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54-624: La Fuerza ( transl.   The Strength ) is the first solo and Spanish-language extended play (EP) by American singer Christina Aguilera . It was released through Sony Music Latin on January 21, 2022 as the first part of her ninth studio and second Spanish-language album Aguilera (2022). It is her second EP, following her promotional EP, Justin & Christina (2003), with Justin Timberlake . While recording her ninth studio album in Miami in early 2021, Aguilera decided to release

108-518: A Health magazine interview in April 2021 that, "I'm months away from anything being announced [...] I am reinspired and have reconnected with myself. I've fallen in love with music all over again, which is a really big thing to say, having spent my entire career in music". Aguilera noted that she took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to retreat to Miami , Florida in a COVID-safe writing camp with

162-476: A "respectful response" to Vicente Fernández 's rendition of El Rey (1973), Aguilera's response emphasizes "how a king wouldn’t be a king without his queen". "La Reina" received widespread acclaim from critics. In the official write-up for the Grammy Awards website, Bianca Gracie called it "impassioned". In a review of La Fuerza for Rolling Stone , Lucas Villa named "La Reina" the best song on

216-659: A New World LP on an EP that was marked "Part 1". A second EP was planned, but never appeared; only the sleeve was printed. The first double EP released in Britain was the Beatles ' Magical Mystery Tour film soundtrack. Released in December 1967 on EMI's Parlophone label, it contained six songs spread over two 7-inch discs and was packaged with a lavish color booklet. In the United States and some other countries,

270-563: A better perspective [as an artist]." —Aguilera, about La Fuerza (2022) In 2000, Aguilera released her second studio album Mi Reflejo , her first Spanish-language album, which went on to be ranked number ten on the Billboard ' s Top 20 Latin Albums of All Time and become the best selling Latin pop album of 2000. Aguilera began teasing the release of her second "overdue" Spanish-language album two decades later in late 2020, noting in

324-405: A double EP could usually be more economically and sensibly recorded on a single vinyl LP . In the 1950s, Capitol Records had released a number of double EPs by its more popular artists, including Les Paul . The pair of double EPs (EBF 1–577, sides 1 to 8) were described on the original covers as "parts ... of a four-part album". In 1960, Joe Meek released four tracks from his planned I Hear

378-543: A further album in this format, 1985's " Drinking Gasoline ", on the Virgin Records label. Double EPs can also contain the work of multiple artists split across different sides, akin to split albums . An example of this is the Dunedin Double EP, which contains tracks by four different bands. Using a double EP in this instance allowed each band to have its tracks occupying a different side. In addition,

432-401: A pair of 7-inch discs recorded at 45 or 33 1 ⁄ 3 rpm , or two 12-inch discs recorded at 45 rpm. The format is useful when an album's worth of material is being pressed by a small plant geared for the production of singles rather than albums and may have novelty value which can be turned to advantage for publicity purposes. Double EPs are rare, since the amount of material record-able on

486-548: A red dress, singing the song on the Glenn Curtiss Mansion's courtyard, which is decorated with papel picado . Aguilera is surrounded by the song's songwriters and producers, who are playing various instruments and singing the background vocals. Aguilera performed "La Reina" for the first time at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards on September 29, 2022. In 2023, singer Miriam Rodríguez covered

540-480: A single song, instead resembling a mini album. EPs of original material regained popularity in the punk rock era, when they were commonly used for the release of new material, e.g. Buzzcocks ' Spiral Scratch EP. Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post said in 2010, "EPs—originally extended-play 'single' releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk and indie bands." Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks. In

594-471: A single. 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. Primera wrote the song with Aguilera. "La Reina" was recorded along with the rest of the album at Art House studios in Miami in early 2021. The song was released on January 21, 2021, as the final track on

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648-686: A specific type of 45 rpm phonograph record other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) and 33 rpm long play (LP), but as of 2024 , also applies to mid-length CDs and downloads as well. EPs are considered "less expensive and time-consuming" for an artist to produce than an album, and have long been popular with punk and indie bands. In K-pop and J-pop , they are usually referred to as mini-albums . EPs were released in various sizes in different eras. The earliest multi-track records, issued around 1919 by Grey Gull Records , were vertically cut 78 rpm discs known as "2-in-1" records. These had finer grooves than usual, like Edison Disc Records . By 1949, when

702-439: A standard 45 rpm phonograph . In the early era, record companies released the entire content of LPs as 45 rpm EPs. These were usually 10-inch (25-cm) LPs (released until the mid-1950s) split onto two 7-inch EPs or 12-inch (30-cm) LPs split onto three 7-inch EPs, either sold separately or together in gatefold covers. This practice became much less common with the advent of triple-speed-available phonographs. Introduced by RCA in

756-410: A trilogy of three EPs, beginning with She Is Coming , stated: "By delivering a trio of EPs throughout a period of several months, Miley is giving her fans more of what they want, only in smaller doses. When an artist drops an album, they run the risk of it being forgotten in a few weeks, at which point they need to start work on the follow-up, while still promoting and touring their recent effort. Miley

810-484: Is a joy and this collection of songs is better than anything she’s released in years". Enrique Cerros from NEIU Independent gave La Fuerza a 5/5 score, and noted that it is "a successful comeback for Aguilera, and it can be considered her best work to date". The Tab ' s Harrison Brocklehurst applauded the EP for its "excellent Latin bangers" and for the reggaeton beats that help Aguilera's voice "truly soar". Two songs from

864-478: Is doing her best to game the system by recording an album and delivering it to fans in pieces." However, this release strategy was later scrapped in favor of the conventional album release of Plastic Hearts . Major-label pop musicians who had previously employed such release strategies include Colbie Caillat with her fifth album Gypsy Heart (2014) being released following an EP of the album's first five tracks known as Gypsy Heart: Side A three months prior to

918-418: 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

972-427: Is the mini-LP , which was a common album format in the 1980s. These generally contained 20–30 minutes of music and about seven tracks. A double extended play is a name typically given to vinyl records or compact discs released as a set of two discs, each of which would normally qualify as an EP. The name is thus analogous to double album . As vinyl records, the most common format for the double EP, they consist of

1026-727: The Los Angeles Times , Aguilera revealed that the album would be released in three pieces, confirming that the first part of the album would be titled La Fuerza and that it would celebrate her power as a woman. The full Spanish album, Aguilera was released on May 31, 2022 and features all of the songs from the EP La Fuerza as well as its follow-up La Tormenta . La Fuerza is a Latin EP, influenced by dance-pop , piano ballads , ranchera , urbano music , cumbia , guaracha and reggaeton . Three singles were released for

1080-633: The Record Mirror also printed EP charts. The popularity of EPs in the US had declined in the early 1960s in favor of LPs. In the UK, Cliff Richard and the Shadows , both individually and collectively, and the Beatles were the most prolific artists issuing EPs in the 1960s, many of them highly successful releases. The Beatles' Twist and Shout outsold most singles for some weeks in 1963. The success of

1134-537: The 1950s. Examples are Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender from 1956 and "Just for You", " Peace in the Valley " and " Jailhouse Rock " from 1957, and the Kinks ' Kinksize Session from 1964. Twelve-inch EPs were similar, but generally had between three and five tracks and a length of over 12 minutes. Like seven-inch EPs, these were given titles. EP releases were also issued in cassette and 10-inch vinyl formats. With

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1188-516: The 1980s) were introduced in 1970, with tracks selected from an album and packaging resembling the album they were taken from. This mini-LP format also became popular in America in the early 1970s for promotional releases, and also for use in jukeboxes . In 2010, Warner Bros. Records revived the format with their "Six-Pak" offering of six songs on a compact disc. Due to the increased popularity of music downloads and music streaming beginning

1242-524: The 45 rpm single and 33 1 ⁄ 3 rpm LP were competing formats, 7-inch 45 rpm singles had a maximum playing time of only about four minutes per side. Partly as an attempt to compete with the LP introduced in 1948 by rival Columbia , RCA Victor introduced "Extended Play" 45s during 1952 . Their narrower grooves, achieved by lowering the cutting levels and sound compression optionally, enabled them to hold up to 7.5 minutes per side—but still be played by

1296-458: The EP in Britain lasted until around 1967, but it later had a strong revival with punk rock in the late 1970s and the adaptation of the format for 12-inch and CD singles. The British band Cocteau Twins made prolific use of the EP format, releasing ten EP's between 1982 and 1995. In the Philippines , seven-inch EPs marketed as " mini-LPs " (but distinctly different from the mini-LPs of

1350-475: The EP received positive reviews and debuted at number two on the US Latin Pop Albums . La Fuerza was rereleased as the first disc on Aguilera along with its followup, La Tormenta on May 31, 2022. "At home I used to listen to music in Spanish. Now, as a mom, having the career I've had, with over twenty years in the industry, I am happy not to have recorded this earlier, because now I've got

1404-622: The EP, "Pa Mis Muchachas" and "Santo", were nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards . A ranchera titled "La Reina" was named one of the best Latin songs of 2022 by the Time magazine. Esquire placed La Fuerza on its list of the thirty-seven best albums of 2022. La Fuerza debuted at number two on the US Latin Pop Albums chart and at 14 on Top Latin Albums chart with 4,000 album-equivalent units sold of which 2,000 were pure album copies. It charted in multiple countries, including

1458-506: The EP. He added that the song had "raw emotion that underscores ranchera" while praising Aguilera stating that "her vocal prowess is extraordinary in any language". NEIU Independent 's Enrique Cerros called it the standout track on La Fuerza , applauding Aguilera's "powerhouse vocals" and emotion displayed on the song. He went on to compliment Aguilera's versatility, saying that she "can sing any type of music if she chooses to do so. Pip Ellwood-Hughes of Entertainment Focus called it one of

1512-411: The EP. These include " Pa Mis Muchachas ", " Somos Nada ", and " Santo ". Upon release, the EP received positive reviews from music critics. La Fuerza was named the best album of the week by Billboard Argentina . Reviewing the EP for Rolling Stone , Lucas Villa wrote that Aguilera's "vocal prowess is extraordinary in any language", and labelled its ballads as "highlights", considering " La Reina "

1566-452: The US in 1952, EMI issued the first EPs in Britain in April 1954. EPs were typically compilations of singles or album samplers and were played at 45 rpm on 7-inch (18-cm) discs, with two songs on each side. The manufacturing price of an EP was a little more than that of a single. Thus, they were a bargain for those who did not own the LPs from which the tracks were taken. RCA had success in

1620-680: The United Kingdom (where it reached number thirty-one on UK Album Downloads Chart ), Germany (where it reached number forty-six on Digital Albums Chart ), and Spain (where it reached number fifty-four on PROMUSICAE 's official albums chart). The EP was also commercially successful in Portugal, as reported by Vogue in March 2022, as well as in Panama and Guatemala. Notes Extended play An extended play (EP) originally referred to

1674-487: The United Kingdom, an EP can appear either on the album or the single chart. The Official Chart Company classifies any record with more than four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present) or with a playing time of more than 25 minutes as an album for sales-chart purposes. If priced as a single, they will not qualify for the main album chart but can appear in the separate Budget Albums chart. An intermediate format between EPs and full-length LPs

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1728-529: The United States, the Recording Industry Association of America , the organization that declares releases "gold" or "platinum" based on numbers of sales, defines an EP as containing three to five songs or under 30 minutes. On the other hand, The Recording Academy 's rules for Grammy Awards state that any release with five or more different songs and a running time of over 15 minutes is considered an album, with no mention of EPs. In

1782-424: The advent of the compact disc (CD), more music was often included on "single" releases, with four or five tracks being common, and playing times of up to 25 minutes. These extended-length singles became known as maxi singles and while commensurate in length to an EP were distinguished by being designed to feature a single song, with the remaining songs considered B-sides , whereas an EP was designed not to feature

1836-426: The album in an unconventional way, by releasing it in three separate parts. La Fuerza was the first part of the trilogy. The EP is centered around female empowerment and strength and features guest vocals from Becky G , Nicki Nicole , Nathy Peluso , and Ozuna . Three singles were released from the album: " Pa Mis Muchachas " with Becky G, Nicole and Peluso, " Somos Nada ", and " Santo " with Ozuna. Upon release,

1890-421: The album's anthem. 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". Moises Mendez II from Time considered it as one of the best Latin songs of 2022, praising Aguilera for her "gorgeous, bombastic vocals". Latina shared

1944-410: 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

1998-499: The best song on the record. Billboard described La Fuerza as "not only an homage to her [Aguilera's] Latin roots but a project full of passion, innovation, exploration and, of course, powerhouse vocals." Josh Weiner, writing for Atwood Magazine , praised the EP for its quality and opined that La Fuerza "is nineteen minutes of excellent, fully-realized music", and cheered Aguilera for "embracing an exciting new artistic identity". Weiner concluded his review by claiming that "seeing

2052-485: The chart. Despite not being confirmed as an official single, "La Reina" received a music video. was released on May 6, 2022. In March 2022, Aguilera was spotted filming a music video in Miami Springs , Florida . 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

2106-450: The first EP from Aguilera , La Fuerza . "La Reina" is a ranchera , written in the key of E major at 174 beats-per-minute . 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,". Serving as

2160-443: The format with Elvis Presley , issuing 28 EPs between 1956 and 1967 , many of which topped the separate Billboard EP chart during its brief existence. Other than those published by RCA, EPs were relatively uncommon in the United States and Canada, but they were widely sold in the United Kingdom, and in some other European countries, during the 1950s and 1960s. In Sweden, the EP was a popular record format, with as much as 85% of

2214-406: The full album; and Jessie J 's fourth studio album R.O.S.E. (2018) which was released as four EPs in as many days entitled R (Realisations) , O (Obsessions) , S (Sex) and E (Empowerment) . The first EPs were seven-inch vinyl records with more tracks than a normal single (typically four of them). Although they shared size and speed with singles, they were a recognizably different format than

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2268-404: The groove on the physical record could be wider and thus allow for a louder album. In the 1960s and 1970s, record companies released EP versions of long-play (LP) albums for use in jukeboxes . These were commonly known as "compact 33s" or "little LPs". The jukebox EP was played at 33 1 ⁄ 3 rpm, was pressed on seven-inch vinyl and frequently had as many as six songs. What made it EP-like

2322-489: The intention to pay homage to her Ecuadorian heritage. The album was recorded over four weeks, with the first song recorded being the album's lead single , " Pa' Mis Muchachas ". Aguilera further teased the release of the album in an interview with Insider in September 2021. Aguilera revealed that she planned to release the album "throughout the next year in sort of six song increments every few months". In an interview with

2376-415: The late 2000s, EPs have become a common marketing strategy for pop musicians wishing to remain relevant and deliver music in more consistent timeframes leading to or following full studio albums. In the late 2000s to early 2010s, reissues of studio albums with expanded track listings were common, with the new music often being released as stand-alone EPs. In October 2010, a Vanity Fair article regarding

2430-535: The market in the late 1950s consisting of EPs. Billboard introduced a weekly EP chart in October 1957, noting that "the teen-age market apparently dominates the EP business, with seven out of the top 10 best-selling EPs featuring artists with powerful teen-age appeal — four sets by Elvis Presley, two by Pat Boone and one by Little Richard ". Other publications such as Record Retailer , New Musical Express ( NME ) , Melody Maker , Disc and Music Echo and

2484-512: 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". "La Reina" debuted and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Latin Digital Song Sales chart, becoming Aguilera's seventh top 10 hit on

2538-621: The seven-inch single. Although they could be named after a lead track, they were generally given a different title. Examples include the Beatles ' The Beatles' Hits EP from 1963, and the Troggs ' Troggs Tops EP from 1966, both of which collected previously released tracks. The playing time was generally between 10 and 15 minutes. In the UK they came in cardboard picture sleeves at a time when singles were usually issued in paper company sleeves. EPs tended to be album samplers or collections of singles. EPs of all original material began to appear in

2592-531: The songs are spread across two 12" 45 rpm discs. Also, the vinyl pressing of Hail to the Thief by Radiohead uses this practice but is considered to be a full-length album. In 1982 Cabaret Voltaire released their studio album " 2x45 " on the UK-based label Rough Trade , featuring extended tracks over four sides of two 12-inch 45 rpm discs, with graphics by artist Neville Brody . The band subsequently released

2646-426: The songs were augmented by the band's single A- and B-sides from 1967 to create a full LP –a practice that was common in the US but considered exploitative in the UK. The Style Council album The Cost of Loving was originally issued as two 12-inch EPs. It is more common for artists to release two 12-inch 45s rather than a single 12-inch LP. Though there are 11 songs that total about 40 minutes, enough for one LP,

2700-425: 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". 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

2754-689: The trend noted post-album EPs as "the next step in extending albums' shelf lives, following the "deluxe" editions that populated stores during the past few holiday seasons—add a few tracks to the back end of an album and release one of them to radio, slap on a new coat of paint, and—voila!—a stocking stuffer is born." Examples of such releases include Lady Gaga 's The Fame Monster (2009) following her debut album The Fame (2008), and Kesha 's Cannibal (2010) following her debut album Animal (2010). A 2019 article in Forbes discussing Miley Cyrus ' plan to release her then-upcoming seventh studio album as

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2808-454: The veteran performer shake things up so drastically in this late phase of her career is massively impressive". The music magazine later named La Fuerza one of the best EPs of 2022, stating that "her [Aguilera’s] powerful pipes continue to dazzle; even when she’s singing in her second language, it all sounded smooth, natural, and never forced". Pip Ellwood-Hughes of Entertainment Focus claimed that "hearing her [Aguilera] singing in Spanish again

2862-423: Was that some songs were omitted for time purposes, and the most popular tracks were left on. Unlike most EPs before them, and most seven-inch vinyl in general (pre-1970s), these were issued in stereo . La Reina (song) " 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

2916-419: 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

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