La Reina (song)

"La Reina"
Song by Christina Aguilera
from the album Aguilera
LanguageSpanish
English title"The Queen"
ReleasedJanuary 21, 2022 (2022-01-21)
Recorded2021
StudioArt House (Miami)
GenreRanchera
Length3:48
LabelSony Latin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Music video
"La Reina" on YouTube

"La Reina" (transl. "The Queen") is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for her ninth studio and second Spanish-language album, Aguilera (2022). It was written by Aguilera, Luigi and Santiago Castillo, Servando Primera and Yasmil Marrufo, and its production was handled by the latter, alongside Rafa Arcaute, Federico Vindver, Afo Verde as co-producer, and Jean Rodríguez as a vocal producer. "La Reina" was conceived in 2017, when Aguilera invited Primera to work with her on the album. The song was then recorded in 2021 and serves as the closing track on the album's first of three parts, La Fuerza (transl. The Strength), which was released as a separate extended play (EP).

Musically, "La Reina" is a ranchera song, a genre that originates from Mexico. It was inspired by Vicente Fernández's 1973 rendition of José Alfredo Jiménez's "El Rey" (transl. "The King") (1971), serving as a "respectful response". The song is in theme with the rest of La Fuerza, which focuses on female empowerment, telling a man that he can be the king, but he will be nothing without his queen. The song received critical acclaim and was labelled as a standout track on the record. Time and Latina named it one of the best Latin songs of the year. A music video for "La Reina" was released on May 6, 2022, though it has not been confirmed as a single.

Background and composition

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In 2017, at Aguilera's request, A&R of RCA Records Katie Welle invited composer and singer Servando Primera of Servando & Florentino to help Aguilera with writing in Spanish.[1][2] Primera wrote the song with Aguilera.[3] "La Reina" was recorded along with the rest of the album at Art House studios in Miami in early 2021.[4][5][6][7][8][9] The song was released on January 21, 2021, as the final track on the first EP from Aguilera, La Fuerza.[10]

"La Reina" is a ranchera, written in the key of E major at 174 beats-per-minute.[11] Lyrically, the song takes an empowering approach to a breakup song, where the protagonist swears to never let a man break her heart again, with Aguilera singing, "And I cried, and I cried, and I cried the day you left. And I swore, and I swore, and I swore that no man would ever make me sad again,".[12] Serving as a "respectful response" to Vicente Fernández's rendition of El Rey (1973),[13][14][15] Aguilera's response emphasizes "how a king wouldn’t be a king without his queen".[16][17]

Critical reception

[edit]

"La Reina" received widespread acclaim from critics. In the official write-up for the Grammy Awards website, Bianca Gracie called it "impassioned".[18] In a review of La Fuerza for Rolling Stone, Lucas Villa named "La Reina" the best song on the EP.[19] He added that the song had "raw emotion that underscores ranchera" while praising Aguilera stating that "her vocal prowess is extraordinary in any language".[19] NEIU Independent's Enrique Cerros called it the standout track on La Fuerza, applauding Aguilera's "powerhouse vocals" and emotion displayed on the song.[20] He went on to compliment Aguilera's versatility, saying that she "can sing any type of music if she chooses to do so.[20] Pip Ellwood-Hughes of Entertainment Focus called it one of the strongest moments on the record and "a showcase for what she can do when she exercises more vocal control and less inclination to scream".[21]

Billboard placed "La Reina" at the number one spot on their ranking of La Fuerza, complimenting the ability of Aguilera's "powerful gifted vocals to deliver a heartfelt ranchera that perfectly transmits the popular phrase 'What's a king without his queen?'", and calling it the album's anthem.[12] Genna Rivieccio of Culled Culture praised "La Reina", noting that "Aguilera owns her queen’s status through the tears". The reviewer also added that the song's chorus "translates to a sentiment Scarlett O'Hara could get on board with".[22] Moises Mendez II from Time considered it as one of the best Latin songs of 2022, praising Aguilera for her "gorgeous, bombastic vocals".[23] Latina shared the same sentiment and placed "La Reina" at number four on its list of 2022's best Latin songs. The magazine added: "In an empowering performance, Aguilera asserted her queenly authority while showing there’s no language barrier when it comes to her unparalleled vocal prowess".[24]

Commercial performance

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"La Reina" debuted and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Latin Digital Song Sales chart, becoming Aguilera's seventh top 10 hit on the chart.[25]

Music video

[edit]
The courtyard of the Glenn Curtiss Mansion (pictured) was used for the music video.

Despite not being confirmed as an official single, "La Reina" received a music video. was released on May 6, 2022.[26]

In March 2022, Aguilera was spotted filming a music video in Miami Springs, Florida.[27] Directed by Nuno Gomes, the music video was filmed in the courtyard of the historic Glenn Curtiss Mansion, a Pueblo Revival style home constructed in 1925. In the video, a red-haired Aguilera wears a red dress, singing the song on the Glenn Curtiss Mansion's courtyard, which is decorated with papel picado.[28][29][30] Aguilera is surrounded by the song's songwriters and producers, who are playing various instruments and singing the background vocals.[31]

Live performances

[edit]

Aguilera performed "La Reina" for the first time at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards on September 29, 2022.[15][32]

Impact

[edit]

In 2023, singer Miriam Rodríguez covered the song in the Spanish edition of an interactive talent show Your Face Sounds Familiar. Her performance imitated the song's music video.[33]

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2022) Peak

position

US Latin Digital Songs (Billboard)[34] 9

References

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  1. ^ "'La Reina': El tema de Christina Aguilera que contó con el talento de cuatro venezolanos". NTN24 (in Spanish). January 25, 2022. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  2. ^ "'La reina,' Christina Aguilera's song full of Latin talent". Al Día. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  3. ^ "Christina Aguilera lanza "La Reina", un tema escrito por varios artistas venezolanos como Servando Primera ¡Mira la historia detrás de esta colaboración!". Qué! (in Spanish). May 11, 2022. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  4. ^ Christina Aguilera: My Work As Food Ambassador 'Makes Me Emotional', October 7, 2015, archived from the original on September 5, 2022, retrieved September 5, 2022
  5. ^ "Christina Aguilera Is Working On New Albums In English And Spanish: Watch Her 'Today' Interview". idolator. October 7, 2015. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  6. ^ "Christina Aguilera Returns to Her Roots On Ecuador Hunger Relief Trip". Billboard. Associated Press. September 30, 2015. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Romero, Angie (November 4, 2015). "Christina Aguilera Shares Video of Ecuador Trip for Hunger Relief: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  8. ^ "Christina Aguilera Returns to her Roots with a New All-Spanish Album". Ocean Drive. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "Christina Aguilera's fans are still waiting for her second Spanish album". Al Día News. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  10. ^ Flores, Griselda (January 19, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Unveils Release Date & Tracklist for Her Upcoming Spanish-Language EP 'La Fuerza'". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  11. ^ La Reina by Christina Aguilera BPM and Key, archived from the original on October 16, 2022, retrieved October 14, 2022
  12. ^ a b "Every Song on Christina Aguilera's 'La Fuerza' Ranked: Critic's Picks". Billboard. January 21, 2022. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  13. ^ "Christina Aguilera Talks Spanish EP, Motherhood & More During Twitter Space With Billboard". Billboard. February 23, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  14. ^ "CHRISTINA AGUILERA PREMIERES THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO OF 'LA REINA' SURROUNDED BY VIBRANT COLORS AND MEXICAN STAPLES". Billboard. May 9, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  15. ^ a b "2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards live updates: Recap of one of the most important events in the music industry". HOLA. September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  16. ^ Dino, Hiras Di (May 9, 2022). "CHRISTINA AGUILERA Estrena Video De "LA REINA"". Sony Music Entertainment Latin. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  17. ^ "Christina Aguilera premieres the official music video of 'La Reina' surrounded by vibrant colors and Mexican staples". Hola. May 9, 2022. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  18. ^ Gracie, Bianca (December 28, 2022). "2022 In Review: 8 Trends That Defined Pop Music". Grammy.com. The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ^ a b Villa, Lucas (January 24, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Successfully Embraces Her Roots on 'La Fuerza'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Cerros, Enrique (March 6, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Embraces her Latin Roots with 'La Fuerza'". NEIU Independent. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  21. ^ Ellwood-Hughes, Pip (January 27, 2022). "Christina Aguilera – 'La Fuerza' EP review". Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  22. ^ Rivieccio, Genna (January 21, 2022). "La Fuerza is with Xtina". Culled Culture. Neonmagzin. Archived from the original on March 31, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  23. ^ Mendez II, Moises (December 16, 2022). "The Best Latin Songs and Albums of 2022". Time. Time USA, LLC. Archived from the original on December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  24. ^ "Top 20 Songs of 2022 by Latina Artists". Latina. Latina Media Ventures, LLC. December 31, 2022. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  25. ^ "Christina Aguilera". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  26. ^ Kelley, Jenna (May 26, 2022). "You Can Get Married In The Miami Mansion Where Christina Aguilera Filmed Her Music Video". Narcity. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  27. ^ "Christina Aguilera – Prepares to Film Her Music Video in Miami 03/10/2022 • CelebMafia". CelebMafia. March 12, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  28. ^ Manno, Jackie (May 7, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Is Red Hot In Plunging Dress For 'La Reina' Video: Watch". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  29. ^ Suarez, Nestor (May 10, 2022). "Christina Aguilera Premiers Video Filmed at Curtiss Mansion". MiamiSprings.com | Miami Springs News and Events. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  30. ^ Rodriguez, Josef (May 10, 2022). "Christina Aguilera's New Single is a Glorious Response to Vicente Fernández's 'El Rey'". Mitú. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  31. ^ Marr, Madeleine (May 25, 2022). "Christina Aguilera's new music video was shot at this Miami landmark. Take a look". Miami Herald.
  32. ^ "Christina Aguilera Earns Her Crown at 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards With Ranchera Anthem 'La Reina'". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  33. ^ "Miriam Rodriguez interpreta La Reina de Christina Aguilera #TuCaraMeSuena". Twitter. Twitter, Inc. May 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  34. ^ "Christina Aguilera – Latin Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
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