Christina in Marie Claire magazine

Christina Aguilera strikes a pose in front of a grand piano in the February 2010 issue of Marie Claire. Here’s what the 29-year-old mom shared with the magazine.

On maturing in showbiz: “In this crazy business, it’s so easy to build up a lot of walls and a lot of bitterness. And it’s just no way to be… “[I can now use softer tones] that maybe I’ve been afraid to do in the past, to allow myself to go to a place of ‘less singing.’ I’m more vulnerable and more strong at the same time.”

On motherhood inspiring her to be lighter in her music. “I had a really hard time being light before. I’d get a little weird about it being too cliché. My first record was very clichéd pop – what everyone else wanted. [My second album Stripped] inspired by a lot of pain. [My third, Back to Basics,] /still had some sort of relation to my past. [My new album] is just about the future – my son in my life, motivating me to want to play and have fun.”

Christina’s new album is called Bionic, due out in March. The first single reportedly is a hip-pop track called “Glam,” produced by Tricky Stewart.