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One lesson Aguilera is learning as a mom in real time is how to let go. She’s wistful talking about years gone by, how she’ll look at old pictures of her kids and think, “I’ll never see that person again.” She adds, “They’re going to make their own choices and mistakes that define how they want to be. It’s such a layered, interesting thing to be a parent and watch these people, these humans, grow up.”
When Summer pops in the room unexpectedly, Aguilera warms even more. “Are you coming to check on me?” Aguilera asks her daughter. “She’s like, ‘Why do you have cry-face?’ We’re just talking about how much I love you.”
“Is [my tutor] coming?” Summer asks.
“Oh, that’s a good question,” Aguilera says softly. “She had to cancel at the last, last minute.”
“Why?” Summer says.
“She said she’s coming Monday or Tuesday,” Aguilera answers. “I don’t know. That’s her personal business, but she had to cancel, my love.”
As Summer leaves, I notice a pair of mini guitars in Aguilera’s studio—one brown, another white with florals—and wonder if her family ever plays music here together. It’s not a far-fetched idea: Aguilera says her children are interested in the inner workings of her successful Las Vegas residency. Summer in particular loves hanging with the band and often joins her mom on stage for her final number. At the moment, Aguilera says, a proper tour isn’t on her agenda: “I don’t want to say that out loud because my fans would be very sad. But I truly do enjoy being home base and accessible to my kids.”
This decision reflects a larger shift in Aguilera’s mind since the “Genie” and Stripped years. Back then Aguilera was driven by ambition: “It really was about this massive dream I was so dedicated to accomplishing.” But now she’s keenly aware how all of this—her talent, fame, and success—serves a larger purpose. “When you’re a mom, it’s not about narcissism. It’s not just about you.”
Still, this doesn’t mean she’s lost her drive to keep creating. “You have to make sure you’re not sleeping on yourself and still doing things that make you feel good,” Aguilera says.
Like making music. Fans will be thrilled to learn a new English-language album is coming. “I’ve been accumulating [songs],” she says, not sharing details. “I’m actually dying to get it out. I just haven’t fully had time.” (Her last three projects were in Spanish, including a full-length album, 2022’s Aguilera, which won a Latin Grammy Award.)
The new record will drop when Aguilera is ready—and not at the expense of the other joys in her life she’s fought tirelessly for, no matter how simple. When Aguilera is off-duty, she’s probably organizing her house as Schitt’s Creek plays in the background. She’s also watching The Reluctant Traveler on Apple TV+, which chronicles actor Eugene Levy’s trips around the world. “There’s something so cozy about travel shows,” she says.
Aguilera doesn’t have much of an interest in going out these days, either. “I just love my space at home,” she says. “I worked really hard to create my own sanctuary, and I want to be in it and invite people in who I love and want to just laugh with.” Unwinding sometimes means wine—“dry, cold, white”—and her pool. “I love a night swim,” she says.
