Christina up close: Christina Aguilera just released her big, bold Back to Basics. She's also managing her career, enjoying her marriage, and speaking up for her LGBT friends. A gay press exclusive with the 25-year-old superstar.

Christina Aguilera can also whip your ass at Donkey Kong. "I'm extremely good at video games," asserts the Staten Island, N.Y.-born, Pennsylvania-raised singer between sips of Pellegrino in the bustling bar of L'Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. "People come over to my house after a night of going out just to try to beat my scores. I have all the top scores."

Spend a little time with Aguilera--after giving her swell new CD, Back to Basics, a listen--and you come away believing the petite platinum-blond with the plus-size pipes can do whatever she sets her mind to. And no monkey is going to stop her. "I love absorbing information," she explains, gesturing to a coffee table book about pinup artist Alberto Vargas she's using as inspiration for her next video, "Candyman." "I'm always looking to go new places. That's hard sometimes, because you're setting yourself up for people loving it or hating it, but I'm willing to take that risk."

As pop risks go, Back to Basics is a doozy: an unapologetic "concept album" in two parts inspired by vintage soul, jazz, and blues. Disc I features retro sounds and samples set to modern beats; the more theatrical second disc reunites Aguilera with Linda Perry, the out songwriter-producer behind the singers 2003 Grammy-winning ballad "Beautiful."

"They're like my babies, my fraternal twins," gushes Aguilera of the discs. "I wanted to use elements of the music that influenced me, from the '20s, '30s, and '40s, and reinvent them in a modern way. I accomplished exactly what I wanted to do."

The lyrics on Back to Basics reflect a more hopeful, romantic Christina, attributable largely to her marriage last year to music executive Jordan Bratman. "I was in an extremely heavy space during the recording of Stripped," admits Aguilera, referring to her polarizing 2002 disc. "With Back to Basics I was able to focus on a brighter, lighter side of myself."

As if on cue, Bratman strolls into the bar to remind his wife that they have dinner reservations in a few minutes. Aguilera lights up. They're clearly crazy about each other but in a way that seems sane, particularly by showbiz standards. Before heading to dinner, Bratman confirms that his new wife does have mad video-gaming skills. Then Aguilera stands up onto a pair of do-me pumps that match her red lipstick. "I have to go to the bathroom," she announces, "but while I'm gone, Jordie can tell you what else I'm good at--if you know what I mean." With that, she lets out a husky Mae West laugh. She begins to step away, then says, "That was a joke." Uh-huh, right.

How did you set out to create Back to Basics?

I put together a CD of music I'm inspired by. I called it the "producer's package," and I wrote a letter [to prospective producers] saying, "These are songs that I'm inspired by. Please listen to them, reference them, use bits and pieces, experiment, and enter this world with me."

A lot of people didn't get it, but the people that did are the main people on both discs. I was surprised that Linda [Perry] got it so well. She really dove in hard and listened to every detail that I had to say.

Do you think the fact that Linda's a lesbian has anything to do with your connection?

It would be wrong to say it had anything to do with being a certain label or stereotype, but I think she's had a hard road with some of the things she's experienced, as have I. We relate to each other.

The part of you that relates to outsiders seems to come from a very deep place for you.

Absolutely. I constantly felt like an outsider growing up. Because I wanted to perform, that kind of put me on the outs a lot. The other kids weren't very kind to me when my name appeared in the paper or when I was on Star Search when I was 7. So I completely relate to anybody that feels that they ever have to confine anything about themselves to please someone else. I knew at a really young age that I would never do that, that I would always be courageous and stand up for what I believed in.

On "The Right Man," you sing about your wedding day and the fact that you chose to walk yourself down the aisle, as opposed to having a father figure do it. What was it like when that moment arrived?

It was a turning point in my life. I was like, I'm a strong woman, I can do this. At the end of the aisle is my husband. I'm going to look at him. When the actual moment came, I didn't imagine feeling the way I did. It was emotionally overwhelming. I was shaking and thinking how amazing it would be to have that man that resembled this protector in your life, this man with those "Don't hurt my little girl" kind of words, and feeling the pain of never having had that. I wanted to write about that because I thought, How many other women must feel this?

Was it a huge relief emotionally to go from taking care of yourself all the time to having Jordan there to help take care of you?

You totally hit that on the head. I've been providing for my family for a number of years now, and I'm always feeling like I hold the whole ship up. But with my husband, I strongly feel that I have someone.

Given that you're a newlywed yourself, is marriage equality for gay people something you believe in?

Yes. My trainer married her girlfriend last weekend and we went. It was beautiful. I was so touched by their vows to each other, I totally cried. They have some disapproving family members who actually decided to be present for the wedding.

Afterward I wondered, Did they get it? Did they see the love? I never get people that think [being gay] is some kind of choice. You might be able to suppress it, but why would you live life that way? It really saddens me.

Have you ever fallen in love with a gay guy?

[Laughs] That's a really interesting question. Now that I'm married, I guess I can say I think I kind of did. Maybe. I was involved with someone who had a gay past. I was in the relationship knowing that.

Did you end up getting hurt?

It was a paranoia at times, like when you walk into a room with a guy that you know has feelings for other men, you're like, Is he looking at the guy or the girl over there? I don't know if he's come to terms with it yet.

Do you ever go out clubbing with the gay people in your tour crew?

Absolutely. Are you kidding? If I work hard, I play hard. My best friend in the whole world, Steve Sollitto, is my makeup artist, and he was one of my bridesmaids in my wedding. He was rumored to be my lover for a minute. We would crack up because we were like, "Ewww, we're totally brother and sister." We do like to go out and have a good time, though sometimes be likes to have "boy time."

Do you think having an ear for music gives you an ear for imitating people? I do, actually. I do dog voices, and everyone says I should do cartoon characters. I do Shakira and a great Cher impersonation.

So do many of the people reading this. [Laughs] I do the "Do you believe" Cher, but I don't really do it anymore.

Given all that your voice can do, is it ever a challenge for you to sing small? Do your producers ever say, "Less is more, Christina"?

[Nods] I made a point to do that more on this record. On "Save Me From Myself," I don't think I've ever been heard singing so quietly or so soft, but the emotion I wanted to convey was so vulnerable, honest, and sincere. It's dedicated to my husband, thanking him for being the only person in my life that can really reach in there to take me out of whatever heavy space I might be in and let me realize all the beautiful and amazing things around me.

I have to ask you about the track "FUSS."

It's a clever title, right?

My guess, based on the lyrics, is that it stands for "Fuck You Scott Storch" [the Miami producer with whom Aguilera collaborated extensively on Stripped].

Basically, but by no means is it directed toward him. It's a celebration song--that I accomplished something without the help of someone that obviously didn't find it important enough to be a part of.

Your "Lady Marmalade" collaborator Pink recorded "Stupid Girls," about the seeming vacuousness of the young female celebrity set. Do you share her sentiments?

I don't think these are stupid girls. The problem I have sometimes with the way they're portrayed is that ... I think the term is "dumbing yourself down" to appease other people to gain some sort of popularity or success from it. As a woman, that's absolutely not what you should be about. The thing is, you gotta be smart to be doing this. The pictures you see of these girls on their cell phones or in their cars--you know, they're working.

Still, we don't ever tend to see you talking on your cell while shopping in Beverly Hills.

I'm not the girl that goes out and goes on my cell phone all day. I'm into my Black-Berry, but I hate the phone. I don't go to places on purpose to get photographed. That's just not me. When it's time for me to create, I go into my creative cave and hide myself so that when I come out, it really takes people aback and it is exciting.

What other artists' careers do you emulate?

I'm reading Etta James's autobiography right now. I love [her] ballsy attitude. In her day, with racism going on in extreme and having to face all that, that's very powerful to me. And of course, I love Madonna for her strength and discipline. Her ideas are amazing, and she tries to go above and beyond in challenging herself. I love people who stand up for what they passionately believe in and don't back down.

Were you surprised at the reaction to your kiss with Madonna on the MTV Video Music Awards a couple years ago?

Not really. When you go into something like that, you know people are going to get shocked. Yawn yawn. I thought it was a very interesting touch, though. [Laughs] And it was super fun.

What's a compliment you received recently that really moved you?

Etta James said I'm a very old soul and talked about how smart I am, and I really appreciated that.

How would you describe your life right now?

Peaceful.

With all you've got going on? Your BlackBerry's practically smoking.

Photographed by Jill Greenberg for The Advocate