The queen is back.
The pint-sized dynamo has returned to the stage for the first time in 10 years and proved to a few thousand of her closest friends last night at the Paramount Theater, that she’s not going anywhere.
Aguilera looked stunning last night. The years have been kind to the platinum blonde with the bubbly personality, and at 37 she seemed to be in the best shape of her life. She performed hit after hit to Simon Cowell standards along with some impressive choreographed dance moves that brought the house down at every twist and turn.
The stage set was arena-worthy and encircled the modest arena in Oakland with multiple tour buses. The vibrant colors emanating from the stage lights accentuated the assortment of dazzling outfits pulled out for each act. A glamorous sequin gown, a red ruffle Tango-inspired dress, and the black and red leather iconic outfit from her “Dirrty” video, complete with “2018” embroidered on its sleeves made an appearance — a bold statement to mark the start of a new era for the pop starlet.
Her setlist included many songs from her new album Liberation, including “Fall in Line,” “Maria” and “Accelerate.” But to satisfy the needs of her fans she also included old favorites like “Fighter,” “Beautiful,” “Ain’t No Other Man,” “Genie in a Bottle,” “Can’t Hold Us Down,” and an acapella version of “What a Girl Wants.”
What accounted for the long hiatus you ask? She said in a recent interview with People magazine that it was the birth of her kids who encouraged Aguilera to take a small break so she could “have a stable, one-place, rooted environment for my kids.”
Taking her kids on the road is how she’s managed to reboot her career and she couldn’t have found a more perfect time to do it. Music is in dire need of a kick in the a** and this singing phenom may just be the one to do it. It’ll be exciting to see where she takes this new comeback in the years to come.
Photos by Louis Raphael
