Christina Aguilera - 'Back To Basics'

The owner of the biggest voice and image in pop today is back, and if you’re a fan of the Dirrty Christina Aguilera then no doubt you have been wondering how her recent marriage will have altered her music. Well it certainly hasn’t done either her voice or her originality any harm. Her new two-disk album BACK TO BASICS certainly shows a new found maturity but it still very much the creations of our filthy Christina.

Christina is often compared to Madonna because of her dramatic images and musical directions. First of all, let’s face it, there is surely no greater compliment that a female artist can receive. Second of all BACK TO BASICS is not going to be putting an end to those comparisons, especially as far as the second CD is concerned because this really is two albums in one.

While CD One is full to the brim of the highest quality polished pop and features the funky beats and touching harmonies we know Aggy for, CD Two is a trip to a century-spanning theatre, may be even the Moulin Rouge. The whole of the second CD could easily work as a musical score; indeed you can easily image Baz Luhrmann’s Diamond Dogs performing many of the numbers. The second CD draws upon many highlights of the past centuries music and draws on jazz, soul and blues from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s in a raw, honest and in places sinister way. In fact it becomes so sinister in places (namely ‘ENTER THE CIRCUS’) that you find yourself checking the album sleeve to see if Tim Burton was involved in the production of the album.

The one drawback to this album is that Christina makes reference to her relationship with her new hubby a little too much. Indeed in places it feels as though the whole album is a documentation of their relationship thus far. But on the plus side at least you know that her songs are personal, which is more than can be said for most pop music out there.

This is an album for anyone with a liking for grandiose pop, and fans of Christina will definitely not be disappointed. This is raw essence of Christina that just gets more ingenious with every album. There’s simply no stopping this big-voiced diva.

Image by Mambo1935