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Music News: Christina Aguilera's 4th studio album: 'Bionic'
Banned
Member Since: 8/31/2008
Posts: 4,910
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not so good reviews. 
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Christina Aguilera has a formidable voice and million-selling albums. She has looks and fame. She has a husband and a son. She has a catalog full of songs she wrote, many of them about a woman’s self-determination, and she has her pick of producers and collaborators. Now, on her new album, “Bionic,” how has she decided to present herself?
Mostly as a sexbot: a one-dimensional hot chick chanting come-ons to club beats. “Woohoo” leaves no doubt about what her “woohoo” is, while in the bilingual “Des Nudites,” which is sung like the Spanish word “desnúdate” (“get naked”), Ms. Aguilera promises, “I’m your supplier of lust, love and fire tonight.”
For Ms. Aguilera, 29, it’s an artistic swerve, turning away from the soul-flavored songs on her two previous albums, “Stripped” and “Back to Basics,” to visit the electronic realm. But the choice makes her sound as peer-pressured as a pop singer can be. This is the way to ring tone sales and radio play, until the next sexbot struts off the assembly line.
Instead of separating herself from the pop-R&B crowd with her bluesy voice and her tales of trauma and redemption, Ms. Aguilera plays catch-up. She goes breathy like Britney Spears; she bounces vocals against percussion like Beyoncé. In the S&M-style video clip for the album’s first single, “Not Myself Tonight,” she changes costumes as frantically as Lady Gaga.
With producers including Polow Da Don, C. (Tricky) Stewart and John Hill & Switch — all current hit makers — the tracks dip into reggae, electro and disco revival. They’re snappy, gimmicky and professionally catchy; “Elastic Love,” written with M.I.A., has a low-fi core and lyrics that cleverly work office-supply metaphors. But the songs are built for narrower voices; they barely need Ms. Aguilera.
In case the sex songs aren’t shallow enough, Ms. Aguilera diversifies to announce, “Fashion is a lifestyle.” Then she imitates Madonna, from the “Vogue” days, to speak and sing in “Glam.”
The second part of the album comes across as two postscripts. First Ms. Aguilera tries grown-up mode for a handful of ballads. Linda Perry’s “Lift Me Up” tries to invoke “Imagine” but falls short. The Australian songwriter Sia (whose last name is Furler) collaborated on retro 1960s-flavored songs that savor Ms. Aguilera’s voice, confessing to insecurities over a string orchestra in “I Am” and barely holding back tears in “You Lost Me.”
Then it’s over to singsong playground chants and new wave beats, among them “My Girls,” which was written with Le Tigre, the post-riot-grrrl synth-pop group. No need to fear feminism: Louboutins and Cosmo are brand-name-dropped, and the song insists, “We just came to party.” Ms. Aguilera signs off with “Vanity,” a raunchy, hyperbolic paean to self-esteem.
Midway through the album, in “Glam,” Ms. Aguilera advises, “Be superficial — it’s your one shot.” She spends “Bionic” acting as if that were true. JON PARELES
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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/ar.../07choice.html
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"For the last decade, Christina Aguilera’s career has been as much or more about marketing as it has been about singing. It’s a shame, because as pop-machine creations go, Aguilera has genuine chops as vocalist, and far greater upside than just about any of her peers in the late-‘90s teen-pop invasion.
On her 1999 self-titled debut album, she distinguished herself from the Britney/Backstreet Boys pack with a rangy voice that belied her youth (plus, “Genie in a Bottle” was a fetching single). After that, her career has taken a series of curious turns. Her albums have moments that live up to her promise, but are weighed down by ill-advised concepts, garish over-singing and off-putting celebrations of self (or even more off-putting complaints about just how tough it is to be Xtina).
Her 2002 album, “Stripped,” confused growing up with stripper-pole come-on’s, and “Back to Basics” (2006) tried to turn her into a swing-era throwback who claimed she worshiped Etta James and Aretha Franklin, but then over-sang so much that it’s clear she hadn’t learned a thing from those icons. Now comes “Bionic” (RCA), which presents her as … a robot?
Actually, futurism is all the rage lately. Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Janelle Monae are all doing variations on sci-fi themes and sexy android characters. Besides working with producers who have defined mainstream radio pop the last decade (Tricky Stewart, Polow Da Don, Linda Perry), she enlists edgier collaborators, including M.I.A. and her coproducer, Switch; Berlin-based feminist provocateur Peaches; dance-punk trio Le Tigre (including riot grrrl icon Kathleen Hannah); and Santigold producer John Hill.
The idea is to reinvent Aguilera as a techno-age diva, which means folding her voice inside uptempo dance music and glitchy electronic textures. As she declares on “Not Myself Tonight”: “I’m doing things I normally don’t do.” OK, sounds interesting so far; by making the singer’s prodigious voice less of a focal point, “Bionic” puts the emphasis on the production, the sound, the sheer audacity of upsetting expectations.
The strategy is most successful on “Elastic Love,” in which the electro beats – conjured by Hill and Switch – propel Aguilera through a psychedelic arcade of sound effects. It would’ve been fascinating to see how far a full-blown collaboration might’ve taken her, but Aguilera spreads out the songwriting and production credits in search of more hits, most of which come off as flimsy gimmicks.
Even by the standards of her first album, which catered to the teen market, “Bionic” is juvenile. “WooHoo” approximates dancehall reggae and distorts her voice while she spouts, “Licky, licky, yum-yum, what a great guy!”
The focus on beats ensures that these tunes will sound even sillier off the dancefloor. She dispenses fashion tips (“Don’t let the clothes wear you!”) while recycling Madonna’s “Vogue” on “Glam.” She sings in Spanish and moans a lot while demanding “Get naked!” on “Denudate.” “I Hate Boys” is the kind of trite glitter-disco the Spice Girls might’ve dispensed. And even the vaunted Le Tigre/Peaches combo platter on “My Girls” fails to ignite.
Sandwiched between the dance tracks are a handful of ballads that allow Aguilera to flex her vocal muscles. These songs have a tacked-on quality, as if they were afterthoughts designed to sate those Aguilera fans who would complain about all the sci-fi dance tracks. But, really, does the world need another over-emoted power ballad like the Linda Perry-written and produced “Lift Me Up”?
Desperation takes hold as “Vanity” wraps up the album. Strutting like a Pussycat Doll, Aguilera intones: “Let us not forget who owns the throne.” A child’s voice answers: “You do, mommy.”
Sarcasm? Don’t bet on it."
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http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.c...ra-bionic.html
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Member Since: 6/4/2010
Posts: 38,919
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Her MTV performance was cute. I expected a bit more though.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 4/4/2010
Posts: 10,437
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I loved the performance! CRAZY VISUALS! 
Not her best, but it was great nonetheless!
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Member Since: 1/18/2010
Posts: 721
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Originally posted by ShakTinaOnce_fan
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I disagree. LMU is possibly the best record of her career, the first time she's ever invoked emotion from me. 
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Member Since: 10/8/2009
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Member Since: 9/7/2008
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Member Since: 9/7/2008
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Member Since: 3/25/2009
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Member Since: 2/18/2007
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love the T Shirt 
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Member Since: 4/1/2010
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why would she wear that t-shirt when she already has the reputation of being a bitch?! is she also dumb?
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Member Since: 12/27/2009
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Member Since: 9/7/2008
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#1 in iTunes New Zealand
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Member Since: 9/7/2008
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Some reviews about Christina's MTV performance.
Rolling Stone
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Christina Aguilera kicked off a medley of songs from her new disc Bionic by spinning around on giant futuristic throne in a moment recalling Madonna's grand entrance to her Sticky and Sweet Tour. The palate of the performance matched Aguilera's album cover and video for lead-off single "Not Myself Tonight": stark black and white with red accents on her lips and microphone. Snapping to attention like a pop robot, Aguilera ripped through a lock-step version of "Bionic," then segued into "Not Myself Tonight." Her platinum hair pulled into a single severe curl, Aguilera slithered with her silver-and-black-clad crew, pulling out a move that got Adam Lambert into hot water at last year's American Music Awards. Her female backup dancers revealed red hearts painted onto their crotches for "Woohoo," and Aguilera strutted confidently, finishing strong with her own LED heart pulsing on her groin.
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- http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/109860
MTV
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Christina Aguilera got futuristic, funky and downright freaky at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, performing a supercharged medley of songs from her forthcoming Bionic album — which comes out Tuesday — that hit hard and probably got millions of people all hot and bothered.
She kicked things off sitting down in a gilded throne, decked out in a diamond-encrusted one-piece, looking very much like a 23rd-century queen, and began rapping the opening lines of the title track from her album. She then descended to the stage and, surrounded by a crew of leather-clad dancers began throwing punches while laser blasts resounded through the audience (bonus points for the Iron Man-esque light pods she wore on the palms of her hands.)
After a bit more strutting, Aguilera's dancers surrounded her, and the electronic thump of first single "Not Myself Tonight" blared loud and proud. As steam poured from the stage, Xtina belted out the chorus, getting low and singing for the rafters.
"Tonight" segued directly into "Woohoo," minus Nikki Minaj on this night. But that didn't stop Christina from upping the heat even more, breaking into a seriously sexy dance number that was made only more hot by the fact that her dancers were now wearing glowing red hearts on their crotches.
Not to be outdone, Agulera ended things by standing tall at center stage, the camera zooming in on her midsection, which now bore a beating heart of its own. The celeb-packed audience roared their approval, and Aguilera bounded off the stage — presumably to go take a nice long, cold shower.
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GOSSIP CENTER
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Reclaiming her place among the hottest female performers, Christina Aguilera gave a killer showing at the MTV Movie Awards last night (June 6).
The “Come on Over Baby” songstress treated the crowd at the Gibson Amphitheatre to a three-song medley as a sign of things to come from her new album.
Belting her heart out, Christina sang “Bionic,” “Woohoo,” and “Not Myself Tonight” all while surrounded by a bevy of backup dancers.
And at the end of the high-energy run, Ms. Aguilera showed off a blinking heart cleverly positioned overtop her lady parts.
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THE IMPROPER
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Former Disney star Christina Aguliera broke the barrier on raunchy sexuality. Now after a hiatus and motherhood, Aguliera is back and set the stage on fire — almost literally — at the MTV Movie Awards Sunday (June 5).
Aguliera sang “Bionic/Not Myself” off her new album by the same name, which drops this month.
Aguliera was all about Hollywood galmor. But in her recent come-back video for her latest song “Not Myself Tonight,” she pushes the envelope with three-minutes of non-stop sexual debauchery.
She wore a sequined encrusted bustier with a cape and knee high boots. She looked like a cross between a dominatrix and a sci-fi queen.
Say what you will about Lady Gaga, Aguilera show off a voice that crossed several octaves that makes Gaga look like a Guber.
And, toward the end of the video her crotch lights up with a heart!. WTF!.
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Member Since: 12/27/2009
Posts: 8,004
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Originally posted by .::Andreita::.
#1 in iTunes New Zealand
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:banana4::banana4::banana4::banana4:
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Member Since: 9/7/2008
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Originally posted by Bibliotheque
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She's not No.1 yet but because the No.1 album atm by Tempah is an EP and will not count in this weeks sales, people are classing it as a No.1, technically she is. 
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Member Since: 9/7/2008
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Member Since: 6/28/2009
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Member Since: 2/26/2006
Posts: 62,897
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Originally posted by .::Andreita::.
Now she's #1 in UK
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I hope she can debut at #1 in the UK with the album
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Member Since: 2/6/2010
Posts: 27,892
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Originally posted by Katia
why would she wear that t-shirt when she already has the reputation of being a bitch?! is she also dumb?
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Um, it the lyrics to NMT...
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Member Since: 12/29/2006
Posts: 12,001
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Updates
UK: #1 (Deluxe) #64 (Standard)
New Zealand: #1 (Deluxe)
Germany: #2 (Deluxe) #28 (Standard)
Italy: #3 (Deluxe)
Australia: #3 (Deluxe) #76 (Standard)
Ireland: #4 (Deluxe)
Austria: #4 (Deluxe) #65 (Standard)
Switzerland: #4 (Standard) #9 (Deluxe)
Denmark: #5 (Standard) #6 (Deluxe)
Netherlands: #5 (Standard) #39 (Deluxe)
Luxembourg: #5 (Standard) #63 (Deluxe)
Sweden: #6 (Standard) #14 (Deluxe)
Norway: #8 (Standard) #13 (Deluxe)
France: #9 (Deluxe)
Belgium: #5 (Standard) #24 (Deluxe)
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