Back to Basics

As someone who doesn't partake much in pop music, Back to Basics was surprisingly good (well, half of it anyway). Disc one is amazing, delivering inspired takes on the musical styles that influenced her. The second disc was closer to the music I was expecting, and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much. Regardless, there's no denying Christina's voice.

This record strikes me as Aguilera really wanting to be Amy Winehouse. Hell of a voice though. The songs on disc 2 are way more memorable than the ones on disc 1.

Her singing talent is undeniable on this album. But you have to get past mid 2000’s R&B and pop production and some rough tracks like “Thank You (Dedication to the Fans….) which comes across as pretentious ego stroking, even though I don’t think that was the point and “Nasty Naughty Boy” which features immature moaning on the song. 2.5

Side one! So talented, production is perfect for the era (aged worse but whatever not her fault). I hate the 2000s need for the double album with 22 songs on it, bloat is a real issue but again, very time period appropriate. Her voice is so good, the songs are samey but I think that’s just because I don’t really listen to this RnB-Jazz 2000s music. I’m sure every converge song sounds the same to someone that doesn’t listen to them, ya know? The thank you interlude is the cringiest shit ever. So self ego inflating and why would anyone listen to this more than once. Even on a full album listen, what is the point? That’s my biggest complaint of this first half. The minor ones are the bloat and the lack of variety. Side two! Circus and welcome, those were really fun and reminded me of panic at the disco (this is a compliment). Candyman and nasty naughty boy are zero percent subtle and don’t do anything for me personally, but again at least it’s something new. Second half is way better than the first. I don’t love it but it’s at least its own statement. Yea man, give me the second disc only and this is a four, the first disc is a 2, does that average it to a 3? Yeah.

This was pretty decent. Was this groundbreaking? No. Is this the greatest pop album of all time? Also no. Did I have a good time listening to this album? Yes, and that’s what matters. Christina Aguilera’s vocals are so good throughout the whole album. It made me realize that I care a lot more about vocals than I previously thought.

She has a fantastic voice and this is a pleasant R&B/Pop Album but this isn’t something I would regularly listen to.

I can see how she's trying to vary her style and experiment so I've given the album an extra star for that. She's got an amazing voice but sometimes it would be nice if she sang something softer rather than belting it out! I had to listen in 3 parts as the album was so long and a bit full on at times

Enjoyed it more than I expected, though it plodded on for too long

damn shes loud :0

I recognize this is good music. Nothing I'm personally eager to listen to again but very enjoyable and full of love and passion!

The album was uneven but overall an enjoyable listen due to great vocal performances. I could have done without the incessant vocal runs on disc 1 though, and disc 2 music was more interesting. Lyrics were corny throughout. Favorite songs: Welcome, I Got Trouble, Ain’t No Other Man

This is not a double-length Christina Aguilera album. This is, as the listening experience, as well as the tracklist writing credits on Wikipedia make clear, two distinct albums with different style and flair. The first side (Christinaboxxx) is the album with the standard pop of its time, mostly some form of Beyoncian R&B, it sounds alright but it's not really something great or lasting for me. There's a bit of variety, but mostly by the end it left me getting a little weary of the stylings, not really looking forward to another disc of it, but I was in luck, because... The second side (The Perry Below) is the album where things take a turn, the writing credits shrink down all the way to mostly two per song, each at least featuring Aguilera and the newly-introduced character Linda Perry, who is apparently the main everything of the band that made "What's Up?", as famously covered by esteemed and celebrated musician He-Man. Now, in addition to this whole album (Back To Basics), this second disc itself is also essentially split into two stylistic halves. The first half initiates things by telling you that this disc is going to be a completely different experience from the 47 minutes you've already spent, and it does so the best way that it knows how; by playing circus music. It sounds pretty fun and made clear the declaration that this album would clown upon my expectations. The rest of "first-half Disc 2" adopts a bizarre sultry lounge-swinger style, harkening to days of music so old that they don't show up on the 1001 list. The second half of disc 2 is the emotional soul-ballad side, possibly my favorite of the Three Faces of Christina Aguilera's Back To Basics. Each karate stance Aguilera adopts comes with one moderately-big hit song, the Form of the Contemporary Pop Star receives "Ain't No Other Man," the Form of the Film Noir Club Singer receives "Candyman," and the Form of the Moodful Balladist receives "Hurt" which is probably my favorite. It's a very engaging way to end the brevity of the second face and welcome the feeling-forward substance of the last few tracks to send off the album. The rest of this ending zone is nice too, "Mercy on Me" felt nice in particular. That was a real freaking weird album

Interesantes sonidos, no me esperaba eso de aguilera. Aún que un poco repetitivo

Best Song: Ain't No Other Man. This bring you right back to that mid 2000's feel. Big, loud production, random breakdown in the middle, singing her own backup vocals. It's got it all. Worst Song: Welcome. If there is anything that this whole list has taught me, it's that I despise the circus aesthetic, especially in music. Overall: This really felt like a sprawling, gargantuan gift to Christina Aguilera fans, chock full of self-referential little nuggets. If I were such a fan, I'm sure I would love this album. Given that I'm not, it just felt really goddamn long, and her seeming style of "singing more is singing better" makes this a tiring album.

If nothing else, Christina Aguilera has always been known for her booming voice. This album is a bit more sappy than other 2000s Pop stars, but it's still a solid album nevertheless. Mainstream 21st Century albums in this generator are usually knocked down, which isn't fair. Favorite Track: "Ain't No Other Man".

Pretty solid .The song Hurt is epic .

candy man good

This was a little long, but I’d forgotten how damn talented Christina is, even on mediocre music.

A couple of good songs, quite a bit of filler. This really didn't need to be a double album with a track that's just a string of answering machine messages from fans. Ain't no Other Man is still a bop though

*exagerated Jon Lovitz voice*: Still dirrty? Still DIRRTY. STILL dirrty. STILL! DIRRTY!

Well, at first I was pleasantly surprised, the first half was catchier than I expected. This would be much better as a single disc. As it stands, fine.

Surprisingly good, but overly long. Some great songs and moments, but a lot of filler that could’ve been cut out.

Decent, not great pop. Incredible voice, but not a lot of substance past that. 3

There’s always a minor feeling of dread when a double (or bigger) album comes up. Thankfully though the first half was okay, the second was quite good so overall a happy experience

This album is too long. A song in which you put fan messages that praise you, is by the way really weird. However Hurt is a classic and a terrific song, Candy Man is fun and ofcourse is Christina a very talented singer.

you are very talented miss christina

It’s fine for what it is, and I admire any artist who pumps out a double album. Favourite track: Ain’t No Other Man

En 2006, Christina Aguilera est intouchable, elle a survécu à l'ère des "Teen Idols", elle a balancé l'image de sainte-nitouche avec Stripped, et soudain, elle décide de nous pondre un double album de 78 minutes. Le concept ? Un retour aux sources. Le jazz, le blues, la soul des années 20, 30 et 40, mais moulinés à la sauce moderne. Sur le papier, c’est le genre d’ambition qui me botte. Dans les faits, c’est une autre paire de manches, un voyage labyrinthique entre génie pur et remplissage indigeste. Dès les premières secondes, on comprend l’intention. Aguilera veut prouver qu'elle n'est pas qu'une machine à tubes pour radios FM, mais une héritière d'Etta James et d'Ella Fitzgerald. L'esthétique est léchée : look de pin-up, micros d'époque, et un son qui craque comme un vieux vinyle oublié dans un grenier poussiéreux. En pleine ère de la pop synthétique et du R&B préformaté, sortir un album qui sample des cuivres de l'entre-deux-guerres, c'est presque un acte de rébellion. Et c’est là que le disque marque ses premiers points car on ne peut pas lui enlever cette volonté de bousculer les codes. La grande idée de cet album, c’est d'avoir invité DJ Premier. "Preemo", c’est l’architecte du son Gang Starr, et associer la diva au pape du boom-bap new-yorkais était un pari risqué, mais c’est l’idée la plus brillante de l’album. On sent ici une véritable recherche sur la texture. Ce n’est pas juste de la pop qui imite le jazz ; c’est une collision frontale entre le craquement des vinyles d’avant-guerre et la frappe sèche du hip-hop des années 90. Les beats sont lourds, les cuivres sont tranchants, et Christina s’y installe avec une assurance insolente. C’est là que se cachent les pépites, les morceaux qui justifient à eux seuls la présence de l’album dans cette liste des 1001 disques. C’est efficace, c’est intelligent, et ça réussit le tour de force de faire sonner le passé comme si c’était le futur. Si l'album s'était arrêté là, on tenait un chef-d'œuvre de la pop moderne. Mais voilà, le problème du "trop", c'est qu'on finit toujours par se prendre les pieds dans le tapis. Le deuxième disque, produit essentiellement par Linda Perry, nous emmène dans un tout autre délire. On quitte la rue et les samples hip-hop pour entrer dans une salle de spectacle de Broadway. Orchestrations massives, choeurs gospel, ambiance cabaret... C’est le côté "grand spectacle" de l’entreprise. C'est là que l'album commence à devenir pesant. On sent l'envie de faire "vrai", de faire "authentique" avec de vrais musiciens et des arrangements organiques. Mais c’est aussi là que le côté un peu pompeux de l’exercice pointe le bout de son nez. C’est une orgie de sons, une accumulation de couches qui finit par étouffer l’oreille. Et puis, il faut parler de LA voix. Christina Aguilera possède l'un des instruments les plus puissants de sa génération. Personne ne peut le nier mais le souci, c'est qu'elle l'utilise comme un marteau-piqueur. Elle ne chante pas, elle performe et chaque note est l'occasion d'une envolée lyrique, chaque refrain est un prétexte à la démonstration technique. Sur certains titres, c’est bluffant. On se prend la claque, on reste bouche bée devant une telle maîtrise. Mais sur la durée d’un double album, cette gymnastique vocale devient une épreuve de force et c'est cette absence de nuance, ce refus de la simplicité, qui empêche l'album de vraiment toucher au cœur. On arrive enfin au point qui fâche vraiment : la durée 78 minutes. C’est le péché originel de beaucoup d'albums de cette époque. Pourquoi vouloir à tout prix remplir un double CD ? Pour l'ego ? Pour le marketing ? Il y a sur Back to Basics une quantité non négligeable de titres que l’on pourrait qualifier poliment de "remplissage". Des morceaux qui tournent en rond, des ballades un peu trop mielleuses qui n'apportent rien à l'édifice. Si on avait réduit tout ça à un disque sec et nerveux de 45 minutes, on aurait eu un classique instantané. Ici, on doit trier, on doit zapper, on doit se forcer un peu pour arriver au bout. C’est dommage, car le projet initial est d'une grande noblesse. Au final, qu'est-ce qu'on en retient de ce Back to Basics ? Une ambition folle, une production de DJ Premier aux petits oignons sur le premier disque, et quelques morceaux qui sont de véritables leçons de pop-soul. On ne peut pas dire que c'est une bouse, ce serait faire preuve d'une veritable mauvaise foi. Il y a du talent à chaque étage, du travail, de la sueur et une vraie vision artistique. Mais il y a aussi un ego qui déborde du cadre, une durée qui frise l'indécence et un manque flagrant d'autocritique dans le choix final des morceaux. Au final c'est une note mitigée pour un avis qui l'est tout autant. C’est le cul entre deux chaises : le génie technique d’un côté, l’ennui de la répétition de l’autre. Un disque qui mérite sa place dans les "1001 albums" pour son audace et son impact, mais qui reste un objet difficile à dompter au quotidien. C’est loin d’être infâme, c’est même par moments brillant, voir très brillant mais c’est surtout... beaucoup trop.

The talent is clearly there, Hurt in particular is beautiful. But the first half is an average 00’s r&b influenced pop album and the while the second half is more interesting to listen to, it’s no better.

Don’t really know how to rate this one. Thought the first half was kinda boring apart from Ain’t no other man. But the second half once “the curtain had risen” was really fun. Shame the whole album wasn’t more like the second half

I liked this! I'm as surprised as you are.

Takes me back

The first disc is better than the second like most double albums. Why are there so many double albums. Hip hop vibes. I liked the Thank You track and the throwback hits are good too.

Beautiful voice but you get tired of the vibe of the album very quickly

There are some really good tracks on here but it doesn’t really have the depth to merit its length.

Listenable but not my favorite

I'd give this 2.5 stars. It has some good music and some good samples, but in the end, there is a lot of pop trash and the whole effort mostly still feels like a reason to sell records, not actually push anything forward. That being said, I do think there are some songs that are more interesting and better than a lot of other pop out there. So, I'll bump it up to 3 stars for now, though part of me is tempted to do 2.

Fine I suppose - just doesn't do it for me though.

Not sure what this album made up its mind to be whether it was disco jazz big band or Cabaret it had a bit of everything, but not everything but I liked what was good was very good

I think I would have liked this album more if it hadn't been a double. The concept of going back to what inspired you is fine. Just don't dilute the product by adding self aggrandizing fluff.

Bluesy vocals

I liked side B a lot more than A I love a lot of the ways she plays with vintage sounds in the latter half of the album. I'll definitely come back to this one but 3 stars just because I'm not super into the first half.

Enjoyable. A real depth and soul to some of these tracks.

Definitely too long, but there are good parts to the album. Does drag a bit as its all very similar Standout songs: Aint no other man Still dirrty Candyman

Still Dirty is my new hyperfixation song! Thank you Christina

I did not realize how dirty Christina Aguilera was in 2006 lol but I do like her voice

second half is more interesting than the first half by a lot

Look, that was probably better than I thought

Glossy, retro-styled pop / soul revival built from brassy horn sections, vintage-inspired beats, piano flourishes, and powerhouse, melismatic vocals moves like stepping into a beautifully decorated throwback ballroom—impressive, confident, and likable, yet so committed to its aesthetic that the same dramatic sound keeps circling back again and again.

Ég hef mildast í afstöðu minni á síðustu árum, en ég er samt ekki hrifin af þessari rödd og þessum endalausu raddfimleikum. Þetta er faglega unnið og ekki leiðinlegt, og þá er skýr munur á plötu 1 og 2, sem er kostur, en hér er ekkert sérstaklega eftirminnilegt og ég planlegg ekki aðra hlustun.

Definitely can see the appeal but I’m definitely not the target audience

Nemam opciju da nisam odslušao...........

I really cannot fathom why this is rated so low. The album didn't create world peace or cured cancer but it's not like this is the worst creation ever. There are some fantastic songs on here that will but anyone in a good mood so why are so many here being so mean? Best songs are Still Dirty and Candyman (yeah, go figure). 7/10, you people need to get your priorities straight.

This was fine. She’s got a great voice but the album was just OK.

This is one hell of a voice. I'm honestly not sure how much of a hand she had in writing her songs, so I'm just going to comment on what I know she did. She can sing like hell

Some interesting production here. It is way too overindulgent for my taste. Christina has a good voice, but boy, can she oversing. Not every note needs a vocal run. And if this is her "let's get back to the music revival," she is missing the lesson of some of the R&B artists she calls out. Restraint is a skill, and she ain't got it. That said, production and some unexpected samples and beats save this one a bit. Not all the way, but... enough. 5/10

meh.

Liked this way more than I expected. Couldn't stand a few songs, but quite enjoyed a few, particularly Slow Down Baby. Later edit: BTW I didn't get around to listening to the second disk.

I dont often listen to pop from this era but I always find myself enjoying it

I’m as surprised as you are.

5/10 – Mediocre

Best wel wat fuck de haters nummers op dit album. Slapt best wel

pretty cool. i was surprised to see more experimental stuff on this album which was really fun.

Less “Back to basics” more back to bloated and overloaded pop with questionable lyrics. She’s got a fantastic voice but this is overlong and fairly average

This is from the final era where Pop music was at least bearable (the 80s were stellar, mind you). With this metric in mind, the album isn't horrible. Just not very good. 2.5/5

Just because you can sing doesn’t mean you should

the extended syllable queen strikes again

Help me if I ever include a "here's a list of my fans saying thanks" track. Not sure how to feel about that one. As for the rest of the album, mostly one note, mostly sounds good, a bit soulless probably, not too bad.

I knew she could sing, but she can really SING. Like the vintage sounding tracks the most.

Sure

Got increasingly boring. Also why did I Got Trouble sound like that? Did they mix it wrong? First few tracks were fun tho but way too long of an album

The bangers on this album really are bangers, early 00s pop at it its finest with slick pristine production and catchy choruses. Unfortunately, it’s a double album and it’s over 2hrs long. The disc1 closer is an interesting exercise in pop hubris, having a song dedicated to your fans that ends with messages from fans saying how great you are is a choice. 3.5/5.0 Best Song: Ain’t No Other Man

long record but had some highlights, decent overall

no está mal, pero ya me canso despues de la primera

Great voice. Music not so great.

Nice beats

I feel there's actually a pretty incredible single album of songs in this double album. I really don't remember Christina Aguilera growing up, or at least I thought I didn't until listening, and I had a lot of apprehension to this album I had to put aside before listening. Makes me Wanna Pray though, started this album on a really strong note for me. I do think the songs here have an issue with staying pretty static throughout, like there's a lot of the 2000s habit of having pretty basic structure. I'm going to be honest though, Ballads are extremely hit or miss for me and here they miss. I much prefer the upbeat powerful albums. Despite it being a common complaint on the site, I actually love the production here. It's punchy, jazz-infused and full of little flourishes that I think elevates songs like "Slow Down Baby" quite a bit. I just really think the fatal flaw of this album is being a double album. Towards the end of Disc 1 I felt like it was running out of steam and had started to become one note, and then I realized I was only half way through. I still think its a strong 3.

It was fun to give this a relisten! It's been a while

Surprisingly good. I’m not big on modern r&b, but this album has good production, great variety - she dabbles in gospel, soul and jazz as well - good songs (Hurt is an all time classic) and a great singer. A double album is too much though. And it’s still modern r&b.

Since this is the second of her album on the list I can only guess the author of this book was Team Christina in the early 2000's. She has a great voice and this album gave us time to appreciate it more. She didn't feel forced and there was some genuine emotion in it. I also appreciate the spirit of reminding us where the roots of R&B came from and not acting like she was completely unique in her styling. However that is where it almost stops for me. I think she was till trying to play off the female sexualization that pop culture made her embrace...she might love it (Candyman is fun) but it also just feels so generic at times that it makes me question how much she loves the character she had become or just didn't know where else to go. At this point she was 26, so I had hoped she would be a little deeper and more mature in her music but still just a pop album that was fairly uninspired. However, there is just something in me that can't give it a 2

Did she decide to only lock in on the second half or something? There are some great power ballads in the final quarter and some fun older-sounding songs in the 3rd, but the first half is pretty shit. Favorite Tracks: Mercy on Me, Candyman

Rv

3,4*

Enjoyed it but fuck me, this didn't need to be this long.

Album 1022 of 1089 Back to Basics - Christina Aguilera (2006) Rating : 3 / 5 Going in, my first thought was honestly, here we go again. Disc 1 leaned heavily into that late-’90s/early-2000s pop sound that was everywhere at the time. Different voices, sure, but often the same overall feel - polished, attitude-forward, and very much of its moment. That said, Disc 2 changed things for me. It stripped some of that gloss away and leaned more into what Aguilera has always done best: sing. Fewer theatrics, more focus on her voice - and that’s where this album starts to work better for me. Out of that whole pop crowd from the era, she always had the strongest vocals, and when the production steps back, that strength really shows. As a whole, this isn’t an album I’d reach for often, but I appreciate what it tries to do, especially in its second half. It reminded me that while the sound of that era blended together for me, Aguilera herself always stood out for one reason - her voice.

Undeniable talent. A few epic songs. 22 songs is just too many and her style can get irritating.

2nd CD is amazing

Is this a bloated album? Yes, of course it is. But this could've been one hell of a single album. I ended up adding around 10 songs from this to my liked list. Not a 4 in this form. 3.5/5

I don’t know what I was expecting with this album but it certainly wasn’t a homage to music from 1950 and 1960. The framing of the album is rather strange like that but I t does have some incredible songs, like Candyman and Ain’t No Other Man. The best part of the album is Christina’s voice but despite the album's lofty goal of presenting itself as a back to basics music that strips the genre to its essentials, it already sounds dated just 20 years later.

I love girly pop music and I'm glad that this subset is represented on the list. I am shocked that there are multiple Christina albums and that neither of the two I've listened to are the self-titled one. This was overall fine, but the songs kind of start to sound the same after a while. I can only listen to so many songs with that same high note and riff without them all blending together

Way too long, but some good songs

Since good ones in here

Very much not something I would ever choose to listen to. It's fine though. Her voice is good, the pop is pretty inoffensive. It is what it is.

The singles from this album are so nostalgic for me. This was solid but definitely a bit too long - I reckon a good 2-3 songs could have been cut from each side of the album. Not my fave Christina Aguilera album but not a bad listen either.

It was alright! Some of her songs were cray, very cray. But very nostalgic from late-night ski trip drives with my siblings and dad.

Christina Aguilera has a great voice. It just seems mostly wasted on mediocre pop albums. This one is dressed up with jazz and soul. That is better than most generic 00s pop, but it doesn't stand up against the real thing. In the end, this is overproduced pop that works well enough as inoffensive background music.

Aims for soul, some hits. A surprise!

Nice nice reminds me of childhood a bit but doesnt have my fav christina aguilera songs sadly

The girl sure can sing! Some songs got my attention but overall not something I picture myself coming back for another listen.

Christina >Britney

I remember seeing this album come out.

it's fine..... perfect for happy hour at Chilis in 2006.

Was not expecting this to be the first album by a woman that I’d encounter on this list. Pleasantly surprised. Also haven’t listened to an Xtina album since her debut. So far this is fun. Her voice one of the best ever and I feel like she doesn’t get enough credit. The singles from this album are so great (ain’t no other man, candy man). For a double pop / r&b album this goes down smoothly. There’s some filler here but I kinda don’t care because it’s all so polished. Giving this one a 3/5. Prob more like 2.75/5 but I’m a bit biased as it’s the first woman I’ve seen here and this was such a pleasant surprise.

Stripped was better

As lengthy as it is, shit slaps

3 for the voice but don't like the songs or the over-packaged vibe.

really not thrilled to see that i have to listen to a double-disc release from Christina Aguilera. i vaguely remember listening to at least part of this when I was a kid, but that was so many years ago i wouldn't remember what this sounded like. i wasn't all that blown away by the previous album (Stripped) but maybe she has more to deliver here Intro - no rating Makes Me Wanna Pray - 3/5 Back in the Day - 3/5 Ain't No Other Man - 4/5 Understand - 4/5 Slow Down Baby - 3/5 Oh Mother - 3/5 F.U.S.S. - no rating On Our Way - 5/5 Without You - 4/5 Still Dirrty - 1/5 Here to Stay - 3/5 Thank You - 1/5 Enter the Circus - no rating Welcome - 3/5 Candyman - 1/5 Nasty Naughty Boy - 1/5 I Got Trouble - 1/5 Hurt - 3/5 Mercy on Me - 3/5 Save Me From Myself - 2/5 The Right Man - 3/5 Average score: 2.7/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ with some of the reviews here, you'd think she released the biggest pile of dogshit ever. i don't think it quite that bad, in fact, i probably loved this when i listened as a kid. nowadays, i don't think i feel as enthusiastic about the album (especially disc 2, my god was it horny) i think what makes me kind of unimpressed with Christina Aguilera is, while she has a great voice technically, she sounds like she's 1. trying too hard to emulate those very singers/showgirls she takes inspiration from, and 2. vocal bragging (all that "oooh-ing" and "uhhh-ing" she does, i can't describe it any other way). for those very reasons, i think i prefer her performance on Stripped over this, even if i didn't care for that album much either. at least she sounded more like a pop artist there, and in turn, more genuine

Some good songs and much more expansive than I would have guessed. Not really back to basics, but good moments.

It’s ok

Еще один поп-блокбастер со множеством стилей. Как-то не очень проникся, но слушал кое-как.

I’ve never been a Christina Aguilera fan and honestly never cared to pay attention to her. She always felt like another ditsy, run of the mill pop star in the same vein as Britney Spears. But after listening to this album, it carried a lot more weight than I expected. In some ways it sounds about ten years too late, because it really reminds me of the jazzy, soulful hip hop and R&B of the mid to late ’90s. But once you get past that, you can tell she worked with some strong producers who gave the album more edge and character than I ever would’ve expected from her. Overall, I’d rate this album somewhere in the middle of the road, which is actually pretty good, considering I walked in expecting to give it a 1 or 2.

I enjoyed this, despite it not normally being my taste

After being a bit daunted at the idea of an eighty minute double album, I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised!

It contains Candy Man so it was kind of nice.

If this is basics Christina, I am afraid of what advanced Christina will do. Joking aside, I liked the second CD much better because you can actually hear the influences from the mid-1900s. In comparison, the first CD is completely generic early 2000s R&B pop music sung with Christina Aguilera's typical low larynx voice, in which every third note is overemphasized to signal power, I guess? Save Me from Myself was a very welcome change in this regard. Still, not much going on if you don't happen to be a fan of early 2000s pop divas.

I feel like 22 tracks is way too long, the shift of feeling during Hurt gave me motion sickness

It started surprisingly good, but the length of this album was too much for me.

I appreciate the modern jazz and r'n'b fusion, but dislike the "whats hot today" bits of the production. I've always disliked recording being a committee project, instead of the artist, but who am I to argue, over five million people can't be wrong. I'm also a bit... allergic to the flourishes and mannerisms she uses on the record, she uses them quite a lot, which to me is akin to the constant solos some rock guitarists do or overflowing fills some drummers tend to cultivate at every opportunity.

- bem funkeado, boa produção e ótima voz - apesar de referências de funk e rap (influenciado pelo dilla), achei pouco imaginativas e focadas em absorção fácil dessas ideias - equivalente a pedir pra IA fazer um resumo desses gêneros ou pedir um acarajé que agrade ao paladar europeu

Ya el títulos es elocuente: álbum con sabor a clásico. Un sonido retro pero sin dejar aires y ritmos modernos. Doble disco, con producción de nada menos que DJ Premier (el primer disco), mark Ronson o Linda Perry. Quizás demasiado largo y ambicioso, pero de mucha calidad. Ain't No Other Man, Makes Me Wanna Pray (con Steve Winwood)... Un antecedente inmediato de lo que vendría al año siguiente con otro Back , en este caso to Black y Amy. Obviamente no hay comparación entre ambas, pero este disco es lo mejor que pudo hacer Christina.

I grew up through this and wasnt a fan at the time so wasnt expecting much. The good: shes an obviously phenomenal singer, there are some decent tunes here and there is less drop off between the singles and the album tracks. The production is very 'of its time' but i didnt mind it and i enjoyed some of the jazzier, more orchestral arrangements. The bad: still excessive vocal wanking, way too long, there isnt much light and shade and the "sexy" stuff made me throw up in my mouth a little. A generous interpretation is that there was a sliding doors moment when she ended up at Disney. One path lead her to teen stardom, pop music and an ability to be anything other than a mainstream pop star. If she'd failed her disney audition, lived a normal life and discovered jazz and soul, there could have been a beautiful, undiscovered gem there. I enjoyed it more than i thought

This album feels like a time capsule to the early 2000's, it has a nice vibe. Although the intro to disk 2 is a bit wack, album overall is pretty consistent. Fave track: Hurt, the operatic nature and build of the track is a highlight.

Was not expecting to enjoy this at all but was pleasantly surprised. A bit long and samey. 3/5

Good pop album, but nothing more

The pop and old school jazz mix works really well but from time to time the wailing gets a bit to much for me which sucks since the good parts of this album are very very good.

Bit long but enjoyable

The vocals were amazing in this record. Favourite Track(s): Understand, Here to Stay Least Favourite Track(s): Candyman

I really like her voice.

Not a huge pop music fan, but this was okay. I wouldn't opt to listen to it on my own. It's nice for something different.

Great voice, a double album was a long listen, could've been cut to 1. Wife gives it a 4.

Christina has a brilliant voice, but I just don't like this kind of slickly produced pop.

Ugh. Esto no me lo esperaba. No conocía este disco, no debería estar acá. Estoy escribiendo notas a medida que lo escucho. Estaba listo para el UNO directo, pero parece que no es tan malo como pensaba, así que me imagino que va a llegar al DOS. El disco parece no ser de teen pop pedorrete (la imagen nos muestra que Aguilera ya no era una teen), sino que parece abrevar del neosoul. El primer tema es una intro sin mucha sustancia. Solo sirve para mostrar que el disco no es teen pop o r&b. La segunda canción parece tener más sustancia, la melodía está clara y los coros gospels le dan poder. El tecladito está de más, y nos recuerda que Aguilera sigue siendo una artista pop. Con otros arreglos sería mejor. El tema 3 es lo que esperaba escuchar. Todo bien pero esta música me aburre muchísimo. Aprovecho para decir algo que no me gustó del track 1 y que acá aparece otra vez: ese recurso de los beats como que un DJ está poniendo el disco o los scratches. Esto en el hip hop muchas veces está bien porque los discos de hiphop son películas que te cuentan una historia, pero el recurso en sí mismo es un cliché, y en un disco pop no tiene sentido. Dame canciones buenas y ya. El tema 3 sigue sin terminar. Miro el tracklist y me doy cuenta que encima es un disco doble. Horror. Encima eligieron su disco más largo, la puta madre. Tema 4: este es conocido. Y por ahora es la mejor canción (no mucho mejor que el tema 2 igual, eh). El sample funk es bueno y la melodía también. Lo único que me aleja un poco es la voz de Aguilera, es demasiado perfecta. Le faltó fumarse unos puchitos. Sigo sin creer que esto es un disco doble, la puta madre. Lo voy a escuchar en dos tandas. Otro problema del disco es que las canciones se alargan, suele pasar con el pop. Extraño un poco los 60s y sus canciones pop de 2 minutos. Tema 5: Undestand. Este es mejor, eh. Un lento romántico que parece ser bueno de forma no irónica. Por ahora la mejor canción del disco. Los arreglos están bien (el pianito me gusta mucho). Espero que no rompa la canción con un bridge de hip hop o algo así. No, no la cagó. Bien ahí Aguilera. Me sigue pareciendo muchísimo un disco tuyo entre los 1001 de la historia, pero esta canción fue buena. Vamos a "Slow Down Baby". Bajamos el nivel pero no está tan mal. Me hace acordar a Ain't No Other Man. Melodía pegajosa, samples funk, coros tal vez demasiado pop. El problema que tiene es que el otro tema fue dos canciones atrás. Salvo que haya muchas de este tipo es mucho de lo mismo junto. Tema siete: "Oh Mother" vuelve a levantar la vara (si bien me gustó más Undestand). Me pasa que me gustó mucho el pianito y cuando empieza la percusión electrónica siento "uh, siempre así". A veces estaría bueno que sean completamente acústicos. Igual está bien la canción y me parecen muy pero muy buenos los arreglos orquestales. No atosigan y dejan respirar. Solo le sacaría los coros. Es una canción que podría haber hecho Sting a principios de los 90s. La que sigue se llama FUSS (Interlude) así que la voy a tomar como punto de quiebre y sigo escuchando después. Lo primero que tengo para decir es "Bring Me the Disco King", ¿plagio total o estoy loco? Los arreglos del piano son buenos y la canción no es muy larga, pero me pareció muy ladri. Y medio pomposo ponerte un interludio por la mitad del primer cd en un disco doble. En fin, veremos que nos depara el resto del disco. Por ahora están bien las dos estrellas. Seguimos: On Our Way está bien, empieza con ruiditos feos medio cliché como los que nombré antes. Pero acá me gusta como canta Aguilera, y el tema es cortito. No desentona. Con otro tema dije que me hubiera gustado que fuera unplugged. Acá pasa lo mismo, la percusión electrónica le resta. Without You está bien pero no me gusta. Es una balada que podría haber sido single. Me imagino que le debe gustar mucho a sus fans, pero tiene demasiada sacarina para mí. "Still Dirty" tiene unos samples locos que están buenos, pero después el tema se pone repetitivo. Onda, todavía no llegué al minuto dos y me aburrí. Here to Stay también es bastante aburrida. Noto que el patrón en muchas de estas canciones es agarrar un sample y repetirlo en toda la canción sin cambio alguno. Último tema del disco UNO (sigh), es un tema más lento, más neosoul, Tiene muchos samples de mensajes, no sé si son de fans reales o si fueron creados para el disco (sería peor esto último), pero me rompe las pelotas. Refuerza mi creencia de que este tema es relleno, la música es genérica y lo "distinto" son esos mensajes. Meh. El disco tuvo 3 o 4 canciones "buenas" pero la mayoría no me gustó o son relleno. Me imagino que es demasiado hasta para un fan de Aguilera. Vamos al disco dos. Disco dos: "Entering the Circus". Ah sí, ahora sí. Una intro medio pelotuda de menos de dos minutos, pero tiene música circense y eso siempre es un plus. Ojalá que el segundo disco sea todo de música de circo. Y el primero haya sido así solo para contentar a los fans. Y el segundo tema también me está gustando. Tiene algo de circense también (en realidad creo que está bien enganchado con el tema anterior), la orquestación es magnífica y solo el estribillo parece ser pop - y me gusta, eh -; los arreglos no orquestales también son buenos. Me gustan la guitarra eléctrica y parece que esta vez usaron una batería real. Y cierra no con algo circense sino con una cosa medio vals. Si el disco es todo así por ahí le pongo TRES estrellas. Después viene Candyman. Esta también la conocía, es un sencillo del disco. Es muy "Los Twists", está bien pero quería otra cosa después de los primeros dos tracks del disco. Efectivamente, el 2do disco es mucho más interesante. Después viene Nasty Naughty Boy que es un tema de jazz muy bien orquestado. Y repito lo mismo que dije con Welcome, acá hay instrumentos reales, nada de batería electrónica ni cosas así. Mi hipótesis es que ella quería hacer este disco pero tenía miedo que sus fans le rompieran las pelotas entonces sacó un disco de música pelotuda para ellos. I Got Trouble es un número medio blusero. Destaca la producción, ella pone la voz más al fondo buscando, con éxito, que el tema suene como viejo. Hurt es una balada. A diferencia de las que estaban en el primer disco de vuelta está hecha con instrumentos reales: piano, no teclado; batería, no cosito electrónico, no están los coritos pelotudos por toda la canción - aparecen discretamente en la última parte de la canción, y la orquestación es otra vez muy buena. Puede ser que sea la mejor canción del disco. "Mercy on Me" es otra canción blusera. Al principio parece que va a ser un tema gospel pero apenas arranca el piano te das cuenta que es un blues. Pero esta vez bien producido y con una orquesta ostentosa. Es como si estuviera mezclado con uno de los temas más jazzeros. Tal vez sea un poco largo. Por ahora es de las peores del CD 2, junto Candyman. Igual está a años luz de cualquier cosa del disco 1. Save Me from Myself es la canción más minimalista del disco (es la anteúltima, así que ya puedo asegurar esto): ella está acompañada en toda la canción por una guitarra, y luego aparece una orquesta, pero siempre tranqui. El último tema también está bueno, no tiene una "banda" sino que hay coros y una orquesta (o sea, no tiene baterías, guitarras, instrumentos de bronce). Bueno, el "album" consiguió ganarse 3 estrellas. Tres estrellas débiles (3-). Separados, el primer disco sería un 1+ o un 2-, mientras que el segundo disco es un 3+ y realmente vale la pena darle una escuchada. No es que "uff, qué maravilla de disco", pero si es una sorpresa que Christina Aguilera haya sacado algo así. No sé si voy a publicar las reviews para que todos las puedan leer, pero si alguien lo hiciera le recomendaría a TODOS los que tienen el mismo prejuicio que yo a que escuchen primero el disco dos. El primero es pop de los 00s bastante mediocre. No es el tipo de música que yo escucho, pero hasta los discos malos de Madonna, como MDNA son más interesantes que el CD 1; pero el CD 2 es el trabajo de una artista que quiere probar que puede hacer algo distinto, sigue siendo "pop" ya que las melodías están, pero usa instrumentos analógicos, y trata de hacer o incorporar elementos de jazz, blues, folk. Es un disco cortito (mucho más que el CD 1), muy variado y entretenido. Una sorpresa.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this, especially Disc 2. This woman can really sing, she sort of went under my radar, I guess because Britney was so big at the same time. Some of it's a bit weird and self indulgent but by no means the worst thing I've listened to this week.

There are a bunch of genres smashed onto these discs, from rock to hip-hop to pop and blues, and Ms. Aguilera is a highly skilled vocalist, but the material she's working with leaves me cold.

She has some good songs on here but nothing special.

Enjoyed this. Little bop on the way to work

Not looking forward to this. Christina has a fine voice, but from what I recall of the singles of the era, these are too clean and pop for my tastes. Here we go… 3 songs in, and I am prepared to admit my original feelings were wrong. This album is great. I think I have singles fatigue. Ain’t No Other Man gets too many spins. End of the album. Sorry I doubted you Christina. 4/5 stars. Oh no. There’s a second disc. It’s dragging down the score to a 3. Really should have thrown disc 2 in the bin.

One of the challenges to this project is jumping into what seems like an artist’s magnum opus without much context for their earlier work. Even the title track here suggests a departure of sorts from earlier work, but I have to take it on face value. I remember the days when CA was getting lots of airplay on MTV, but this is my first time listening to one of her albums in full. I enjoyed most of it, with great songwriting and production that makes this feel more than just a pop time capsule. There were some really incredible songs, and some that were less so. I wavered a bit, I think this is somewhere between a 3 and 4.

One cannot deny the power this woman’s voice. For this listener, many of the songs come off as cheesy...corny...and all other adjectives related to perishable foods. I really really enjoyed the song "Understand". That's a 5 star song, no doubt about it. However just about every other track left me underwhelmed. In terms of talent, this woman is somewhere between a 4 and a 5. In terms of albums (and albums one must hear before they die) this record is somewhere between a 2 and a 3.

Another big boy from Christina. Other than the campy sexual stuff a lot of this was just really personal and melodramatic which gets old after a bit. Production wise there’s some good stuff though.

Day 69 This is definitely why I agree there should not be a skip button in this project. I rolled my eyes when I saw this was today’s album as I got a Britney Spears album a week or so back and despised it and thought this would be more of the same but I ended up really enjoying a lot of it, it’s definitely bloated and drags a bit in the 2nd half but there’s definitely songs on here I will be returning to, especially the lovely ‘oh mother’ 7/10 Highlights Makes me wanna pray Back in the day Oh mother

I was quite impressed by the production on some of these songs, then I look at the credits and see DJ Premier. Very unexpected but that explains it. Back in the Day has a great beat with some cool scratches, Ain't no Other Man is quite experimental for 2000s r&b. I like the mysterious vibes and thick bassline on F.U.S.S., and Slow Down Baby was also a banger. Still Dirrty is maybe the most Pharell-sounding beat that wasn't produced by Pharell. Just has that trademark 2000s club banger sound with the bouncy drums, and the trumpet sample is very cool. Thank You is good but a bit unnecesserily long. I was afraid that the album would get boring but she actually switches it up for the 2nd half and does a more soul sound with some jazzy arrangements. It's alright but I can't say it grabs me too much. Candyman seems a little corny to me. I Got Trouble has some weirdly muffled vocals that sound kind of bad, weird switchup because on the rest of the album they're super clear and powerful, especially on Hurt which follows it. It's a good album but a few tracks could have been cut to make something great.

• 3/5 • Straight forward R&B/Pop. I suppose it's good, but doesn't resonate with me. • The tracks sound like they were written by committee - very polished, but uninspired and lacking a unique voice

She has an incredible voice. Too bad she wastes it on bubblegum pop music. However, this album has a lot of OG influences that make it bearable mostly. Sing like this but keep the dirty era look. Oh yeah.

Not my type of music but decent to listen to on a run. First part was good but second just seemed like vocal porn which didn’t age well. Use of “o, daddy.”

Powerful voice, kind of r&b vibes

This album felt very self indulgent and congratulatory at times, inappropriately so because I don't think this artist has that much talent. Then I listened a bit more carefully and whoa, she's got great pipes. I'm pulling this up to a three just based on the fantastic vocal quality. Otherwise it's fairly useless pop music.

Aquilera has a phenomal voice and seems to be able to sing nearly anything. Although I kind of enjoyed listening this double album, everything blends together after some time, not in a bad or boring way, but somehow it's all a bit too much of everything, and you can't distinguish the better parts from the good parts, if that makes any sense.

Great voice and second half I.e. disc 2 is better than the first but nothing that made me desire to listen to this album again. It suits the mainstream radio that I associate with Aguilera.

Undeniably incredible voice. I actually think I like the second disc more than the first. It's not entirely my style of music, but it is incredible for what she does. Christina has incredible range, from powerful, soulful, subdued, seductive, dominating, and playful. Sort of a mixed bag on themes. First song is about prayer, but then there are other, much raunchier songs. Sort of emblematic of the dichotomy of the time, where female pop artists were expected to be chaste, but also sexy. A bizarre period of music in retrospect.

Was nto expecting to like this as much as I did; whilst a lot of random interludes about how great she is did little, there was no getting away from her voice, and a series of Bond-esque ballads that were tryue bops. Shame about all the R&B vibes that took up too much time.

Not bad, but not a Christina fan really

She really has an excellent voice. The whole album has the same vibe though.

I enjoyed this much more than expected. I knew she could sing but this was actually pretty good variety as well.

I did not like disc 1 of this double album. For someone who is talking a lot about going back to basics and honoring musicians listened to while growing up, there sure is a lot of 2000s bullshit all over the first disc. The second disc, however, what an absolute change! It actually sounds like it was heavily influenced by previous eras of music, while still being modern! And I actually really like it. She's got a ton of vocal talent (which is apparent in both discs), which helps keep the worst songs still intriguing. The first disc is a dud for me. It doesn't really do anything well, sounds awful, and the best parts are Christina singing, which is usually covered up by samples and over-produced noise. That side would get around a 1/5 for me. The second disc is a game changer, though. You can hear the older influences while the album still sounds like modern pop. Her voice is actually given the center of the stage, rather than it having to fight everything else going on, and the songs are pretty enjoyable. It would get a low 4/5 from me. I know the math here doesn't quite add up but trust me when I say I did the math. Favorite Song(s): Welcome, The Right Man

loved her vocals, it does get old after a little while but i still enjoyed most of it

I have an indelible memory of Candyman playing in the barbershop at boot camp when I got my first haircut there. Some good songs but also what feels like a lot of filler. Didn't need to be over an hour.

After reading some comments: I don't know what the fuss is about. There are some good tracks on this album. There are some cheesy tracks on it as well. Overall, I liked it. Personal favourite: Back in the day

"Shit, Christina Aguilera better switch me chairs" -M and M. She's one of those singers I heard about as a kid but only knew as someone who could sing and was truly, truly indistinguishable from Gwen Stefani. Liked "Oh Mother" the best. "Thank You" featuring clips of fans calling her was a real time capsule that I was drawn to in the same way I enjoyed "7 O'clock News." A real, "I'll have what she's having of an album." Good God. Listened to this at work. Won't say Christina Aguilera is my taste, but she can definitely sing, and it's definitely 2006.

A few catchy songs

I’ve listened to some great double albums. And some great long albums. By bands that I already know and enjoy. I’m not sure that a double album is the best introduction to an artist I’m unfamiliar with though. The first disc was OK, but I much preferred the jazz/blues style of disc 2, and that’s what I’d choose to listen to if I were to do that. It’s almost like it should be two albums. A shame it’s not as I’d give disc 2 at least 4 stars and would probably have listened to it more than once. It goes without saying that it doesn’t deserve a 2.75 rating at all and that some of the opinions people have about it are a bit OTT. It’s better than a 2.75 certainly.

A low three. My least favorite Christina effort, but points for ain’t no other man and candyman and vocals generally

Solid album with some soul from Xtina, worth 3 ⭐s

This album was alright but she better switch me chairs So I can sit next to Carson Daly and Fred Durst And hear 'em argue over who she gave head to first

This gets 5 stars for Nasty Naughty Boy as a Song I Want to Have Sex To, minus 2 stars for 2 discs of over produced 90s pop, plus 1 star for Xtina having a very impressive vocal range and a charming dedication to her fan base, minus 1 star for being kind of boring. 3 stars??

I enjoyed this more than I expected, she does have a great voice. But this isn't my favorite era of pop music, and ultimately don't want to listen to almost an hour and half of this....

Back to basics was an apt title because this album was the most basic listen this week. It wasn’t bad music it just didn’t move the needle, mid if you will.

I surprisingly didn't hate this and it's like some kind of guilty pleasure lol. The 2nd half where it got a bit naughty with Candyman and such was alright with me

She's a talented vocalist, there is no doubt. But this record felt like a showcase of virtuosic singing, and not a record that was focused on creating something meaningful. Aguilera felt cranked up to 100 the whole time; which is something that is not necessarily a bad thing, but felt overbearing over the entire runtime. Not a lot of nuance or subtlety. It's like any virtuosic instrument--sometimes it's awesome, but I don't want to listen to over an hour of riffing and over-singing. On the bright side, there were some really catchy tunes on this record. On both halves of the double album, there were songs that really dug in with infectious melodies and pop-py production. At its worst, most songs were still inoffensive, even if most tracks were pretty forgettable. Not enough on it to take it higher, and nothing to drag it down. 5/10 Standouts: Hurt

This album, I would say was harshly rated. It is no masterpiece like others in this list but it doesn't have to be, the whole point of this challenge is to expose ourselves to music we may or not have heard. I seen a lot of 2 star ratings on this album and I would say I am opposed to it. It is not my favorite at all but it had some decent tracks and it was less forgettable than the last album I reviewed. It's not my type of music but I had a decent time listening to it and I would never see myself calling this horrible to listen. There was some actual horrible albums in my opinion in this list but this is not even close to getting that label. So I am giving it a 3/5.

The first disc was boring, filled with a bunch of sample loops. The second disc is much more interesting.

Not my style of music, but man she has some pipes!

Christina Aguilera’s voice is undeniably amazing. This isn’t my preferred musical style, but there’s no denying her talent shines through.

5.74

Yes, this list should have more pop in it. Is this the pop that should be included? No. Stripped on the other hand - YES

Too long by half, but some good songs toward the end of the second disk that showcase her musical talent and not just power and stretching of vowels. The first disk starts out with an almost gospel sound and moves through stories of love, heartbreak and even overcoming abuse. Through it all, Christina briefly lays out the lyrics then showboats and growls over backup singers repeating the chorus. Side B opens weirdly, with some throwback, raunchy burlesque stuff. Put the final three songs with some from Side A, and that could have been a good album on its own.

Actually starts off pretty good. She's definitely got a great voice. Good beats. Might have been 4 stars if it not for disc 2 (strange).

Top track: Ain't No Other Man / Here To Stay / Candyman

Wasn’t really a fan, but she’s talented

The first half was dangerously close to a 4, but fortunately/unfortunately it was watered down by the second half.

Christina Aguilera•1ooks good and has a great voice. She can certainly sing great jazz and soul. But this album is too poppy for me to really like it. There are 2-3 very good tracks on it that I will listen to again. But most of the rest of the album is repetitive and doesn't deliver anything new or surprising. This makes the album far too long. It's like a novel where the author is paid by the word count. What a pity. The good stuff gets lost in the repetition. 3/5

Awful. Back to basics, yet the most late 00 production. She sings like the lights have gone out behind her eyes.

Not my kind of music but Xtina is such a talented singer. Cool concept that suits her voice well.

Pop

X-tina has a bunch of great songs, girl can sing. Not sure what's special about this one in particular, it's kinda mid and it only had one, maybe two hits on it. There's definitely better ones. Side note: someone from The Voice said in an interview that she smells like hot dog water and I've never really let go of that. I wonder if that's true?

muy sexosas las canciones muy hot esta bueno

way too long but her voice is incredible

She has a powerful voice. The music wasn’t for me.

Inspired by the jazz greats. Incredible voice. Groovy soul.

Kudos to Christina for attempting to give a musical history lesson to her fans who, by being her fans in the first place, obviously needed one. I will say, had she started here in her career I wouldn't have the hesitation of taking her seriously, unfair as that is. This voice from a little blonde girl is not common, and the tracks here are well arranged to put those chops on display.

I wanted to listen to this after listening to stripped. So far not feeling it. And it’s two discs. So geez is this long. First song was “meh”. The second song is lady marmalade with different lyrics. I love her voice when she does stuff like this. She has the same expressiveness that Aretha has in her voice. But I don’t feel she taps into enough. I would love to hear her do a live set of Aretha. But the band has to be killer. Ok, “ain’t no other man” is fantastic. Killer grove and melody. Listening to this album and hearing the amazing songs mixed with mediocre songs helps me understand how we got to the streaming model and why “stealing” music was so popular 🤣

Removed Album #16 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) Poor old Chrissy A. An artist who has had both of her entries scrubbed from future editions of the book. Granted, it could be worse – she could be Kings of Leon. I’m confident I’ve never listened to an Aguilera song before, but given her status as a mega millionaire pop idol I’m sure one of her tracks has wormed its way through the radiowaves. Anyways, I’m looking forward to hearing this one. The last contemporary pop album I listened to was Ray of Light, which was precisely 180 albums ago. All I need to do is sit back, relax and-OH MY GOODNESS IT’S A DOUBLE ALBUM The absolute bane of my existence. I hate the vast majority of albums which cross the hour-ten mark, but I can only piss my britches and throw temper tantrums so many times. I’ll sit my ass down listen. This kinda retro, pseudo-soul sound appears to have been in vogue during the mid-2000s, but it doesn’t move me all that much. I feel like Amy Winehouse should be the only rep for this genre, assuming this music is worthy of immortalisation in the first place. Still, for what it is, it’s a good time with a remarkably solid second half. Pop music is engineered to be as accessible and listenable as possible, and this album was just that. “Ain’t No Other Man” has some good rhythm and vocal sections, though the material is admittedly stretched very, very thin by the time it reaches the end. “Oh Mother” is a polished pop tune. Aguilera’s vocal performance is among the best on the album, and I like the brass sound which underscores the vocals. “Still Dirrty” is pretty good. I dig the funky instrumental and the vocals aren’t half bad. Fun lyrics, too. The album comes into its own near the end of disc 1, which came as a surprise. “Here to Stay” has a good vocal melody, and I dig the funky, swing sound in the background. There’s a bit of a lo-fi/instrumental hip-hop sound on “Thank You”, which I dig. I like the plucky sound. It’s understated, yet gives the song a lot of energy and is paired nicely with the songwriting. The sampled voicemails are a nice touch, too. Best song on the album, dare I say. Disc 2 rockets off with “Welcome”. Big fan of the strings in the background, which go a long way in heightening the grandiose atmosphere of the song. The carnival theming is fun too, though the song kinda hits the crescendo and ends abruptly, which was a little jarring. I’ve definitely heard “Candyman” before. Good song – very energetic. “Nasty Naughty Boy” is seductive, I’ll admit it. Sex appeal within the music industry is usually pretty vapid and unnatural, but this song tickled my fancy. “Hurt” pairs a solid, morose piano ballad with a very good vocal performance. It has those great strings too, covering almost all of my musical weak spots. I can’t check the book for why this was in here as I sadly have the 2005 edition, but I can suffice with Wikipedia. “...Wide range of producers”. Prominent 20s – 50s influence. Sample-heavy. Topped the charts in over 15 countries. Well received, though not really a smash hit with critics. I wasn’t expecting there to be this much going for this album. When reviewing these kinds of contemporary pop albums, I think the question of whether this album belongs here has more to do with how iconic and recognisable the musician is, rather than the quality of their music. As someone who does not care about celebrity culture I am fucked at this juncture. However, if I’m to offer my input these 2000s pop idols may as well have been constructed on a conveyor belt with how identical they all are. I’m thinking this one gets the snub. In place of this album, I humbly submit Daisies of the Galaxy for inclusion on the list.

Mycket habilt!

Kul med Xtina! Såklart för långt, men behagliga ljud. "Hurt" är en höjdpunkt!

Didnt finish disc 2. So far, while I can tell it has some uniqueness regarding the combination of hip hop with other elements, I personally wasnt impressed by too many songs. A few of them such as candy man felt like a lewd theater play song that would be fitting for a stage play. Other songs like nasty boy seem to be a pick for music at the time where vocalists were unabashed In sexual expression (another song in disc 1 has her describing her independence and finding boredom in life without speaking her mind.) Some songs are fun and spunky; some songs have beats that are entertaining or good, but i think her vocal style doesn't mix super well with hip hop beats. Overall its more of a temporal marker than a really solid album id recommend to soneone unless that person was just really into theater music.

I remember when her cover of "Lady Marmalade" came out. I was struck by the quality of her voice but thought the whole song sounded neutered and tamed compared to the original. The song is about a New Orleans prostitute and her rendition just sounded like it was from a music class. I feel the same about this album. Her lyrics and singing voice is impeccable, but there's just something that doesn't quite grab me.

3.5 Liked the retro stuff.

3.5. Half star ding for being slightly bloated

Ik heb het idee dat Christina Aguilera hier een beetje op de Amy Winehouse-hypetrain van toen wou springen, met Mark Ronson op een aantal tracks als producer. Vreemd genoeg neemt DJ Premier, die destijds z'n relevantie een beetje begon kwijt te raken en zeker niet zo 'in' was als een Pharrell of Timbaland, een groot deel van de producties op de eerste schijf voor z'n rekening. De resultaten vallen helemaal niet tegen. "Thank You" heeft stiekem een van de Premiers mooiste beats en kende ik nog niet. De vocals van haar gaan er ook goed bij, al zijn de voicemailberichten van fans een beetje een twijfelachtige keuze. De tweede schijf is geproduceerd door Linda Perry, die volgens mij ook achter de knoppen zat voor de muziek van Pink. Dat hoor je ook aan de enorme daling in kwaliteit op deze tweede helft van het album. "Candyman" is een van de irritantste nummers ooit gemaakt. Sowieso is op het hele album het over-the-top gejengel van Cristina, die wel technisch perfect zingt, niet te harden. Hou nou eens op met laten zien wat je stem allemaal kan en zing gewoon een nummer alsof je het meent. Drie sterren al met al, het had slechter gekund.

I want to start out this review with what I disliked most about the album which quite honestly is the promotion. For being promoted as her throwback to 40s and 50s Jazz and Blues it seems to only apply to the first five songs on the second disc. The entire first disc sounds like the logical follow-up the *Stripped*, although as far as I'm concerned a few years too late as I think it reminds me more of late 90s early 2000s pop R&B. The only hints at it trying to be a throwback album is some of the backing tracks or maybe samples hinted at it even though the beats were obviously modern. The song where all she does is name drop old R&B artist, "Back in the Day" kind of made me roll my eyes only because the song sounded nothing like the artist she was mentioned. I even burst out laughing at the Jimmy Castor sample that opens the track. I'm like 90% sure that most of Christina's fans had never heard "Troglodyte (Caveman)". All in all not a bad set of songs the worst part about it was the 5-minute Thank You song to all her fans which I guess is nice for what it was but went on way too long and board the crap out of me. ||I had to change my underwear||. Then you get to the second disc, which the first five songs actually sound like the project she was promoting . Unfortunately it comes off very much more like aural cosplay than it does anything authentic. I think having Linda Perry on that particular portion at least helped it to get close to the sound they were wanting because it seems like Linda understood the intent more than the pop/hip hop producers that were producing the first disc. But then you get to the second half of the second disc and it turns into the typical Linda Perry writes songs for American Idol singers. Which is fine. I'm not as burnt in them as most. But it's not anything I gravitate to... and I do like "Hurt", fwiw. Honestly I did not dislike this album at all I can't say I loved it appreciate it is probably more where I'm at but i neither find it essential in any sense of the matter. I would honestly say if they were going to have a Aguilera album on there it probably would be *Stripped* or the debut, but quite honestly there's really not much on this album that really makes it stand out except for what it was promoted for which takes up less than a quarter of the album (6.7) ★★★

This is a weird album that should've probably been two separate albums. My feeling is they didn't quite have enough material for the Linda Perry half, so they just jammed it on a second disc. The first disc isn't bad -- it features a lot of production from DJ Premier and Mark Ronson and has that sort of retro-futuristic sound similar to Amy Winehouse and early Beyonce. I think "Ain't No Other Man" is pretty cool. The second disc, written and produced by notable Non-Blonde Linda Perry, is kind of a mess. Some of it attempts a throwback sound similar to the first disc ("Candyman", "Nasty Naughty Boy"), but a lot of it is just run-of-the-mill 00s pop that feels super anonymous. I think it could've been improved by maybe keeping it to one disc and scrapping the generic Linda Perry tracks. As it is, it's pretty disjointed. A very light 3 stars.

More like “back to boring”. Just like Stripped, why are these albums so long?

This is EXACTLY why I wanted to do this. I don’t think I’d ever have guessed Christina Aguilera would be on here. Obviously I’ve heard her songs before but have never actively put it on let alone thought about listening to her album. Thank You shows that she should be put on the same level as Badu. Brilliant production quality in the album. I get the double album was to showcase both “sides” to her defo could have left off the B-side. Her talents as a writer and vocalist are undeniable, it just is a bit shouty. Still. Rating it higher than I would have assumed I would

Favorite Track: Ain't No Other Man

Not my thing really but the second album is pretty good. The first feels misguided and very samey throughout. Weird how effectively the B side is so mich more interesting here. This is a brand of pop music that just isn't my favorite.

An hour and twenty minutes of Christina trying to sound black (it's not that bad actually). Favorite track: Save Me from Myself

3.0 - Ok

It's just singing. The singing is nice, but that's all it is. Got boring quickly.

I think Christina needs to go back to basics with her whacky Christian shit. Still, hard to argue that she didn't have the BEST pop star voice of the early 00's. Some talent just can't be taught. As for the album, it doesn't really work without her, and is entirely too long for what it is. The singles are fine, but overall this is a one-trick pony that never strays from the path.

Aguilera’s voice was without peer in this pop era, and it’s on full display here, but I almost always prefer the experimentation preceding returns to form, especially when they’re as bloated as this one is.

Dad- 6 Mom- 5 Mike- 5 Lori- 5.5 Michael- 6 Miles- 4 Cole- 5 Avg- 5.21

Damn this was awesome. Super long didn’t finish tbh but incredible pop music and I loved how sparse the production was. She definitely represents another era of pop singer where being like a powerhouse was the thing, kinda like Mariah and Whitney.

CHRISTINE NAG HE LARA Fun! The production and quality of the songs is super high, and I listened while I was running so didn’t quite catch that on the FIRST ALBUM. Double album for Christina.

- absolut nicht meine Musik / mein Interpret, aber es war insgesamt aushaltbarer, als erwartet. Zwischendurch war es sogar richtig moody und man musste einfach mitwippen. Die Bewertung fällt mir hier richtig schwer. - sie ist eine unglaublich gute Sängerin (keine Ahnung, ob auch live oder nur auf Platte), was das Album auf jeden Fall auch carried, denn gerade die Instrumentals wirken nach einigen Songs etwas repetitive 3/5

Difference between the Christina on this album and the one on Stripped is probably 400 dollars extra.

I came in thinking I would hate it. It wasn't bad. I Woodbridge pick it but it was a fine listen

So bad it’s good? Or overrated and mediocre?

I enjoyed Back to Basics more than I thought I would. Well produced; she has a strong voice; different music styles including some throwbacks, quazi-swing (Candy Man). Not my preference, but I would be happy to have it as background music.

Good r&b/pop. Listening to this is prompting me to listen to more of her material. Tastefully sexual. She has a great voice and only sometimes hampers it by trying too hard.

Hell ya

This album proves what a great voice she has. For me it's somewhat of a let down after her Dirrty era.

Excellent production (hello, Mark Ronson), perfectly competent pop songwriting, Aguilera's voice sounds powerful and agile. The marketing of her career vacillated between selling her innocence and exploiting the sexuality she often played up in the music (go back to Dirrty if you want a very Oughts pearl-clutching controversy) but there's no question here that her voice is a powerful woman's voice and not just a young girl's. The elements of hip-hop (samples, scratches, drum loops, occasional rappers breaking in briefly) work but her gospel influences (backing choirs, harmonic choices) produce superior music. Makes Me Wanna Pray is excellent pop; Back In The Day just doesn't do anything for me. Overall, though, this is a much more pleasant high-commerce pop outing than I expected; I hated this genre back in the day and had to wait a day to come to this with an open mind. If you want to know what female vocal pop sounded like in the Oughts, this is as good an example as you might find. Obviously, check out Adele's 19, as well, but this is a good place to start.

decent pop songs, could be shorter, and second half is superior imo

Yesterday's album was Justin Timberlake emulating Michael Jackson. Today I get Christina Aguilera emulating Billie Holiday, which is much cooler on many levels. Aguilera was always the best of the late 90s former Disney Channel child turned pop stars. At least when she finally managed to shed the pop industry trappings that caught her contemporaries. Unfortunately, none of this translates to an amazing album for me. It's good and does what it says on the tin, but it's mostly forgettable. The stand out track is "Ain't No Other Man" which succeeds in bring the sound of the old classics into an upbeat, modern, hip hop-influenced context. Sadly though, I don't hear much of note in the other tracks. But hey, she's clearly enjoying herself and celebrating some great artists. I didn't love this album but I definitely can't hate it either.

Great melodies and beautiful vocals

Day531 - her voice is better than most and the songs aren’t bad just overproduced. my wife would probably rate it better, but alas

Nice - if you like Christina

A few bangers but it starts to sound the same the further you get into the album.

Neo soul, pop. References back to older soul, rnb and funk. Lots of caterwauling gets tiring Bit more experimental/jazz influenced, e.g. Still Dirty Lots of gimmick tracks Disc 2 more orchestral, showy Best track - Slow Down Baby

3/5. I didn’t expect this to be my type of music, but her voice really is lovely and I really liked the tribute frame of the album.

Wasn't expecting this to pop up but guess it's about time there was something more pop on the list. This album isn't for me but it's alright, I can appreciate a bit of Christina even though I still wouldn't go for it myself.

Not sure I expected this on the list. But always fun with something different! It's almost impossible for me to think of Christina Aguilera in any other context than what we hear her in on this album. She was all over the radio when this was released, but I haven't heard much of her since. As such, I feel like this record is a bit stuck in time for me and feels a bit dated - it's not old enough to feel vintage, but also not new enough to feel fresh. Certainly the album is playful, and it's hard to feel sad or down when listening to it. Christina certainly has an impressive voice, but halfway through the record I feel a bit fatigued by her wailing and screaming. It just becomes a bit too much and too repetitive. Overall I feel like this probably deserves more, but I personally can't extend past a 3. It just feels too radio and commercial for me, and is not the type of music I typically enjoy listening to.

My biggest surprise so far. I enjoyed this far more than I expected.

I feel like this album is what I think IS 2000’s pop. Surprised there isn’t a hit on the album with the amount of solid tracks on here. Aguilera’s voice is also just mmmmmm so good

No surprises for this album, as it's a woman's 2000s album. Such a powerful American voice that could take anything that was given to her. The influences on the big band music of the early 20th century are neat. Not my particular taste, but I can see how she is still big.

Favorite Track: Candyman

Strong vocals, and a command of the music

Didn't finish because it's a really long album and all the songs sounded kind of the same to me. 4/10

It's an interesting double album for Pop standards, though i personally preferred the first half over the second. The first half has great production and incredible vocal performances. Her vocal abilities however, tend to be both a blessing and a curse, a lot of songs would be a lot stronger if she held back a little bit and let the song speak for itself. The second half is a lot less my taste, and becomes less enjoyable for it.

Another lengthy one, it was ok probably would of enjoyed it more if the album was 40 mins long

I am listening to this without closing my ears though it almost makes me close my ears. There is that mass production vibe hovering about it like a harpie ready to rip the guts out of a real person trying to make personal music. When you're hearing honest expression, it really clicks.

Honestly this just bored me. It’s not a 2 but 3 seems generous.

This was fun to listen too, with a few really solid songs. The Enter the Circus + Welcome combo was :chef-kiss:. The Right Man was also really really good. it's a 3.5 for me, I don't think I'll listen to it again, but I discovered some great songs.

I only recognized one song: "Hurt". I liked "Ain't No Other Man", what a jam. Christina has incredible vocal control, but also she kind of has a particular style that ends up feeling repetitive, especially on a double album.

Christina is one of those artists whose songs rarely rise to the level of her vocal talent, but I liked this album more than I thought it would. If she'd kept it to 1 album and dialed back the post-productiin so that it feature more live instrumentation, I think this could have been a 4.

Kind of astonishing how someone so talented can still feel like they're checking the boxes in a formula, resulting in an album that sounds undeniably poppy but not actually all that catchy. I kind of liked two tracks ('Without You' and the sample on 'Understand' is really great) but the rest ultimately felt like a very standard pop/R&B album that - while polished & perhaps even over-produced - isn't all that memorable.

Not really my kind of music. Also a verrry long album. That being said, obviously a very talented singer - her range is pretty crazy. That alone makes it at least a 3-3.5.

I was surprised to see this on the list, but it was fine overall. Long, it took a while to get through, but I don’t think at any point I didn’t like it.

She has a good voice, but not really my thing.

Le projet de marier le r&b pop d'Aguilera à des influences jazz et big band est très clair: c'est expliqué dans les premières pièces, au cas où quelqu'un passerait à côté de la noblesse de l'intention. C'est un album qui bénéficie de beaucoup de moyens, et son talent de chanteuse est indéniable, mais je finis par trouver que chaque pièce se ressemble, car j'ai l'impression qu'elle les interprète toutes de la même manière. Elle a ses tics et ses passages obligés. J'ai trouvé ça long

2.6 Going to ignore Disc 2 as jesus that was bad. Unnecessary, bloated nonsense. Disc 1 was... Better than I expected. Although my hopes were extremely low. I've learnt from this list that when you get past the bubblegum pop debuts that these stars had, there's usually a bit of meaning in one of the later albums before they disappear into obscurity. Not my cup of tea but can see why it was liked.

Ok.

This couldve been a single album, had no real reason to be a double. I ofc liked Hurt, Candyman and a bunch of others, but not really gonna revisit it much. Not my favorite singing style. Still a stronger 3

Inoffensive, in the nicest possible way.

Koji jebeni zajeb izdati retro soul album u godini back to black🤣

This was good.

It's fine. She was never really my thing so this is the first album of hers that I've listened to and I don't hate the music, but I have two criticisms: 1) It's long; 2) Some of the throwback references just make me want to listen to the things she's referencing instead, especially on the first disc which is more sample-heavy.

Faktisk overraskende godt, ikke så cheese som frygtet, lidt rnb/hiphop vibes

Candyman is the song I turn to when I want some lighthearted uptempo beat. Other than this, the songs were mostly mellow, I liked the gospel and jazzy influences, but the album seemed too long-winded for me.

I think she is talented, but I just don’t care much for this style of music. I sure can’t listen to a double album’s worth. 3 stars.

It was alright

I like what she’s trying to do with this but I find Xtina a bit tired. I think it’s just her singing style is both powerful and unique in certain ways that it’s incredibly hard to apply it to different genres of music which is clearly the intention with this album. 2.5 stars for me.

solid 2000s hits. great combination of various styles. some of these songs are raunchy, man. i love the sampled bits Would I listen again: if I was in the mood Deserves to be on this list: why not 3.3

Too warbly for me

She's got soul, she's got class, she's got style, she's badass...

Just whatever music from the radio, 30 min and dnf

in spite of the vomit inducing track Thank You (Dedication to Fans) this was a decent listen, a guilty pleasure 100%. dead me won't admit to listening to this but I am glad I did.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this album, but it turned out to be an interesting mix of styles. Aguilera obviously knows her musical heritage and name checks artists from Billie Holliday to Etta James to make it clear where she is coming from. This is a double album, with the first disc riffing on classic R&B sounds but I think that I preferred the second disc which goes further back bringing in jazz influences and even a 1940’s number in the style of the Andrew’s Sisters which she pulls off with considerable panache. It’s probably not the sort of thing I’d listen to regularly, but I now have a lot of respect for Ms Aguilera for her depth of talent.

Talented but not my thing

-more Christine Aguilera.. one week after the first album, okay -though i liked some of the soul / older musical influence, i fear this one didn’t do it for me nearly as much as Stripped. some tracks were actually unbearable in how corny they were which i never felt while listening to Stripped -and yes neither album had any business being as long as they were. I didn’t hate this though it certainly had its moments. her voice is amazing as usual -Favorites are Ain’t No Other Man and Slow Down Baby

Part 2 was a surprise. The first half was just standard vapid pop. It's a sales pitch for a faulty product from someone who doesn't really care. For the back end of this, she at least believes in the songs, and I'll take that any day.

First thought: Christina...ohhhhh nooooooo BUT it's actually a pretty good album! Has it's place on the list imo!

This one caught me off guard. I came up through the golden era of Christina, Britney and the boy bands. Always preferred Christina to Britney - thought she had a more mature and professional voice. That's demonstrated on this record along with her range of chemistry and collaborations. I hear elements of Mariah, Boyz II Men and even some older soul artists. Had no idea DJ Premier did any collaboration with Christina, but this was a nice surprise while listening. This is a really solid record and I'm happy it found me.

Some good songs but nothing too special.

What’s up with the skits? She’s not a rapper, and doesn’t need the hype tracks. Meh.

Weird she’s on here but knowing her she probably ate it up. I can tell why she never truly reached Britney level.

She's got such a strong, beautiful voice. And I know she has a message, in some of her songs, that people love. But, I just don't love it.

WOW! Britney Spears AND Christina Aguilera albums in the same week? and a double album no less. Really leaning into her soul voice on this record. Understand is a good song. Side one was pretty solid. Candyman is a funk soul 'nawlins style pop song. the instrumentation is good. it was okay! the double album didn't feel like a slog but it wasn't really my thing either.

I love pop music but this is some boring ass pop music.

She kinda changed her sound from straight teeny bop pop (which is what I remember....Genie in a Bottle, What a Girl Wants....) to a more bluesy/jazzy pop style. Sounds straight out of New Orleans by times with the burlesque style stuff. Not my favorite, but definately not bad. I've listened to much worse. From the song Nasty Naughty Boy... "I wanna give you a taste...of the sugar below my waist".....dear Jesus Christina ....I feel like my ears are getting an STI... Favorite songs: Candyman, Ain't No Other Man, Still Dirrty, Here to Stay, Slow Down Baby, Mercy on Me Least favorite songs: Oh Mother 3/5

This is actually a lot more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be. Christina Aguilera lived in my head as a semi-annoying pop icon. But these lyrics go deep. She talks about sexuality, being a woman, giving love to her fans. And the production quality is good. She definitely has insane vocal range.

It was good

This album is fine, a lot better than Stripped, but holy hell Christina why is this an hour and 20 minutes? Cut some fucking bloat please, every other song is filler Great voice tho

Love her vocals. But I don't understand why this album is here. To be fair, half of the albums here doesn't make sense. Anyway, she still dirrty.

Pretty surprised Christina has two albums on this list, neither really seems to do anything unique to the other based on my one listen to each.

This woman can sing. A bit of everything on this album. Just not my bit. Candyman’s Andrew’s Sisters tribute song is a good one though.

I'll give it some credit for having some fun singles and solid production throughout, but god damn it is way too long. Chop this up into a 45 minute album and it would be decent pop, but i can't see myself ever listening to it again the way it is. Fine, but definitely not essential.

Decent RnB songs about being sexy, but humble, performed and produced by skilled hands. If you like pentatonic vocal runs, then you're in the right place. 3.5/5

7/10

Ja, dit is toch wat te ver buiten mijn comfort zone, maar dat is de bedoeling van dit ding zeker? Best oké, voor dit genre dan. Chance dat de zon schijnt, want het is wel nog een vibe. 2.9

She’s got a great voice and there’s some great tunes, but too much belting overall

Die Einflüsse werden schnell klar. Hier wird sich bedient aus der Schublade des Soul, RnB und teilweise des Jazzes. Aber das schadet dem Album garnicht. Es hat vermischt das ganz mit dem Touch der 00er Jahre. Viel Uplifting Groovy Songs dabei, die spaß machen. Aber nach einiger Zeit wirkt es dann doch sehr lang. Vielen Tracks wirken leider wie Filler bzw bringen dann doch wenig neues rein. Nicht jeder Track muss das Rad neu erfinden, aber muss dann das Album 22 Songs haben mit einer Spielzeit von 80min?

It's good, but often times feels a bit musically hollow. Her singing is beautiful, and I love the vibe it's striving for, but less would have been more.

I didn’t listen to the whole thing just some chosen highlights because it’s so long but Christina deserves a 3/5

Decent enough pop. Hurt, candyman and ain’t no other man are highlights

2.7 - So long. Just a lot of vocal showing off. It's good, but is it good?

Candyman is a real guilty pleasure bop. This is a just fine pop album. Christina has a great voice, you can really appreciate it across a full album. 3/5

1 half is eh. 2nd half is really good.

Better than expected

It is pop with a vintage vibe but this is where Christina starts to forge her own style I think.