The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera (Spotify Anniversaries Live)

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The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera (Spotify Anniversaries Live)
The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera (Spotify Anniversaries Live).jpg
EP by
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2024 (2024-09-23)
Recorded2024
VenueMateo Studios (Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length17:09
Label
Producer Christopher Hartz
Christina Aguilera chronology
Aguilera
(2022)
The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera (Spotify Anniversaries Live)
(2024)

The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera (Spotify Anniversaries Live) [a] is an extended play by American singer Christina Aguilera. It was released on September 23, 2024, through 5020 Records and Aguilera's Three Wishes production company. Created to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of her self-titled debut album, the project features live studio re-imaginings of several of Aguilera's signature tracks.

Contents

The EP was released as part of Spotify's Anniversaries series and as a live recording on YouTube. It saw musical collaborations with Sabrina Carpenter and Machine Gun Kelly, as well as appearances from Aguilera's early collaborators Ron Fair and Heather Holley.

Background and release

In August 2024, Aguilera noted in an interview with Glamour that she was "grateful" when discussing the upcoming twenty-fifth anniversary of her debut studio album, teasing new music. [2] On September 17, Aguilera announced that she would be releasing a live studio re-imagining of her debut album for an episode of "Spotify Anniversaries". [3] Head of Spotify Music Studios Sarah Patellos explained that the Anniversaries project would be a "celebration not only of the [songs], but also the growth of each artist as they revisit their classics". [4] Speaking to Rolling Stone , Aguilera noted that she has "always enjoyed reimagining my songs with different styles and audiences, as well as playing with sounds and arrangements that showcase how all music can be timeless", adding that she wanted to celebrate the album in a way that "brings together the past and present". [3]

The performances were released as an extended play on Spotify as well as a live recording on YouTube on September 23, 2024. [5] Alongside the performances, Aguilera also had sit down conversations with her mentor Ron Fair and collaborator Heather Holley who were described as "key figures in the development of her career". [6] The EP was later released on Apple Music on November 21, 2024. [1]

Musical content

The EP saw Aguilera performing stripped down versions of her songs starting with "Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You)". [7] This was followed by "Genie in a Bottle" which saw American rapper Machine Gun Kelly accompanying her with a guitar solo. [8] She performed "Obvious" and "I Turn to You" with Heather Holley playing the piano for the former having originally composed it. [5]

Aguilera then performed a duet with American singer Sabrina Carpenter on the song "What a Girl Wants". [9] Before performing, Carpenter noted that as a child she watched Aguilera song and cited it as the "most inspiring thing to me ever to see, as a young girl who wanted to sing". [10] [11] Aguilera ended the EP with a performance of her debut solo single, "Reflection" from the Disney animated film Mulan (1998). [11] She noted that the song was one of the few songs that "still resonates with her", adding that "people love that song so much because it’s about not being seen and that’s been a part of my career, so much [...] trying to find yourself and listen to the inner you". [11]

Promotion

On November 15, 2024, Aguilera appeared on Carpenter's Short n' Sweet Tour where the two performed Aguilera's 2006 song "Ain't No Other Man" and their duet version of "What a Girl Wants". [12] [13]

Reception

In December 2024, the EP was named one of the best albums of 2024 by HuffPost . [14] Writer Erin Evans opined that it was the "best sing-along compilation of the year". [14] In 2025, it was nominated for two Webby Awards, including in the "Music – General Video & Film" category, and for Aguilera's duet of "What a Girl Wants" with Carpenter. [15] [16]

Accolades

Year-end list rankings for The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera (Spotify Anniversaries Live)
PublicationListRankRef.
HuffPost Best Albums of 2024 [14]
Accolades received by The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera (Spotify Anniversaries Live)
YearCeremonyCategoryRecipientResultRef.
2025 Webby Awards Music – General Video & FilmNominated [15]
Best Individual Performance"What a Girl Wants" with Sabrina Carpenter Nominated [16]

Track listing

Track listing [17]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Come on Over"
  • Chaka Blackmon
  • Christina Aguilera
  • Eric Dawkins
  • Guy Roche
  • Johan Äberg,
  • Paul Rein
  • Ray Cham
  • Ron Fair
  • Shelly Peiken
2:04
2."Genie in a Bottle" (featuring Machine Gun Kelly)
  • David Martin Frank
  • Pamela Sheyne
  • Stephen Kipler
2:37
3."Obvious"Heather Holley3:12
4."I Turn To You"Diane Warren2:42
5."What a Girl Wants" (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)
  • Roche
  • Peiken
3:55
6."Reflection"
  • David Zippel
  • Matthew Wilder
2:39
Total length:17:09

Notes

Notes

  1. Titled The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera LIVE on Apple Music. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera LIVE - EP by Christina Aguilera". Apple Music . November 21, 2024. Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  2. Goodman, Lauren (August 19, 2024). "Christina Aguilera Talks Fame, Controversy, and Motherhood in New Interview". Glitter. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Mier, Tomas (September 17, 2024). "Christina Aguilera Will Celebrate 25 Years of Her Debut Album With 'Nostalgic' Reimagining of Its Hits". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  4. "Revisit Some of Music's Most Iconic Hits With Our 'Spotify Anniversaries' Video Series". Spotify . October 15, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Villa, Lucas (September 23, 2024). "WATCH: Christina Aguilera Celebrates 25 Years of Debut Album With Sabrina Carpenter". Remezcla. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  6. "Christina Aguilera Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Her Iconic Debut Album with a Special Release: "The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera LIVE"" (Press release). Sony Music. November 29, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  7. Fields, Taylor (November 23, 2024). "Christina Unearths 'Genie In A Bottle' Pants & More From Time Capsule". iHeartRadio. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  8. "Watch MGK Shred as Christina Aguilera sings "Genie In a Bottle"". 1057 The Point. September 24, 2025.
  9. Bell, BreAnna (September 18, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter teases Christina Aguilera collaboration after shade from Britney Spears". Page Six. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  10. Damara Kelly, Tyler (September 24, 2025). "Christina Aguilera has shared a live performance, in collaboration with Spotify, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her self-titled debut album". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  11. 1 2 3 Radio, TJ (September 24, 2025). "Watch Sabrina Carpenter sing "What a Girl Wants" with Christina Aguilera". KS95. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  12. Kreps, Daniel (November 16, 2024). "See Sabrina Carpenter Bring Out Christina Aguilera at Los Angeles Concert". Rolling Stone . United States: Penske Media Corporation. ISSN   0035-791X. OCLC   969027590. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  13. Pointer, Flisdam (November 16, 2024). "Sabrina Carpenter And Christina Aguilera Reunite During The 'Short N' Sweet Tour' For A Surprise Duet Of 'What A Girl Wants'". UPROXX. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 Evans, Erin E. (December 11, 2024). "The Best Albums of 2024". HuffPost . BuzzFeed, Inc. Archived from the original on December 27, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  15. 1 2 "29th Annual Webby Awards: General Video & Film – Music". Webby Awards. International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  16. 1 2 "29th Annual Webby Awards: Performance & Craft – Best Individual Performance". Webby Awards. International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  17. 1 2 "The 25th Anniversary of Christina Aguilera Spotify Anniversaries LIVE by Christina Aguilera". Spotify . September 23, 2024. Archived from the original on June 25, 2025.