Christina Aguilera and Sabrina Carpenter Revisit ‘What a Girl Wants’

Christina Aguilera celebrated the 25th anniversary of her self-titled debut album at the Spotify Music Studios in Los Angeles this week and took the opportunity to collaborate with Sabrina Carpenter and Machine Gun Kelly.

During the “Live Spotify Anniversaries” episode, Aguilera brought Carpenter out to perform her hit “What a Girl Wants,” with Carpenter opening the song before they shared vocals. Machine Gun Kelly joined on guitar for “Genie in a Bottle,” another of Aguilera’s breakout singles.

“I’m freaking out,” Carpenter admitted as she sat down with Aguilera on the stage, where she shared memories of Aguilera’s music before their joint performance. “I think the first time I ever heard your voice was [when] my mom played me a video of you singing at eight years old, ‘A Sunday Kind of Love,’” Carpenter recalled. “That was the most inspiring thing for me ever to see as a young girl that wanted to sing, but just didn’t think I could do it at that age.”

The 26-minute clip also saw Aguilera reuniting with producer Ron Fair and songwriter Heather Holley, who both worked on the original album’s recording. Holley and Aguilera joined forces for a performance of “Obvious,” a ballad they wrote together more than 25 years ago.

Aguilera will also release a six-track EP, recorded from Spotify’s Mateo studios in Los Angeles. Christina Aguilera, which dropped in 1999, earned the musician the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2000 and included seminal hits such as “Genie in a Bottle,” “What a Girl Wants,” and “I Turn to You.”

“I wanted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of my debut album in a way that brings together the past and present,” Aguilera told Rolling Stone of the performance. ”I’ve always enjoyed reimagining my songs with different styles and audiences, as well as playing with sounds and arrangements that showcase how all music can be timeless.”

She added, “Recording this project with Spotify was both magical and nostalgic, resurfacing some of my sweetest career memories. I laughed, I cried, I reconnected with old friends, and I made some very special new ones. I hope this anniversary gift is just as special for you to watch, as it was for me to make.”