Back to Basics

Christina is a great singer even if her voice is overpowering at times. This album was definitely out of her normal Pop/R&B feel and had some good songs. My major issue was that this album should have been cut down to a single LP and included 10 - 12 songs max. This album was much too long for being what it was and after the first 8 - 10 songs it gets monotonous and I would tend to think that most people will start to tune it out. Despite the length I gave it a solid 6/10 for the content and broad range of singing. This one gets 3 stars from me.

I actually liked this much better than I expected. It’s too long, that’s for sure, but there are some awesome pop songs on here, cool production, and some nice beats.

Would have benefited from some editing

A double fucking album

What I wasn’t looking for, but got anyway, was 80 minutes of Christina Aguilera with Back to Basics. This is an album that desperately needed an editor. Twenty-two tracks spread across two CDs is less an album and more a commitment, and I was only two songs in when I started writing this review and I was already exhausted. All personal bias aside—I spent years trapped in Best Buy listening to this shit—I’ll give Aguilera this: the woman has a hell of a voice. The problem is that she often seems determined to prove it on every single song. It can feel less like impressive singing and more like watching someone repeatedly slam the gas pedal just to make sure you know the car has an engine. I’m not saying Back to Basics is bad. It’s just excessive, overstuffed, and far longer than it needs to be. Cut this down to about ten tracks and I suspect I’d have a much better time with it. In fact, if you just listen to the second disc, you’re not missing much. If anything, this is where the album finally settles down and lets Aguilera’s voice do the work without burying it under layers of production. The songs feel more stripped down and intimate, giving you a much better sense of what she’s capable of when she isn’t trying to overwhelm you with it. Because of that second disc, I can at least give Back to Basics a higher rating than I originally expected. It turns out there’s a pretty good album hiding in here. You just have to dig through a lot of unnecessary shit to get to it. But in all honesty, this just really isn’t my thing.

As always, she has an exceptional voice and knows how to use it. There was nothing here that really shined for me. The first disc was typical R&B Christina. The second disc was more diverse, branching out into jazz and big band, but her voice just overpowers the music when it should be sitting in the pocket and complementing it instead. I applaud the creativity and the attempt, but it's not worth further listens for me.

So she samples Traffic on the first song and then lists a long list of singers of the past with much more depth on the second. She has a stronger voice than I expected. Just namedropping doesn’t put you in their league. I like the guitar riff on the third song. The repeated use of “antique sound effects to shift between songs gets old even for an album titled Back to Basics. The beats get predictable and the lyrics are too self-absorbed for me to appreciate. Faux sax and horn synth groove is fun on Still Dirrty. The song with fans leaving messages is beyond gratuitous. Side tow takes the short interludes of the first side and turns them into full length attempts at “old school” songs, whether swing, blues, or hot jazz, it’s all about being a bad girl, trouble, or sex object.

At half the length, this would have doubled its stars. There's just too much filler here.

Jfc Christina just chill out for one track. We knowww you can sing. This was such an overwhelming album due to the lack of ANY lower energy moments. Also this album is so exemplary of the male-gaze hypersexuality of this era. Idk if it’s better than the faux-female-empowerment that followed. Anyways, team Britney.

Holy crap, her voice is top tier. I enjoyed that more than I expected to.

I’d never listened to Christina Aguilera, and I’m not sure what I was expecting but I really enjoyed this!

Wish I could give 3.5, lyrics felt like human music but music felt like actually crazy shit?

Not a pop music fan here, but I enjoyed this fine until it just kept going and going and going. With the focus on jazz influences it felt like it avoided the pop formula even while it used the full suite of contemporary pop production. But it started to wear out its welcome with that circus song, and after that I lost interest. 2.5/5, rounding up because it was better than I expected. On this list? ok probably as good as it gets for oughts pop, so its a fine representative if that's the purpose of the list. But it wouldn't go on my recommendations.

First half had some bops, second half was yikes

The back half of this album started awfully. This is already not necessarily my kind of music, and it’s 78 minute runtime dragged on after Enter the Circus, which may be one of the worst songs Ive ever heard.

Удачная ретро-эстетика и важное место в карьере Агильеры не компенсируют чрезмерную продолжительность и композиционное однообразие. Альбом слишком часто повторяет одни и те же приёмы, а сама стилистика остаётся далёкой от личных предпочтений. Несмотря на отдельные сильные песни и очевидную амбициозность замысла, возвращаться к нему желания нет.

Christina Aguilera has one of the best voices in pop music, and Back to Basics gives her plenty of opportunities to show it off. I really enjoyed the throwback approach, incorporating jazz, blues, soul, funk, and big-band swing. When this album works, it REALLY works. Unfortunately, like Stripped, it's another Christina album that could have benefited from some serious editing. The first disc has some great moments, particularly “Makes Me Wanna Pray” and “Ain't No Other Man,” but there's also a fair amount of filler. The second disc was even more frustrating initially. I enjoyed the swinging sound of “Candyman,” but several of the theatrical numbers did very little for me. At one point, I was ready to scrap practically the entire disc. Then something interesting happened. The album got significantly better toward the end. “Hurt” is a beautiful ballad, and “Mercy on Me” features the kind of powerful vocal performance Christina does so well. But the biggest surprise was “Save Me from Myself.” I almost didn't recognize her voice. Instead of belting, she sings in this incredibly soft, sweet, intimate voice. Listening through earbuds, it genuinely felt like she was whispering directly to me. It was a side of Christina I hadn't really heard before, and I loved it. That's also why I believe in listening to an entire album before judging it. If I'd given up halfway through the second disc, I would have missed some of its strongest material. Ultimately, there's a very good single album hiding inside these 22 tracks. I'd happily combine the best songs from both discs and leave a good chunk of the filler behind. Christina's vocal talent is undeniable, and I appreciate her ambition, but more music doesn't necessarily make a better album. A good, occasionally excellent record that overstays its welcome.

This was also the second pleasant surprise after „Stripped“. I would have prefered one disc, though, with a blend of the best tracks.

Some good songs but also waaaaaayyyyyyy too long, 2.5/5

Back to Basics is my second Christina Aguilera album as part of this challenge. I listened to Stripped back in August 2024 and really enjoyed it, describing it as one of the best pop albums on the list. However, I felt it had too much filler, which stopped me giving it more than 3 stars. I was interested to see how this one would compare. Despite the title, there's nothing particularly basic about Back to Basics. With over 20 tracks and a running time of nearly 90 minutes, it's a huge album, and I immediately suspected I might have the same issue I had with Stripped. The album takes a while to get going, but when "Ain't No Other Man" arrives, it's worth the wait. What a great song! Christina has a superb voice, even if I find it a little overpowering at times, and there's no denying her talent. I really enjoyed the change in musical direction. Moving away from her usual pop and R&B sound, she explores jazz, blues and soul influences, which gives the album plenty of variety. There are some really good songs here, and it was also lovely to hear Birmingham legend Steve Winwood make an appearance. My biggest criticism is the length. This would have been a much better album if it had been cut down to 10 or 12 of the strongest songs. After the first eight or ten tracks, I found myself losing interest, and the music started to become monotonous. There's plenty of quality here, but it's buried beneath far too much unnecessary material. Overall, Back to Basics is a good album with some excellent moments, and I admire Christina for trying something different. Unfortunately, much like Stripped, it's let down by its length and the amount of filler. A shorter, tighter album could have been fantastic, but as it stands, it's another solid 3 stars from me. Favourite tracks: "Ain't No Other Man" from the first disc and "Hurt" from the second. Two excellent songs that really show off Christina's voice. Least favourite tracks: There's far too much filler, particularly tracks like "Thank You (Dedication to Fans)", "Intro (Back to Basics)" and "Back in the Day". Album artwork: A fairly basic album cover. Nothing particularly exciting.

Same review as the first album. Not my type of music, WAY too long, but of course, she has an amazing voice.

Christina Aguilera is an insane vocalist. Nuff said. This collection was a bit long and top 40 at times, but she killed the vocals on every single track.

You know that guy who buys the huge pack of fireworks in June and starts lighting them off for an hour or so each night throughout the month leading up to July 4. It’s fun at first but, quickly, the colorful showers and explosions become predictable, annoying and start pissing off the neighbors and the dogs. So, too, this album. Xtina is blasting Roman Candles and Skyrockets left and right and we all have to watch the show whether we like it or not. Aguilera comes with a sense of entitlement on this album, a ‘sit up and look at me sing’ attitude which she has not earned. Yes, she has a big voice, but little else to offer. No intricacy, no nuance, neither depth nor sensitivity. In truth, the corpse of true soul music is unnecessarily dragged into the 2000s by her big voice and her bigger ego. The lack of control, restrain or tact in any of the arrangements or the runs leave me hating almost every song for want of simplicity.

CHRISTINA HAS AN AMAZING VOICE. I'M A FAN BUT SHE DOESNT NEED TO BE FULL THROTTLE EVERY SECOND OF EVERY SONG. HER LAST ALBUM WAS GREAT SHE SHOWED THE RANGE AND VERSATILITY OF HER VOICE, BUT HERE SHE'S JUST BLASTING AWAY. LISTENING TO THIS ALBUM WAS LIKE READING A REVIEW WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS. A BIT OVER THE TOP AND OBNOXIOUS.

I think Christina has talent. Her output does nothing for me. Far too commercial and over done.

Did we really need this?

Thoroughly unedifying and an utter waste of an hour and eighteen minutes of everyone's time. Shite

5/10

Better than expected. Not for me but respect her pipes.

no! what!

This is totally unlistenable, so lame with the whispering passage of famous musician that inspires her (James Brown, Otis Redding, Louis Armstrong). They sure as hell won't be listening to this plastic attempt of soul...

Okay. Girl can sing, but not my jam really.

Ok she can SANGGG

Removed

Great album. Powerful voice. Catchy tunes. Not really my bag though.

Ok

I wasn't convinced with Stripped, and I certainly am not with this one either. Did this album come with a plastic pocket mirror and bedazeled jeans?

This is a double album. The track titled “Thank You (Dedication to Fans)” seems more narcissistic than a dedication. A lot of these songs are an homage to older (1940s-1950s) musical styles, and these are pretty well-done. I have occasional issues with Christina’s over-the-top singing (e.g., multiple notes per syllable). Otherwise, her singing voice is good.

Huh! The one time they don't go for a debut album (if they did, I'd have had it). Still sounds kinda 90s to me, which is charming. Unfortunately, this is a double album(!) with only one single I know on it ('Ain't No Other Man'), which at least is an example of negative concord, but otherwise this definitely felt long. The track where she just plays fan voicemails is hilarious to me. Xtina does have a good voice though, and I liked her better than Britney in the 1998-2003 timeframe when such issues were top of mind. Highlight: 'Still Dirrty'

Been working on this list long enough where a double album always gives me pause. Too much filler, not enough killer and that's the case here. 3/5

Good if you like this kind of music.

во-первых это первый поп альбом за 192 альбома ??? во-вторых я в шоке от низких рейтингов. тут такая легенда как «hurt”. с другой стороны 1:18? сомнительно, но окей. первый диск не зашел.

まじで、普通のポップやと思ってたから良い意味でギャップ。サンプリングとか、スクラッチとかのHiphopの要素もあったり、ソウルやゴスペル、ファンクなども取り入れてていろんな音楽の要素の上でめっちゃ歌上手い女の人が歌ってるみたいなかんじ。曲ごとに全然色が違くて、面白い。 まじで、全然スキップするつもりやったから、良くて良かった。

Bien

Queen of Pop with a great voice. Good for what it is.

I don't think I've ever listened to Back to Basics all the way through, but "Ain't No Other Man" was on a lot of my mix-CDs back in the day, and I remember "Candyman" being popular. It's certainly long, and Christina does her usual voice undulation thing in every song. I think Stripped is her stronger album, but I still appreciated this one.

I was NOT excited to see a second X-Tina album, and when I saw that the first song featured Steve Winwood I had my finger on the 1 button….but I was totally wrong. My critique of the last album was to work with better producers and my girl went ahead and brought in the greatest hip hop producer of all time (Primo) and it totally worked. Granted, I’m a huge sucker for anything Preem touches so your mileage may vary but I thought it was pretty damn good - even, no especially, the Steve Winwood song. It was at too long and side 2 kind of lost me (no Primo) but it far exceeded my expectations.

3.0 See ray of light review and apply to this. Come to think of it, those two reviews should make out at the MTV VMA's

Slow Down Baby stood out. Not my favorite genre of RNB/pop, but her voice is great. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I forgot about Hurt. Great song!! The Right Man stood out as well. The second part of the album was a lot better than the first. 3/5

Funky and soulful I love good pop with character

The mid-00s speakeasy jazz throwback aesthetic is perhaps my least favourite vibe of anything ever, so the nerve it took to listen through this album was not inconsiderable. You can imagine my horror then, after deciding that enough was enough, that there was an entire second disc still to go?! And it’s even worse!! I remember Ain’t No Other Man (and I think Oh Mother) from the time and I’m quite furious about now having that stuck in my head. There are moments of decent songwriting, some of the production is kinda cool, but the best bits feel directly ripped off from much better RnB 10 years previous, and the worst bits are insufferable. I would get on board with Stripped being iconic enough for inclusion on this list but what possible grounds was this deemed vital to listen to before I die?

Sorry I can't do a double album like this

Not my top Christina album. But listenable nonetheless. Took it for a run, made me think about and miss my old dad :)

I wanted to hate on this album, but really couldn’t find a reason to. I think Christina performed admirably. She sometimes over sings, but I appreciate that she went with something different. But, this really should have been two separate albums. I preferred the second half. Just not a big fan of jazz vocals. Didn’t know ‘Hurt’ was on this album. That bumps it up a star. 3 stars

Christina's vocal range is amazing.

She has such a great voice! ★★★★

Dogshit

Christina Aguilera has more talent than the rest of her Mickey Mouse Club alumni combined. The woman has a set of pipes; there's no doubt. And, I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. With that being said, it's not my jam, and I feel like she's yelling at me half the time. Plus, vocalists of this genre tend to sing from the back of the throat and it sometimes sounds like Kermit the Frog is singing. Criticisms aside, I didn't hate this and it wasn't the super-saccharine pop music of her contemporary, Brittney Spears. I could tell that there was a lot of talent backing and producing this record. 3 stars.

That's something I would not listen again

She has one of the best voices ever. She really shows her range on the group of songs on this album.

I didn’t hate this as much as I thought would. I wouldn’t say I liked it but there are a couple of tracks with merit and she has a cracking set of pipes. Twice as good as Brittany which is admittedly still not that good for my taste. 2.1

Good at what it is. But not to my tastes at all.

Hurt, candyman

A classic album that keeps things simple and does them well. It never tries to overcomplicate itself, and that works in its favor. The songs are straightforward, the mood is consistent, and the whole record feels easy to stay with. Christina’s voice is the clear center. She sounds strong and in control without turning every track into a vocal showcase. The production leans into a warm, retro-inspired R&B and soul feel, with clean arrangements and a steady groove underneath. Nothing feels cluttered or overthought. It is not a flashy or especially deep album, but it holds up because it knows exactly what it is doing. The songs are solid, the performances are confident, and the overall sound is polished without becoming cold. Back to Basics is a good, reliable listen. Simple, well made, and still enjoyable.

The audacity to call this 78-minute, 22-song-long mess 'Back to Basics" can only be excused because of Christina Aguilera's fantastic voice.

# Album Name: Back to Basics # Artist: Christina Aguilera # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: Great Voice. Great ass. Rubbish album. Honestly, this is bad. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No

Ugh. I mean one of these songs is people telling her how great she is. People are saying she is amazing and some did not commit suicide because of her song. Listen if a Christina Aguilera song is keeping you from committing suicide you should really seek some counseling. Her voice is great, but not life saving. The album sounds like the same song over and over again. 3/10 Top song... Nasty Naughty Boy (I mean that is what I am)

Why does this have to be a double album? It dragged. She has fine voice but it is very repetitive. The album does have some nice beats in places. 1.75

RRRRRAAHHHHH CHWISTINAAAAAA

I'm assuming this is getting torn to shreds in the user community, but I don't know. She's a belter, total powerhouse of a vocalist. These types of singers can often get in their own way, but I was surprised by how much I liked this first disc. However, we don't need a double album from her and the sequencing is kinda weird. Stylistically, all over the place. But I just can't hate on it THAT much.

Buena voz, quizás un poco gritona. Música pop femenina sin mayor interés pero bien producida.

Not sure about this being on the list, and didn't need to be a double album but unexpectedly solid.

★★½

Obviously great vocals, good music to listen to in the background whilst doing some chores!

Some good tracks. Overall too many, and some of them are very weak, holding this back from a 4

Artiste inconnue. Et pas de chance l’album est un double beaucoup trop long. L’accompagnement est très répétitif, sans intérêt pour moi. Et comme je ne suis pas fan de ce type de chant je ne suis pas allé au bout. =>1/5

The voice is huge. Like the soul and jazz influences but some of the singing is a bit much.

Not bad but not for me

This was a pleasant surprise. The soul/jazz influence is a nice fit for her. But it was too long. There is one album with a higher rating hiding in here.

I bought Back to Basics when I was a teenager, and I remember really liking it back then. At the time, the whole retro concept felt really cool and different. Christina Aguilera was mixing pop with jazz, soul, blues, and old-school influences, and as a younger listener I found the whole thing pretty impressive. Revisiting it years later has been interesting, because my taste has changed quite a bit since then. I've listened to a lot more music and explored more genres, so I think I hear this album differently now. There are definitely songs I still enjoy, but overall I don't find the album nearly as exciting as I once did. “Ain't No Other Man” is still easily my favorite. It has so much energy, the horns work perfectly, and Christina sounds fantastic. It's one of those songs where all the retro influences actually come together really naturally with modern pop production. “Candyman” is another one that still works for me, mainly because it's fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. My main issue is that the album starts to feel repetitive after a while. The vintage samples, horns, strings, big vocal performances, and overall retro sound are interesting at first, but they don't evolve enough throughout the album. Eventually, a lot of the songs start blending together. I think the album would have benefited from being shorter and having a little more variety. The retro influences are also more interesting to me in theory than in practice. Having listened to more jazz, soul, blues, and R&B over the years, I can hear that the album is really filtering those genres through a very polished 2000s pop lens. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes the “back to basics” concept feel more like an aesthetic than a genuine exploration of those musical styles. Still, I can't deny that there's a lot of personality here. Christina clearly had a vision for this album and committed to it completely. The production is ambitious, the arrangements are often gorgeous, and there are enough great songs to make the album worth revisiting. Even when it doesn't work for me, I can appreciate that she was trying to do something more interesting than simply making another straightforward pop album. So, while I don't love Back to Basics the way I did as a teenager, I'm glad I came back to it. It was actually pretty interesting to hear an album I once knew well through the ears of a more experienced listener. Some of the magic is still there, especially on the standout tracks, but I also notice the repetition and excess much more now. In the end, Back to Basics is an ambitious, stylish, and very well-produced album that probably could have been much better with a little editing. Listening to the entire album can feel like a bit of a chore. I still have a soft spot for a few tracks yet I wouldn’t sit down and listen to the whole thing from start to finish. Maybe that's the funny thing about revisiting music from your teenage years: sometimes the album hasn't changed at all—you've just become a different listener.

Another long Xtina album. This is better than Stripped, at least. There's too much here, but I did enjoy most of it. 3/5.

Better than expected

Crazy that this is a double album – we don't need 22 tracks to get the idea that you're back with a new sound and a new haircut, Christina! It's a good showcase for her voice but it's not a voice I'm especially enamoured with. The second disc has a better sound but the first disc has better hits. There are enough decent songs for one really good album, but the amount of filler shows a criminal lack of judgement that kind of taints the whole thing. This list is such a mess – two Christinas, one Britney, no Kylie, no Gaga. No Fever or Born This Way but TWO Charli goddamn XCX albums coming soon? What's going on there? You'll answer for this at the pearly gates, Dimery.

Aren’t we the lucky ones? Another less than fantastic double album to waste more ear-time! This has been removed from the 1001 book quite rightly but we must still endure it to proceed in this game unfortunately. If I hadn’t disliked Volume 1 so much I might have found the second half more acceptable as it was quite different and almost worth listening to. The jazzy/bluesy sound was far better than whatever the first half was supposed to be. I think her voice is not kind on my ears though. Singing softly is ok but whenever she ups the volume it sounds like she is often straining to get the words out. Therefore, in summary, not for me. Next please…OK

This was a stuggle. I am sure many feel that Aguilera has a great voice but to me it is just loud and I feel like she is shouting at me all the time! LOOK HOW LOUD I CAN SING, IM GOING BACK TO BASICS, BUT IM STILL A BIT SEXY YOU KNOW WINK WINK!! I think we can all agree this record should not have been made let alone featured at any point on a list of records to listen to before you die. However, I enjoyed the singles - Ain't No Other Man and perhaps even Candyman and I appreciate the fact that she made a double album that at least had two different vibes to it.

Not sure which I disliked most, the first disc of essentially the same rubbish pop song over and over again, or the second disc of Pixar burlesque for the very young/infirm. All the wailing is headache-inducing. And why does she need to remind us every verse that she's still 'bad', 'dirty' etc. etc.?? It's good it's been removed from the book but wtf was it doing there in the first place??

I'm not against Xtina by ANY means! But this isn't her best. I'm not really a fan of the 50s pinup aesthetic really, also this one just doesn't have as many bops full stop. It's the burlesque era - and unfortunately that was a flop for everyone - even Cher!! So you know we're working with a bit of a floptina era :/

This kinda music is never really gonna for me, I get she's a good singer but she sings every single thing in the exact same way here, over and over again for an hour and a half. Also wasn't expecting it to be so religious. I think the late noughties were not a great time for pop I'm afraid sorry.

You know, I just had a Mariah Carey album a couple of days ago and was sort of expecting the same vibe. In that every song on the Mariah Carey album sounded so similar it was hard to know when one song ended and the other begun. So while I didn't love the music on this particular album, I very much appreciated the variety in not just vibes, but genres.

I feel this album has been made using the dartboard method. Throw enough musical bits against a wall and see what sticks. Throw enough producers against the same wall again to see what sticks. It all sounds a bit same same to me without anything to lift it out of the morass. I didn't actively dislike it apart from finding nothing to actually like. 2 1/2 stars sounds about right. Well the vocal gymnastics do piss me off eventually. Can you actually hold the same note without taking it up and down and all over the place? On some tracks she does but then can resist on the subsequent longer note. Listening to this reminds me of what I actively disliked about this era.

Christina Aguilera has a beautiful voice, but there’s only so much it can do for songs I find fairly average. I understand that 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴 deliberately looks backwards, yet the retro styling often feels dated rather than inspired. Other pop records from the same period give me much more to get excited about. 𝗛𝘂𝗿𝘁 is one of the exceptions: here, I’m drawn into the song rather than simply impressed by the singer. I wish that happened more often. Much of the R&B material leaves me cold, and I’d have liked more departures from it rather than quite so much of it. The length only makes that problem worse. There are highlights worth keeping, but too much in between that I could happily lose. A beautiful voice deserves good songs, not necessarily two discs’ worth.

Intro (Back to Basics) - 3/5 Makes Me Wanna Pray - 3.5/5 Back in the Day - 3.5/5 Ain't No Other Man - 4/5 Understand - 3/5 Slow Down Baby - 3/5 Oh Mother - 3/5 F.U.S.S. - 3/5 On Our Way - 3/5 Without You - 3/5 Still Dirrty - 3/5 Here to Stay - 3/5 Thank You (Dedication to Fans…) - 2/5 Enter the Circus - 2.5/5 Welcome - 3/5 Candyman - 3.5/5 Nasty Naughty Boy - 3/5 I Got Trouble - 2.5/5 Hurt - 3.5/5 Mercy on Me - 3.5/5 Save Me From Myself - 3/5 The Right Man - 3/5 So going "back to basics" does not entail having a relatively short album and is instead going back to what was popular in the 50's and 60's. I think it could have been a lot shorter and still have worked. Aguilera's popular for a reason, and she has a great voice and definitely is in the right area music-wise to show it off. Decent showing, I'd just rather be doing stuff of more substance that listen to Christina Aguilera for 80 minutes. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: Ain't No Other Man

self-indulgent horseshit

didn't listen

Ik vond het leuker dan verwacht, maar alsnog wel snel genoeg van het overgeproduceerde gehalte en de uithalen van Christina

Nice voice not really my thing. It’s well done though but would have been more enjoyable as a single album.

According to Wikipedia, around the time of the release of “Back to Basics", Christina Aguilera stated that she was dissatisfied with current pop music and wanted to draw more inspiration from the jazz, soul, and blues of the 1920s through the 1950s. That sounds promising, but when you listen to the album, you quickly realize that it’s just turned out to be another pop album. It’s not that the influences she mentioned aren’t audible - they’re simply too subtle to really break through the polished mainstream sound. I like Christina’s voice, but you can safely ignore this album.

Soulful, but not my thing.

No.

It's fine. Not a big fan.