Bionic (2010)
| Artist: Christina Aguilera |
| Format: | CD |
Song Listing
A leader in the parade of Mickey Mouse Club veterans who stormed pop at the turn of the millennium, Christina Aguilera was the sexy, brassy diva of the bunch -- the Rolling Stones to Britney Spears? Beatles, as it were. Initially, it was difficult to see Christina outside of the prism of Britney, whose 1999 success launched the new millennium's teen pop boom, but Christina?s big hits of 1999 -- ?Genie in a Bottle,? ?What a Girl Wants,? ?Come on Over? -- more than held their own with ?Baby One More Time,? while revealing a vocalist with considerably more power and range than her erstwhile rival. Soon, Aguilera distanced herself from the rest of the teen pop pack beginning with her carnal sophomore set, Stripped, a heavy R&B album from 2002 that found its greatest success with the ballad ?Beautiful.? Christina may have overemphasized her sexual side with singles like ?Dirrtty,? but by the time of 2006?s Back to Basics, it was clear that Aguilera was the most musically ambitious, and reliable, pop diva of the boom.The title suggested something simple but the album was anything but, spilling out over two discs and running the gamut from brassy swing to modern dance. Its lead single, ?Ain?t No Other Man,? was another blockbuster and Grammy winner for Christina, and the tour was her most ambitious to date. In 2008, Aguilera released her first hits collection, Keeps Gettin' Better, which was available exclusively via Target in the U.S. After a four-year break, Aguilera returned with her fourth album, Bionic, in the spring of 2010.-Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
| Christina Aguilera's hotly anticipated 4th studio album, Bionic, featuring the fiercely energetic single "Not Myself Tonight," and its visually stunning, sexually liberating music video. Bionic saw Christina collaborating with artists and co-songwriters like Nikki Minaj (whose presence was felt on the rhythmic pounding of "WooHoo"), Linda Perry (who penned and produced a gorgeous ballad named "Lift Me Up"), Sia, Tricky Stewart, Polow Da Don, Le Tigre, Hill & Switch, and Ladytron among others. The title Bionic reflects Christina's range as an artist capable of exploring every side of her personality and using her voice in ways never heard before. Or, in her own words, "I was able to explore and create a fresh, sexy feel using both electronic and organic elements with subject matter ranging from playful to introspective. I am so excited for my fans to hear the new sound. It is something I don't think anyone will expect." |
Album Notes and Credits
Notes & Personnel Info |
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Recording information: Dreamland Studios; Dubsided, Los Angeles, CA; Kilburn Lane, London; Kung Fu Gardens, North Hollywood, CA; Larrabee Studios, Universal City, CA; Mad Decent Mausoleum, Philadelphia, PA; Mr. Dan's; No Excuses, Los Angeles, CA; Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA; The Bank, Burbank, CA; The Boom Boom Room, Burbank, CA; The Red Lips Room, Beverly Hills, CA. |
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Photographer: Alix Malka. |
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Subtlety not being part of Christina Aguilera's vocabulary, she trades the retro-swing of Back to Basics for the future-pop of Bionic, receiving assists from a roster that reads like a who's-who of progressive pop in 2010: M.I.A., Le Tigre, Peaches, and John Hill & Switch, known for their work with Santigold. But like the half-cyborg/half-diva illustration of the album cover, this revamp is only partial. Aguilera hedges her bets by adding a ballad from old friend Linda Perry, gets Tricky Stewart to produce a trio of cuts, drafts Polow da Don and Focus. to produce some heavy and slow R&B, respectively, letting enough air into the machines to reassure hesitant fans that she hasn't abandoned her roots. All this hesitancy means that for as many risks as it takes, Bionic doesn't feel daring. Apart from the stuttering opener of the title track and glassy chill of "Elastic Love," notably the two Hill & Switch productions, this never delivers the future shock it promises, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because the robot-diva hybrids are interesting even when they stumble. The deluxe edition of Bionic does suggest what the album could have been: it's supplemented by four bonus songs that are wildly imaginative, whether it's the clattering, chanting "Bobblehead," the cool synth glide of "Birds of Prey," the perfect new wave pop of "Monday Morning," or Sia's mournful ballad "Stronger Than Ever." In their place on the album proper are odes to fashion and fabulousness and power ballads, songs that play to Aguilera's persona without inhabiting it. The rest of the Bionic -- not just the hipster flirtations and Sia's trio of richly ruminative AAA ballads, but the tracks directly within Aguilera's wheelhouse, like Tricky Stewart's wildly successful, slinky "Desnudate" and the sultry slow burner "Sex for Breakfast" -- finds Christina not playing to expectations but simply acting as a natural diva and is all the more compelling for it. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine |
Musical Guests | |
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Nicki Minaj |
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Peaches |
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Christina Aguilera - Bionic - CD Review
By: Jordan Richardson
Blogcritics.org Reviews
Published on: 6/25/2010 3:51 AM
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| It’s perhaps hardly surprising that Christina Aguilera would suffer from a considerable identity crisis on Bionic. This, her fourth studio album, finds the bombshell having gone through a lot since the release of 2006’s Back to Basics. And just like Back to Basics was a jumble of concepts and backpatting interludes, Bionic presents the pop star as lacking distinguishing traits. Aguilera again fails to present a complete album, which is something that almost all of her fellow female pop artists have done thus far....read the full review | |
Compilation Appearances
Associated Artists and Works
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Genie Girls (The) |
Technical Info
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Release Date : 06/08/2010 |
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Original Release Date : 2010 |
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Catalog ID : 71491 |
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Label : RCA |
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Number of Discs : 1 |
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Mono/Stereo : Stereo |
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SPAR Code : n/a |
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UPC : 00886977149122 |
Professional Reviews
- "[F]rom the fidgety intro of the dub-tastic opening title track to punk-brat driving song 'My Girls' to Aguilera's gloriously restrained delivery on 'All I Need,' the 18-song set shows an artist confident enough to take direct cues from her tuned-in creative team."
Bio
"Christina AguileraA leader in the parade of Mickey Mouse Club veterans who stormed pop at the turn of the millennium, Christina Aguilera was the sexy, brassy diva of the bunch -- the Rolling Stones to Britney Spears' Beatles, as it were. Initially, it was difficult to see Christina outside of the prism of Britney, whose 1999 success launched the new millennium's teen pop boom, but Christina's big hits of 1999 -- "Genie in a Bottle," "What a Girl Wants," "Come on Over" -- more than held their own with "Baby One More Time," while revealing a vocalist with considerably more power and range than her erstwhile rival. Soon, Aguilera distanced herself from the rest of the teen pop pack beginning with her carnal sophomore set, Stripped, a heavy R&B album from 2002 that found its greatest success with the ballad "Beautiful." Christina may have overemphasized her sexual side with singles like "Dirrtty," but by the time of 2006's Back to Basics, it was clear that Aguilera was the most musically ambitious, and reliable, pop diva of the boom.The title suggested something simple but the album was anything but, spilling out over two discs and running the gamut from brassy swing to modern dance. Its lead single, "Ain't No Other Man," was another blockbuster and Grammy winner for Christina, and the tour was her most ambitious to date. In 2008, Aguilera released her first hits collection, Keeps Gettin' Better, which was available exclusively via Target in the U.S. After a four-year break, Aguilera returned with her fourth album, Bionic, in the spring of 2010.-Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide"
