She adds that Lotus is "a very multi-layered, very heartfelt record. I wanted to share all the different sides of me, as a woman, and as a creator and an artist. Part of that is being a mom. Part of that is sexuality. Part of that is vulnerability. Part of that is aggression and angst. All those pieces make me who I am."

Lotus also includes Aguilera's first collaboration with hitmaker Max Martin. "I'm not sure we would have been able to create the same music had we connected earlier," she tells Rolling Stone. "He did all the Britney and N'Sync songs, and I was doing something a little more daring. But we've gained respect for each other."

Aguilera admits that her previous album, 2010's electronic-based Bionic, wasn't what her fans expected. "It had a lot of amazing sounds and a futuristic twist to it," she says of Bionic. "But if you weren't a music person, it was just going to go over your head. A lot of the collaborations were with people that were either very underground or weren't necessarily from the pop world. I really think it was far ahead of its time and it'll be fully appreciated in the years to come."

Aguilera has also been in the spotlight as one of the judges for NBC's hit The Voice. However, between appearing on the show and working on Lotus, she is glad to take a break when Shakira takes over for her in The Voice's 2013 spring season. "They were going to do back-to-back seasons," she tells Rolling Stone. "I knew I had to get back in touch with myself as an artist. I really put myself on the back burner doing that show. I also worried that my advice would start to get stale and redundant. I have to go away for a second and live life. Being on The Voice has been amazing, but I need to see my friends and go on the road again."

As for a potential tour behind Lotus, she says, "We are thinking about that. But with my schedule everything is complicated – and it's a whole different ballgame now that I have a son. So, again, we'll do that on my own terms and within due time."

Lotus will be in stores on November 9.