Christina Aguilera: Lotus (Review)

Sometimes I wish I could shake the bijesus out of my favourite diva and make her realise that the world is not after her. But then again, in the thirteen years that she has been in this business, Christina Aguilera has thrived in the pain of having the bullseye painted on her. It is that angst and unapologetic retort in her verses that has inspired and empowered two generations of the bullied and the insecure. It has been two years since her album Bionic failed commercially, and along the way Aguilera has suffered through a divorce and a post-Burlesque weight gain which made her the butt of many a Twinkie joke. However, since signing up for a premium spot on the hit US singing competition The Voice, she has seemingly recovered from a bad streak and has cemented herself as a refreshed household name once again. For three seasons Aguilera has sat on her spinning red char, upping the ante for TV judging by being a veritable zeitgeist full of musical wisdom that has so far put her contemporaries into shame. After all, who would you rather feed advice from? Surely not fellow Musketeer Britney Spears- who despite being the most iconic popstar of the last decade, cannot carry a tune let alone sing live. The same goes for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, et al. She wants to inspire the new generation of singers the way she was inspired by Mariah, Whitney and Julie Andrews, and with that in mind, Christina Aguilera has brought forth her latest musical opus, Lotus. 

Christina Aguilera, Lotus (RCA)

Brimming to the full with the yearning to hit back at her critics, Aguilera delivers a new set of songs with an attack and gusto that Bionic lacked, albeit a little redundant at times. In 'Army of Me', she proclaims to have come out the last two years being stronger, wiser and more of a fighter than ever before, while giving a massive fuck you to her haters when she tells them to 'run around in Circles on my middle, middle finger'. Catchy, crass and oh so effective! When she's not fighting back, she's advocating a whole lot of love in synthy, surefire commercial dance numbers such as the fun lead single 'Your Body', 'Let There Be Love', 'Red Hot Kinda Love', and the island-flavoured 'Around The World'. Critics have accused the singing of copping Rihanna, but they seem to have forgotten that Aguilera has always played with reggae elements and her Latino roots since 2002. This seems to be the issue with the public and Aguilera. The world continues to hang tightly onto her sophomore record (the best one she's ever produced) Stripped, yet they forget that it was Xtina who continued where Madonna left off- paving the way for the Ke$has, Katys and Rihannas of the world, assless chaps and enough grease and dirt in tow. Needless to say, the pop diva belts out as loud as ever to wasail her way back to the throne she had left vacant since 2007. In the heart of the record, ballads such as 'Sing For Me' and the Sia-penned 'Blank Page' achieve this goal by highlighting Aguilera's vocal prowess against a minimal backdrop. Gone is the heavy-handed touch of Max Martin and instead Aguilera lets her voice raise to the rafters, each melisma executed perfectly as if to educate her new generation of protegeés in a Pop 101 Masterclass. The latter track offers the most sincerity, despite the lack of gentleness in her hand. Her passion remains as subtle as a gun. Even in the beautifully random duet with fellow Voice coach Blake Shelton, 'Just A Fool' showcases her take on scorned love in a country torch song. When she sings her 'whole heart comes out' both sonically and emotionally, and it is a signature trait that isn't too dissimilar to Streisand's ululating verses or Celine Dion's bizarre dance moves. She is often accused of substituting heart with vocal acrobatics but somehow the trade works in Lotus. Perhaps that is simply her chosen brand of soul. I'm sure the likes of Patti Labelle and James Brown endured their share of subjective criticism.

However, it is this aggressive vocal approach that lets Aguilera down at times in this record. Many fans adored her subtle tribute to Nina Simone with her cover of 'I Loves You Porgy' back in 2008, and though her oversinging tendencies was cut down to the bare essentials (relatively), Lotus lacks the technical gradation that a vocalist of Aguilera's calibre should be displaying. Mid-range, her voice has a fullness reminiscent of her idol, the late Etta James and a tone Beyoncé could only dream of. But the girl simply will not listen and therefore, her voice sometimes sound tired and strained, peppered and aggravated by the grit she has been working on for years. There have been rumours of Aguilera employing the help of a singing coach a few years back, to help prevent deterioration and preserve her golden pipes. I am one fan who would plead to her to go for it. When the years have gone and the auto-tuned pop-bots of today have all but vanished, I want Christina Aguilera to be somewhat of a Billie Holiday, or an Etta..or simply, herself. Secure, content and full of resolution in a career that has endured and stood the test of time, like the Lotus flower she continually wants to embody. 

Overall I would say that Lotus is a strong and solid record. It is perhaps the most commercial record Aguilera has produced since her musical debut, with no singular theme or genre as with the rest of her catalogue. She has thrown around the notions of 'rebirth' and resilience during promotional interviews and though not overtly, I agree with her idea. Lotus gives birth to a new Xtina; one who is ready to jump start a new phase of her career now that she has finally come full circle. I wouldn't say that it is a comeback record, but merely a great platform to begin a long term bid at a lasting career. Let's just hope that Miss Aguilera reigns in that voice in the future and drops her defence because she has nothing more to prove. She's said it herself in the past, so here's hoping that she finds the conviction in her words, 'Baby cease fire, throw down your weapons, I'm on your side'. 

RATING: 3.5/5