I discovered Etta at a young age. I was drawn into a world and toward a voice that surpassed everything I’d ever known—from “At Last” to “Trust in Me” to “Sunday Kind of Love.” Singing along to her and hearing her music became a place of release, escape and refuge. It was therapeutic, having come up in a chaotic home myself, to find something that not only spoke to me but also made me feel empowered and motivated.
Etta sang with such depth, using her whole heart. You could feel her pain, her joy, her sorrow and her soul, and in turn, she helped me connect with my own. She inspired me to set free my thoughts and emotions into a personal form of expression. No matter what, I could always count on her to sing the truth. Etta was the real deal.
Aguilera is a singer-songwriter and a coach on The Voice