Reviews (page 6 of 7)
I was actually looking forward to this expecting it to be a little bit different and I suppose expecting expecting it to surprise me. Unfortunately, he was generally just her doing that screaming thing she does.
I don't think this is my kind of music.
Childhood me loved her music videos but current me can't do a double album of mid career Christina.
Does she have to put warbling inflections in every note or add syllables to words to show off? Production is dreadful. Jumps from ole timey swing sounds played through a gramophone for no reason to "yo DJ" needle scratches. Mega talent with the wrong team around her.
I appreciate the attempts at paying homage to older singers/performers. She could have saved us all 30 minutes and just said it. Bloated and over produced.
Very impressive production - very impressive singing, yet, everything about it seems very forced to me - inorganic. The TLC album I just rated was a lot better.
When I saw this was a double album, I really wasn't looking forward to it. In reality, it wasn't too bad. When compared to other middle of the road ladypop, I certainly prefer Christina to say Taylor Swift, and especially to shite like Adele, which is music for the Live, Laugh, Love brigade to cry into their prosecco to. If it wasn't a double album, and therefore bloated with filler, I'd give this a 3. As it is, it's a 2 from me.
Hurt is the best one on here. The rest can be pretty annoying.
It's a long one. Let's get started. Disc 1: It's interesting. Four songs in, the production is good, and definitely intentional. I appreciate that for pop record. Something about the vocal style, I try to think how I feel about it. 5 is COOL. Great production and singing. Very very good song. Appreciate. Nice bridge on 7, which is a good song. But the vocals... A break. Let's continue 8 has very nice textures 9 and highlight as well. Interesting production and great group vocals. Nice synth sounds on 10 11, 12, more rhymic, less to my liking. 13. A slick and sweet closer for this part of the album Disc 2: 1. What ls going on?? 2. A bit messy. Vocal to messed up with. Unclear musical direction. 3. I don't really know what to say. Not my thing... 4. Better. It's still a weird direction musicly in combination with the vocal production. Just not flattering for her in my opinion. 5. I'm not sure if it makes any sense. It just sounds artificial. HURT just seems to fit to her style so much more. Although it's not my favorite 2000's pop ballad (beautiful is better) it's a very solid song. Good vocal performance. 7, once again, has that 'old' style. It's a bit silly, I don't like it. Annoying. 8 is fine. 9 not. This entire second Disc is a tragedy. I think that the first disk is a very, ever a very very good pop project. Intentionally produced, good songwriting and great pace. Many songs there- I can see myself going back to. My concern here, I'm afraid, is Christina's vocal choices. Here over the top style is impressive, I guess, but it doesn't fit many of the songs. It's a thing about 2000's pop, many suffer from it in that era, but something about this singer is just extra. If in the first Disc it's a manageable problem for me, in the second one it's just ridiculous. Most of the songs there are just, bad... And it concluded my listening experience in a very bad way. The first Disc could easily get a 3.5 to a 4 from me, but the second has to push it down to a - 2.
A couple good songs in the back. Overall not bad sounding record just a lot of the same.
A little longer than necessary, don’t think this needed a double disc, but I liked jt more than I expected. That Mother song was great.
Look, I'm just trying to get ready for work. Please stop screaming at me, ma'am.
2.5
1.5
2.5
An album of two halves. The first half is an outright slog and the second half manages to be even worse. For the most part it goes for a slim, sprightly modern hip hop feel crossed over with oodles of retro funk and jazz. Makes Me Wanna Pray is a bit of a lazy Lady Marmalade clone but Back In The Day is a feisty improvement, Ain’t No Other Woman another relatively strong production and On Our Way is pretty sleek with some cool crackly vintage piano samples that shine like a crystal waterfall. Unfortunately the album’s style and even Christina’s sultry pipes gets old and samey really fast and there are no songs that really compare with any of Christina’s earlier hits. Wading through this album is a bit like wading through an olympic swimming pool sized block of concrete. Sexy lipsticked Marilyn Monroe looking concrete but concrete nonetheless. The fan dedication that ends the first disc should really instead be updated with audio testimony from all those that have suffered whilst trying to finish this album. The second disc is even more out of sorts what with generic gloop string ballads and the actively annoying gimmicky 40s throwback Candyman. Overall there is a small element of good yet not exactly essential stuff here but the unnecessary double album formatting makes it way more murderous than it should be. And it’s not even in the 1001 book anymore.
Intro (Back to Basics) 2.4 Makes Me Wanna Pray 2.5 Back in the Day 2.3 Ain't No Other Man 2.3 Understand 2.5 Slow Down Baby 2.1 Oh Mother 2.3 F.U.S.S. (interlude) 2 On Our Way 1.8 Without You 1.4 Still Dirrty 2 Here to Stay 2 Thank You (Dedication to Fans…) 1.6 Enter the Circus 3 Welcome 2.8 Candyman 2.6 Nasty Naughty Boy 2.3 I Got Trouble 2.4 Hurt 2.8 Mercy on Me 2.6 Save Me from Myself 1 The Right Man 2.3 Score: 2.227272727
The problem with this album is that it's *just not long enough* .... Fine, she has a great voice but only in a technical sense - kinda makes me remember 1985 when as a stupid kid I very briefly thought Yngwie J (the J is important) Malmsteen was the most amazing guitar player I'd ever heard ...sure he could and can literally still play 68 notes in the space of my 4 but he was and is boring as shit to listen to and that's honestly how I feel hearing Christina sing. Vitally important to note: There is actually a track right in the middle of this endless album that is comprised of / filled with vacuous sycophantic voice mails from fans slobbering all over her HAHAHAHAHAHAHA - So hilariously embarrassing and pitiful. TL;DR: It's just so slick it doesn't sound real, and not in a "oh this is otherworldly/space-rock/EDM/trance" unreal but fake. Plasticine. Maybe it's better than Stripped but ...idk, is it? In an attempt to go "back to basics" it just ends up a platter of very samey ersatz "tributes" to supposed influences and is completely and utterly focused on the vocals in arrangement and mix - just not my thing. Maybe it just needed more fan mail. 3/10 2 stars
This would have been a five if it were Christina's self titled album. But this album did not hit for me. I am shocked its on this list.
Hubris can come in many forms, and in many flavors. In this case, Aguilera is a victim of having a pretty great idea and then thinking that it required a double album. Even though it’s not particularly my genre, she’s got incredible talent and on some songs she both has massive hit potential and a fun, often dirty twist on pop hits of yesteryear. But then she just keeps adding songs, and especially ones that are to settle personal grudges or do bland boring shoutouts. The lyrics are rough when they’re not cheeky, and though the second half is a much better fit for her, it’s an odyssey that isn’t worth it in the end.
Started rough, kind of faux tribute to genres and a cringy track about soul singers. Improved for a few songs and then the circus side? Weirdly sensual songs that feel off. The songs sound decent, if not a bit simple, and her voice is so great. But she sounds the same in every song and I wish a future remaster would remove everytime she starts a song with oh yeah, or ohhhh, or whoa whoa. It sucks and once you notice it all the time it's hilarious. Like if a singer is warming up, I just need the lyrics, not the mi, mi, mis.
4/10 Pop, just pop. Not much more. Except there was more - much, much more. Too much. 1 hour 20 mins. Tough going.
Kudos to the producers of the first half - they really nailed that soul meets classic hip hop sound - and Aguilera's voice is great. The second half lasts forever though, without anything memorable. I could have done with it being about 12 songs shorter.
hard to rate, i dont deny talent and fushion of styles. some are classics, but i dont enjoy it every day. 2+
I'd give this a 2.8 - saved a song. I really do like her voice.
Of the pop singers of her time - Aguilera, Brittany, Mariah, and the like - I always felt she had the most soulful, well rounded voice. Not to say that I like her stuff, this genre is not my thing, but as an objective assessment of the vocal skill. That said, she has a good voice with a good range, but after a while it gets old. A double album of this is just way too much. Kind of got fatigued by her voice by the fourth or fifth song. And if this was supposed to be an homage to the old jazz and soul artists, I didn’t see any evidence of it. With the exception of a couple name drops. All in all, not awful, would’ve been 3 stars if she stopped a lot sooner.
I do not like her music.
It's okay, pop. But not the worst thing I've heard. Candyman was a fun track but the rest didn't really stand out to me.
I have to admit that I was very surprised to see a Christina Aguilera album on the list and after listening to it I am baffled as to why it is on here. Some of it was mediocre, some of it bad and some of it just cringy! Not for me.
Poor and bland
This project is missing an editor. I don’t feel like I needed any of this, so a double album is… a lot. This is basically two single albums packaged together: one album where she covers standards over hip-hop beats, and one album of originals where she’s backed by a swing band, orchestra, and/or choir. See what she did there? Call-outs: “Thank You (Dedicated To Fans…)” is sprinkled with audio clips of her fans praising her and feels more self-indulgent than humble. “Candyman” is like a swing version of Britney Spears’s “Soda Pop” but somehow even worse. Is “The Right Man” about her new husband or her daddy issues? Both? That’s neat.
Well, I made it through. Truth - I stopped before the end of the first disc. But I picked it back up the next day on disc 2, and it was better. Still not going in my regular rotation of music I listen to. Two discs - too much.
Let's get this out of the way - the girl can SING. The problem is that they are DESPERATE to let you know. Every second of every song has her doing slides and scales and going up and down the register and it all feels so over the top and forced. There's a distinct attempt at a hip hop flavor that comes across as desperate mores than legitimate, and the whole thing is overproduced and cringey. She name checks all these great singers of old while tacitly placing herself at the same level - and she isn't. And the final song on disc one is legitimately the cringiest thing I've ever heard. I was so embarrassed for her that I couldn't finish the song. I guess the second disc is much better than the first. The problem with that is twofold: 1.) I was already very annoyed and over it because disc one was awful and 2.) I don't need two fucking discs of Christina Aguilera.
This is the type of shit I usually can't stand. I can't stand about 1/3 of this, so it's got that going for it, which is nice.
It probably could’ve been a 3 if it wasn’t 80 minutes long
Aguilera turns to that big band sound as she echoes the James, Holiday, Franklin era. Clearly she has a great singing voice but I really didn't find anything that memorable on this double album 2/5
One of the daughters has this album.
I can see why Ain't No Other Man and Candyman were released as the singles for this album; none of the other tracks really grabbed me.
A concept album about John Major's Conservative government in the mid 1990s. This didn't need to be a double album and the wartime revival stuff was a bit unhinged.
not another long-ass album, christina!!!!!!!!!! god. okay, she's obviously very talented and has an incredible voice. but in NO WORLD did this need to be a double album. the big singles are great and fun and punchy. the second disk was better than the first. but there is just so much cornball stuff in here, especially the really horny songs. i can't help but wish we had some other more dynamic female pop acts in here because there were plenty of xtina's contemporaries i think would work better for this list than this album.
vocals sound good here, but seriously? a double album of generic pop hits with some callbacks to famous musicians in other genres from the early/mid-1900s? and a fan service track?? am i missing something about why i needed to hear this before i die? it's fine at best and at worst, exceedingly self-important while remaining incredibly dull. it's just not for me, sorry christina. favorites: ain't no other man, hurt
Eh
Catchy but shallow is my first impression of the first couple songs. "Gonna rewind to when the innovators were alive"- well, she failed here. There's nothing innovative here. Yeah, bored. 4 songs in and I'm snoring. This album is pretty awful.. I'm not convinced it's Aguilera's best, let alone worthy of a must listen. I think both her self titled debut and Stripped are probably better albums. None of which I'd go and willingly listen seek out to listen to, honestly, besides one or two songs. In fact the best melody on the first half of the album is the one borrowed from her debut album song, Genie in a Bottle, which is used in Thank You. Candyman is fun at least. Album would probably be better if it was half the length. Definitely think disc 2 is better than the first disc.
Listened to some. She's very good at what she does but I can't listen to it for long! Not for me, maybe the occasional tune.
Christina is a great singer, but she can’t overcome an over-produced and bloated album. Preemo didn’t bring his A game on the songs he produced, which is disappointing.
Point of clarification because I see people saying the term "pop" in reviews without defining what they actually mean. Two different things: pop production and popular music. Pop production is an entire art itself and there exist absolutely iconic albums with pop production, several of which belong on this list (a good example of one that is on this list is Janelle Monae's ArchAndroid). This album is an example of the latter, not the former. The pop production on this is garbage because it's trying to straddle the line between more classic soul, RnB, and cabaret production and modern pop/hip hop. The producer basically ended up just throwing some cheap "oldie" effects on top of the mix and calling it a day. So if you're wondering why this modern pop music sounds like a cheap shitty old record, that's why! To judge this for what it is, which is popular music, also comes up short. She's got a hell of a set of pipes, it's such a shame to see it wasted on this music. Two stars for pipes alone.
It has good moments, and Christina Aguilera is a powerhouse singer no doubt about that. But overall this album is too packed it's just not enjoyable. The first disc is probably the better sounding one for me even though it's mostly her givng ode to get inspirations. Then the last song on there with the fan voicemails is kinda creepy? The second disc seems like it's more true to Christina's musical style, but it's just lame for me. I get tired of her yelly singing with the long switchy notes. But that's just me! Maybe I only appreciate her as a feature in other people's songs.
Whoever made this list really likes Christina Aguilera… anyway, this was better than the last one of hers I listened to. Still not my jam, but it wasn’t all bad. Like I said before, she wouldn’t be where she is if she was a bad singer.
Not my thing. Candyman is fine.
Great voice but it wears thin with the way she sings. I like the bluesy, soul sound she sort of pulls off. It’s the vocal range extension that she wants to show off that doesn’t do it for me. It’s not even close to being the best pop album I’ve ever heard and not even close to being one of her best.
Sometimes an album is greater than the sum of its parts. This album is the opposite. There are a few decent songs here, but man—is it way too long and way too samey. It feels like someone pitched the concept, and then 100 people wrote songs around the theme. There was no real process of refinement or cohesion. They just threw everything at the wall and saw what stuck. The result feels plastic and insincere. Aguilera has a great voice, but after an hour of her oohs and aahs, I’m officially done. None of the songs seem genuinely invested in the album’s theme; they just slap a shallow layer of horns or some other “old school” element on top. It’s like someone watched "Moulin Rouge" and said, “I want that.” Probably a 3-star album, but for the sheer effort it took to finish it, 2 stars.
So long, so full of herself.
meh, disc 1 is v repetitive
She's a talented singer, but this album leaves a lot to be desired. As others have overstated, this is a long album. There's a lot of chaff on this record that likely didn't need to be here. The big band sound had a comeback for a bit in the late 2000's/early 2010's and I think this album was a bit ahead of the curve on that. Bioshock came out the next year and it was still 2 years before Caravan Palace began ravaging theater kids' iPod shuffles. It intends to pay homage, but comes off as uninspired. It's overproduced but tries so hard to capture the warmth of analog recording. It's not really for me, but I bet there's plenty of people out there that still return to this every now and again.
Was really stoked then got over it by like the fifth song.
Pop music is a fickle beast. It serves one purpose - to entertain. Christina Aguilera pushes the boundaries of patience with this 1 hour, 18 minute double album that really should be a single, and no longer than 40 minutes at best. Comparing to other 'pop' albums on this list, for example the Buddy Holly album I had recently clocks in at a respectable time AND entertains. Christina Aguilera (and her fellow pop princesses of the 90s and 00s) try to step outside the boundaries that pop music requires and present their music as art. She is definitely talented, but a double-disc album of her strangling her vocal cords to overemphasize what doesn't need to be overemphasized is pushing it. 2/5
I guess fine but not gonna finish this one. Disc 1 is plenty Will I listen to again: 0%
People still not adhering to the Less is More adage. I preferred Disc 2 but overall was underwhelmed. She’s got a great voice but it went on for so long and all sounded the same. I liked Save me from myself. It’s a shame some discerning producer didn’t intervene and answer that particular request. I don’t want to give her a drubbing but this could have been edited down to one disc. My version of basics is black T-shirt, black jumper, black trousers, sensible shoes. Even that ensemble sounds more exciting to me.
I don't know what to make of this. Aguilera can sing. So what? The songs all feel so overdone. Her performances seem more about proving something rather than trying to emote or convey a feeling. The production team is determined to pull out every trick they can think of. None of it feels authentic or relatable. Not to me anyway.
I tried. I failed. my overall impression is that there's is much ado about nothing. lots of stuff happening. lots of emoting and sounds and so, so many notes. and it all added up to squat.
It's fine but I didn't need a 2006 pop double album in my life. The vocal gymnastics do nothing for me and makes the whole thing seem a bit soulless.
Good voice, some good songs, but way to long (double disc album)
OK, not my cup tea, but good if you like Christina Aguilera
I've heard of Christina obviously but (I don't know what happened to me in the early 00s) I just completely missed her entire career. If you asked me about her biggest hits I wouldn't be able to name even a single song. Listening to this album I think I got the answer to that, I just generally don't vibe with this kind of early 00s R&B. Steve Winwood being a feature on one of the songs was lowkey wild though 2/5
This should not have been this long
Nothing exciting ofc there's that few standout songs you've listened on the radio way too many times.
She has a good voice but this is a bloated mess.
So much drama. Christina over sings everything on this album to the point of making it unlistenable.
I actually made it half way through this way too long album of standard, overwrought diva-pop music. Lightweight and of little consequence, this is music that will be forgotten as quickly as it was regurgitated. 2 stars
The appeal of the tracks on album's first half (especially on those co-produced by DJ Premier) relies solely on the well-chosen samples that provide the backbone of those songs. Aguilera's grit-free vocals, however, wail over the instrumention but leave little impact. Every song seems like it's supposed to be a demonstration of her vocal capabilities, but not every techinque needs to be applied to every syllable. Had she dialed it down from time to time, it would have been far more effective. The last three songs on the first half of the album are Aguilera's observations about her career - they *want* to be bold and powerful statements but instead come across as self-absorbed. (Too bad there isn't a way to delete the fawning voicemail messages from her admirers on "Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)".) The singing on the second half of the album is more straightforward but the songs are largely genre exercises that don't break any new ground. 2
#557. I can't say that I liked this one. It's a pop star past her prime trying desperately to cling on to relevance, and honestly I don't think she's succeeding. All of it was uninteresting, and the album is way to long. 2/5: meh. No, double meh.
Christina Aguilera does have an impressive voice, and as a pop album, this is probably pretty good. It’s not the sort of thing I care to listen to more than once, though, and it’s way longer than it needs to be.
I feel it doesn’t commit enough to the throwback sound of replicating classic singers like Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald. The concept has been tried and executed better by many other artists and this album is just bloated as well. 3/10
Mr. President, a Christina Aguilera record has hit the tower.
She's good, it's just not my bag
PGH represent! She's a fantastic singer, edgy in 2006? all over the map , gospel, soul, weird sketches, 50s swing sounding shit, naughty 😏, pop, doesn't make me tingle though
She can sing, but this album was too indulgent. Lots of songs saying the same thing, and it made the entire thing less palatable.
The positive: she can definitely sing and for that I’ll award 2 hard fought stars. But the rest of this ‘package’ is not for me. Pop music in its sickliest sweetest form.
Corr, bit long that one. Nice enough voice of course but double albums are a real slog for this challenge.
I liked the jazzy feel, but it was just too long. And the son were no great. And the track that us just recordings of people kissing her ass was off putting.
Gawd. I'm so tired. Let's get this over with. So. Coming into this album, I had a bias against Christina Aguilera — I'll be upfront about that. I thought that while she did have talent in singing, she didn't have any style. She could put a lot of power into her belting, but you look even barely below the surface and there's no character whatsoever. So the idea of spending nearly 80 minutes with her just seemed intolerable. Just as well, I'll be honest about how old and outdated this bias is. I got it about a decade or so ago, when Todd In The Shadows uploaded his review of Christina's film vehicle BURLESQUE. Back then he still had a lot of that "angry reviewer" in him, as was the style at the time, so it's not like he was exactly trying to be charitable to Christina. Meanwhile, in those days I was way more susceptible to parroting any opinions without ever stopping to ask myself if I actually personally believed them or not, so with this being basically my only exposure to and engagement with Christina besides the chorus of a Pitbull song... I mean, it's not like I ever felt any incentive to see if that bias was based in anything or not. By the time I gained it, she was barely relevant in the mainstream anymore. The story I heard was that her 2010 BIONIC flopped so hard it killed her momentum dead on the spot, and the movie BURLESQUE sure didn't help. Hell, if Todd hadn't reviewed it, I may have never heard of it. As far as I was aware, she disappeared from the face of the Earth after that aforementioned Pitbull single. I don't even know if I knew that "Genie In A Bottle" and "Beautiful" were hers. So I was not looking forward to listening to this album. "Dread" is a bit of a strong word, but it's not, y'know, **not** applicable? Especially when you combine it with the fact that this was supposed to be her "throwback" album, paying tribute to the 1920's soul stars that inspired. Like, great, that's just what I need: modernized retro. And 80 minutes of it at that! A 22 track double album — just what I needed. But, y'know, I gotta realize what I was happening there. See, I'm autistic, and there's this thing I do with food where if it's something I haven't tried before, I'll tend to overthink how much I'll dislike it. How bad the taste and texture and everything about it will be... All that. Normally, though, once I try it I end up— I mean, not loving it, or even **liking** it, but I realize it's not that bad and I was getting worked up over nothing. That's what was happening here, I figured. Once I actually sit down and put the album on, it'll be just fine (a 3 at worst) and I'll feel a little silly for spending so much time worrying about it. I just need to try and push my bias aside and everything will be good. Well. OK, so, I want you to note what I said above: "this was **supposed to be** her 'throwback' album." Let me rip the bandage off here. My big problem with the album is that this record was sold to me as a "throwback." The album is named after this concept, she invented a whole alter-ego to go with it, and two tracks on the album are dedicated to making a big deal about it (the intro and "Back In The Day"). And, y'know, I have no issues with throwbacks as long as they're done right. I mean, you look at Bruno Mars's modernized retro takes on 70's and 80's R&B, or Daft Punk's take on 70's disco. That kind of stuff is great. If only Christina actually did that. Hell, she didn't even do any Meghan Trainor-style modernized retro — and as excruciating as **that** would have been... Goodness! It would have been **something**, at least! Besides a few tracks scattered between both discs, this album ends up just sounding like mid-2000's pop. That's it. I mean, she honestly seems to think that randomly adding vinyl crackle to the start of some songs and having one that namedrops people like Coltrane and Billie Holiday is enough. And, like... Come the shit on. If you're gonna do a throwback, **commit** to it. I thought this was largely gonna be a precursor to what she did on the BURLESQUE soundtrack, besides the only that randomly samples a Marilyn Manson song. Instead, the furthest back she ends up throwing to is, like, 2004, at best. It's not even like these are bad songs. They're largely fine, at best. It just bugs the shit out of me that she put so much importance and emphasis only to largely forget about it. Why did she even bother in the first place? By the time we get to a couple of songs back-to-back on the front of the disc that actually do what I expected this thing to do, I was so tired that I could hardly even bring myself to care. Point of fact, I was a little pissed, actually. Like, what in the hell took you so damn long to get around to this? Goodness me. And the fact that this is a double album. There is no good reason whatsoever that this needed to be a double album. "Here To Stay" and "Thank You" needed to be here? The album needed to have a **second** intro with "Enter The Circus" and "Welcome"? Honest to goodness, it was in the middle of "Welcome" that I really started getting upset. Like, what in the shit Insane Clown Posse carnival barker nonsense is this? This was absolutely necessary? Goodness, what was left on the cutting room floor? And I get the idea: that the first half is sample heavy, while the second goes largely without 'em. But, like, who cares? If the album's overall concept is largely abandoned, why did **this** need to be adhered to? And I wanna narrow in on "Thank You" for a moment, 'coz... Oh, my goodness. I mean, look: despite how I've come across, I'm not that mad at this album — or at least I'm trying **really hard** not to be. It's a dumb mid-2000's pop album with a botched concept. Ultimately, who cares? And this song, I wanna emphasize, I know it's not for me. After all, its subtitle is "Dedicated TO The Fans..."). If you were a fan of Christina's, especially someone who sent in one of the voicemails that get played, you probably loved this. A nice shout-out to the fans. But, I'm sorry, having this play immediately after the song where she proclaims "CRITICIZE ME ALL YOU WANT; I'M GONNA BE HERE FOREVER!", this comes across as one of the most egotistical things I've ever heard on an album. Like, goodness me. It's just even worse when, like I said, Christina largely faded from relevance after her next album. The hubris, y'know? So... Look, it's not a bad album. If you want some loud, dumb mid-2000's pop music, there's stuff on here that'll do the job just fine. Quite frankly, putting my feelings aside, it's a 3. There's some stuff on here that's kind of obnoxious, but overall, I think you could do worse. Christina's voice isn't even as bad as my old bias would have led me to believe. But I can't be dishonest about my feelings. After "Enter The Circus" and "Welcome" got me all pissed off about the album length, and after "Candyman", "Naughty Naughty Boy" and "I Got Trouble" were "too little,too late" in actually accomplishing what this album promised me it set out to do... I'm sorry, but I gotta go with a 2. I can't give it a 1; that'd just be me pissing and shitting my diaper at that point. But for how absolutely tired I was by the last four songs, and for how little I'd ever wanna revisit this material... Yeah. It's a 2 for me. Give it a shot if you want; you might get way more out of it. But me, though? I'm gonna get back to stuff I actually like.
308/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
Seemed so random she would pick the boogie woogie era as her inspiration. Some songs are ok, some do not need to be listened to before you die.
Solid pipes but not my vibe
Is anyone still listening to Christina Aguilera?
This has a lot going on. Unfortunately, most of what is going on is terrible.
Way too bloated for a mid 2000s Pop album
There are people in the world who think Christina might be Lens daughter. He’s not sure but the hair and the lips are a definite giveaway if you ask me. 2.1
The kind of pop music really isn't my jam, I thought it was going to be my first one star but horn and windwood arrangements dragged it to a ⭐⭐, generally though the warbling vocals (although a tremendous set of lungs) are a bit grating, some good feminist lyrical content but mostly more puerile pop culture themes persist. Would not listen to willingly again.
It my thing
That "thank you" song is peak comedy, saved it another star. Otherwise, really not my jam
Ooof. This was tough to work through. I know it’s all about her voice, but that’s sort of the problem. I just didn’t dig her style, plus the song writing often sounded like everyone was trying too hard. A few good moments plus premier got it a slight upgrade.
There weren't really any bad songs and her voice is undeniable. Maybe I would have rated it higher, but it was way too long. It dragged.
First half is much better on the whole, but still one for the girls. Way too long as well.
Bloated and unfocused. Christina Aguilera is not really an album artist imo so I’m surprised she’s on this list at least twice.
1.91
‘Still got that freak in me’ - Christina Aguilera, 2006 She’s good at singing and none of these songs are bad, but they don’t really stick out from each other. That would make this a 3, but it is also inexplicably nearly 1 and a half hours long.
I mean. It’s ok
Not my thing - songs all start to sound the same after awhile.
Solid output from the original 2000s girls but double is too much.
Far too long for an album that isn't all that interesting. This could have been a perfectly inoffensive pop album, but unfortunately its length drags it down a lot.
Too sickly and just no bite to it at all
Really did not like the start of the album, Christinas vocals where great, but kinda too much. She really proves why someone like Aretha is great, you need to be an amazing singer, and be ably to hold back so the listener doesn't get overwhelmed (take notes Ado). The album grew on me a bit, and some of the songs like hurt showed some great songwriting skills, but this album is waaaaay to long, and most of the tracks are just forgettable.
Actually enjoyed this more than I expected, and was able to finish it, which puts it above Stripped in my ranking. Her voice is amazing, but the very frequent vocal runs do my head in. It's way too long and the Thank You song is very cringe worthy, but there are some quite good songs here and there. I also enjoyed some of the production. Overall, not something I would listen to again though
Sorry if I'm being pretentious but there is no need for an album in this style of pop to be so long. Good voice though
упаси меня господь от этого вокала + подумала вчера как хорошо что уикед не двадцать лет назад сняли, иначе Кристина была бы Глиндой и все умерли
I tried to park my initial dismay but disc 1 confirmed my complete ambivalence for this sort of contemporary generic wailing. Disc 2 at least offered something a little more interesting at times, though still not enough to redeem it for me.
It's good that people are revisiting the sounds of the old days and trying to put some soul back on the table, but this just came across as vapid, manufactured and self-obsessed. She has a great singing voice and has sold a lot of albums, so I'm sure she's achieved what she wanted. I just don't know why it would be on this list.
Just another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex ...and the winner of the best name spoken in a Scouse accent goes to... 🤪 Aguilera has a great voice and range, I'm sure her fans love her, but this album wasn't for me, it's far too long and far too much warbly oversinging.
I'm not really a fan of those naughties pop stars albums. They are definitely a relict of their times and for some reason we liked it then. Nowadays, listening to full albums of Aguilera, Spears, Carey or Lopez (or any boysband, for that reason) is like a highest order of punishment. My mental was strong enough to make it halfway through the album, afterwards the changes in the psyche will be irreversible. Christina has couple of nice songs, but her album doesn't belong on this list, unfortunately.
Great voice but got samey quite quickly
Dirt box.
I mean, it's fine for what it is. But not for me.
Too poppy for me
Even though she has a great voice, the album is too repetitive and too long. Most songs are mediocre or bad, however it has some good tracks as well. If she would had cut the album and only included the top 10 songs, it could actually be good and enjoyable.
Not a bad pop album
too much xtina. I had to turn it off midway disk 2.
i did not enjoy most of this but there's a few songs that brought the rating up to 2 instead of a 1. "welcome" was a nice one i hadn't heard before. "hurt" i knew already and i enjoy that song. in general, disc 2 is miles better than disc 1. i couldn't get through disc 1 but disc 2 is nice except for that one song that i skipped xD
Hon får en tvåa och av den anledningen att jag skulle kunna tänka mig att ligga med henne.
I liked her other album on here but this was pretty awful. She was trying to copy Beyoncé and it just wasn’t working for me.
Not for me. The music is cool but she sings too many notes or something.
She's got pipes, but the sound isn't for me.
Way too long. Could have dropped some filler tracks and had a 3 or 4 star album.
Malardo
I don't remember where I've read this thought but it applies perfectly here. Artists with exceptional vocal skills very rarely produce interesting music, they are more focused on displaying the skills She hits notes like she's playing Osu!, got an impressive range and all that, but you can't expect me to keep a soy face for 80 minutes
This felt like two different albums to me, only slightly related. The first album started off okay, but it rapidly became obvious that it wasn't going to go anywhere interesting, and by the end it felt like a one star effort. I particularly detested the last few songs, which seem desperate in the extreme, and made me feel a little bit queasy. The second album was more diverse, maybe a weak three star album. Putting them together, I'm going with two stars for something I'll thankfully never have to listen to again, but wasn't quite annoying enough to justify a single star.
Gosh, she works hard on her vocals and is great at what she does. Unfortunately, the accomplished vocals don't always mean that emotions are communicated better than they would be by just, er, singing. And a large team of writers, it seems, didn't stop this being an album of largely forgettable songs.
idk
A great voice and a few decent tunes but this is not an album that deserves any more attention.
Didn't get to this yesterday but listening now. I'm not loving it might not get through the whole album. It's to bubblegum. Poppy. Okay Oh Mother is the first one that's had me impressed. It's pretty! Night actually listen to that one again!
she has an incredible voice, that i can’t deny. but outside of that, i really didn’t care for this. production hasn’t aged well and the album goes on for far too long.
Going to try to listen to this one with no prejudices, but I can't imagine I would need to listen to 2 Aguilera albums before I die. Plus was really hoping this was some deluxe edition but no, just another long ass Aguilera album. Just like the other one her voice is great, but this is never something I'm going to seek out and just some over-produced pop. I have liked both of her albums more than Britney's album but nothing is redeeming to me about this except her voice.
This was so banal I'm not sure why it ever was on this list. I don't remember any of these songs. She's clearly trying to do an Amy Winehouse thing that really never caught on.
Its a pop album with little to no great songs.
Overall: 3/10 I have to admit, I think Christina Aguilera is an incredibly talented vocalist. It's a shame that the songs she's singing never hold the cake to her immense talent. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did but it really just sounds like generic mid-2000s pop music that follows a formula that I don't particularly enjoy. I didn't hate it but it was overlong and there wasn't much variety. Fav Song: Without You Least Fav Song: Candyman
Style and Identity are very different things. After listening to this album, I am not convinced that Christina Aguilera has either. She does have is an incredible voice. It is not enough.
Blah
I was not looking forward to this, and then I found out it was a double album. I made it through, but I wasn't a big fan.
Liked it more than expected
Dear me, she sure can sing.
Well made and all that, and she is a good singer, but its not for me
She’s great at singing but I didn’t like the songs. Also if the two discs are going to be so different why not make it two albums?
Definitely bluesey. At times, sounds like she's trying too hard to replicate someone like Amy Winehouse who would have been HUGE during this time. Overall, there are some fun tracks (last track is actually really good), but it's pretty forgettable. If you want to listen to this type of bluesey, smokey bar type of singing, just listen to Amy Winehouse, or even better yet, Billie Holiday or Dinah Washington.
A 78 minute Christina Aguilera album? Really Robert? Undeniably great voice, but her singing style doesn’t really do it for me. Trying a little too hard imo. Production is good, content is not very interesting. Pretty forgettable overall.
Too long
Second C.A. Album for the project, and once again it wasn’t awful but it’s just not my thing. She has a tremendous voice but seems to be a bit one-trick flourishing every phrase over similar pop music, and it gets tiring quickly. Although I’m not sure, I assume this project was a bit of a deviation from true pop-singing for her, but why was this released as a double album? Because I have no idea
Incredible voice but lot left to be undesired… second half of the album when she seems to lean into her musical creativity, was better
I listened to this horny mid-2000s retro maximalism on YouTube in incognito mode because I simply could not have the algorithms get that fucked up.
for better and worse, the most excessive dying gasp of the CD era.
Why is this on the list? It doesn’t even have any of her good songs on it.
That 2k pop yeah sometimes it’s good, but mostly forgettable
how did she get two spots on this list... intro- 5 makes me wanna pray- 3 or 4 back in the day- 3 aint no other man- 3 understand- 2 slow down baby- 2 i cant do it. im just not strong enough
OMG I so can't stand this album. 100% NOT my thing, which makes it really hard to give it a rating. She can obviously sing, technically speaking. But it's OK to sing... a... note. You don't need to convert every single note into a piece of two-octave acrobatics containing the full Mixolydian scale. Despite (because of?) this it's all a bit samey and lacks the soul that soul (I believe that's what this is?) is supposed to have. I listened to all songs but could not sit through any in full. Life is too short. I'll give it two starts rather than one because singing like this must be hard and she made me appreciate other music more. Maybe she deserves to be in the list because after all she's famous.
When I listen to this, I feel like someone is trying to hard sell me on something that I have absolutely no interest in... It's almost like that scene in Severance whereas Christina Aguilera is Mr. Milchick and I'm Dylan trying by best to keep it together, like SINCERELY trying until ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VngE9BiEe7Q
Ain’t No Other Man and Candyman are great The girl can sing But good Lord this is too long There’s a good fun 3 star album here that is just too bloated
I didn't like this album much. Most of the songs are the same electro-jazz pop drivel. I get that Aguilera can sing but this album is just like her other records. The good news is that the last few tracks are quite good. But it's not enough to satisfy me. I'll give "Back to Basics" 2 stars.
Some great songs. All in all too long and very mediocre. And with an album called "back to basics" I wish Christina kept it basic.
Too long
I like it but she had no business adding a second disc
I'm not a big fan of pop music. I understand why this ended up on the list because of how popular it was. But really it doesn't do anything for me
modern R'n'B is not for me, this leaves me cold
This album tries to pay homage to a lot of genres, but the renditions of each don’t click with me. Aguilera has an amazing voice, but it’s not enough to get me to enjoy this album. 2/5
I remember when this came out, it was pretty hyped up. I listened to it (maybe not even all of it) exactly once and never again. My feelings 18 years later haven’t changed much. There are some good songs here but they’re weighed down by 40 minutes of bloat. By the time I heard something I liked, I was already pretty fatigued of this album’s repetitive shtick.
80-minute shopping simulator
God damn den var godt nok lige et helt album for lang. Startede træls ud med så meget knitren at jeg blev nødt til lige at tjekke at min jack-adapter ikke var gået i stykker... Lidt mere y-e-e-eah end jeg synes er okay på en plade. James Hetfield er misundelig..
Lo sentí extenso.
Great raspy vocals from inception.
Not a Christina Aguilera fan at all. This album contains a few Strongs songs though. Christina also shows she has a powerful soulful voice. Need to give her credit for that.
"My name's Nicholas Nada and I just want to say, Christina, that track you made with all those clips of your fans kissing your ass made me cringe so hard it gave me osteoporosis."
Woof. We didn't need two albums from Christina Aguilera (come to think of it, I don't think we needed one). This one's nearly 80 minutes long, and it's a loose concept album of her aiming for old-school jazz singers. It doesn't really work with her vocal style though - she's someone that sings with an emphasis on power, that's like her whole thing. Jazz singers go more for soul or some kind of atmosphere. I counted maybe two or three tracks on here where she scaled it back a bit but not enough. Also, the second half of the album explodes into this crazy circus type thing, reminded me of what I don't like about Tom Waits. That said, "Nasty Naughty Boy" was so funny, had me smiling the whole time, that gutteral modulated trumpet or whatever it is just kills me. Not really a good album, not really bad either. But we'll keep it moving. Favorite tracks: Still Dirrty, Save Me from Myself, Nasty Naughty Boy, Makes Me Wanna Pray. Album art: I've seen this before, it's just a shot of Christina laying down, very white-washed vibe. It's decent, pays homage to the old school album cover style too. 2.5/5
Üble Stimme, ab gut produziert. Trotzdem nix für mich.
Nah
Not a bad album. Just not my cup of tea.
around 3 good songs but they absolutely do not outweigh the fact that most were just alright or straight up bad (like understand.. what was that). a lot of the songs had this big release without ever earning it with a build-up. and this album is about half an hour too long.
She has a great voice, but this album can’t seem to decide which direction it wants to go. The stripped down songs are much better than the cheesy pop tunes. 2/5 Won’t listen again
There's a couple of decent songs in here (Ain't No Other Man and Hurt principally), but it's outweighed by the mess that's around it. It's an attempt at being more grown up and sophisticated (having already been pop princess and something a bit filthier at this point), but it doesn't really work. Her voice is just fab, but it works much better when she's doing her stuff, rather than the leaning into the classics bit that doesn't quite work. Bonus points for variety, but minus quite a lot for not really landing most of the variations. 2/5, probably would've had a 3 if it was a bit shorter.
I’m afraid this was never going to be a big favourite for me but she does have a fantastic voice and puts it to great use here. I appreciate that she leaned into the RnB and soul influence and her vocals work well in that oeuvre. It’s slick in its production and you can see why it sold so well and she was such a star. I didn’t mind it but it was definitely too long - two discs are really not necessary and while it’s all good fun pop, it’s not something I really need in my life.
Not terrible, but also nothing I'm all that interested in. I did find it interesting that Linda Perry produced and co-wrote the whole second disk. However, it's too long. The singles are pretty bangin, but it isn't enough to save this for me. 2.49/5
There’s a good EP in here for sure. I like some tracks on the first disc but the more stripped-back tunes on the second disc fall flat for me.
Was ok I liked the double album vibe and some of those tracks took me back to childhood in the great US of A where HOT 99.5 conquered the airwaves but at the same time it was also 1hr18mins of somebody over-singing which on the wrong day feels like purgatory to me.
Understand // Slow Down Baby //
I found this very difficult to listen to. It's well produced and professional- skilled in it's way but I'd rather not listen to it. I don't really see anything of great value in it.
Appreciate the throwbacks to old jazz and soul stuff but most of the songs didn't do much for me. Also it's way too long
The biggest issue is way, way too long with very pedestrian songs, sure she can sing but it's frankly boring as hell. It's close to a 2.5 for me.
Completely forgettable standard mid 2000s pop album. There's nothing here that's really good, the beats are boring (especially the first disc) and Aguilera's obviously good voice can't redeem anything there. The songs on the second disc are a little better, a little more interesting, and better use of her talents. Still not good or at least enjoyable to me, but a little better. I never got to the point of reaching for the skip button, but this is not good, and I didn't need to listen to it before I die.
Hef aldrei verið fan. Eitt lag þarna sem mér finnst verulega gott. Restin er... uppfylling.
Overproduced 00s pop/R'n'B album, the 30s, 40s and 50s vibe goes boring pretty quickly. Her talent is undeniable and this style suits her quite well after the teen years and Stripped era, but this alone isn't enough to call this a great album. It is way too long and bloated and it doesn't have coherency in it, it is just a bunch of songs thrown together on a double album. The lyrics are also just bad on many songs. I wanted to like this album a bit more and perhaps I'd give it a 3 if it was half as long as it is but all things considering it doesn't deserve more than 2.
I find pop records to be such a strange thing. The singles tend to be listenable and then you wonder why they bothered to record anything else. In this case I’m pretty baffled as to why this is 2 discs and well over an hour. There’s a procession of late 90s-early aughts female pop singers whose voices all sort of blur together for me - file Xtina in that bucket. Her voice is good but I would have a hard time pulling it out of a lineup. Anyways an hour plus of meh pop tunes isn’t for me.
They say you can't have too much of a good thing. But you can certainly have too much of this. Xtina has a set of pipes on her, no question. But this is not an album forme.
Way too long! Otherwise decent with nice production here and there. Christina Aguilera is a talented vocalist but her singing style is a bit much, and the faux swing sound is a bit kitsch
Maybe if this was two albums it wouldn't have been such an atrocious slog.
Pop mixed with more R&B than I expected, although it felt a little soulless for R&B and lacked any good pop hooks. The second half was better by virtue of having a personality, despite being egregiously slutty
She has a powerful voice but over an hour of running scales and sexy kitten purrs is a lot. It's polished and that's what's so wrong with it.
Qué extraña inclusión en este listado. Supongo que también hay que homenajear a una de las buenas voces del pop de la década de los 2000, pero hay otras que hicieron mucho mejores discos
I really try my damnedest to listen to all of these albums in their entirety, but I just couldn't get through this monster. She's a good singer. The songs are just very similar, seems like a one trick pony.
She was just whiny and whiny in her voice and then the same with her songs towards the end
Eh, I mean she can sing and has an incredible voice but WHY WITH THE DOUBLE ALBUM. I hate double albums don't understand the point of them. Anyways I also don't really understand why this album was on the list, there really wasn't anything super special about it beside's her voice. Her songwriting abilities are mid at best, the only reason this album doesn't get a lower score is because of her voice.
ugh. back to what basics? over-produced, over done, and overly long. her vocal flourishes on every track are not necessary. and the track to her fans?? nope, nope, nope. 1.5 stars
I really expected to hate this. And, while it’s not my taste, it wasn’t bad! It’s a solid pop album. But that’s all. It doesn’t have any hits. It’s nothing big or groundbreaking. It’s just a Christina Aguilera album. Are her more popular ones on the list too? Why was this here? Anyway, she’s got a great voice. Most songs would fit well as the closing credits of an early 2000’s rom com. Songs added to Spotify: 1
Kinda boring and basic pop album. She seems to use the same vocal flourishes throughout the whole album. Kind of a one trick pony. The voice sounds good but it’s not really enough to save the album.
Some beats are very cool. But not the fan of the vocals and overall feel. Again, was hoping that maybe there was a gem in the pop music of my youth that I missed, but it turned out it was not really to my taste
Gag - this is the second CA album I've got from this last, and to make matters even worse, it's a double album! I suffered through.
Thoughts before listening: Well, I never thought I'd sit down and listen to a full Christina Aguilera album, but here we are. These sorts of pop and r&b albums just aren't my thing, but I have found I can appreciate them more now than I would have at 25 when this was released. She certainly has a powerhouse voice, and I'm sure I'll recognize some of the hits on here, so perhaps this will be better than I think it will be. That being said, looks like this is 2 discs and well over an hour long, not sure I'll have it in me to listen to this whole thing. Review: Yeah, this is about what I'd expect from a Christina Aguilera album. Great singing on the R&B inspired pop bangers and even better singing on the ballads. This is split into 2 albums with disc 1 being the pop songs and disc 2 being more "jazz" inspired. A lot of the disc 1 production sounds super dated to 00s pop with things like record scratches and synthy fake horn blasts. Disc 2 is a little more organic sounding, but this is still very much a pop album. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention to pop music in 2006, but I don't recognize any of these songs. I feel like I could rattle off 5 - 10 Christina songs, but none of them are on this album. I can't say that any of these songs are really standing out to me despite having nice vocals throughout. I thought I would at least like the music on the "jazzy" disc, but it's still very much a pop sound. Mainly just feels like an attempt to cash in on her Lady Marmalade sound. This is a 2-star album.
It's telling that she has to tell us who inspired this album, rather than let our ears tell us. Also, an easy way to make this record twice as good would be to cut half the songs. I wonder how many people who bought this in CD actually played the second disc more than once.
the first disc was pretty good but the second half was boring as shitt and brings teh whole thing down
Back to basics? Not really.
2 at best
She can certainly sing, it's just not my style of music
Some interesting instrumentals but couldn’t even get through disc 1.
Christina Aguilera is unquestionably a talented singer with a fantastic voice. I can only begin to imagine how amazing it would be to hear her sing a good song.
Not my kind of music. Not terrible, but won't be listening to it again. Album way too long as well, absolute chore to get through this. ⭐️⭐️
Album 2 is better than album 1, however by the time I got there I was thoroughly sick of this. Aguilera has an impressive powerful voice, but she makes every song sound the same.
To be fair this music does not appeal to me..
Aguilera has a great voice and plenty of talent, but this feels awfully thin for such a thicc album. It's like she never found her personality in all of this. The 'I'm a dirty girl' thing feels forced. She's just not that person. She's not a Madonna tough lady, she's not a luminous Whitney Houston voice of the gods, she's not a Mariah-level diva or a Beyonce force of nature. She's got a great voice but she's been cast all wrong here. In the 90s she seemed like talented version of Britney Spears but not much more than that. And while all of these songs are working hard, none of them grabbed me.
To my mind, some of the best albums are those with an overarching concept. Not necessarily a story or anything quite as overt; more a uniformity of mood, feeling, emotion, moment or perspective. The opposite of this is Christina Aguilera's 2006 album 'Back to Basics', a dog's breakfast of a collection, its desperation signalled by its inauspicious title. Aguilera has a mighty instrument in her voice; over-mighty, at times, because it is apt to bulldoze everything in its wake. Only once does she shift down the gears; the rest of the time it's full-bore. Half the album is boring, half the album is bizarre; the circus stuff and cabaret muzak turns are baffling and bad. There's a track where Aguilera attempts a sexy 'come on', and sounds as alluring as congealed leftovers. Amazing that it's the same person behind 'Dirty'.
That’s a lot of Christina, actually that’s too much Christina. Too many background tracks of her own voice on many of the songs. The album certainly is diverse, but she sounds defensive throughout. What could save her from herself? Answer: Less is more. Shorter album, fewer crescendos. Overall (2.1*s)
Pop album with some blues and jazz elements. In the end, it’s Aguilera belting out her signature yell. It’s tired and old. Nothing to write home about.
This is among the better records when it comes to mid 2000s pop. There's something more interesting here compared to many of her peers at the time. It's just not for me personally though, it's not an album I can enjoy myself.
Great example of 90s-2000s bloated CD albums. Doesn’t push the boundaries in any way at all. Regardless of that, the songs are well produced. I like the piano on on our way but even the rest of the song takes away from it for me. Generic pop music post 2000 is my least favorite music and this falls squarely into that category. Surprised this is inspired by old school soul music because this album has no soul of its own. Rating: 2.0
Maybe this album a blessing if you’re a genuine fan of Aguilera but for those of us who aren’t so appreciative of her style, this drags on for far too long. Candyman was alright, but only out of familiarity and its likeness to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. And what the hell is with Thank You (Dedication To Fans)? Such a load of narcissistic BS. Get outa here.
I had high hopes for this album because I really only know her hits and wanted to give her a fair shot. Much too long and did not dig the cabaret circus-vibe that showed up on a few. I was even more disappointed to find out this was mostly produced by DJ Premier. It's mediocre at best but she does have an impressive voice and is more talented than just a pop bop so I'll give her that. Nothing I'd go back and listen to.
Felt just kinda...well, basic. I appreciate the back to the roots approach but nothing great here. Not that I ever really like Aguilera other than some catchy pop songs. Thought she would have some better singing on this, like really belting it out. Meh...
It's not a bad album, but I don't think its a good album either. As soon as it ended I couldn't tell you anything about it. Nothing really stood out and it was basically just background music for more than an hour. First half of the album is marginally better than the second half though I did enjoy a few of the string arrangements near the end. Another example of an album that would have been better trimmed to a single release rather than a double album. I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between Christina Aguilera or any of the female pop/R&B stars from the 90s and 2000s. I don't suspect I'll ever listen to anything on this again. 1.61 stars
2.5
So lame
Can't deny she's got some real pipes, but she's not my diva.
Not a fan of her music but the girl can SING
Nuorena olisin kyllä halunnut pökkää Christinaa, mutta musiikista en ole oikein ikinä välittänyt. Ei se toimi edelleenkään muutamaa leiskautusta laskematta.
She belts them out but, boy, is there a lot of filler here. Why is this album so long again?
2/5 Repetitive and a bit lame.
Making it a double album was a bad choice. What's her legacy? That she had a better voice than Brittney?
i try to go into every album with an open mind. christina aguilera's music is not really in my wheelhouse - even when i was a teen in her hitmaking era and more interested in pop music, her music never quite did it for me. that being said, i was pleasantly surprised by the first disc. like i said, it's not really my type of pop music, but its sound is extremely nostalgic to me. some of these songs i heard on the radio or vh1 at the time, but also this is some of the music that dictated pop music's sound at the time. her voice is unquestionably great, the "throwback" production of the first side - i.e. sampling of retro instrumentals - is fun, albeit a bit dated sounding at this point. but the peaks of disc one are really fun. then we hit disc two. starting off with the circus song, it then becomes a hyper-sexualized throwback to old-fashioned cabarets. i can't say i really enjoyed this part. her voice is still great but this part of the album is just too over the top. she's moaning the whole time, saying stuff like "now spank me" - i don't even really care about sexual content in music, but this is so over the top, it almost feels like it is forced by an executive or something. or maybe it's the opposite - the executive forced the normal pop music while she really wanted the over-sexual burlesque schtick. quite simply, it's just really cringey. just very bizarre. also, because of the two disc format, this album is BLOATED AS HELL. had they split the two discs into their own albums, i think it would be ok. or even if they made a one disc combination of these two concepts, i think it could potentially work. honestly, the two of them together is a chore. i really think the album's length detracts from the overall quality. she really had me in the first half, not gonna lie.
not for me
She's got a great and powerful vocal talent but the throaty delivery with the growls, runs, and vocal improv fills wear on the ear pretty quickly. Unremarkable songs overall, way too long and just not my thing.
One great pop song is fun. A double length pop album is not fun. This was quite a bore as many of the songs were upbeat and exciting yet none really felt that great. There were songs about aguilera proving that she has helped so many other people. Yet I could not relate. Not terrible but just boring. 4.3/10
A bit too over processed and busy for my taste, even though her voice is great and she knows how to use it. Fav songs: Hurt, Welcome, a few others from disc 2
Good voice but just a bunch of pop shlop.
Holy cow there's two Aguilera albums on this list??? Why??
Not her best album
Gutsy move to call an 80 (eighty) minute album "Back to Basics", especially when you decide that 'the basics' are a range of throwback style tunes. I'm sure her voice is technically great, but apart from some fairly insipid ballads, she seems to be constantly just at full volume, and it's really grating.
Like a couple of tracks but Aguilera's soulful vocals are a bit overwhelming
While Christina has doubtless talent, the music here is mostly formulaic pop, that takes as many risks as a rat in a house full of underfed cats. So despite flashes of creativity, it's still way too predictable, generic and safe. 2 safety vests out of 5 🦺🦺
Was surprised to see dirty on the list even more shocked to see this album. Very different to dirty but more just a throwback to older music, remember the hits at the time but don’t think this has stood the test of time.
She's got pipes for sure but falls into the 'more performance than song in isolation' group. This album is long. Save Me from Myself is fairly unique from the rest of the album and it shows her singing well without showboating all over the place.
I can hear the influence of DJ Premier on here, but does nothing for me. Her voice is holllow for me most of the time. The track Hurt is the closest I got to feeling something. There didn't need to be this much on here. The whole album just makes me want to go listen to other artists like Etta James, Roberta Flack or Nina Simone.
OK stuff, but seems pretty generic
I'm surprised how much I wanted to like this, more than anything. I figured going into this it would be an easy one star, but I found myself enjoying many of the samples, and the production in general. What holds the album back for me is the vocals. While her voice is technically amazing, it hardly ever feels honest, instead feeling like a hollow recreation of the voices of the greats that came before her, and the constant references to said music doesn't help to draw away the comparisons. It is an amazing voice on the surface level, but it never moves me, and when an entire album feels as though it is built on that voice, it takes away a lot of the credibility. Still, I have to give this album credit, because it was far better than I had anticipated.
Supposedly this is an homage to the great R&B stars of old but it's deeply lacking in something that those greats understood. There are very few sing-along choruses and almost no hooks. Instead, "Back to Basics" is bloated with continual, unnecessary vocal runs and empty wailing. Otis or Billie or Etta would never release an album with so much fluff and so little substance. Their songs were memorable. They were earworms. People sang their songs in the kitchen or while waiting at the bus stop. They had hooks. The tracks on "Back to Basics", on the other hand, are largely forgettable due to their lack of any melody or repeated lyric to grab on to. The album is saved from a truly failing score only because the lyrics on the back half of the album start to unexpectedly get a lot more intimate and personal. Unusually personal for a pop album. Unfortunately, there are SO MANY writers credited ("Slow Down Baby" has a whopping 11 writers) that it's impossible to know how much of the lyrical content of this album is real and how much is manufactured for effect.
No
This is not to my taste. I can appreciate that she has an amazing voice but I played the whole record and can't recall any song at all. 2 stars for her vocal abilities but would never listen to this again.
Wow, I forgot what an amazing voice Christina Aguilera has. It’s powerful. And some of these vocals runs are insane. I like the hip-hop-leaning production on Disc 1. Even when the songs aren’t that memorable, the production is appealing and Aguilera sounds awesome. Disc 2 gets cheesy for my taste and the production choices are frequently annoying. The producer tries too hard to style the music so that it sounds like old jazz and soul. And I think those choices hold the songs back. “Save Me from Myself” is nice though. I never hear her sing in a hushed voice like this. 2.5
Yeah nah. Too many bells and whistles, distractions from just getting on with the song. And.... once you've heard enough other people do impersonations of the "Christina Aguilera" ooooh yeeeeah you hear nothing but that in her tunes.
I mean, everyone should hear her talented beautiful voice. But I don't know if this double album is really the one to make us get through, unless we like pop. Disc 2 was much more enjoyable; it was a little less formulaic although still a lot more belting than necessary. Hurt was very good and a keeper for me. The Right Man is somehow very evocative of Hopelessly Devoted To You from Grease. Must be the chords or the melody outline or something.
Love candy man, but overall not my thing
Not really my sort of music. Pure pop, with no real substance. She looks great, but it's the music we're hear to listen to and review, not her looks. A reasonable 2, which means it's 'listenable', but more than likely forgettable and not for my top 1,001 albums
I don't dig this, but it sounds well made.
The vibes between the two albums in this double album set were so different. I didn't connect with the first album at all. The second album was a wild tone shift and while I found it more interesting than the first, I was repulsed by the many food metaphors for sex, the Candyman song, and to wrap it up with a ballad about marriage ... it lost me hard.
did not realize christina aguilera was making christiany pop albums a couple of these songs felt kinda.... pandery? weird vibe. i like the risk taking with the sound though, it's not exactly what you expect from christina a song full of voice mails from fans is a CHOICE.
This album is a lot, stylistically, production, and length. No one ever tell Christina Aguilera that less is more. It's honestly pretty bonkers and feels very bloated. It was a wild ride, and one I don't expect to take again.
same song 22 times
Disappointing and too long. And 2 Aguilera albums in one week are going to ruin my Discover Weekly ffs
This is a tough one. There's great production on both discs of this double album - DJ Premier on disc 1 was a pleasant surprise - but it's overall too long, and the two discs don't really feel connected. I much preferred the second disc to the first with its jazz club style. If this were two separate albums I'd probably actually dig this a lot more.
A full throated, fully derivative album of supremely average songs. It’s a nice sound, it’s a good production and it doesn’t have a single stand out track. Background music for terrible bars who would play it too loudly.
Big swing Far far too long. Has absolutely no need to be as long as it is. The more modern sounding stuff is better than the second cd which Is quite dull 2/5
I could be fine with this if it was shorter but it wasn’t!!!!
I like the idea of working with Dj premier - although when I'm listening to his beats I'm just thinking wow jayz would sound amazing on this. I like the idea of this album - have it on cd somewhere - but her voice is too overpowering for me it just dominates everything. I'm still team Britney
Poppy RnB combining fairly traditional 60s motown-style instrumentation and arrangements (lots of good horns) with 2000s elements: hip hop pop beats, chorus-heavy song structures, rap verses, turntables, and self-aware sampling of her own hits. This album is leaning into the gospel diva thing and all the songs function as platforms for big vocal perfomances. She has some pipes and isn't afraid to use them. She's an undeniable talent, terrifying range, astonishing control, surprising tonal variety and this is a virtuoso performance in an style that's not usually my thing, but I liked this more than I expected. The first half is hard to distinguish this from the rest of the generic pop radio landscape of this period and it blurs into the morass of post-boy band American Idol bubblegum. The second half, where she escapes the 2006 hit factory to campily mess around with woozy blues and horny jazz stuff is fucking great (the ballads & orchestral less so though). Why is her dedication to the fans 4 minutes of voicemails of people praising her? Favorites: Nasty Naughty Boy, I got Trouble, Mercy on Me
Can she sing extremely well? Yes Is she very talented? Yes Can she do runs? Most definitely! Way too much in my opinion (which means nothing). Do I like her music? Not really.
Can't do Christina's throaty growly voice. Not my bag. I like smoother singers. Production is fine. Didn't listen to all of it because it's an 80-MINUTE DOUBLE ALBUM, which is completely unnecessary. This challenge is starting to suck. Maybe 5 out of 15 albums have been good. How is this album past her prime essential in any way?
Beaucoup de vocalises mais ça me laisse assez froid, c'est très autosimilaire.
Some beautiful soulful songs, but after a while, her great voice tends to grate on the ears.
Het zou kunnen dat mijn oordeel wat vertekend is. Want er wordt meegezongen in huis. Na een paar nummers heb ik het wel gehoord. En dan moet ik nog anderhalve cd.
Way to many genres trying to be stuffed into this to be anywhere near enjoyable. Her voice is sick obviously but the production is a big no from me
I've already reviewed Stripped and my complaints are more the same. Here you have a generic pop singer whose primary appeal is her expressive voice. She has her hits, and this record is no exception, but most of it is filler trash. The appeal is this record is that the first half is dominated by minimal funky beats and gospel back vocals, while the second side reflects a musical with cabaret style and stage effects. And for it's coherency, it does make for a slightly interesting concept album experience, but the songs don't live up to the expectations.
ain't no other man is a great song. The rest not so much
Je suis un peu partagé, la qualité de l'album n'est pas mauvaise en soit, la musique se tient et la production est bonne, mais c'est tellement trop radio friendly, facile à écouter et la voix de Christina Aguilera ne tombe toujours pas dans mes goûts. Ça veut trop faire et ça n'accompli pas grand chose. C'est impressionnant sans être agréable. 4/10
She’s got a fabulous voice but this album doesn’t feel sincere and got quite dull quite quickly.
Good voice, not my thing.
I was always curious about this album. Christina has some guilty pleasure songs that I enjoy from my youth and a powerful voice but I'm generally not into her songs too much. So on paper this all seemed good. Going "old school" would surely make the most of her talent, right? Well consider me underwhelmed. I guess the idea was to not go TOO old school so it still sounds modern enough. I guess most people like that, but I don't. If she had an album full of big band tunes and Ella Fitzgerald covers I'd probably be pretty happy. This just sounds like a pop record with a little bit of a gimmick. It's not too terrible, but it should've been much better. This woman can sing the hell out of a song but the songs she's singing just aren't particularly good or interesting. What a shame. Too damn long too.
Safan un par de temas pero en otros es un pop muy básico y superficial. Not my tipe.
Not my cup of tea. Well Produced.
Too much production I’m not sitting through 22 songs.
Ik kan haar zangtalent wel waarderen en ik kon bepaalde videoclips van deze mevrouw nog veel meer waarderen, maar qua muziek vind ik dit helemaal niks. Ik voel me altijd onprettig bij dat schreeuwerige uithalen wat zij en Mariah Carey heel graag doen. En continu hard zingen. Zelfs in de rustigere nummers moet de zang minimaal uit de tenen geperst worden en moet het niveau brandalarm toch een paar keer aangetikt worden. Alsof je een gesprek hebt met iemand die bij het minste en geringste vol in de verdediging schiet. Doe nou eens rustig. CD 2 is een boudoir circus theater. Ik ben daar na 2 tracks mentaal eigenlijk volledig afgehaakt. Leuk dat de lijst af en toe wordt geüpdatet maar dit album had er voor mij niet bij hoeven komen.
She has a nice voice and the tunes bounce along nicely. It's very "warbly" style which I personally don't like, she's certainly putting a hello f a lot effort into singing though. 2.3
Realistically a 3 star album for me but loses one because it's far too long. Did not need to be a double CD
In not a fan of her vocal acrobatics and this double album seem to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks...There is too much to take in really and I guess her centre stage voice holds it together (a bit). Not for me
I would not chose to listen to Christina Aguilera on my own, but here I am listening to the second album recommended to me on this list. ¿Why did this recommendation have to be a double album? In general, the music verged on okay. I just don't have time for the drama from Aguilera. I prefer listening to fewer love songs, and particularly when Aguilera is doing her version of "look how daring I am to be raunchy". I'm not sure about the character she's trying to play in her music. This album gets two stars because it went on WAY TOO LONG. Now I have to purge my YouTube history, so that I don't get suggestions for having listed to way too much Aguilera.
The length of this album significantly diminishes what otherwise might be a decent album - especially as, midway through, we start getting jerked around by fan voicemails and whatever the hell "Enter the Circus" was. The first half was pretty solid, the second half went off the rails for me.
There are 2 Christina albums on this list?! "Stripped" at least seemed authentic. This one seems a bit forced.
yet another double album that should have been a single album
Just not my type of music but were a couple of songs that were suprisingly pleasant
Another album that's not my thing. This rating is not reflective of the quality of this album, just not something I'd listen to.
Dat ze wel kan zingen wist ik al wel, maar het is zo jammer dat het allemaal van die theatrale bagger is, die ze maakt.
Madam kan heel aardig zingen, en het is ook behoorlijk catchy. Maar tegelijkertijd ook wel heel behoorlijk gedateerd. Zou allemaal wat spannender mogen.
This album begins with the explicit statement that Christina Aguilera is trying to be old school. This too on the nose statement is followed by the name dropping of various jazz greats before dropping into a first half typified by the melding of classic soul and R&B with hip hop motifs and samples. The second half starts with uncomfortably sexually charged songs dripping in bad innuendo before ending with a mea culpa of sorts. The transition is very jarring. This album should have been pared down to maintain some musical cohesion. When it’s good, the music is enjoyable though Aguilera’s trademark over singing does overshadow the album. She’s clearly an extraordinarily talented singer, but completely loses the plot and is mired in over technical vocal delivery.
Surprise entry. Doesn’t offend but definitely doesn’t inspire
basic
Back to acids, huh? What about that idea? The lack of artistry is made up for by technical polish. It’s like rubbing your face all over a freshly polished red classic convertible from the fifties, but in sound form. Feels like what would play in the trailer for an Ice Age film. The occasional song has a genuinely interesting sound, like “Without You”. It’s cool. Sounds like a shittier version of Kiss from a Rose. The second half of the album has done interesting moments, too. The whole experience feels too much like processed cheese, however. I can’t bring myself to give this anything approaching a 3, most likely because of my superego’s association of itself with high culture and it’s inability to concede to guilty pleasures.
This album was certainly better than the last C Ag album 1001 threw at us. The funky and gospel infused music that were the first few songs was easier to handle than the pop from the other album. After the first few songs the album unfortunately reverted to pure unadulterated pop. I couldn’t get past the first half dozen or so songs.
2 Christina albums?? Ok, Dimery had the hots for her for sure. Björk for his "I'm an intellectual" moments, Christina when he just wants something skanky... but gotta say, she's obviously dialled that back a bit since 2002. Album art is atrocious. Font and colour scheme straight from some bedroom DIY new age album called something hilariously cheesy like "Aquarius Dreaming". aaaand it's garbage pop music same as the other one. Pretends to be some kind of retro jazz thing, but adding fake pop/fizz samples to 2000s R&B doesn't add class or make it anything but 2000s R&B. She does that wailing idol singer thing well, but... eh? This is just too much. 2/5. Update: HAHA someone else had the exact same thought as me. High five!