin Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Chart History (Latin Pop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ "La Fuerza EP – Digital Download". Christina Aguilera official website. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.