his is a new, different kind of pop that shows that Christina Aguilera is not just a hot body with a powerful voice, but a woman with a true identity and creative motivation. She has gone through a great deal of transformation throughout her career, from teenage pop idol, to good-girl-gone-bad (which inspired Brittany Spears to adopt her white-trash version of Christina’s “Stripped” image), to this new vintage-inspired sex symbol. Though Christina may have felt she was growing up with her sex-inundated club hits, but I feel that signs of her true maturity show through in the two-disc “Back to Basics”.

All of these songs are sung with the spirit of an old Hollywood starlet, combined with Christina’s loud and undeniably powerful vocals. The new lyrical style she has adopted is much more clever than her previous songs, using subtle puns and wordplay that conveys sexual undertones subtly (true vintage style of course). Perhaps her most impacting slow song “Hurt” expresses pain in a way much different than that of other pop songs and is only made better with Chrstina‘s anguished voice. “Hurt”, “Candyman”, and “Nasty Naughty Boy” were my favorite tracks by far.

Christina is finally putting her energy and talent into something worth-while, rather than cheesy pre-teen pop songs or smutty club music. She is making worthwhile, unique music. Let’s just hope she continues in this promising direction

I love Christina. Not the Christina from the genie in the bottle days but I adored her on the cd right before this one-Stripped. I listened to it so much that I wore it out and had to buy a new one. But Back to Basics disappointed me in some ways.

It did have some high points. I do like Ain’t No Other Man, Mother-Mother, Still Dirtty, Candy Man, and the Right Man. And in the right mood I can enjoy the other songs also.

But I feel this Cd isn't up to par. The last one I loved every song. This one I can take or leave most songs.

I think the big fault in this album is half the songs are about the songs she chooses to sing on her albums, why she isn’t leaving the music industry anytime soon, the clothes she chooses to wear in private and in public, her personal choices, and the people who have wronged her over the years. This is all fine and well for two songs tops. But when I hear songs that I can relate to, I fall in love with them. I can relate to these songs.

On the other hand, her voice is amazing in this album, she wrote/co-wrote all the songs, it has a jazzy feel as a throwback to the old days, and listening to “Nasty, Naughty Boy” makes me feel like I’m a sexy porn star :)

It was a good album in that I don’t regret buying it. But I feel it could have been oh so much better and it is not near as good as stripped.

Britt

Disc two is the better disc, in my opinion. Although, I hate how that disc is the enhanced one and you can’t exit that screen until you start the video. But that’s a small price to pay to listen to the better half. My favorite song on the album, just happens to be the last track, “The Right Man”. Although, “Candyman” comes in at a close second.

Read my review here:
Christina Aguilera: Back to Basics

I know I’m not this CD’s target audience, but I was really underwhelmed by this album. With this album, Christina has shed her “dirrty” image and pulls on a carefully crafted “sex kitten” image. While the makeover is successful, this album is not. I was disturbed by how much I liked the single (“Ain’t No Other Man”), with its 60s-esque horn section and faux-soul hooks, so I thought I’d give it a listen. And yes, I still liked it. The rest of the album is just boring. Nothing outstandingly terrible, it’s just another bland pop album. Which is a shame, because Christina’s got a really soulful voice, and it’s desperately under-used on this light, cotton-candy album. Not recommended. (But I could stare at the airbrushed pinup-style photos on the album’s insert all day. Swoon.)