Christina Aguilera Talks 25th Anniversary of Debut Album: ‘I Wanted to Make Music That Had Depth, Meaning & Range’

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From pop star to pop icon. Christina Aguilera just hit a career milestone, and she marked the moment with help from Instagram.

The Grammy-winning singer joined the social media site in rolling out a new music feature, which allows users to add songs to their profile.

Last month, Aguilera — along with *NSYNC, Alicia Keys and Destiny’s Child — hopped on Instagram’s #tbt trend by sharing some of their early 2000s hits. Instagram unveiled the new music profile feature on Aug. 22. Users can add music by clicking “edit profile” from the Profile tab and “add music to your profile.” Instagram allows users to post up to 30 seconds of a song.

When it comes to Y2K nostalgia, Aguilera tops the charts. Back in 1999, when word of a “computer bug” flooded the news cycle and stoked fears of a worldwide digital outage, a new era of pop music emerged. Aguilera may be known for her powerful vocals, but she’s also a fashion idol. Her mixture of cute crop tops, skintight bootcut pants and legendary leather chaps epitomized Y2K style.

Christina Aguilera, her self-titled debut LP, arrived on Aug. 24, 1999, four months before the turn of the millennium. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sale 8.3 million copies worldwide. “Genie in a Bottle,” the album’s platinum-selling lead single, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and earned a Grammy nomination for best female pop vocal performance. The single didn’t win the Grammy, but Aguilera won the best new artist honor that night. Accepting her award — in a shimmery butterfly dress and glittery eyeshadow — 19-year-old Aguilera delivered a tearful acceptance speech, marking a candid moment for a new pop star genuinely surprised to receive one of music’s top honors.

More than two decades later, Aguilera’s career has evolved into different music genres and new areas of business. The mother of two, who co-founded of the sexual wellness brand Playground in 2022, has turned the page on a new chapter. In celebration of her debut album, Billboard caught up with Aguilera over email to reflect on the project’s silver jubilee, the end of her concert run in Las Vegas and more.

What do you love about Instagram’s new music feature?

Instagram’s new music feature could not have dropped at a better time! As I’m celebrating the 25th anniversary of my debut album, there’s no better way to connect with my fans and followers than by sharing a favorite song on my profile. It really gives everyone the chance to be expressive and soundtrack their lives alongside posts.

Besides your own hits, what’s one of your favorite songs from the early 2000s?

There are a lot of great songs from this [time period], and some of my favorites include Kelis’ Milkshake and Caught Out There.  I also really liked t.a.T.u’s All The Things She Said, and I remember listening to a lot of Outkast, Missy Elliott and Korn, as well as various things from The Neptunes.

Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of your debut, what makes you most proud about the album and what did it teach you about yourself?

It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years! I’m most proud of how the album introduced me to the world and how well it was received. I was young, but knew I wanted to make music that had depth, meaning and range – so this album provided the perfect launch pad for a career I’m forever grateful for. 

Looking back at your debut to present day, how do you feel your sound has evolved over the years?

As I’ve always been drawn to different musical genres and styles, my sound has evolved in many ways as I’ve experimented with everything from pop to jazz, to soul and R&B, Latin music and more. However, at the core, it’s always been finding new ways to express myself, my experiences, stories and emotions sonically. Over the years I’ve grown more confident in taking artistic risks and being authentic, unapologetically. 

You recently ended your run in Sin City. What do you love most about your Las Vegas shows?

What I love most about Las Vegas right now is how intimate the shows are! The venue is a special, magical space that [allowed] me to connect with my fans in a personal, energetic way that I haven’t been able to experience before. Every night [was] a celebration of music and freedom with a unique, new, diverse crowd – and I was able to create new arrangements of the music to fit the room.

What’s one of your most memorable looks from your debut era? A music video, photo shoot or red-carpet moment.

One of my most memorable looks is probably from the “Genie in a Bottle” music video. The orange pants and beaded top really stand out to me. I had a lot of fun experimenting with different styles in the “Come On Over” video, especially the blue patterned pants and I started playing around with my hair color. It was only the beginning of having fun with my style and exploring new looks over the years, which I still love to do.

I’ve always loved the Christina Aguilera album cover. How did the photo art come about? How long did it take to shoot?

Thank you! For the cover we wanted to create something fresh and timeless; it was always about keeping it simple and we honestly didn’t put too much thought into the album cover in the way I did for future albums. The shoot was relatively quick, but its importance was to find the essence and perfect moment of who I was at that time. 

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Quavo & Offset Have ‘Good Convo’ After Rich Homie Quan’s Death

Migos members and childhood friends Quavo and Offset had a falling out in 2022, leading to the Georgia trio’s disbandment. They’ve been slowly mending their relationship since, with Offset wishing Quavo a happy birthday earlier this year (“Happy gday my brother @quavohuncho love you 4L,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories back in April) and the duo reuniting last spring for a one-off performance at the 2023 BET Awards following the November 2022 fatal shooting of their bandmate TakeOff.

Now, the sudden death of another peer, Rich Homie Quan — who died Thursday at age 33 — inspired the two to have a much-needed conversation. On his IG Story, Quavo revealed that he and Offset had a “good convo with my bro,” alongside a prayer-hands emoji.

The reason as to exactly why the group fell out remains murky, but Quavo and the late Takeoff hinted at “loyalty” being at the center of the breakup while sitting down with Revolt’s Big Facts podcast to promote their album Only Built for Infinity Links.

“I just feel like we want to see our career as a duo, you know what I’m saying?” Quavo said. “Because you know, we just came from a loyal family, sh– that’s supposed to stick together. And sometimes, when sh– don’t work out, it ain’t meant to be.”

Takeoff added: “We don’t know all the answers, you feel me? God knows. We pray a lot, you know? Whatever ain’t right and however you supposed to see it fit, you put it back together or however you do it, we pray. So only time will tell. We always family now, that ain’t gon’ change.”

“We gon’ stand on loyalty, you know what I mean?” said Quavo. “We stand on real deal, real deal loyalty, and sometimes that sh—t ain’t displayed. This ain’t got nothing to do with no label, no paperwork, no QC, no nothing. This got something to do with the three brothers. And sh–, it is what it is. Right now, we gon’ be the duo ’til time tell.”

The late Rich Homie Quan, Young Thug and Migos were instrumental in ushering in a new era of Atlanta rap that has since dominated the genre. Quavo posted throwback pictures of their time climbing up the ranks on his IG Story after he learned of his friend’s death. “May God be with us. Never saw this being apart of our journey,” he wrote in reference to the unfortunate deaths of his nephew Takeoff and Rich Homie Quan.

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Katy Perry Proud to ‘Support My Baby Daddy’ Orlando Bloom at ‘The Cut’ Premiere

Katy Perry spent Thursday night supporting Orlando Bloom at the premiere of his new movie The Cut.

After posing with her fiancé on the red carpet at the opening night of the Toronto Film Festival, the pop star posted a couple of photos of their chic Celine looks on X. “Swapped out the rehearsal sweats last night to support my baby daddy’s new film premiere,” wrote Perry, who shares 4-year-old daughter Daisy with the actor.

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“Couldn’t be more proud of the intense amount of physical and mental effort he gave for this role (you’ll see…),” she added with an emoji of hands covering eyes. “But tbh I’m mostly grateful we can both now go back to enjoying our in n out again.”

That night, Perry also filmed a hilarious behind-the-scenes TikTok with Bloom. “Baby, this bang isn’t real,” she says as she peels back her faux fringe, leaving the Pirates of the Caribbean star stunned. “But my love for you is.”

The outing comes shortly after the couple made headlines for a loving-but-NSFW comment Perry made about her partner on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. “If I come downstairs and the kitchen is clean, and you’ve done all the dishes and closed all the pantry doors, you better be ready to get your di– sucked,” the American Idol alum said. “That is my love language! I don’t need a red Ferrari … I can buy a red Ferrari. Just do the f—ing dishes! I will suck your di–! It’s that easy.”

Suffice to say, Bloom was all ears. “I’ve cleaned the whole house,” he quipped in the comments of one of Perry’s posts about the podcast appearance.

Watch Perry and Bloom’s TikTok below.

@katyperry

♬ original sound – Katy Perry

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HYBE, K-Pop Stocks Suffer Some of the Worst Declines in Brutal Week for Global Markets

Music stocks were off sharply this week as global markets were roiled by worries about the health of the U.S. economy and Friday’s disappointing jobs report.  

K-pop stocks suffered big declines this week as a major Korean stock market index had its biggest one-day decline ever. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index fell 8.8% on Monday as investors were gripped with fear about a U.S. recession. The market improved the following day, but the KOSPI ended the week down 4.9% to 2,544.81.

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South Korean music companies were unfortunate casualties during the week of upheaval. The four main K-pop companies fell an average of 10.8% and their average year-to-date loss increased to 40.9%. HYBE fell 10.2% to 165,000 won ($123.25), bringing its year-to-date loss to 29.1%. YG Entertainment slipped 9.8% to 30,800 won ($23.01). SM Entertainment fell 10.4% to 56,300 won ($42.05). JYP Entertainment fared the worst, dipping 13.0% to 44,450 ($33.20) and bringing its year-to-date loss to 56.1%. 

The Billboard Global Music Index fell 4.8% to 1,744.64, reducing the year-to-date gain to 13.7% and marking the index’s worst week since it fell 5.1% in the week ended Feb. 24, 2023. The broader stock market had a miserable week. In the United States, the Nasdaq composite fell 5.8% and the S&P 500 slipped 4.2%. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 lost 2.3%. China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell 2.7%.

Just three of the BGMI’s 20 stocks finished the week in positive territory, and two of the three winners are among the index’s smallest contributors. The top stock, Believe, which gained 3.7% to 15.06 euros ($16.69), has a float of less than 4% after a consortium led by CEO Denis Ladegaillerie acquired nearly the entire share capital. 

The second-best performer, Anghami, has the smallest market capitalization of all index companies at $23 million. The Abu Dhabi-based music streamer gained 2.3% to $0.90 after announcing Thursday (Sept. 5) that its video streaming subscriptions increased 18% since the majority investment by OSN Group, owner of MENA-based video-on-demand streaming platform OSN+, in April.  

Live Nation fell 5.0% to $92.81 despite two positive analyst opinions this week. BofA Securities initiated coverage of Live Nation this week with a $125 price target and a “buy” rating. Oppenheimer, which dropped its Live Nation price target from $120 to $110 in May, raised it back to $120 on Friday. 

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Sphere Entertainment Co. dropped 7.1% to $43.27 after Benchmark downgraded Sphere shares to “sell” with a $40 price target, well below the prior day’s $46.60 closing price. Benchmark analyst cited concerns about “scalability, high production costs, and a potentially underwhelming profitability outlook” for the $2.3 billion Las Vegas venue. 

The week’s largest decline came from SiriusXM, which fell 17.0% to $2.73. On Wednesday (Sept. 4), SiriusXM and Liberty Media announced the final exchange ratio for the pending merger of SiriusXM’s and Liberty Media’s tracking stock, Liberty SiriusXM Holdings. On Monday (Sept. 9), Liberty Media will redeem each outstanding share of Liberty SiriusXM common stock for 0.8375 shares of the new SiriusXM stock. SiriusXM shareholders will receive 0.1 shares of the new SiriusXM stock, which will trade under the same SIRI ticker as the current SiriusXM stock. Following the merger, former holders of Liberty SiriusXM stock will own roughly 81% of the new shares.

The BGMI’s most valuable component, Spotify, fell 5.9% to $322.75. Another major stock on the index, Universal Music Group (UMG), dropped 3.0% to 22.93 euros ($25.42). UMG will host investors and analysts at its Capital Markets Day on Tuesday (Sept. 10). 

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BTS’ RM & Megan Thee Stallion ‘Neva Play’ About Their New Collab | Billboard News

Megan Thee Stallion & BTS’ RM released their highly anticipated collab “Neva Play,” and the duo wasn’t playing when it came to the music video. Keep watching to see the video and who else the boys of BTS have collabed with!

Tetris Kelly:

Thee collab has finally arrived: it’s RM of BTS and Megan Thee Stallion with “Neva Play.” We’re discussing the hot new track and some other times the BTS Boys have worked with top western artists in this week’s music you should know. RM’s rap is as smooth as ever as the leader of BTS appears in the video with animated style we know Thee Stallion was a fan of. She looks flawless as always in multiple looks and moves showing us her iconic skills. It’s not the first time she has collabed with RM. She appeared on BTS’ “Butter” remix. And the fellas have worked with the best on some of their biggest hits like Halsey on “Boy With Luv,” Nicki’s epic verse on “IDOL,” their Hot 100 No. 1 with Coldplay, j-hope and J. Cole, and Jung Kook has worked with Charlie Puth, Latto and Jack Harlow. And there’s so many more. Who would you like to see BTS collab with? Let us know in the comments. 

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Linkin Park’s ‘The Emptiness Machine’ Debuts on Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart From First Few Hours of Release

Despite being released with just six hours left in the Sept. 14-dated Billboard charts’ tracking week, Linkin Park’s comeback single “The Emptiness Machine” debuts at No. 24 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay list.

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The song – the six-piece’s first with new vocalist Emily Armstrong, who sings with Mike Shinoda on it, and new drummer Colin Brittain – bows with 1.1 million audience impressions in the week ending Sept. 5, according to Luminate.

That volume comes despite the song’s 6 p.m. ET release Sept. 5, coinciding with the announcement of Armstrong and Brittain joining the band and an impending six-date tour, as well as a livestream performance unveiling the band’s latest iteration.

Linkin Park’s new era follows the 2017 death of frontman Chester Bennington. Additionally, longtime drummer Rob Bourdon has not rejoined the group.

“The Emptiness Machine” is Linkin Park’s 17th entry on Rock & Alternative Airplay, which began in 2009. That count encompasses five No. 1s, including two straight prior to “The Emptiness Machine”: “Lost” in 2023 and “Friendly Fire” earlier this year. “Lost” is from the 20th anniversary reissue of Linkin Park’s 2003 album Meteora, while “Friendly Fire” is on this year’s retrospective Papercuts; both songs feature Bennington’s vocals.

Although Rock & Alternative Airplay is the only airplay-based chart “The Emptiness Machine” on which has bowed so far, the song is already bubbling under both the plays-based Alternative Airplay (195 plays) and Mainstream Rock Airplay rankings (150 plays), making its debut imminent on both surveys dated Sept. 21.

The last song to have debuted at No. 1 on Alternative Airplay? Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” in 2007.

“The Emptiness Machine” is the lead single from From Zero, Linkin Park’s eighth studio album, due Nov. 15. It’s the band’s first since One More Light, released two months prior to Bennington’s death. The set launched at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in June 2017 and has earned 1 million equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated Sept. 14 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 10.

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Nicky Jam, Natti Natasha & More: Which Is Your Favorite New Latin Music Release of the Week?

This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music from artists including new studio albums by Nicky Jam and Jhay Cortez.

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This week, Nicky Jam dropped his sixth studio album Insomnio, three years after his set Infinity. In a 14-track set that includes fiery collaborations with Feid, Eladio Carrión, Sean Paul, and Luar La L on the focus track “La Cyber,” Nicky takes fans on an ultra-personal journey that was inspired by his late-night creativity.

“The name ‘Insomnio’ came about because many of the album’s songs were born in the tranquility of the night, a moment without distractions where my deepest thoughts found their voice,” the Puerto Rican artist expressed in a press statement. “But within that same calm lies the whirlwind of partying until dawn.”

Jhayco also released his first album in three years, a three-part set with 29 songs called Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X): “Le Clique,” represents the family, “Vida Rockstar,” the movement, and “X,” the hits. For his new project, Jhayco reeled in collaborators such as Peso Pluma, Yandel, and DJ Khaled, to name a few, and as Billboard Español’s Isabela Raygoza describes, it “weaves together the threads of rock, reggaetón, and everything in between […] transforming the artist into a genre alchemist.”

Other new releases this week include Grupo Frontera & Gabito Ballestero’s “Pienso En Ella”; Natti Natasha’s bachata “Tu Loca,” produced by Romeo Santos; and a dreamy new version of Elena Rose’s “Me Lo Merezco.”

Last week, Sebastian Yatra’s “Los Domingos” won the poll, bringing in more than 70% of the votes. Who should win this week? Give these new releases a spin and vote on them below.

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The Offspring’s ‘Make It All Right’ Rises to No. 1 on Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart

The Offspring’s “Make It All Right” ascends two spots to No. 1 on Billboard’s all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart dated Sept. 14.

The track reigns with 3.9 million audience impressions in the week ending Sept. 5, according to Luminate.

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The Dexter Holland-fronted act snags its first ruler on Rock & Alternative Airplay, which began in 2009. The band logged its previous best with “Days Go By,” which reached No. 4 in 2012. The group boasts two other top 10s: “Coming for You” (No. 7, 2015) and “Let the Bad Times Roll” (No. 5, 2021).

Concurrently, “Make It All Right” rises 3-2 for a new high on Mainstream Rock Airplay. The band has earned three No. 1s on the chart, dating to its first appearance in 1994. “Gone Away” led for two weeks in 1997, followed by “Coming for You” and “Let the Bad Times Roll,” for a week each.

“Make It All Right” remains at its No. 2 best on Alternative Airplay, where The Offspring also has notched three No. 1s – though a completely different collection than its Mainstream Rock Airplay haul: “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated),” for two weeks in 1994; “Hit That” (one week, 2004); and “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” (11, 2008).

“Make It All Right” is the lead single from Supercharged, The Offspring’s 11th studio album, due Oct. 11. It’s the group’s first LP since 2021’s Let the Bad Times Roll, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart and has earned 113,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated Sept. 14 will update on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 10.

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Kim Petras & The Chainsmokers ‘Show You How It’s Done’ on New Song ‘Don’t Lie’: Watch the Video

Kim Petras and The Chainsmokers are sneaking in one last song of the summer contender, with the pop star and EDM duo releasing a new collaboration titled “Don’t Lie” and music video Friday (Sept. 6).

In the video, bandmates Alex Pall and Drew Taggart DJ a rave in the middle of nowhere as Petras mysteriously emerges from a mud puddle and steals the show. “Picture you and me alone/ That’s the feeling that I want,” she sings over a club-ready beat, strutting, posing and dancing with a group of other partiers. “Baby, you’re the only one/ Let me show you how it’s done.”

Even as a thunderstorm sends camping gear flying, the German artist keeps the party going in the rain before disappearing back through the puddle portal she came from.

“Don’t Lie” marks Petras’ first release since “Reason Why” with the late producer SOPHIE and BC Kingdom. Earlier this year, she dropped Slut Pop Miami, reaching No. 14 on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

The track also follows The Chainsmokers’ May EP No Hard Feelings. After the duo’s collaboration with Petras dropped Friday, Pall and Taggart shared photos from the set of their video shoot on Instagram and wrote that the project “marks a shift in the way we’ve been making music in the absolute best way.”

“It lead us to rediscovering the process that started all of this back when we were making indie remixes in 2014 hoping they would get some traction on hype machine,” they continued. “Things feel really f–king fun right now. We are excited to share the first piece with you.”

Watch the “Don’t Lie” music video above.

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Selena Gomez Teases ‘Mi Camino’ From ‘Emilia Pérez’ Soundtrack

Selena Gomez is showing off her musical talent as well as her acting chops!

The multihyphenate took to Instagram to share a clip of the dance-ready track, “Mi Camino,” which is featured in the upcoming film, Emilia Pérez, in which Gomez stars as Jessi Del Monte. “A little sneak peek of the song “Mi Camino” that I performed in EMILIA PÉREZ,” she wrote in the caption. The clip features a blonde Gomez dancing on a man in a cowboy hat, belting into a microphone the chorus’ lyrics: “Si me caigo en la barranca/ Es mi barranca/ Si me doblo de dolor/ Es mi dolor/ Si me mando al séptimo cielo/ Es mi cielo/ Si me equivoco de camino/ Es mi camino.”

“If I fall into the ravine / It’s my ravine / If I double over in pain / It’s my pain / If I send myself to seventh heaven / It’s my heaven / If I take the wrong path / It’s my path,” the lyrics translate to.

See Gomez teaser post here.

This past spring, Gomez and castmates Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz collectively won the best actress award at Cannes Film Festival for their work in Emilia Pérez.

The Spanish-language musical — which follows a Mexican drug lord (Gascón) embracing her true identity as a woman, will premiere in select theaters in other countries in November, as well as hit Netflix in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. on Nov. 13. 

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