Christina Aguilera is a pro when it comes to performing, but there’s still one thing she wishes she would have done differently.
In an interview with Rolling Stone published on Monday, Oct. 21, the five-time Grammy winner, 43, sat down for a conversation with English singer-songwriter Raye. The two artists discussed everything from their music influences and goals to dos and don’ts of life in the entertainment industry.
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When asked by RS if there was any “piece of advice” Aguilera would give the 26-year-old Tooting native, she looked back on her own life lessons.
“I think she’s already ahead of the game, to be very honest with you,” the “Genie In a Bottle” hitmaker said of Raye.
“I mean, even the fact that she sings barefoot. I’ve already f—– up my legs and my feet so bad with all this high-heel nonsense,” Aguilera confessed. “I f—– up the cartilage in my knee. I love that about you, though. I never had the balls to just do it. Those are the best when you just feel the floor underneath.”
The “Prada” singer then explained why she often opts out of footwear during her shows.
“I feel like when I’m wearing shoes, I’m thinking about wearing shoes. Is that weird?” Raye said, before asking Aguilera what her “toughest vocal performance” was.
For Aguilera, it was “A Song for You” with Herbie Hancock because the “arrangement was so intricate, so delicate and full of ad-libs. It was a lot to try and perfect that live.”
“I sang “Run to You” for Whitney Houston in front of her. That was nerve-wracking, but she couldn’t have been more sweet and lovely,” Aguilera added.
During their chat, Raye also asked the “Beautiful” singer if there were “ever moments in your career where you didn’t feel in control?”
Aguilera, who equated caring with sometimes being “a control freak,” replied: “When I came into this business, there was a really big pop boom, and it was very specific what a label wanted a pop star to look like, to sound like. I wanted it so bad.”
She later added, “I felt like my voice was stifled. You’re going to have situations where you have no creative control or you’re in a position where your hands are tied. It’s just no place for an artist. When my hands feel too bound and I feel like there’s no breathing room, that’s when I start to suffer.”
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