What happened to the days of yore where you got a new album every year?
Album Collection (Photo credit: maddenman2000)
Maybe that’s still the case for Rihanna fans and the like, but not for me. I’m lucky to even get an album every 3 years. So I spend my time patrolling message boards and searching Google news and refreshing singer’s/producer’s/songwriter’s twitter feeds for new updates (Sad existence, I know).
That’s easy with, say LeAnn Rimes, who tweets regularly, but not with Christina Aguilera, who keeps her Twitter pretty much for The Voice (except for recently, with the advent of ”Your Body” – the single and video from her new album coming soon – plus the new album cover shoot… and the song itself leaked yesterday! So there’s some solace!).
I’m also a student, so at least real life takes up time until my favorites release new music… But really, the wait isn’t that long and it’s usually worth it.
I did a two-part post on the best award show performances, I figure music videos would be a good next step:
Christina Aguilera – “Candyman”
3 Christina’s are better than one. Plus, the campy feel of this video in retro Technicolor really hits at the 20′s 30′s and 40′s vibe Christina was getting at with Back to Basics, the album that has this Andrews Sisters-sampling gem:
The first part was getting a little lengthy, so here’s parte dos! This time, featuring the not-so usual picks for top award show performances:
Janet Jackson’s tribute to Michael at the 2009 VMAs
Sure the Jackson’s might be showing their true colors now, but I believe they really do love each other. Especially Janet and Mike. You can see she danced a little harder knowing this performance was in MJ’s memory. Plus, Beyoncé’s reaction at 1:34 is priceless:
The best part: When Janet dances in sync with Michael at the dance break at 2:42.
First off, I hate the term “stan”. When you think of its original meaning and how extreme it is from the term “fan” (which is short for fanatic, mind you) , it’s just ridiculous. You actually don’t have to look any further than the Eminem song (or the live performance with Elton John, whichever you prefer) to get the idea of what a real stan looks like. But like most terms in this age, “stan” has become a general term for hard-core fans.
Which brings me to “stan wars”. Particularly in the pop music community, there seems to be an unwritten rule that if you like one artist, it’s completely unacceptable to like another, let alone stan for them. Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera come to mind, in my own experiences in being a fan of both. For the record, I’ve been a fan of Xtina since the “Reflection” video and The New Mickey Mouse Club reruns on Disney Channel. I haven’t stopped since (even the Bionic era didn’t phase me. Hashtag-true-stan) . I became a Gaga fan when I gave her a listen after I got tired of hearing all the buzz about her. Once I heard The Fame, I was hooked. I even went to see The Monster Ball (wrote a review too!). The Fame Monster was cool too, until the “Alejandro” video. She got too extreme and (unnecessarily complex) for me, so I quit her.
My fandom history aside, Christina fans seem to think that you can’t stan for X and like Gaga at the same time, if only because they hold that Gaga and her team was at least partly behind the failure of Bionic. As plausible as that may (kind of) sound, I don’t have time for entertainment industry conspiracy theories.
On another note, Christina fans (in general) also seem to feel the same way about Beyoncé. I like them both. As a matter of fact, in the BeyHive I’d consider myself a HoneyBey. But to sit here and take ‘stanning’ so seriously is ridiculous*. In the words of Christina Aguilera herself, “There is room for all of us on everyone’s iPods.”
*Stanning can be entertaining though, like the website Stan-Wars.com and, my favorite, their Stan Dictionary and its subentries.
Ever since 1999, I’ve been a Christina Aguilera fan. In all those years, I’ve noticed a lot of unfairness towards her, especially in the past year, that are unwarranted. To top it off, people are speaking hatefully about my girl’s performance of the National Anthem at SuperBowl XLV. For those who don’t know, she mistakenly repeated and flubbed a line of the song. Most didn’t notice it, but “the media” (as much as I despise that term) and a number of hateful individuals made a point to make her honest mistake known – so much so that Christina issued an apology to the Associated Press, saying “I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through.” I certainly think it did (she had a footballer crying at 1:37), but see for yourself:
(It’s at the 0:51 mark, if you must know.)
The hatred blew up the blogosphere so much EW.com’s Tanner Stransky called for forgiveness: “Can we all take a minute and just calm down please? I’m not condoning what happened — Aguilera messed up part of the ever-important national anthem, switching out the line “O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming” with her own creation of “What so proudly we watched, at the twilight’s last gleaming” — but it was just that: a simple mistake. She didn’t hurt anyone. The world is still spinning.”
If you don’t like Christina’s singing style, fine. I get that. But I’m sure the mistake she made was genuinely due to being thrown off. Claude Kelly (a producer she’s worked with on Bionic – don’t make any comments about it’s sales either…) put it well in a post from his Tumblr blog: “Singing live and a capella at the Superbowl is about as hard as it gets…for even the most seasoned performer. Acoustics are a huge issue. in a stadium that big, sound has to travel much farther than it does when your singing the anthem at your local little league game. This means, you are hearing the echo of your voice several seconds after you actually sing it. which is not normal. its very easy to lose your place, your tempo, and your pitch.”
Christina’s had a tough 2010 – professionally and personally, but let’s not forget her film debut, Burlesque, is doing well an international box offices, and she’s going to be performing at the GRAMMYs in a tribute to Aretha Franklin, which could be “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”, part two.
My girl is down for a minute, but not out. So stop whining.
It’s Christmas week! In anticipation of the big day, I’m pairing “O Holy Night” – versions by LeAnn Rimes and Mariah Carey.
LeAnn Rimes is my favorite singer – ever. Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga are also close behind, but LeAnn takes the cake. Her rich vocals emphasize emotion though song in a really unique way, and her 2003 rendition of “O Holy Night” is no different. It’s traditional, acoustic, and the note at the end gives me chills every. Single. Time.
Mariah’s version is traditional too… but in a Southern, Gospel, church-y sense. It almost has a cathedral feel to it. The vocals soar throughout, instead of at the very end. As a fan of big voices, I love this version. If you get annoyed by this, you might not want to give this a listen though…
Whether it’s in this post or not, who’s version of “O Holy Night” do you like best? Comment below!
It’s been four years since Christina Aguilera released a proper studio album. (Her last effort was 2006′s Back to Basics ) Back then, she was all neo-soul. Channeling the look and the sound of 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s. Since then, Christina had a son (Max, with her music executive husband Jordan Bratman) and has been all about the future. Hence, the title Bionic- which, according to Aguilera, encompasses the superhuman of all women. Track-by-track (and not including intros and interludes), I’m reviewing Christina’s first fully pop-record since 1999:
Bionic – The title track open the album on the right note. Produced by Hill & Switch (frequent M.I.A. and Santigold collaborator), the album sets the tone for the next era of music for Christina. It would’ve made a powerful comeback single: ” Many times imitated, not duplicated, can’t be replaced / Na-na-now let me spell it out, everybody can shout my name / X-T-I-N-A”
Not Myself Tonight – The debut single from Bionic. It’s a shame the song was shrouded with Gaga-comparisons and little appreciation, because it’s a great dance track with great tribal beats.
Woohoo – The Niki Minaj assisted track was produced by Polow da Don (who also produced “Not Myself Tonight” and Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons”). It’s subject matter is a little raunchy but it has strong crossover potential if it were released as a single.
Elastic Love – A very M.I.A. style track written for the clubs. Christina uses her voice less for the usual “vocal acrobatics,” as she calls it and more as an instrument that’s a part of the song, and it works.
Desnudate - Produced by Hill & Switch, this Latin club banger will satisfy Latin Xtina fans wanting another Spanish record from her. It has summer anthem written all over it, and it’s Latin horns and drums arrangement would do well on radio this season if it were released as a single.
Love & Glamour (Intro)
Glam - In what starts off as a song reminiscent of Madonna’s “Vogue” turns comes into it’s own as soon as Christina puts her soaring vocals on this Tricky Stewart-assisted track. I can easily hear this song being played at fashion shows all over the world.
Prima Donna - Easily my favorite off this entire record. Another track by Atlanta producer Tricky Stewart, Christina’s vocals soar on this potential club banger as well.
Morning Desert (intro)
Sex For Breakfast - Reminiscent of slow, moody R&B of the early 2000s, Christina’s vocals are used more for sensuality than melody in this track.
Lift Me Up – Christina performed this song at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon earlier this year, and I fell in love with it then. The poignant and honest ballad marks the start of what Christina calls “the heart” of the record. I loved the rendition form the telethon, but the one on the record is even better. This is one of my favorite ballads that Christina has ever done.
My Heart (intro)
All I Need – Having worked with Australian singer Sia and her frequent collaborator Sam Dixon on this track, “All I Need” is a song Christina wrote for her son, Max. Seeing as Max is two years old, the song has a lullaby sound to it, but it’s done well.
I Am - As far as it’s message, this song could be the “Beautiful” of this record. A track about a loved one accepting another for their imperfections, “I Am” is one of Christina’s more vulnerable songs vocally and lyrically.
You Lost Me - When Christina performed this song about the being cheated on American Idol, she got rave reviews for conveying so much emotion into her performance. The version on the record does the same. It’s raw honesty tells an often told story from a less bitter, more distraught perspective.
I Hate Boys - After a string of ballads, Bionic goes back to uptempo on this Polow da Don-produced track. The chorus is simple and catchy, and this song could be an anthem for many jilted lovers.
My Girls - Canadian feminist electronica artist Peaches assists Aguilera on this girl anthem. The track was produced by electroclash group Le Tigre, whom Christina is a fan of. This song isn’t one of my favorites, but it’s a cute anthem for girlfriends everywhere.
Vanity - A very cheeky song about loving yourself, Christina gets fun on the last track on the record. It’s a fan favorite, but I’m not sure if it would do well if it were released to radio.
All in all, Bionic is a wonderfully eclectic album with something on it for everyone. It’s a fun record and has numerous potential singles – some of which in turn have amazing cross-over potential. Bionic is available June 8th.
*Note: There are two editions of this record: Standard and Deluxe. The standard version is available as an explicit or clean version, while the deluxe version is only available as and explicit version.
This week is a great one for Christina Aguilera fans and pop music lovers alike. On Friday a countdown clock appeared on the singer’s official website. On Saturday, Aguilera’s official site was revamped with a countdown clock that ticked down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until big news occurred.
Four days later, The cover and title for Christina’s new single was revealed. On the cover for “Not Myself Tonight,” Christina dons a PVC leotard complete with chains and drawn in devil horns and a tail. The black and white artwork reminds me of Madonna’s look for her album Hard Candy, with it’s glossy style. The next day, lyrics were revealed. The song, written by Polow Da Don and Esther Dean and produced by Polow Da Don, is about a girl letting herself do things she normally wouldn’t while out at a club. Check out the lyrics for yourself here.
Today (3/25), the biggest news of all was announced, complete with a press release that gave important dates for Christina’s highly anticipated studio CD Bionic. Check out the art work below:
The press release notes that the new single will premiere on ChristinaAguilera.com at 6pm EDT on 3/30, impact radio April 5th, and will be on iTunes April 13th (I can’t wait to buy it then!). Christina’s first studio CD in four years will be released June 8th, 2010. An exclusive preview of “Not Myself Tonight” will debut tomorrow at the pop music icon’s official site. The song sounds awesome!! The sound of it has a club remix feel to it. I’m very pleased with her new direction. Give the song a listen on the official site. (Note: NSFW)
As a Christina fan, I’m very pleased. It was well worth the wait for this album. I love the direction Christina’s going in, and the artwork for the single and the album is incredible! The RCA Records press release mentions “[t]he title Bionic reflects Aguilera’s ability to take her range to new levels and use her voice in various ways never heard before.” With this in mind, I’m more excited than ever for this new record.
What do you think of the art for Christina’s new single and new album?
Hollywood is full of friends – some good, some, of course, bad. Popular celeb pals include Tyra Banks and Kimora Lee; Will Smith and Tom Cruise; and Oprah and Gayle King. Reportedly, Oprah even gave Gayle $1 million because she “wanted her to be a millionaire too.” (Aww! Sweet. ) Many became besties while trying to make it big, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. Reportedly, Leonardo once had it in his contract that movie studios had to fly his friends by private jet so they could visit him where he shot films. The pair is often seen at nightclubs or a Lakers game.
Credit: MediaBistro
With good friends come bad ones, and Paris Hilton has often been a bad friend. When Christina Aguilera was keeping her pregnancy under wraps (although it started to become obvious), Paris outed her at a party, saying Christina was “the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world.” Christina played it off nicely though.
Although friend can’t be summed up in a dictionary definition, the good qualities of a friend can be found in a list, compiled by me:
Friends are honest with each other. You don’t have to share every little detail of everything, but be honest.
A good listener makes a good friend. Actually listen! Not those little “uh-huhs” and “really? Wow’s” you throw in while you simultaneously talk on the phone and watch TV at the same time.
Friends are attentive. Meaning you can tell if your buddy is upset or sad or something. You can’t read their mind, but you can recognize when something’s up.
A good friend supports you. When you’re both competing for that prized movie role (or whatever) and you get the part, your pal congratulate you. Not saying their not upset though.
When your friend’s a good one, you know they care about you. You don’t even have to ask.
Good friends keep your secrets and tell you theirs, expecting the same.
Good friends are those you can trust…need I say more?
Friends stick by you through good and bad. You know, if you’re “friend” says they’d stop being your friend over something shallow… keep an eye on ‘em.
Friends accept you for you. I would think that’s why you guys are pals to start with, right?
Friends are also reliable. They show up to important events an don’t forget your birthday.
Stepping out for dinner with her music exec husband Jordan Bratman, Christina Aguilera debuts a new, stylish haircut. Arriving at Mozza restaurant for dinner, Christina looks a little tired and agitated with the paps, but striking in black leggings, a black clutch, and leather jacket and her signature red lipstick.
The new cut could be for her film debut in Burlesque, which started shooting November 9th, but more than likely it’s a new look for a new era of music: Israeli photographer Alix Malka shot artwork for her new album this past weekend.
What do you think of Christina’s new haircut? I for one love the change!
) Many became besties while trying to make it big, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. Reportedly, Leonardo once had it in his contract that movie studios had to fly his friends by private jet so they could visit him where he shot films. The pair is often seen at nightclubs or a Lakers game.
