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The Liberation Tour (Christina Aguilera tour)

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The Liberation Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer Christina Aguilera. The tour was launched in support of her eighth studio album, Liberation (2018), beginning on September 25, 2018 at the Hard Rock Event Center in Hollywood, Florida and concluding on November 13 of the same year at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. The tour visited cities across the United States throughout 21 concerts. A series of scheduled shows in October including one in Orillia, Canada, were cancelled due to Aguilera's illness and safety concerns. After finishing her Back to Basics Tour in November 2008, Aguilera took a break from touring to focus on her family. The Liberation Tour was her first concert tour in 10 years. It was the first tour in support of Liberation. After its conclusion, Aguilera announced The X Tour in early 2019, which ran concurrently with her first concert residency Christina Aguilera: The Xperience in Las Vegas. The X Tour promoted the album through 18 concerts held in Europe and Mexico.

The Liberation Tour
Nacional tour by Christina Aguilera
Promotional poster for the tour
LocationU.S., North America
Associated albumLiberation
Start dateSeptember 25, 2018 (2018-09-25)
End dateNovember 13, 2018 (2018-11-13)
No. of shows21
Supporting act(s)Big Boi (select dates)
Attendance21,260
Box office$8.7 million
WebsiteLiberate Your Love
Christina Aguilera concert chronology

The Liberation Tour ranked at #132 on Pollstar's 2018 Year-End Top 200 North American Tours chart with a total gross of $8.7 million with an attendance of 177,854. Reviews for the tour were positive, being named one of the best 2018 live shows by Billboard. Critics complimented Aguilera's stage presence and vocals, with additional praise for the set list.

Background and development

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Following the conclusion of the Back to Basics Tour in 2008, Aguilera scheduled a concert tour for her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010) for summer 2011. The tour was later cancelled, and Aguilera didn't tour for 10 years in order to focus on her family.[1] After releasing Lotus (2012), Aguilera wouldn't release an album for another six years. Liberation was released on June 15, 2018 to critical acclaim. Before the release of the album, Aguilera announced The Liberation Tour in support of the album on May 9, 2018.[2][3] American rapper Big Boi was announced as the tour's opening act.[4][5] Aguilera asked fans on social media what songs would they like to be added to the set list and also teased some photos and videos from the behind the scenes of the tour visuals and rehearsals.[6] To promote the tour, Aguilera made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 12, 2018.

On September 23, two days prior to the start of the tour, a website titled "Liberate Your Love" was launched. Aguilera asked fans who were attending the show with a loved one to use the website to submit their love stories.[7] While performing "Unless It's with You", a song about wanting to not during the encore, Aguilera would bring fans up on stage to share these stories and facilitate several marriage proposals.[8] This would be followed by "Let There Be Love", which was labelled as a "reception" by Aguilera. The tour kicked off on September 25, 2018 in Hollywood, Florida. During the show, an unreleased song, seemingly titled "Wonderland", was played as an interlude in between songs.[9]

The Liberation Tour concluded on November 13, 2018 after playing 21 shows across the United States.[10] To promote the Liberation in other territories, Aguilera kicked off The X Tour the following year as a continuation.

Critical reception

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Aguilera performing at the Pepsi Center in Denver

The tour received positive reviews from critics. Many praised Aguilera's vocals and stage presence and felt the show focused on the "hits" as well as the new material. Kori Hazel (303 Magazine) felt the show in Denver was too heavy on entertainment, with the singer recreating the many iterations of her career. He says: "So, as the setlist bounced between nostalgia and new tunes, many in the audience were left impressed, dancing and singing along throughout. Such is the case of extended absences—the artist is left to reach, hoping to connect with the expectations they left to either their benefit or their detriment."[11] Lucas Villa (AXS) stated the concert in Las Vegas was a return to form for Aguilera, after taking a decade break from touring. He continues: "It took over 10 years, but the Liberation Tour was worth the wait. Seeing Aguilera being able to truly bask in what she's created over 19 years and being liberated from all the pressures and naysayers that have followed her throughout her career was beautiful, no matter what they say."[12]

In Sugar Land, Jesse Sendejas, Jr (Houston Press) thought the show was a form of therapy for Aguilera's devoted fans, as she served her hits while showing her appreciation to the audience. He wrote: "The love fest continued through the night with Aguilera sometimes blocking songs together to recall specific albums, like a run from 2010's Bionic, or back-to-back songs from films she's been involved with over the years. If Aguilera is angling for a Vegas residency, the Liberation tour seems like a winning audition."[13] For the Atlanta show, Melissa Ruggieri (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) stated this comeback tour proved Aguilera is still a definitive figure within the pop landscape. She writes: "Though she's been playing much smaller venues than on her last arena tour, Aguilera didn't scrimp on visuals. [...] Aguilera's voice consistently retains the intensity of her chart-topping years, she's still a distinctive force."[14]

The Liberation Tour was named one of the best 2018 live shows by Billboard.[15]

Commercial performance

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The Liberation Tour ranked at #132 on Pollstar's 2018 Year-End Top 200 North American Tours chart with a total gross of $8.7 million with an attendance of 177,854.[16][17]

Set list

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  1. "Liberation" (Introduction) (contains elements of "Searching For Maria")
  2. "Maria"
  3. "How Did I Get Here" (Interlude)
  4. "Genie in a Bottle"
  5. "Queen Is Back" (Interlude)
  6. "Dirrty"
  7. "Sick of Sittin'"
  8. "Can't Hold Us Down"
  9. "Right Moves" (Interlude)
  10. "Deserve"
  11. "Accelerate" (Extended Mix)
  12. "Elastic Love" / "Woohoo"
  13. "Bionic" (contains excerpts of "Not Myself Tonight")
  14. "Old Cartoons" (Interlude)
  15. "Express" / "Lady Marmalade"
  16. "Back In The Day" (Interlude)
  17. "Ain't No Other Man"
  18. "Wonderland" (Interlude)
  19. "Say Something" (with Colin Smith)
  20. "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"
  21. "Fighter"
  22. "Dreamers" (Interlude)
  23. "Fall in Line"
  24. "Twice"
  25. "Underwater" (Interlude)
  26. "Beautiful"
Encore
  2. "Unless It's with You"
  3. "Let There Be Love"
Notes

Shows

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List of concerts
Date (2018) City Country Venue Attendance Revenue[18][19]
September 25 Hollywood United States Hard Rock Event Center 2,934 / 2,963 $534,056
September 28 Atlantic City Hard Rock Live — —
September 30 Oxon Hill The Theater at MGM National Harbor 2,594 / 2,759 $391,657
October 3 New York City Radio City Music Hall 11,290 / 11,290 $1,122,464
October 4
October 6 Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena 6,051 / 6,876 $716,316
October 8 Boston Wang Theatre 3,368 / 3,472 $339,739
October 16 Chicago Chicago Theatre 6,118 / 6,952 $663,018
October 17
October 19 Denver Pepsi Center 4,069 / 4,069 $414,108
October 22 Oakland Paramount Theatre 2,832 / 2,832 $416,550
October 26 Los Angeles Greek Theatre 5,870 / 5,870 $636,308
October 27 Las Vegas The Colosseum at Caesars Palace 4,100 / 4,100 $496,595
October 29 Phoenix Comerica Theatre 4,027 / 4,027 $381,096
November 1 Sugar Land Smart Financial Centre 4,548 / 5,522 $437,586
November 3 Thackerville Global Event Center 3,450 / 3,450 $388,061
November 4 Tulsa Paradise Cove 1,665 / 1,665 $214,960
November 6 St. Louis Peabody Opera House 2,506 / 2,506 $246,177
November 9 New Orleans Saenger Theatre 2,468 / 2,468 $289,136
November 11 Atlanta Fox Theatre 4,197 / 4,197 $407,197
November 13 St. Petersburg Mahaffey Theater 1,886 / 1,886 $336,002
Total 73,983 / 77,376 (95,6%) $8,431,026

Cancelled shows

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List of cancelled concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, reason for cancellation and reference
Date (2018) City Country Venue Reason Ref.
October 11 Orillia Canada Casino Rama Entertainment Centre Originally postponed, the shows were eventually cancelled due to Aguilera losing her voice from illness [20][21][22]
October 13 Detroit United States Fox Theatre
October 24 Indio Fantasy Springs Special Events Center Safety concerns [23]

Personnel

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  • Musical Director: Rob Lewis
  • Photographer: Philip Macías
  • Hair and Make-up: Etienne Ortega and Stephen Sollitto
  • Stylist: Karen Clarkson
  • Choreographer: Jeri Slaughter and Paul Morente, Ryan Ramirez[24]
  • Dancers: Charmain Baquiran, Gilbert Saldivar, Kai Lin, Monique Slaughter, Rebbi Rosie and Sophia Aguiar

Band

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  • Bass guitar: Ethan Farmer
  • Guitar: Michael Herring
  • Drums: Stanley Randolph
  • Keyboards: Rob Lewis
  • Backing vocalist: Andrea-Latrelle Lanz, Colin Smith, Erika Jerry and Emi Secrest

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Christina Aguilera Announces New Album "Liberation," Says She's a "Huge Fan" of Producer Kanye West | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. May 3, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "Christina Aguilera Announces First Tour in More Than a Decade -- Details! | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. May 9, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  3. ^ "Christina Aguilera Announces "Liberation" Tour Dates". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. May 9, 2018. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  4. ^ Honeycutt, Shanté (May 14, 2018). "Christina Aguilera Announces Big Boi as Special Guest for Liberation Tour". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  5. ^ Howard, Jacinta (May 16, 2018). "BIG BOI TO JOIN CHRISTINA AGUILERA ON HER "LIBERATION" TOUR THIS FALL". The Boombox. Townsquare Media. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  6. ^ "Christina Aguilera on Twitter: "#LiberationTour finishing touches🌷✨"". Twitter. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  7. ^ "Christina Aguilera on Twitter: "Let's make the #LiberationTour even more special..."". Twitter. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  8. ^ Cooper, Mariah (September 27, 2018). "Christina Aguilera opens comeback tour with gay proposal". Washington Blade. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Calvario, Liz (September 26, 2018). "Christina Aguilera Kicks Off Liberation Tour With a Marriage Proposal and Tears". Entertainment Tonight. CBS Television Distribution. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  10. ^ "Christina Aguilera Announces "Liberation" Tour Dates". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. May 9, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2008.
  11. ^ Hazel, Kori (October 21, 2018). "REVIEW – MIXED EXPECTATIONS GOT THE BEST OF CHRISTINA AGUILERA". 303 Magazine. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  12. ^ Villa, Lucas (November 2, 2018). "Christina Aguilera's Liberation Tour marks beautiful comeback in Las Vegas". AXS. Anschutz Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  13. ^ Sendejas, Jr., Jesse (November 2, 2018). "Christina Aguilera Returns to Houston Area with a Vegas-Ready Love Fest". Houston Press. Voice Media Group. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  14. ^ Ruggieri, Melissa (November 12, 2018). "Concert review: Christina Aguilera (finally) returns to Atlanta after 11 years". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  15. ^ "The Best Live Shows Of 2018". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. December 14, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  16. ^ "Pollstar Year End: Top 200 North American Tours" (PDF). Pollstar. December 17, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  17. ^ AguileraFeaturedNews·December 25, Jordan Miller·Christina; Read, 2018·1 Min (December 25, 2018). "Here's How Many Millions Christina Aguilera's Liberation Tour Grossed". BreatheHeavy.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Billboard Boxscore". Billboard. Vol. 130. Nashville, Tennessee: Eldridge Industries. October 27, 2018. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  19. ^ "Boxoffice Insider: Christina Aguilera "Xcites" With Las Vegas Debut". Pollstar. July 15, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  20. ^ "Christina Aguilera concert at Casino Rama postponed". CKVR-DT. Bell Media. October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  21. ^ McCollum, Brian (October 13, 2018). "Christina Aguilera postpones tonight's Detroit concert". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  22. ^ "Christina Aguilera Postpones "Liberation Tour" Stop After Losing Her Voice | Entertainment Tonight". www.etonline.com. October 11, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  23. ^ McRady, Rachel (October 25, 2018). "Christina Aguilera Cancels Another Concert Due to "Safety Concerns"". Entertainment Tonight. CBS Television Distribution. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  24. ^ "Ryan Ramirez on Instagram: "One of my most memorable moments from 2018 is choreographing for @xtina for her #liberationtour ..."". Instagram. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
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