Christina Aguilera - 25th anniversary of the vocal bible

[divasummer]

I really liked "Bionic" when it came out.
Did I think it was a masterpiece that was changing the landscape of music. No.
Maybe it's because I lived though some of the 70, 80's and 90's?
I heard a pop dance album with some electronic and RnB influences with a few ballads thrown in.
The cover and concept was good but I din't get all the talk about it being to ahead of it's time etc.
If anything that may have turned some people off.

When "Not Myself" came out I INSTANTLY loved it and still do.
I think it's got so much energy and it's just Fierce all around.
I like everything about it that's why I'm always confused when I find out how many people dislike it???
"Whoohoo" was catchy and even though it's dirty I think it's extremely catchy.
I think they gave up on it to soon....
"Desnudate" was very catchy and clever for awhile.
"Prima Donna" was pretty good and "Sex For Breakfast" had a chill vibe to it that I liked.
The ballads were pretty good.
At the time I thought "I Am" could have made a good single for at least HAC and AC radio.
It was different compared to her power ballads and at the time it didn't seem like radio was hopping on a typical XTina sound.
"Vanity" was cute even though it was boarding on obnoxious or a little to into yourself.
Xtina can/could get like that at the time but it was usually in interviews.
Plus I've never been huge on her empowerment songs or speeches well at least the kitschy one's like "My Girls, "I Hate Boys".
Though I don't hate them but can only take one at a time.
As a whole I liked "Bionic".
I used between 6-7 songs on different mixes at the time.

[breathingrande]

The problem with this one was
1) the long wait between albums
2) yes, the songs were experimental , but lacked hooks and radio accesibility. Lady Gaga’s/Kesha’s albums were modern sounding without being too weird for radio to play (and had surefire hits)
3) It seemed like she was trying too hard to be edgy and lacked that freshness from stripped (although the album cover was amazing)
I would have worked with Daft punk , Diplo, Stuart Price, Bloodshy & Avant , Danja & Klas Åhlund.

[Luckie Starchild]

Jun 14, 2020 10:01:28 GMT -5 divasummer said:

When "Not Myself" came out I was INSTANTLY loved it and still do.
I think it's got so much energy and it's just Fierce all around.
I like everything about it that's why I'm always confused when I find out how many people dislike it???

Meee tooo.

[frenchuser]

Jun 14, 2020 10:01:28 GMT -5 divasummer said:

The cover and concept was good but I din't get all the talk about it being to ahead of it's time etc.
If anything that may have turned some people off.

I guess it was the first time music reviews use the term "futurepop" as a music genre for a mainstream album. Also, she had Nicki on a featuring before a lot of mainstream artists (David Guetta / Madonna / Bieber / Alicia Keys / Beyonce / Ariana Grande), same for Sia Furler as a writer and vocal producer. It displays feminism as a prominent theme. I mean the lyrics were openly about sexuality and we can say that in a way, it was a feminist album at a time when female popstars were still afraid to even utter this F-word in promotional interviews.

[Caviar]

Two years since Liberation!

[aussie1]

I loved Liberation, it wasn't amazing but most of the songs were pretty good. Unless it's with you is still one of my favs. I'm a sucker for any Xtina ballad.

[🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲]

Jun 14, 2020 11:41:44 GMT -5 Luckie Starchild said:

Jun 14, 2020 10:01:28 GMT -5 divasummer said:

When "Not Myself" came out I was INSTANTLY loved it and still do.
I think it's got so much energy and it's just Fierce all around.
I like everything about it that's why I'm always confused when I find out how many people dislike it???

Meee tooo.

Same here.

[George]

I liked the video and lyrics of “Not Myself Tonight” but I just wasn’t a fan of the instrumental and the chorus.

I’m glad Bionic is getting the appreciation it deserves. I remember working at a f.y.e. during its album run, and seeing the inventory stay in the store. However when Burlesque came out I started seeing some people pick it up too.

[Juanca]

The fact that neither Bionic nor Burlesque generated any hit for her was frustrating. Both projects had enough potential to have become a decent era

[felipe]

I think it's odd because Christina is extremely talented and arguably a visionary, ahead of her time, artist. And yet it seems like she was unable to keep a loyal fanbase, the one that gets your album to debut at #1 or fills up a residency in Vegas even when you're not so hot among the general public anymore. I wonder what went wrong.

[myhouse911]

Jun 18, 2020 20:51:46 GMT -5 felipe said:

I think it's odd because Christina is extremely talented and arguably a visionary, ahead of her time, artist. And yet it seems like she was unable to keep a loyal fanbase, the one that gets your album to debut at #1 or fills up a residency in Vegas even when you're not so hot among the general public anymore. I wonder what went wrong.

The ending of her marriage. I feel Bratman may have been a contributing factor to her success.

[theflying]

That sentiment is not true actually. Christina has a pretty loyal fan base that has indeed gotten her projects to #1 and strong tour sales. That person is just kinda talking out of their ass.

The woman has over 15 million monthly Spotify listeners for God’s sake. Over 20 years into her career. Those are massive numbers that very, very few female artists eclipse; only the widespread generational icons do. Trust - Christina Aguilera was absolutely massive, and still has millions of loyal fans.

[Caviar]

The early Bionic cover looked amazing!! We need a coffee table book full of these photos.

[frenchuser]

Given the context of the album and the themes addressed, they were right not to bet on an artwork too 'first degree' / explicite. These unpublished visuals would have been a little more material for the critics.

[Caviar]

New merch.

http://instagram.com/p/CByqjcLJY3G

[felipe]

Jun 18, 2020 23:32:34 GMT -5 theflying said:

That sentiment is not true actually. Christina has a pretty loyal fan base that has indeed gotten her projects to #1 and strong tour sales. That person is just kinda talking out of their ass.

I don't get the need to be aggressive. Her Vegas residency did ok but it was not a huge success, her last album failed to reach top 5. I mean no shade here, I really believed Christina would be still pulling #1s 20 years in, with a established and loyal fanbase. I always assumed she would be like a Barbra or Celine, now I'm not so sure.

[theflying]

No.

[felipe]

Jun 24, 2020 19:37:04 GMT -5 theflying said:

No.

No as in you don't think she could have that kind of longevity or no because you don't think it's comparable.

[theflying]

Just...no.

[Caviar]

BILLBOARD: Thalia, Paulina Rubio, Christina Aguilera Open Up About Landmark 2000 Albums: Exclusive

www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/9408858/thalia-paulina-rubio-christina-aguilera-talk-landmark-2000-albums?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3AL6EK9HMMq8QceO_EzJEAa6HYsDv3cbaAJMkCvt3ZZXsRrLzf6iZquuA

CHRISTINA AGUILERA - Mi Reflejo (Sept. 12, 2000)

Mi Reflejo was Aguilera's first, and only, Spanish language album.

"I remember when I was first coming up, there was a big debate around me on changing my last name because all the businessmen around me thought it was too long, too complicated, and too ethnic," she says. "'Christina Agee' was an option, but that clearly wasn’t going to fly. I was dead set against the idea and I wanted to represent who I really was. Being Latina, it is a part of my heritage and who I am."

"There was another time in my childhood when I was being asked to legally change my name to my stepfather’s to be legally adopted and I was again dead set against it," Aguilera adds. "I've been fighting for my last name my whole life."




She lived up to that last name, recording Spanish versions of her hits like "Genie in a Bottle" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want is You)." "I was excited to bring a new life to [these songs] and reinvent some things," she says. "I was allowed to create and express new ad libs and vocal runs that I wasn’t given the freedom to do on the original record. Everything sounds better in Spanish. Let's be honest."

What Aguilera enjoyed the most about Mi Reflejo was the new songs she recorded for the album like the heartbreaking "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti."

"I recorded [the album] in Miami with Rudy Pérez, who really took me under his wing," Aguilera says. "He helped coach me when I was unsure. He didn't cage me into a specific stereotype, introducing me to classic boleros like 'Contigo En La Distancia,' which I still include in my setlists and love singing to this day."

Before going big with "Despacito," Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featured on Aguilera's "Si No Te Hubiera Conocido." "I was taken with his vocal ability, talent, and charm," she says.

READ MORE
Christina Aguilera Drops '10 Years of Bionic' Merch Collection



Mi Reflejo peaked at No. 1 on both the Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts. "It was a beautiful thing to experience success in different markets and have a diverse fan base that grew in appreciating who I am," Aguilera says. "I am very proud of my Latin Grammy [for Best Female Pop Vocal Album] in honor of that album. My message, as in all my music, stands for being fearless to explore who you are. It's never too late to open a new door. Although it's scary to dive into territory that isn't your first language, it still doesn't erase who I am and how I want to express myself in all aspects of what intrigues and inspires me."

As for that next Latin music album from Aguilera, she's ready to be more personal with it. "I am getting back to my roots and exploring who I am now as a grown woman who doesn’t have to cover my own English material in Spanish, but as a woman who can draw from my own personal experiences and express that with honesty," she says. "Having survived decades in this business, I am proud to tell the truth about what that means to me."

[🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲]

Jun 26, 2020 16:52:14 GMT -5 Caviar said:

BILLBOARD: Thalia, Paulina Rubio, Christina Aguilera Open Up About Landmark 2000 Albums: Exclusive

www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/9408858/thalia-paulina-rubio-christina-aguilera-talk-landmark-2000-albums?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR3AL6EK9HMMq8QceO_EzJEAa6HYsDv3cbaAJMkCvt3ZZXsRrLzf6iZquuA

CHRISTINA AGUILERA - Mi Reflejo (Sept. 12, 2000)

Mi Reflejo was Aguilera's first, and only, Spanish language album.

"I remember when I was first coming up, there was a big debate around me on changing my last name because all the businessmen around me thought it was too long, too complicated, and too ethnic," she says. "'Christina Agee' was an option, but that clearly wasn’t going to fly. I was dead set against the idea and I wanted to represent who I really was. Being Latina, it is a part of my heritage and who I am."

"There was another time in my childhood when I was being asked to legally change my name to my stepfather’s to be legally adopted and I was again dead set against it," Aguilera adds. "I've been fighting for my last name my whole life."




She lived up to that last name, recording Spanish versions of her hits like "Genie in a Bottle" and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want is You)." "I was excited to bring a new life to [these songs] and reinvent some things," she says. "I was allowed to create and express new ad libs and vocal runs that I wasn’t given the freedom to do on the original record. Everything sounds better in Spanish. Let's be honest."

What Aguilera enjoyed the most about Mi Reflejo was the new songs she recorded for the album like the heartbreaking "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti."

"I recorded [the album] in Miami with Rudy Pérez, who really took me under his wing," Aguilera says. "He helped coach me when I was unsure. He didn't cage me into a specific stereotype, introducing me to classic boleros like 'Contigo En La Distancia,' which I still include in my setlists and love singing to this day."

Before going big with "Despacito," Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featured on Aguilera's "Si No Te Hubiera Conocido." "I was taken with his vocal ability, talent, and charm," she says.

READ MORE
Christina Aguilera Drops '10 Years of Bionic' Merch Collection



Mi Reflejo peaked at No. 1 on both the Top Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts. "It was a beautiful thing to experience success in different markets and have a diverse fan base that grew in appreciating who I am," Aguilera says. "I am very proud of my Latin Grammy [for Best Female Pop Vocal Album] in honor of that album. My message, as in all my music, stands for being fearless to explore who you are. It's never too late to open a new door. Although it's scary to dive into territory that isn't your first language, it still doesn't erase who I am and how I want to express myself in all aspects of what intrigues and inspires me."

As for that next Latin music album from Aguilera, she's ready to be more personal with it. "I am getting back to my roots and exploring who I am now as a grown woman who doesn’t have to cover my own English material in Spanish, but as a woman who can draw from my own personal experiences and express that with honesty," she says. "Having survived decades in this business, I am proud to tell the truth about what that means to me."

"
"I remember when I was first coming up, there was a big debate around me on changing my last name because all the businessmen around me thought it was too long, too complicated, and too ethnic," she says. "'Christina Agee' was an option, but that clearly wasn’t going to fly. I was dead set against the idea and I wanted to represent who I really was. Being Latina, it is a part of my heritage and who I am."


Love her for this! 😍😘💋 Not conforming to anyone's standards.

[schnetzka]

I personally don't like "Agee" anyway. Her last name as is - is great.

[Luckie Starchild]

Jun 27, 2020 12:43:08 GMT -5 schnetzka said:

I personally don't like "Agee" anyway. Her last name as is - is great.

Yup, I agee!

[Caviar]

http://instagram.com/p/CCHaIBXJfQP

[Caviar]

Gained over 1M followers on TikTok.

[missy1993]

I can't believe it's already been 10 years since Bionic and Burlesque. Where has the time gone???

Anyway, Bionic was such an underrated gem. Listening to the album now evokes such a strong sense of nostalgia in me, as I still remember how excited I was during the build-up to its release, and then even more so upon hearing it. I was fortunate enough to see her first live performance to kick off the era in-person, at Radio City Music Hall for the 10th anniversary of Oprah's magazine. It was such an amazing experience, and I had such high hopes, plans, and expectations for that whole era.

[Luckie Starchild]

Jul 9, 2020 13:35:32 GMT -5 missy1993 said:

Anyway, Bionic was such an underrated gem.

Agreed. I also loved her whole look (body, hair, etc.) during the Bionic era.

A total aside and not that interesting or important but... I saw someone jogging in Central Park this evening with a Christina t-shirt on.

[missy1993]

Jul 9, 2020 22:18:06 GMT -5 Luckie Starchild said:

Jul 9, 2020 13:35:32 GMT -5 missy1993 said:

Anyway, Bionic was such an underrated gem.

Agreed. I also loved her whole look (body, hair, etc.) during the Bionic era.

Me too! I was so looking forward to catching her on tour with Leona Lewis. I know it would have been epic. 

[Luckie Starchild]

Jul 9, 2020 22:34:11 GMT -5 missy1993 said:

Jul 9, 2020 22:18:06 GMT -5 Luckie Starchild said:

Agreed. I also loved her whole look (body, hair, etc.) during the Bionic era.

Me too! I was so looking forward to catching her on tour with Leona Lewis. I know it would have been epic. 

Oh that's right! Leona was going to join her... I was so bummed, I think I've blocked it all out.

Also, a little over a year ago, I saw Christina in Paris... What a difference a year makes... now I can't even leave this stupid country! >:(

[Caviar]

http://instagram.com/p/CCby7hYpQdp