 " Lotus Intro " is an electronic music song which lasts for a duration of 3 : 17 ; it was inspired by Aguilera 's passion for electronica . It has a " hypnotic " yet " dark , serious " tone which develops and matures as it progresses , depicting Aguilera 's rebirth , similar to the life cycle of a Lotus Flower . The track opens with tribal chant by Aguilera , who sings the line " Rise up lotus , rise / This is the beginning " over a " heavy " hip hop beat . Aguilera sings the lyrics " I look at my reflection and embrace the woman I 've become / The unbreakable lotus in me , I now set free " over electronic " bleeps and beeps " . Some of the opening lyrics , including " Rise up / This is the beginning " and " Leave the past behind " , serve as a mission statement for the rest of the album . Despite claiming to " submerge from hurt , pain , broken pieces " and " leave the past behind / say goodbye to the scared child inside , " Andrew Hampp for Billboard felt that the singer " still has a few scores to settle . " According to Robert Copsey for Digital Spy , the singer explains how the a Lotus Flower is " the unbreakable flower " in the lyrics " To the sky I rise / Spread my wings and fly " . He further wrote that the listener could be fooled by the title " Lotus Intro " , as it is a full length song and not a short introduction . Sarah Godfrey for The Washington Post was critical of Aguilera 's vocal performance , writing that although the singer 's strength is her voice , she sounds " modulated beyond recognition " . 
