Army of Me (Christina Aguilera song)

Following the release of her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010),{{cite news|last=Bain|first=Becky|url=http://idolator.com/6836852/christina-aguilera-your-body-single-listen|title=Christina Aguilera's Demo Of New Single 'Your Body' Surfaces: Listen|work=Idolator|publisher=Buzz Media|date=August 23, 2012|access-date=September 14, 2012|archive-date=April 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404133911/http://www.idolator.com/6836852/christina-aguilera-your-body-single-listen|url-status=dead}} Aguilera filed for divorce from her husband Jordan Bratman, starred in the film Burlesque, and recorded the accompanying soundtrack.{{cite magazine|last=Hampp|first=Andrew|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/474983/christina-aguilera-billboard-cover-story|title=Christina Aguilera: Billboard Cover Story|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=September 21, 2012|access-date=September 23, 2012}} She then became a coach on NBC's singing competition show The Voice and appeared as a featured artist on Maroon 5's single "Moves like Jagger" (2011), which spent four weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.{{cite magazine|last=Schneider|first=Marc|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/496285/christina-aguilera-cee-lo-hit-the-studio|title=Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Hit the Studio|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=April 11, 2012|access-date=September 14, 2012}} Following these events, Aguilera announced that had plans to begin production of her seventh album, stating that she wanted high quality and "personal" songs for the record. Regarding the creative direction, she revealed that the album would be a "culmination of everything I've experienced up until this point ... I've been through a lot since the release of my last album, being on ('The Voice'), having had a divorce ... This is all sort of a free rebirth for me."{{cite news|last=Elber|first=Lynn|url=http://music.yahoo.com/news/christina-aguilera-album-rebirth-121427390.html|title=Christina Aguilera: New album is a 'rebirth'|work=Yahoo! Music|publisher=Yahoo!|access-date=September 14, 2012|date=August 28, 2012}} She further said "I'm embracing many different things, but it's all feel-good, super-expressive [and] super-vulnerable." Aguilera continued to say that the album would be about "self–expression and freedom" because of the personal struggles she had overcome during the last couple of years.{{cite news|last=Kennedy|first=Gerrick D.|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-christina-aguilera-readies-new-album-lotus-20120913,0,6597387.story|title=Christina Aguilera readies new album 'Lotus'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=September 13, 2012|access-date= October 5, 2012}} Speaking about her new material during an interview on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2012, Aguilera said that the recording process for Lotus was taking a while because "I don't like to just get songs from producers. I like them to come from a personal place ... I'm very excited. It's fun, exciting, introspective, it's going to be great".{{cite news|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a373459/christina-aguilera-new-album-is-quality-over-quantity.html|title=Christina Aguilera: 'New album is quality over quantity'|work=Digital Spy|publisher=Hearst Corporation|date=May 27, 2012|access-date= October 5, 2012}}

Recorded at Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, California, and Radley Studios, Los Angeles, California, by Justin Stanley, "Army of Me" was co-written by Aguilera with Jamie Hartman, David Glass and Phil Bentley. It was produced by Tracklacers and it was co-produced by Hartman. Aguilera's vocals were recorded by Oscar Ramirez at The Red Lips Room in Beverly Hills in California. Programming was carried out by Steve Daly and John Keep, while strings were composed by Hartman. In an interview with Andrew Hampp for Billboard, Aguilera explained how her role on The Voice has allowed her to reach a new generational audience who may not be familiar with her past work, including songs such as her 2002 single, "Fighter". When asked if some of the songs on Lotus feature themes which are similar to that of her 2002 album, Stripped, Aguilera responded by saying that "Army of Me" is what she describes as "Fighter 2.0".{{cite news|last=Garibaldi|first=Christina|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696891/christina-aguilera-lotus-preview.jhtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130111063400/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696891/christina-aguilera-lotus-preview.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 11, 2013|title=Christina Aguilera Previews Five Songs From Lotus, Her 'Labor Of Love'|work=MTV News|publisher=Viacom|date=November 6, 2012|access-date=December 9, 2012}}

Absolutely. There's a song called 'Army of Me,' which is sort of a 'Fighter 2.0.' There is a new generation of fans from a younger demographic that might not have been with me all the way but that watch me on the show now. I feel like every generation should be able to enjoy and have their piece of 'Fighter' within. This time, the way it musically came together it just felt right for this time and this generation. There's always going to be a fighter in me getting through some obstacle and some hurdle. All these 6-year-olds who know me from pushing my button and turning around in a big red chair who weren't around for the actual 'Fighter,' this is my chance to recharge it, rejuvenate it and do something modernized for them.

In her 2012 interview with The Advocate's Diane Anderson-Minshall Aguilera said that "Army of Me" is a song about "people that are maybe misunderstood or don’t fit into the norm but deserve a voice", and added that it is dedicated to them.{{cite web|url=https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/music/2012/11/28/christina-aguilera-says-lgbt-fans-held-her-when-she-could-not|title=Christina Aguilera Says LGBT Fans Held Her Up When She Couldn't Stand|work=The Advocate|publisher=Pride Media|author=Diane Anderson-Minshall|date=November 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214015059/https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/music/2012/11/28/christina-aguilera-says-lgbt-fans-held-her-when-she-could-not|access-date=August 14, 2021|archive-date=2012-12-14}} She also noted that the song "embraces LGBTQ themes".{{cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/167545-christina-aguileras-orlando-benefit-single-proves-she-is-the-ultimate-lgbt-ally|title=New Christina Aguilera Song Proves She's An Ally|work=Bustle|publisher=Bustle Digital Group|date=June 17, 2016|first=S.|last=Atkinson|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20241016141053/https://www.bustle.com/articles/167545-christina-aguileras-orlando-benefit-single-proves-she-is-the-ultimate-lgbt-ally|archive-date=October 16, 2024|access-date=October 16, 2024|url-status=live}}

File:Anastacia-3836.jpg.]]

"Army of Me" is an up-tempo dance-pop and Eurodance song which lasts for a duration of {{Duration|m=3|s=26}} (three minutes and twenty-six seconds).{{cite news|last=Horton|first=Matthew|url=http://www.virginmedia.com/music/reviews/christina-aguilera-lotus.php|title=Christina Aguilera: Lotus Album Review — Virgin Media|publisher=Virgin Media|date=November 12, 2012|access-date=December 10, 2012}}{{cite magazine|last=Hampp|first=Andrew|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/1066766/christina-aguilera-lotus-track-by-track-review|title=Christina Aguilera, 'Lotus': Track-By-Track Review|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|date=November 12, 2012|access-date=November 27, 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lotus-deluxe-version/id571725689|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722041144/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lotus-deluxe-version/id571725689|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 22, 2013|title=iTunes — Music — Lotus by Christina Aguilera|work=iTunes Store (GB)|publisher=Apple|date=November 9, 2012|access-date=November 24, 2012}} Instrumentation consists of a "pounding" drum beat and "rocky" guitars. Aguilera presents herself as a fighter and tells her ex-boyfriend that she is stronger than he is in the lyrics "So how does it feel to know that I beat you?/ That I can defeat you?"{{cite news|last=Younie |first=Chris |title=News: Review: Christina Aguilera – Lotus |url=http://www.4music.com/news/news/6712/Review-Christina-Aguilera-Lotus |work=4Music |publisher=Channel 4 |date=November 2, 2012 |access-date=November 2, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109120630/http://www.4music.com/news/news/6712/Review-Christina-Aguilera-Lotus |archive-date=November 9, 2012 }} Although Aguilera is heartbroken by the decision to split up with her ex-boyfriend, she is not a broken person. The lyrics "One of me is wiser/ One of me is stronger/ One of me's a fighter/ And there's a thousand faces of me/ We're gonna rise up for every time you broke me/ You're gonna face an army of me" are similar to those performed by Aguilera on "Fighter", although of "Army of Me" does not sample any of the song. Aguilera sings "Now that I'm wiser/ Now that I'm stronger/ Now that I'm a fighter/ There's a thousand faces on me" over a "thumping" beat, and belts the line "We're gonna rise up for every time you broke me" on the chorus.{{cite web|last=Copsey|first=Robert|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/thesound/a435214/christina-aguileras-new-album-lotus-first-listen.html|title=Christina Aguilera's new album 'Lotus': First listen|work=Digital Spy|publisher=Hearst Corporation|date=November 2, 2012|access-date=November 27, 2012}} In 2015, the song was covered by recording artist Anastacia for her compilation album Ultimate Collection.{{cite web|url=https://www.thegayuk.com/icon-anastacia-covers-xtinas-army-of-life/|title=ICON Anastacia Covers XTINA's Army Of Life|work=TheGayUK|date=October 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024053627/https://www.thegayuk.com/icon-anastacia-covers-xtinas-army-of-life/|access-date=August 14, 2021|archive-date=2020-10-24}}

"Army of Me" garnered mixed reviews from music critics. Diane Anderson-Minshall of Pride Media noted that the song "makes a great LGBT anthem." Andrew Hampp for Billboard and Chris Younie for 4Music both thought that "Army of Me" could have been a potential single, the latter of whom writing "This track must be a future single." Younie continued to write that the song "captivates and excites right from the very start", has a "euphoric" energy and is the type of "angry" pop song that Kelly Clarkson "would give her right arm for". Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe described it as a "Gloria Gaynor-meets-Depeche Mode dance of anger."{{cite news|last=Rodman|first=Sarah|url=http://bostonglobe.com/arts/music/2012/11/13/album-review-christina-aguilera-lotus/sxrXvsFk8uy356lbt5YOBL/story.html|title=Christina Aguilera refocuses on her own voice in 'Lotus'|work=The Boston Globe|publisher=The New York Times Company|location=Boston|date=November 13, 2012|access-date=November 17, 2012}} Mike Wass for Idolator wrote that although "Army of Me" is a "quality" song, it is an album filler.{{cite news|last=Wass|first=Mike|url=http://idolator.com/7001572/christina-aguilera-lotus-album-review|title=Christina Aguilera's 'Lotus': Album Review'|work=Idolator|publisher=Buzz Media|date=November 13, 2012|access-date=December 9, 2012}} Writing that it sounds as though it would have been a good song to include on her previous studio album, Bionic, Wass thought that Aguilera was "not exaggerating" when she refers to it as "Fighter 2.0". He concluded his review by saying that although her vocals are sparse, it is a "quirky" addition to Lotus. The A.V. Club{{'}}s Annie Zaleski described Aguilera as a "playful" and "sassy techno diva" on "Army of Me".{{cite news|last=Zaleski|first=Annie|url=https://www.avclub.com/christina-aguilera-lotus-1798174946|title=Christina Aguilera: Lotus|work=The A.V. Club|publisher=The Onion, Inc|location=Chicago|date=November 13, 2012|access-date=November 17, 2012}}

Kitty Empire of The Observer also thought that it shares similarities with "Fighter". She cited the Björk song of the same name as another influence, due to its "emotional territory"{{cite news|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire|date=November 10, 2012|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/11/christina-aguilera-lotus-review|title=Christina Aguilera: Lotus – review|work=The Observer|publisher=Guardian Media Group|access-date=November 17, 2012}} Robert Copsey for Digital Spy described the song as "nothing we haven't heard from her before, but there's an urgency to it that suggests Christina needed to get it out of her system", while Matthew Horton of Virgin Media wrote that Aguilera sounds as though she is declaring war. Michael Gallucci for PopCrush was critical of the song, writing that it sounds like a Cher disco song which features Aguilera "overworking" her vocal cords.{{cite web|last=Gallucci|first=Michael|url=http://popcrush.com/christina-aguilera-lotus-album-review/|title=Christina Aguilera, 'Lotus' - Album Review|work=PopCrush|publisher=Townsquare Media|date=November 2012|access-date=November 29, 2012}} Melissa Maerz of Entertainment Weekly found the song's lyrics to be defensive and bitter. Responding to the lyrics "And we're gonna rise up.../ For every time you wronged me/ Well, you're gonna face an army, army of me.' Maerz writes "Rise up against whom? Is the whole world really out to get her, or is this just an excuse to wear camouflage hot pants?"{{cite magazine|last=Maerz|first=Melissa|url=https://ew.com/article/2012/11/16/lotus-review-christina-aguilera/|title=Lotus - Review - Christina Aguilera Review|issue=1232–1233|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|location=New York|date=November 9, 2012|access-date=November 17, 2012|archive-date=July 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721054747/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20643719,00.html|url-status=live}}

Aguilera performed "Army of Me" for the first time at the 40th American Music Awards as part of a medley with two other tracks: "Lotus Intro" and "Let There Be Love" on November 18, 2012, held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.{{cite web|last=Warner|first=Kara|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1695198/christina-aguilera-american-music-awards-performance-preview.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011030417/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1695198/christina-aguilera-american-music-awards-performance-preview.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 11, 2012|title=Christina Aguilera Teases AMA Performance Inspired By Lotus Cover|work=MTV News|publisher=Viacom|date=October 9, 2012|access-date=November 12, 2012}} Bruna Nessif for E! Online described the performance as "interesting," and noted that the theme "to celebrate everyone for who they are" was similar to the moral content presented on Gaga's album Born This Way (2011).{{cite web|last=Nessif|first=Bruna|url=http://uk.eonline.com/news/364242/2012-american-music-awards-best-worst-from-the-show-plus-full-winner-s-list|title=2012 American Music Awards: Best & Worst From the Show, Plus Full Winner's List|work=E! Online|publisher=NBCUniversal|date=November 18, 2012|access-date=November 27, 2012}}

;Recording

• Recorded at Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, California; Radley Studios, Los Angeles, California.
• String, Bass and Piano recorded at Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, California.
• Acoustic Guitars, Synth Piano and Synth Strings recorded at Radley Studios, Los Angeles, California.
• Vocals recorded at The Red Lips Room, Beverly Hills, California.

;Personnel

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

• Songwriting – Christina Aguilera, Jamie Hartman, David Glass, Phil Bentley
• Production – Tracklacers, Jamie Hartman (co-producer)
• Vocal production – Christina Aguilera
• Vocal recording – Oscar Ramirez
• String arrangement – Jamie Hartman
• String, Bass and Piano recording – Justin Stanley
• Acoustic Guitars, Synth Piano and Synth Strings recording – Jamie Hartman
• Assistant – Zivi Krieger

{{col-2}}

• Drum programming, Keyboards and Synths – Steve Daly, Jon Keep
• Synth Strings – Jamie Hartman, The Professor
• Live Strings – Songa Lee, Rodney Wirtz, Alisha Bauer, Marisa Kuney
• Live Piano – Jeff Babko, Jamie Hartman
• Synth Piano – Jamie Hartman, The Professor
• Live Bass – Tyler Chester, Steve Daly
• Acoustic Guitars – Jamie Hartman

{{col-end}}

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Lotus, RCA Records.{{cite AV media notes|others=Christina Aguilera|title=Lotus|year=2012|type= inlay cover|publisher= RCA Records|page=iTunes Digital Booklet}}

Upon the release of Lotus, "Army of Me" debuted on the South Korean singles chart at number 103 during the week of November 11 to 17, 2012, due to digital download sales of 2,689.{{cite web|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/online/download/list.gaon |title=South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: November 11, 2012 to November 17, 2012) |publisher=Gaon Chart |date=November 17, 2012 |access-date=November 24, 2012 |format=The URL will open up the South Korea national singles chart. To view international, click the right hand box out of three above the orange 'number one' position. Then above the chart table on the right, select 2012 instead of 2013 and then select November 11 to 17, then at the bottom of the page, click 101-200 chart position link |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219094524/http://www.gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/online/download/list.gaon |archive-date=December 19, 2012 }}

{{Infobox song

| name = Army of Me

| cover = Anastacia - Army of Me.jpg

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Anastacia

| album = Ultimate Collection

| released = 23 October 2015

| recorded = 2015

| studio =

| genre = Pop

| length = 3:25

| label = Sony Music

| writer = Christina Aguilera, Jamie Hartman, David Glass, Phil Bentley

| producer =

| chronology = Anastacia

| prev_title = Take This Chance

| prev_year = 2015

| next_title = Caught in the Middle

| next_year = 2017

| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|{{YouTube|HkxxG2HcHxA|"Anastacia - Army of Me (Official Audio)"}}|type=single}}

}}

American recording artist Anastacia covered the song for her second greatest hits album Ultimate Collection (2015). The song was released as album's second single on 23 October 2015 by Sony Music Entertainment.{{cite web|title=Ultimate Collection by Anastacia|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/army-of-me/1047913008?i=1047913510|work=iTunes|date = 6 November 2015|access-date=10 December 2015}}

{{-}}

French singer-songwriter and artist Merwan Rim included a French version of the song, "Tous Les Hommes En Un", on his debut album, L'échappée, released in 2012 by Mercury Records. His first performance and release of the song took place several months before Aguilera's.{{Cite web|url=http://www.purepeople.com/article/christina-aguilera-et-merwan-rim-army-of-me-leur-coup-de-coeur-partage_a109832/1|title=Christina Aguilera et Merwan Rim : Army of Me, leur coup de coeur partagé|date=7 November 2012 }}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Christina Aguilera songs}}

{{Anastacia singles}}

{{authority control}}

Category:2012 songs

Category:Christina Aguilera songs

Category:Anastacia songs

Category:Songs written by Christina Aguilera

Category:RCA Records singles

Category:Sony Music singles

Category:Songs written by Jamie Hartman

Category:Eurodance songs

Category:LGBTQ-related songs