Oh Mother

After releasing Stripped (2002) and collaborating with many different artists, Aguilera decided to record new old-school style materials for her upcoming album. She later explained that the lengthy break allowed her to write a lot about what she had experienced during that time. As a result, Back to Basics, Aguilera's fifth studio album, is made up of two discs. Aguilera sent letters to different producers that she hoped could help her with the direction she was taking for the project, encouraging them to experiment, re-invent and create a modern soul feel. She described the first disc as "kind of a throwback with elements of jazz, blues and soul music combined with a modern-day twist, like hard-hitting beats". "Oh Mother" was written by Aguilera, Derryck Thornton, Mark Rankin, Liz Thornton, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi. Production was done by Big Tank and Q, with L Boggie credited as co-producer and Aguilera serviced as additional producer. Piano and keyboards were provided by V. Young, while Rob Lewis served guitar and arranging. Lewis also played string instruments with Aroussiak Baltaian, Daniel Seidenberg, Garik Terzian, Ilana Setapen, Joel Pargman and Maia Jasper. ==Composition==

"Oh Mother" is a piano ballad. Written in the key of C♯ minor, it is a downtempo track with a moderate tempo of 88 beats per minute. She revealed, "I think going through what I went through at a young age – the abuse that went on in my household – did affect me a lot. Domestic violence is a topic that is very hush-hush in society". Aguilera recalls the domestic violence of her childhood as she sings, "He took his anger out on her face, she kept all of her pain locked away". Nick Levine for Digital Spy said that "Oh Mother" is a "retread" of "I'm OK", a song with the same topic from Aguilera's 2002 album Stripped. ==Release==

"Oh Mother" was serviced as the fourth and final single from Back to Basics in Europe: on September 28, 2007, it was available for digital downloads in Switzerland; on October 8, 2007, it was available for CD single sales in the United Kingdom. In Germany, the song was purchased as a CD single and as a digital download single on November 23, 2007. In the United Kingdom, "Oh Mother" was available for digital download on December 31, 2007. Germany, Czech Republic, and Austria in late 2007. ==Critical reception==

Upon its release, "Oh Mother" was met with mainly positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Lucy Davis from BBC Music wrote that the song "might mean a lot to some, those with the tiresome self defence lyrics should go – when she gets on with the singing, there's nothing to prove". Slant Magazine editor Sal Cinquemani deemed "Oh Mother" a "lovely" piano and string melody "that we're offered a reprieve". Amanda Murray of Sputnikmusic was also positive toward "Oh Mother", commenting that "another ode to her single mother and middle-finger to her abusive father, is yet more proof that Aguilera works best when the subject matter actually means something to her, when the song is more than just something to sing". Spence D. for IGN was positive toward the song's meaning, writing that it "resonates with a bittersweet energy that helps it rise above the standard young pop queen fare of the day". musicOMH's John Murray was not impressed with the song, calling it "good" but saying that it would "just make the bad moments feel so much worse". Digital Spy critic Nick Levine provided a negative review, giving it a two out of five stars rating and calling it "tremulous" with a "vibrato-fuelled conclusion". ==Commercial performance==

On the Austrian Singles Chart, the single debuted at number 26 on December 7, 2007, and peaked at number 23 during the following week. There, the track remained for a total of nine weeks. The single also peaked in the Netherlands and Switzerland at number 54 and 79, respectively. ==Live performances==

To promote "Oh Mother" and Back to Basics, Aguilera performed the song on a number of occasions. On July 20, 2006, Aguilera performed the track at the Koko jazz club in London, which was held in front of 1,500 fans and invited guests. The 40-minute concert comprised songs from the then-upcoming Back to Basics and other songs, including "Lady Marmalade" (2001) and "Beautiful" (2002). As she performed the track, the clip of a man repeatedly punching a woman as blood dripped from her face appeared on the screen. The performance is included on the video release Back to Basics: Live and Down Under (2008). A live video of the performance of "Oh Mother" during the tour, taken from the accompanying DVD, was premiered in late 2007. Nick Levine for Digital Spy called it a "cheap-looking" video. ==Track listings==

CD single and German digital download • "Oh Mother" – 3:44 • "Oh Mother" (instrumental) – 3:47 Swiss digital download • "Oh Mother" – 3:45 ==Credits and personnel==

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Back to Basics, RCA Records. • Contains a sample from the song "Vois Sur Ton Chemin", written by Bruno Coluais and Christopher Barratler. • Songwriting – Christina Aguilera, Derryck Thornton, Mark Rankin, Liz Thornton, Christophe Barratier, Bruno Coulais and Kara DioGuardi • Producing – Big Tank, Q • Co-producing – L Boggie • Additional producing – Christina Aguilera • Guitar – Rob Lewis • Strings – Rob Lewis, Aroussiak Baltaian, Daniel Seidenberg, Garik Terzian, Ilana Setapen, Joel Pargman, Maia Jasper • Piano, keyboards – V. Young • Arranging – Rob Lewis • Recording – Oscar Ramirez ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Release history==