Christina Aguilera Loves '00s Nostalgia and an Underboob Moment

She sings. She acts. She ... games? Under all the gloss and over-the-top glamour, Christina Aguilera says that she still goes back to something she's done since she was a kid that may surprise longtime Xtina die-hards: fire up her Nintendo to kick back and connect with her family. As one of the gaming giant's newly minted spokespeople, Aguilera tells InStyle that the partnership shouldn't raise any eyebrows to anyone who knows her. Nintendo and its iconic cast of characters have been with her since before she was a genie in a bottle or a corset-clad member of the "Lady Marmalade" quartet.

Like many people, Aguilera started with the OG Nintendo NES system in the '90s, saying that the original console was as much a part of her childhood as her time on The Mickey Mouse Club.

"I remember truly just falling in love with the fact that you could compete with yourself, compete with others. It was something that me and my stepbrother and stepsister loved to do," Aguilera says. "We would anticipate them coming over so we could all gather around and take turns, even though I was definitely the biggest hog of it all. I was the oldest. I love having that be a part of my life and a part of my childhood and a part of our residual jokes inside the family."

Now, Nintendo has an almost infinite number of options for gamers of all kinds, but Aguilera says she's still obsessed with playing the games she loved as a kid — and shares them with her own children — like Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart. What has changed, however, is how Nintendo has changed its most memorable titles to adapt with the times without losing their spirit. It's something that Aguilera connects with not only as an artist shifting from Stripped to Bionic and beyond, but as a woman.

"Well, they've come a long way, I have to say. They've evolved over the years. Now, you get your choice of a bunch of female characters. I know as they were progressing, you got to actually play as Peach," Aguilera says. "As it evolved now with Mario Kart and now you have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you get such a gamut of different options and players, but Pink Gold Peach is amazing. She has a really cool look, so that's one of my favorites."

Her go-to character may surprise anyone familiar with her brand of femininity: She prefers to play as villain Wario, while her sister, who also features in the new Nintendo campaign, plays as Waluigi — though nostalgia comes into play there, too.

"When me and my sister get together for Mario Party or Mario Kart, we definitely make sure that we keep it really silly," she says. "We have so much fun with that because their character voices are so hilarious."

Using her game time now to connect with her kids is something she's proud of, adding that she can and her two kids (son Max and daughter Summer) play together, even if they can't physically be together.

"The Nintendo Switch OLED has been a great resource and tool whenever we can't always spend time together to be able to play each other and game," she says. "It's something that you can take with you, either on a TV set or you can take it to travel and so we can check in with each other, we can have conversations as we play."

And while images of Mario Kart's banana peels and killer Chain Chomps may bring back memories, Aguilera's signature "Dirrty" chaps and crisscross top or her pin-up days circa "Candyman" can bring on a whole different wave of feels. She knows fans — including Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa — can't get enough of those iconic looks and she's proud of every single one. In true Xtina fashion, there's not a single regret.

"I know low rise is coming back and the under-the-boob moments are coming back strong. It is really nice to look back and to recognize a lot of these moments. I know many female artists go through this, but sometimes we get heat for doing certain things, or not everyone gets it," she says. "But when you do things that truly stand the test of time and become these iconic moments — I mean, I love looking at that and seeing that I spread some joy in people's lives in that way and being fashion-forward and experimental. I was never afraid to be myself and to express myself the way I really felt as an artist, and so it's awesome to see a new generation enjoy the fashion."

For anyone looking to find the Xtina to their Christina — or the Metal Peach to their Princess Peach — Aguilera says all it takes is the willingness to embrace individuality and keep things honest.

"I can only do what truly feels authentic to me. I was never good at faking anything and looking at others who kind of played the game, per se, to try and win people over. It's very transparent to me when something doesn't feel authentic," she says. "And I think now more than ever in my life, it's important to truly show every side of myself, as a woman, the woman that I've become, the mom that I am with my children, and things that we like to do."