You have to hand it to Christina Aguilera, she never fails to reinvent herself. She's been a pop princess, a 'dirrty' rebel, a 1920s pin up and now it seems she's gone all robotic on us.
After a long four year break, Aguilera is back in the limelight with her fourth studio album entitled 'Bionic.' This time around we see the star experimenting with different electro-pop sounds and toning down her usual powerhouse vocals to create the desired effect.
Aguilera describes the album as a unique mix of many genres and styles of music: "I was able to explore and create a fresh, sexy feel using both electronic and organic elements with subject matter ranging from playful to introspective. I am so excited for my fans to hear the new sound. It is something I don't think anyone will expect."
The sound is definitely new for her, but despite the good production quality and variety of sounds, Aguilera doesn't quite pull it off. Lead single from the album 'Not Myself Tonight' contains catchy hooks but the lyrics are lackluster and the song becomes dull after repeated listens. Not the strongest song on the album by any means and the wrong choice for the first single. The label decided to release it at the last minute and this ill - fated decision had a disastrous effect, with the song charting only in the top 40 in most countries.
The ballads are where Aguilera really shines. 'All I need' and 'Lift Me Up' are two other strong contenders on the album but that all important main tear jerker is confirmed second single 'You lost me' where the simplistic melody and the raw emotion in Aguilera's voice make the song an album highlight. Not the correct choice for a summer single and this again, probably won't do the album's sales any favours .
Other album highlights include the cheeky, playful 'Woohoo' and the irresistibly catchy 'Vanity' and 'I Hate Boys' and the excellent Sia produced 'Birds of Prey' (which for some reason unknown to me was left off the standard edition of the album and tagged on as an extra track on the Deluxe Edition).
Just a note: If your only just discovering Aguilera, the single choices do not play up to the albums highlights so its best to listen to it as it was intended; in its full entirety.
Despite being a huge Aguilera fan, I was disappointed by the album. The songs are inconsistent and despite the best intentions, the sound sounds dated compared to other electro-pop albums out there now. (I'm thinking specifically of M.I.A here).
Unfortunately for Aguilera, who never really had any previous competition when it came to music releases, she comes back at a time where Lady GaGa is now a global sensation, the current popular culture obsession and definitely her strongest competitor. Certainly her vocal talent remains unquestionable but the music isn't up to its predecessor's standard. If Aguilera is looking to take the crown off the current queen, she is going to have to try a whole lot harder than this.
Overall rating: 3/5 - Some strong moments and solid production, but not enough solid songs to carry the 'Bionic' sound off.
Bionic is out now.
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