Album Review: Christina Aguilera – Bionic (2010)
“…The thing about Aguilera is that she’s used to zig when everyone else was zagging. And now, it seems like she decided to zag along with everyone else.” -EW.com
EW.com closed its review of Not Myself Tonight with these sentences. I wouldn’t blame them for thinking like this but I guess they were deceived by Not Myself Tonight. I love the single, don’t get me wrong, but this just didn’t represent the album in any way. Not Myself Tonight is like everything we have heard from today’s recording artists, except Christina can sing. I understand why they picked this track to be the first single — of all the tracks in Bionic, Not Myself Tonight is easily the most familiar and it is on this track that her voice is most recognizable.
But Bionic is more than that. Listen to Bionic and you’ll find Xtina going against the grain yet again, pushing the envelope harder, and yes, zigging while everyone else is zagging.
When Christina Aguilera said in an interview that she was experimenting more with her voice and exploring new ways to make music with it, she was not kidding. The album is unlike anything she has done before. It’s not even like anything other female performers and divas today have done before. Bionic is a big risk for an artist of her stature. It is not conventional. Yet, Aguilera was able to mesh her five-star voice with the different instruments that contributed to the genius that is Bionic.
To be honest, Bionic isn’t as futuristic as she sells it but it is indeed superhuman. And as you listen to it, subconsciously you are taken on a journey of a superhuman — opening with a big bang that is Bionic (track), taking you on a wild ride with Woohoo and Elastic Love, going deeper to the heart and soul of the album that is the four ballads at its core, and ending with a fun, wild, not-to-be-taken-seriously track that is Vanity.
I especially loved its row of ballads co-penned by Xtina’s long-time collaborator Linda Perry and new found ally Sia. It is the core of the record. It is as if Aguilera sheds of her metal armor, getting naked and revealing her heart and soul.It is Christina at her most vulnerable.
Most of all, Bionic successfully cements Christina’s status as probably this generation’s most versatile vocalist. She does urban, club-bangers, ballads and soul and does them well.
Here are what I think of each track:
1. Bionic – The album can’t start any better than this. It is so refreshing and futuristic. It represents the album well. The shouty chorus is infectiously catchy while the synthetic beats will make you move something while listening to it. The buildup “Are you ready to goooo?” is one of the best moments of the album.
2. Not Myself Tonight – It’s a good dance track but it’s by far the weakest link in the album. The hook is too short and the beat is not as catchy as it should be. I still like it though.
3. Woohoo (featuring Nicki Minaj) – The first surprise of the album. I didn’t realize it was Christina singing the chorus until Nicki Minaj entered the scene. It’s a fun song and it is wildly infectious. Perfect for the summer.
4. Elastic Love – Upon first hearing, I knew right away that this one was produced or written by M.I.A. It is excellently produced. It’s a club banger. The beat is a killer. The lyrics are kinda shallow yet deep at the same time. I know that sounded silly but it really is like that.
5. Desnudate – Of all the songs, this one is the most marketable for me. It has the elements of a smash hit — very danceable, very singable, very sensual. The latin elements also made it a lot sexier.
6. Love and Glamour (Intro)
7. Glam – I didn’t like it at first. I thought it was tad boring until Christina’s vocals kicked in during the bridge. But man, it’s such a grower. This throwback to Madonna’s Vogue (although far from it) has a mad beat, there’s no way you won’t move with it.
8. Prima Donna – My super mega favorite track. It is vocally powerful and its hook will get stuck in your head for, like, forever. LSS-inducing.
9. Morning Dessert (Intro)
10. Sex For Breakfast – It’s smooth and sexy but I’m not a fan. I like Not Myself Tonight better than this.
11. Lift Me Up – I thought the live version (Hope For Haiti Now performance) couldn’t get any better. But the studio version is awesome. The instrumentals make it more effective in extracting emotions from its listener. It’s very moving.
12. My Heart (Intro)
13. All I Need – It’s not the power ballad we used to get from Christina because, well, it’s a lullaby. But this is probably the song with which I FELT her the most. It’s honest, hopeful and vulnerable.
14. I Am – It is different from other ballads. Again, this isn’t a power ballad, either, but it was beautifully produced and sang. The strings in the background are magical while her falsetto in the chorus makes sure her voice does not steal the spotlight from the lyrics of the song. It doesn’t sound like her at all but again she did it well.
15. You Lost Me – Christina Aguilera already gave us a full serving of this song with her celebrated American Idol finale performance but I’m telling you, if you think that was dope, listen to the studio version. It’s beyond amazing. It’s a healthy mixture of style and power, delivering an effective emotional track about infidelity. The melisma is stunning and how she tells the story through singing is epic.
16. I Hate Boys – I must admit that I didn’t like it at first. It felt more Katie Perry than Christina but the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it. It’s light, fun and hilarious. The only thing that threw me off perhaps was that it comes after You Lost Me. Big jump. And oh, the chorus, it’s not good.
17. My Girls (featuring Peaches) – For some weird reason, it sounds so Spice Girls. Not that it’s a bad thing. LOL.
18. Vanity – What a way to end the album! Christina gets oh-so-narcissistic and falls in love with her vain ass in this track. The lyrics is more than hilarious, it begs to be released as a single. I’m just not sure how the radio edit would sound like given the number of times she shouted the word “BITCH!” The chorus will get everyone’s attention and I can see people singing this every morning. LOL.
I strongly believe that Bionic is Christina Aguilera’s most experimental album to date. It is different, unconventional, wild and risky yet it is undeniably Christina, better yet Xtina. It is a solid, cohesive record composed mainly of ego-boosters and glam anthems. When it comes to aggressive emotion-driven tracks and vulnerable ballads, it doesn’t disappoint, either. There are no fillers here. I never skipped anything.
However, even though this is my favorite album of hers, I still think that her best songs are in Stripped. I’m not sure if Bionic will ever produce classics like Beautiful and Fighter.
Still, I don’t think any other pop stars today can be as brave as Christina to come up with an album like this. And that, my friend, is ZIGGING.
…
Bookmark on Delicious
Digg this post
Recommend on Facebook
Buzz it up
Buzz it up
share via Reddit
Share with Stumblers
Tweet about it
Subscribe to the comments on this post
Tell a friend
If you liked this post, you might want to check out:
17 Comments
Leave a Reply
ABOUT YOSHKE
On May 31, 1985, tragedy struck when 41 tornadoes hit Canada and the US, leaving 76 people dead. At the same time, a doomed couple in the Philippines were having the best orgasms of their lives. Nine months (280 days) later, a healthy baby boy was brought into this world by normal delivery. That was exactly a week before Microsoft had its initial public offering.
Today, Yoshke Dimen resides independently in Mandaluyong City. He got a degree in Film from an overrated university in Diliman but is now pursuing a career in Social Media.
Follow me on Twitter!
Like me on Facebook!
Subscribe to my RSS feeds!
PLEASE?
Bionic is a good comeback, but leaves the best for last. See the track-by-track review here: http://bit.ly/97q6KJ
for me christina really had similarities with lady gaga..hahha they’re funny.lol
umm melody, its the other way around.
hey..great album
grea<TATTT
可以做个友情链接么？
http://www.g66w.com，已经做好了
she’s like gagafied here or something hoho
Prima Donna begs to be released as a single! I’m telling you! Denudate as well. It’s be sick for the summer. This is a very adventurous effort be Christina, and she did it well. The comparisons to LG stop when you give this record a listen.
Not the biggest Christina fan, but I do love it when she doesn’t try too hard.
Bionic is by far her weakest album. It’s hardly cohesive and most certainly not “futuristic sounding” as she dubbed it time and again. It doesn’t even have a replay value.
Then again, I may have given her too much credit to be disappointed like this.
I don’t think she can come up with a better material after the magnum opus that is Stripped is all.
i started not liking NMT. pero i play that when i jog!
oh hi there kuya M!
OMG HER WORST ALBUM EVER.
Brave indeed, zigging too but… wtf…
Not to mention the unbearable track sequence and intros, the only tracks that stayed with me are Not Myself Tonight and Lift me up (the rest of the ballads are not bad either but forgettable)
Way to go!
Excellent review! 
Listening to Vanity now LOL whatta funny song but oh well why do i feel disappointed
I miss the Stripped days still, but Christina is Christina! Have to listen to all the tracks first hehe
bionic is so good it doesn’t sound like christina’s past records. but who needs a classic single? we need a classic record more.
In fairness to Bionic, though I’m more of a Britney fan (hahaha), it’s definitely an entertaining album. I really dont know kung nakaapekto lang yung preference ko over electropop songs. Pero masasabi kong as compared to stripped at back to basics, medyo inconsistent itong Bionic.
May mga tracks lang na naiinis ako dahil parang kailangan ba talagang gamitin ni Xtina yung mga trademark kulot belting niya na in songs like in Desnudate, Not Myself Tonight. May tendency talaga siya minsan na magoversing.
Favorite tracks ko ang Bionic (it’s the most futuristic-sounding), Elastic Love (dahil she sang it well without thouse unnecessary birit plus it’s something new from her), Prima Donna (Dahil super nakakaLSS siya, definitely one of the best), Lift Me UP (instant classic) and Vanity (na feeling ko deserve na maging single kasi nakakatawa siya and nakakaLSS din!
@Chard. That’s so true.
Amazing album!!! Great review!