Pop star Christina Aguilera is continuing speaking out against domestic violence as she prepares for the start of her US tour.
A long time spokesperson for the issue, Aguilera has opened up on the lyrics of her 'Back To Basics' album and will take the message on the road."As much as I do talk about it being feelgood music, there is a lot of sadness" she said in a conference call with Undercover. "In blues it originates from pain. To me there is beauty in that. I do not shy away from what a lot of people consider dark music. I do talk openly about my past and what I have been though, abuse being something that was very real in my household".
Christina and her mother were victims of abuse by her father when she was a child and her music now reflects that. "As I was growing up as a child I think that I just naturally gravitated towards to what I could really feel on a deep level" she says. "If that meant sadness, I think that I was really able to really connect with that at a really young age because there was a lot of sadness. When there is domestic violence in the house, there is a lot of pain there. I think that is what made me connect at a really early age. I think it is quiet normal for a 6 or 7 year old to relate to that style of music but I did. These singers sing with such passion and such realness. To me that is so good and still feels good to this day."
The topic has been open with Christina ever since she recorded her previous album Stripped. "On my Stripped album that was the first time I got to be myself" she says. "I think it is important to open yourself up to your audience. The kind of people that I really enjoy as artists and songwriters are people who put themselves on the line and start to feel things. To me, music is about that. It is about that rawness and that feeling that comes across. I think it is important to open up you past and say something if you feel you have lived something that is worth talking about. Me, I think it is important to talk about the things that other people might shy away from such as having gone through domestic violence. There are so many people out there still going through it and they do think they are alone. The topic is something that is such a hush hush thing. People don't like to talk about it. Yes it takes you to an extremely vulnerable place at times but to me that is just my expression as an artist."
Christina will launch her 41 city Back To Basics tour in Houston on February 20th. Support acts will be Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane.
Dates are:
20-Feb Houston, TX Toyota Center*
21-Feb Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
23-Feb Omaha, NE Qwest Center
24-Feb Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena
26-Feb Denver, CO Pepsi Center
28-Feb Glendale, AZ Job.com Arena
2-Mar San Diego, CA ipayOne Center at the Sports Arena
3-Mar Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Resort
5-Mar Anaheim, CA Honda Center
6-Mar Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center
8-Mar Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
10-Mar San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
12-Mar Vancouver, BC GM Place
14-Mar Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
15-Mar Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
17-Mar Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
19-Mar St Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
23-Mar New York, NY Madison Square Garden
25-Mar Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
26-Mar Ottawa, ON Scotia Bank Place
28-Mar Montreal, QC Bell Centre
30-Mar Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
31-Mar Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall
2-Apr Washington DC Verizon Center (formerly MCI Center)
3-Apr Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center*
5-Apr East Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena
7-Apr Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
9-Apr Auburn Hills, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
11-Apr Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena
13-Apr Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center
14-Apr Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
20-Apr Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
21-Apr Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
23-Apr Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
25-Apr Providence, RI Dunkin Donuts Center
27-Apr Hartford, CT Civic Center
28-Apr Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
1-May Raleigh, NC RBC Center
2-May Duluth, GA Gwinnett Center
4-May Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
5-May Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center
