Make the World Move

Last updated
"Make the World Move"
Song by Christina Aguilera featuring CeeLo Green
from the album Lotus
Recorded Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles, California)
The Red Lips Room (Beverly Hills, California)
Genre
Length2:59
Label RCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Alex da Kid
  • Jayson DeZuzio
  • Mike Del Rio
  • Christina Aguilera (vocals)
  • Candice Pillay (vocals)

"Make the World Move" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It features guest vocals from Cee Lo Green. The song was written by Alexander Grant, Mike Del Rio, Candice Pillay, Jayson DeZuzio, Dwayne Abernathy and Armando Trovajoli. Musically, the track is an uptempo inspirational song, which combines dance, R&B and soul genres. Lyrically, it is a positive attitude song which features horns and synthesizers as part of its instrumentation.

Contents

"Make the World Move" received a mixed response from music critics; some were complimentary of Aguilera and Green's performance, although others felt that the track is weak compared to other songs on Lotus. Upon the release of the album, the song debuted at number 123 on the South Korean international singles chart. Aguilera and Green performed "Make the World Move" on the third season of The Voice , a singing competition show on which they are both a coach.

Background

Following the release of her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010), and its low sales figures, [1] Aguilera filed for divorce from husband Jordan Bratman, starred in a film entitled Burlesque and recorded its accompanying soundtrack. [2] She then became a coach on NBC's singing competition show The Voice [2] and was featured on Maroon 5's single "Moves like Jagger" (2011), which spent a total of four consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. [3] After these events, Aguilera announced her plans to record her seventh album, stating that she wanted good quality songs and that she wanted to find "personal" songs to record. [3] She revealed that the album would be a "culmination of everything I've experienced up until this point ... I've been through a lot since the release of my last album, being on ('The Voice'), having had a divorce ... This is all sort of a free rebirth for me." [4] She continued to say that "I'm embracing many different things, but it's all feel-good, super-expressive [and] super-vulnerable." [4] Aguilera continued to say that the album would be about "selfexpression and freedom" because of the obstacles she had to overcome during the last couple of years and wanting to go back to her roots. [5] Speaking about her new material on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2012, Aguilera revealed that the album was taking a while to record because "I don't like to just get songs from producers. I like them to come from a personal place ... I'm very excited. It's fun, exciting, introspective, it's going to be great". [6]

Development

Fellow The Voice coach, Cee Lo Green, is featured on "Make the World Move" CEELOGREENGBB.jpg
Fellow The Voice coach, Cee Lo Green, is featured on "Make the World Move"

In April 2011, it was announced that Aguilera and Green were collaborating on a song. [7] A demo track, entitled "Nasty", leaked online and was later confirmed to be an unused song from Aguilera's soundtrack album Burlesque. [7] In May, Green revealed that they had recorded "Nasty" prior to becoming judges on The Voice. [3] The same month, Green was asked about the song in an interview with Billboard ; he explained: "It's a song for her album. I won't disclose the title, because it could possibly be a working title ... You know, but we've talked about it amongst ourselves and I'm gonna go in on it and work it out. It'll be the second song we've done." [3] Despite not revealing the title of the song, he confirmed that Aguilera's vocals on the track were finished. [3]

In April 2012, Aguilera confirmed that she and Green had worked on a new track entitled "Make the World Move" and described it as "positive" and "full of life." [7] Regarding the collaboration, she said: "I'm just excited to share the stage with Cee Lo because we both get off on production and dancers and having all of those fun elements about being on stage and being a performer ... So the two of us together joining forces is going to be huge!" [7] When asked if "Make the World Move" would be released as a single, Aguilera replied saying that she was not sure about what would be done with the song. [7] In an interview with MTV News in November, Aguilera explained how she felt the song would be suited to Green as she felt a male vocal contribution was needed, saying: "I got to collaborate with my good buddy Cee Lo ... There was a part for a potential male vocal on the chorus, and I just heard immediately Cee Lo's voice on it, his signature Cee Lo, and it was fun collaborating with him and having him on my record and us joining forces together." [8]

Production and composition

"Make the World Move" was written by Alexander Grant, Mike Del Rio, Candice Pillay, Jayson DeZuzio, Dwayne Abernathy and Armando Trovajoli, with production done by Grant credited with his professional name, Alex da Kid, Del Rio and DeZuzio [9] Aguilera was involved with the song's vocal production, along with Pillay. [9] Lucas Secon, co-writer and producer of another Lotus track "Red Hot Kinda Love", served as the programmer and arranger. [9] The song was recorded by Josh Mosser while Aguilera and Green's vocals were recorded by Oscar Ramirez and edited by Del Rio. [9] The song contains a portion of the composition "Let's Find Out", written by Armando Trovajoli. [9] "Make the World Move", an uptempo and "old school" inspirational song which consists of dance, R&B and soul genres, [10] [11] [12] [13] and lasts for a duration of 2:59 (two minutes and 59 seconds). [14] Demonstrating a sense of "sassiness" and "power" in her vocal performance, [15] Aguilera sings the positive attitude lyrics, [12] "The time is now/ No time to wait/ Turn up the love/ Turn down the hate" over what Robert Copsey of Digital Spy called a "bonkers arrangement" which consists of "horn blasts" and "plinky synths." [16] Instrumentation also consists of a "brassy, big-band arrangement." [17]

Critical reception

"Make the World Move" received a mixed response from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the collaboration between Aguilera and Green as a "pulsating party," [18] while Andrew Hampp for Billboard described the song as "a barn-storming party anthem". [17] Hampp was complimentary of the song's arrangement, writing that it is something that would have worked well on Aguilera's fifth studio album, Back to Basics (2006), which features prominent 1940's music influences. [17] He praised da Kid's production, writing that he has bought a 1940s inspired song into the "2010s". [17] Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club wrote that the "Make the World Move" is "a dizzying duet" and is "downright inspiring." [12] Sarah Rodman for The Boston Globe demonstrated admiration for the song, writing that it is "impossible-to-resist." [19] Newsday 's Glenn Gamboa was brief in her review of the track, writing that the song is "playful." [10]

In comparison to the previous track on Lotus, "Red Hot Kinda Love", Chris Younie for 4Music wrote that "Make the World Move" is "not the same", but "by no means hugely different." [15] Younie continued to say that the song is "a bit retro and a bit modern" and "a bit underground but a bit mainstream." [15] While he praised the chorus and its memorability, Younie labelled the track as being "lacklustre following 'Red Hot Kinda Love'". [15] Sarah Godfrey of The Washington Post described the song as a "strange" dance version of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth". [11] Robert Copsey wrote that the song did not fulfill his expectations. [16] Michael Gallucci for Popcrush noted that as the fourth song on the album, it "keeps the party going", but is forgettable. [20] The Huffington Post 's Mesfin Fekadu criticized "Make the World Move", along with album tracks "Around the World" and "Red Hot Kinda Love", for failing to capture the "fun" in which they are supposed to embody. [21]

Live performance

Aguilera and Green performed "Make the World Move" for the first time together on the third season of The Voice on November 13, 2012. [22] Opening the show, the set consisting of two red chairs on which each singer sat on, as well as a balcony for Green. [22] Green wore a striped polo shirt, while Aguilera sported a "purple Afro wig and plastic tiara." [22]

Credits and personnel

Recording
Sample
Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Lotus, RCA Records. [9]

Charts

Upon the release of Lotus, "Make the World Move" debuted on the South Korean singles chart at number 88 during the week of November 11 to 17, 2012, due to digital download sales of 2,999. [23]

Chart (2012)Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon Weekly Download Chart: International) [23] 88
South Korea (Gaon Weekly Digital Chart: International) [24] 123

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Aguilera</span> American singer

Christina María Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the "Voice of a Generation". Aguilera rose to stardom with her eponymous debut album, for which she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Her works, which incorporate feminism, sexuality, and domestic violence, have generated both critical praise and controversy, for which she is often cited as an influence by other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Aguilera discography</span>

American singer Christina Aguilera has released nine studio albums, two extended plays (EPs), six compilation albums, one soundtrack album, 54 singles, and 16 promotional singles. To date, Aguilera has sold around 75 to 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female music artist of all time. Billboard ranked Aguilera as the 37th Greatest Hot 100 Women of All Time and the 44th Greatest Billboard 200 Women of All Time. In the United States alone, Aguilera has sold 18.3 million albums. Through the RIAA she has 16.5 million certified albums units and 10 million certified digital singles units. Aguilera is recognized as the 20th best-selling artist of the 2000s. She has also achieved 10 number one hits on Billboard's Dance Club Songs. In the United Kingdom, Aguilera has sold over 3.3 million albums and 6.1 million singles.

<i>Back to Basics</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2006 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Back to Basics is the fifth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on August 9, 2006, in the United States through RCA Records as a double album. Serving as executive producer, she enlisted a wide range of producers, including DJ Premier, Rich Harrison, Rob Lewis, Mark Ronson, and Linda Perry. Recording sessions took place between 2005 and 2006 at several studios in the United States and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ain't No Other Man</span> 2006 single by Christina Aguilera

"Ain't No Other Man" is a song by the American singer Christina Aguilera from her fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006). Aguilera co-wrote the song with Kara DioGuardi, Charles Martin Roane, Harold Beatty and the producer DJ Premier. "Ain't No Other Man" is a pop, funk and R&B song that incorporates elements of soul, blues and jazz music. Lyrically, the song was inspired by her marriage to Jordan Bratman in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gnarls Barkley</span> American soul duo

Gnarls Barkley are an American soul duo, composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, St. Elsewhere, in 2006. It contained their hit single "Crazy", which peaked at number two on the US Hot 100 and topped the UK Singles Chart. It was nominated at the 2007 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, and was platinum certified for shipping over 1,000,000 records. St. Elsewhere also received a nomination for Album of the Year. The Odd Couple, their second studio album, was scheduled for release in April 2008, but due to a leak of the album over the internet, they decided to release it early. The album in its entirety received good reviews, but it did not have as much commercial success as their first album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cupid (singer)</span> American singer from Louisiana

Bryson Bernard, better known by his stage name Cupid, is an American singer and songwriter from Lafayette, Louisiana. He is best known for the 2007 line dance single "Cupid Shuffle", which peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Bionic</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2010 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Bionic is the sixth studio album by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on June 4, 2010, by RCA Records. Inspired by Aguilera's taste for electronic music, Bionic is characterized as an electropop, futurepop and R&B record. Its first half consists of electronic songs incorporating synthesizers and electronic beats, while the second half displays a balladic production. The album's main themes include sex and feminism. Bionic received mixed reviews from music critics. It debuted and peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 110,000 copies, selling 500,000 album-equivalents as of June 2018. Internationally, the album peaked inside the top ten in most countries, including a number-one debut on the UK Albums Chart. At the time of its release Bionic was the lowest-selling UK Albums Chart number-one album of the last eight years.

<i>Burlesque</i> (soundtrack) 2010 soundtrack album by Christina Aguilera and Cher

Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name, released by Screen Gems, Inc and RCA Records on November 19, 2010. The soundtrack consists of ten songs sung by the film's stars, American singers Christina Aguilera and Cher; Aguilera sung eight of the tracks, while Cher performed the remaining two. The album is inspired by jazz music style, in style with Aguilera's fifth studio album Back to Basics (2006), but contrasting to her then-recent release Bionic (2010), which was recorded concurrently with Burlesque. Burlesque served as Cher's first album since the release of Living Proof nine years earlier.

Erin Martin is an American pop singer, songwriter, composer and model from Berrien Springs, Michigan. Martin is known as her unique voice and her “Egyptian Warrior Princess” style, headband and her signature hairstyle she calls a “FroHawk”, a portmanteau of “afro” and “mohawk”. Martin was a contestant on the second season of VH1’s “Rock of Love” and the second season of NBC's The Voice as a part of "Team Cee Lo”. Martin is musically influenced by Billie Holiday, India Arie, Björk and Fiona Apple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Body (Christina Aguilera song)</span> 2012 single by Christina Aguilera

"Your Body" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written by Savan Kotecha, Max Martin, Shellback and Tiffany Amber, while its production was done by Martin and Shellback. RCA Records premiered the song on September 14, 2012 on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, and later sent it to US contemporary hit and rhythmic radio stations two days later as the lead single from Lotus. "Your Body" is an R&B, electro, EDM and pop number with elements from dubstep and Eurodance. Its lyrics express Aguilera's desire to have sex with an anonymous partner.

<i>Lotus</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2012 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Lotus is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. RCA Records released the album on November 9, 2012. Its music incorporates pop styles with elements of dance-pop and rock in the form of upbeat songs and piano-driven ballads. Aguilera described the album as a "rebirth", drawing inspiration from events in her life, her appearance on The Voice, and her divorce. The album was recorded at Aguilera's home studio. As executive producer, she collaborated with a wide range of producers, including new partners Alex da Kid, Max Martin, Lucas Secon and Tracklacers.

"Army of Me" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera for her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was co-written by Aguilera with Jamie Hartman, David Glass and Phil Bentley, with production done by Hartman and Tracklacers. Described by Aguilera as part two to her 2003 single "Fighter", she decided to record the song so that her newer, younger fans would have an empowering song to listen in case they were unfamiliar with her previous work. The song combines dance-pop and Eurodance genres; its instrumentation incorporates drum beats and rock guitars. "Army of Me" garnered mixed reviews from music critics. Many praised Aguilera's strong delivery of the song's message and branded it a potential single, while others criticized it for being too similar to "Fighter". Upon the release of Lotus, the song debuted on the South Korea international singles chart at number 103 with digital download sales of 2,689. Aguilera has performed the song at the 40th American Music Awards in the United States.

"Let There Be Love" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing from Bonnie McKee, Oliver Goldstein, Oscar Holter and Jakke Erixson. Having originally collaborated with other producers in her earlier works, Aguilera stated that the "full circle" her career had taken became the right time to work with Martin. The song combines dance-pop, EDM and pop music genres, and is influenced by electronica and trance. Its instrumentation incorporates synths, drums and electronics.

"Blank Page" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, taken from her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written by Aguilera, Chris Braide and Sia, with production done by Braide. Aguilera had worked with Furler on her previous two albums Bionic and Burlesque, both released in 2010. Following the release of Lotus, Aguilera revealed that Furler is one of her favorite people to work with and that she is very inspiring.

"Just a Fool" is a duet recorded by American singer songwriters Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton for Aguilera's seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). The track was written by Claude Kelly, Wayne Hector, and its producer Steve Robson. "Just a Fool" was sent to contemporary hit and hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States by RCA Records as the second and final single from the album on December 4, 2012. The song is a country pop ballad which discusses the pain of a break-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasty (Pixie Lott song)</span> 2014 single by Pixie Lott

"Nasty" is a song by English singer Pixie Lott from her self-titled third studio album (2014). It was released on 7 March 2014 as the album's lead single by Mercury Records. The accompanying music video was filmed in November 2013 and directed by Bryan Barber. A second version featured British band The Vamps was released in the same day only in United Kingdom and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telepathy (song)</span> 2016 single by Christina Aguilera featuring Nile Rodgers

"Telepathy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Christina Aguilera featuring American musician Nile Rodgers, recorded for the 2016 Netflix musical drama series The Get Down and included on the accompanying soundtrack of the same name. It was co-written by Sia in collaboration with Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen. The track was produced by Elliott Wheeler and The Get Down director, Baz Luhrmann. While it was available to download from the soundtrack upon its release, it was promoted in Italy to contemporary hit radio as a single on August 23, 2016. Various remixes were also released throughout the following month.

<i>Liberation</i> (Christina Aguilera album) 2018 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Liberation is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. The album was released on June 15, 2018, through RCA Records. It is Aguilera's first studio album in six years, following her seventh studio album Lotus (2012). The singer started recording the album in late 2014, and throughout 2015 and 2017, Aguilera collaborated with a handful of producers and songwriters to reach her desired sound; Pharrell Williams and Linda Perry were in the studio in early stages and ended up not being on the album, while new collaborators such as Anderson .Paak, Kanye West, Che Pope, Mike Dean and Tayla Parx were confirmed to be on the album. It features collaborations with Demi Lovato, Keida, Shenseea, GoldLink, Ty Dolla Sign, 2 Chainz, and XNDA.

<i>Aguilera</i> (album) 2022 studio album by Christina Aguilera

Aguilera is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera. It was released digitally through Sony Music Latin on May 31, 2022, as the follow up to her first Spanish-language album, Mi Reflejo (2000). As a trilogy album, Aguilera consists of three "chapters" with each being released as a separate extended play (EP): La Fuerza, La Tormenta and La Luz. Titled after her surname, the album pays tribute to Aguilera's Latin-American heritage, her Ecuadorian father, and her childhood and as a means to connect her children with their Latin heritage.

References

  1. Bain, Becky (August 23, 2012). "Christina Aguilera's Demo Of New Single 'Your Body' Surfaces: Listen". Idolator . Buzz Media . Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Hampp, Andrew (September 21, 2012). "Christina Aguilera: Billboard Cover Story". Billboard . Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Schneider, Marc (April 11, 2012). "Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Hit the Studio". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Elber, Lynn (August 28, 2012). "Christina Aguilera: New album is a 'rebirth'". Yahoo! Music . Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  5. Kennedy, Gerrick D. (September 13, 2012). "Christina Aguilera readies new album 'Lotus'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  6. "Christina Aguilera: 'New album is quality over quantity'". Digital Spy . Hearst Corporation. May 27, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Bain, Becky (April 18, 2012). "Christina Aguilera Reveals Details On Her Duet With Cee Lo Green, 'Make The World Move'". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  8. Garibaldi, Christina (November 6, 2012). "Christina Aguilera Previews Five Songs From Lotus, Her 'Labor Of Love'". MTV News . Viacom . Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lotus (inlay cover). Christina Aguilera. RCA Records. 2012. p. iTunes Digital Booklet.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. 1 2 Gamboa, Glenn (November 9, 2012). "Christina Aguilera's 'Lotus' review: nice comeback". Newsday . Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  11. 1 2 Godfrey, Sarah (November 12, 2012). "Album review: 'Lotus' by Christina Aguilera". The Washington Post . Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  12. 1 2 3 Zaleski, Annie (November 13, 2012). "Christina Aguilera: Lotus". The A.V. Club . Chicago: The Onion, Inc. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  13. Newman, Melinda (November 12, 2012). "Album Review: Christina Aguilera blooms on 'Lotus'". HitFix . Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  14. "iTunes Music Lotus by Christina Aguilera". iTunes Store (GB). Apple. November 9, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Younie, Chris (November 2, 2012). "News: Review: Christina Aguilera Lotus". 4Music . Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  16. 1 2 Copsey, Robert (November 2, 2012). "Christina Aguilera's new album 'Lotus': First listen". Digital Spy . Hearst Corporation . Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Hampp, Andrew (November 12, 2012). "Christina Aguilera, 'Lotus': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard . Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  18. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Lotus Christina Aguilera". Allmusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  19. Rodman, Sarah (November 13, 2012). "Christina Aguilera refocuses on her own voice in 'Lotus'". The Boston Globe . Retrieved November 17, 2012.
  20. Gallucci, Michael (November 2012). "Christina Aguilera, 'Lotus' Album Review". Popcrush. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
  21. Fekadu, Mesfin (November 12, 2012). "Christina Aguilera, 'Lotus' Review: Good, But Not Great". The Huffington Post . New York: AOL . Retrieved November 27, 2012.
  22. 1 2 3 Ball, Caila (November 14, 2012). "'The Voice': Christina Aguilera & Cee Lo Debut 'Make The World Move' & The Top 10 Is Revealed". Idolator. Buzz Media. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Gaon Download Chart: International". Gaon Chart. November 11–17, 2012. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  24. "Gaon Digital Chart: International". Gaon Chart. November 11–17, 2012. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2013.