Whether she's working with legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier or making a song that's a throwback to the 1940s, [artist id="509026"]Christina Aguilera[/artist] has never been afraid to experiment with her music. And on her new album, Bionic, due in March, the singer is looking ahead: In next month's issue of Marie Claire, the songstress says that the album "is about the future," crediting son Max as a musical inspiration who's "motivating me to want to play and have fun."

Although Aguilera has always been known for her soaring vocals, she's brought in a softer style of singing on this album. She admitted to the magazine that easing up is something "that maybe I've been afraid to do in the past, to allow myself to go to a place of 'less singing,' " she said. "I'm more vulnerable and more strong at the same time."

According to the magazine, the album's tentative first single is a Tricky Stewart-produced track called "Glam," described as "a poppy, hip-hop inflected throwback to Madonna's 'Vogue.' " Other tracks include "the addictive electronic title track" and an ode to her son titled "Lullaby," which is the result of Aguilera's studio sessions with Australian singer Sia.

Last fall, [article id="1622865"]Tricky Stewart talked about the album[/article], calling it "one of her best bodies of work."

"I know that there's a lot of other cool features, like I know that she has Santigold and Flo Rida on there," he told Rap-Up.com. "She's mixing it up again. She's singing R&B again, she's doing pop. She's doing it all, but she's found a way to make it all meet in the middle because she's so many different things."

Over the summer, [article id="1618798"]Aguilera mentioned a couple of other artists[/article]

she's been working with, although it was unclear at press time whether those collaborations will appear on the LP. "I got a chance to sort of write with Santigold, M.I.A., Ladytron -- artists that I really love," she told fans during a broadcast for her A.P.E. radio station in August. Other collaborators include Dr. Luke, Bravery frontman [article id="1617414"]Sam Endicott (who worked with Shakira[/article] on "She Wolf"), Switch and Goldfrapp.

And while she puts the finishing touches on Bionic, Aguilera is also busy shooting her on-screen debut in the movie musical, [article id="1628465"]"Burlesque,"[/article] which hits theaters in November.