Christina Aguilera Expands Latin-Music Range & Honors Her Ecuador Roots On ‘No Es Que Te Extrañe’

As the daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant, Christina Aguilera has long honored her Latin roots since the start of her career with Spanish albums, covers of classic songs and collaborations across the industry. The powerhouse’s latest release not only sees her tapping into yet another part of the Latin-music space and making peace with a complicated past.

As the latest release from her Aguilera album that’s already spanned between influences of cumbia, guaracha, reggaeton, Latin-pop, ranchera, ballads and more, “No es Que Te Extrañe” (which translates to “It’s Not That I Miss You”) incorporates elements of pasillo, considered the national music style of Ecuador. With a melancholic opening typical of Ecuadorian pasillo arrangements over requinto guitar strumming, Xtina speaks to distant memories and finds peace with someone with whom she has a complex history over a nearly five-minute production.

While not directly stated, the lyrics and the accompanying music video seem to represent the singer’s relationship with her estranged father.

Fausto Aguilera came to America and joined the U.S. army, which led to Christina, her mother and younger sister traveling around the world. Upon releasing her seminal Stripped album in 2002, the star opened up about the physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her father. Their mother left her father when Christina was still a young kid, and it eventually was put into song on her track “I’m OK.” Despite the past, Christina has opened up about potentially reconnecting with him.

Fausto Aguilera came to America and joined the U.S. army, which led to Christina, her mother and younger sister traveling around the world. Upon releasing her seminal Stripped album in 2002, the star opened up about the physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her father. Their mother left her father when Christina was still a young kid, and it eventually was put into song on her track “I’m OK.” Despite the past, Christina has opened up about potentially reconnecting with him.

The “No es Que Te Extrañe” video depicts a young, blonde girl (who, at one point, is singing into a tiny microphone a la Baby Christina) witnessing her soldier father yell while taking things out physically on the mother. Later, we see the now-grown Xtina looking onto the same house the young girl stayed in as it burns down.

Xtina shared more about the track’s inspiration during a panel at Billboard Latin Music Week. “I wanted to keep it open ended,” she explained. “It deals with an estranged or a difficult relationship you may have had with someone you were close with, a loved one. For me, it does touch on some experiences I had growing up, the environment around me, inside the home and outside of the home. I witnessed a lot of various forms of abuse and whatnot, but I think that, now having children of my own, I didn’t want it to be about blaming. I don’t want to vilify anyone.”

With seven nominations at the upcoming Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Aguilera, the star has come full circle in her return to Latin music. But not only that, Xtina seems to have a newfound peace with her past that she’s translated into one of the most stunning songs of her career so far. Watch the music video for “No es Que Te Extrañe” below: