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POPGAF |OT3| Geo Da Silva > nails on chalkboard > Taylor Swift

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K

Kyon

Banned
Marius_ said:
dont flatter yourself, the MDNA tour is also flopping in Brazil

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OMFG IM CRYING!

Deceased @ Xtina thinkin "I ain't here fo dis shit I'm the real star bitches"

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S

Soulscribe

Member
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Christina Aguilera has described LOTUS as her rebirth; leaving her past behind, and a charge forward with 808s and synthesizers at the helm. I’ve always considered a new album of hers as a rebirth of sorts though. No album of hers is the same, and that serves her in a good and a bad. The good, of course, is that you can always expect something fresh (or at the very least unfamiliar) each time. The bad, of course, is that a fan doesn’t quite know what to expect, and whether it’s fresh or just new, the fan still wants the album to at least REMIND of why he or she is a fan in the first place. In my case, it’s her energetic vocal. “Come On Over” is the “mascot” track under her name from my point of view, and it perfectly demonstrates the way her vocals travel and build. It falls largely in her middle register, where her voice is most comfortable, and is allowed to demonstrate all its power without any strain. It also lets her alternate between her soft and hard vocal, and the instrumental is airy enough to give her ad libbing room to show that she has strong intonation. More songs like that, I think, are what I hope for with each Christina record. Back to Basics gave me an equally fabulous example of this “perfect middle,” which was “Candyman.” (which is probably the greatest song of her career, but that’s another matter). After that, however, I’ve had a hard time finding another example.

The reason I’m speaking so much about this is because it’s important that pop fans understand what Christina fans are looking for. It’s important because I want pop fans to know that we haven’t GOTTEN what we’ve been looking for in a very long time. And finally, it’s important because I want pop fans to know that we’ve FINALLY gotten it with Lotus.

Christina is reborn yet again, this time with an eye for radio pop. In every track, Christina takes on a pop trope that was popularized by another pop star, but never perfected. I take it as sort of an Arcade Mode in a fighting game: the main character takes on one person at a time, until she reaches the end, claiming the prize. Outside of the Intro, every song reminds me of someone else, and I’m then reminded that with Christina’s voice and eye for intonation, many of those other people might need to pack it up and go home.

1) LOTUS INTRO – The Tan Knight Rises
This is her most flawless album intro because it leaves nothing to the imagination. “Rise Up, Lotus rise, this is the beginning,” she coos. It’s her sonic rebirth and she conceals her monster vocal behind a silk sheet; still fragile, she’s not ready to let it out just yet. And then, toward the last third, for just a bit, you hear her thundering run and riff, and it suddenly hits you: “Holy shit, it’s Christina Aguilera. Where the HELL have you been?” It’s a well-paced introduction with an unambiguous storyline. As someone who’s suffered through oversaturated interludes and tangents, this is a fresh take from Christina. It also happens to be one of the best segments of Lotus. And we've only just begun. RATING: 9.7/10

2) ARMY OF ME – Level One: Kelly Clarkson
Nobody’s popularized mid-tempo power ballads in modern pop as much as Kelly Clarkson, and Army of Me reminded me so much of that pop style. The verses are held back, with lyrics that exist only as a bridge to a powerful chorus. Christina’s lower register is something I’m definitely not a fan of, which is why going into it I wasn’t really feeling this. Once the chorus hits though, I’m reminded of some epic fusion of “Eye of The Tiger” and something Diana Ross would deliver. An amazing chorus with a beautiful chord progression that stands as one of her strongest yet. RATING: 9.3/10

3) RED HOT KINDA LOVE – Level Two: Gwen Stefani
This bubbly ride is a style that’s touched on a bit on Bionic, but you won’t find something like this on there. It’s consistently boppy, with nods to the esoteric, flirty styles of Gwen with the bubbly production of a song that could easily belong on Arular. The lyrics are smart and simple (the yin and yang of perfect pop), with an instrumental that gets you on your feet. One of the strongest songs on the album by far. RATING: 9.7/10

4) MAKE THE WORLD MOVE - A double-teaming for the ages
Remember when I said I was looking for a perfect mid-register vocal? Here it is darlings. And Make The World Move is a short and sweet swoon of a song that’s as charming as it is catchy. The hammered in chord progression that hits you over and over again (right as “the time is now” hits) is pop euphoria, and the message is clean, silly, but untouchable. The bizarre howling in the chorus is a welcome addition, though unnecessary. And the bridge is pure urban Spice Girls tea. So far Lotus is hitting me hard in every major category, and this funk-pop riot is a track I plan to go back and listen to for years to come. RATING: 9.9/10

5) YOUR BODY – An uneven first single finds a home on Lotus
Your Body is a mid-tempo song that quenched Xtina fans’ thirst for a bit when it released, but it reminded us that while Christina has the flavor and the style to deliver huge pop smashes, she doesn’t quite reach that goal with Your Body. The song sounds a bit dated, especially compared to most of other songs on Lotus, but its existence is much more validated when bunched up with the radio pop tunes in Lotus’s first half. The line “I think you already know my name” in the bridge buildup is absolutely fierce though, and the way the instrumentals stray before hitting the final chorus with her thundering riff layered on top is a great pop moment. This single was a big reminder of the fact that Christina’s voice is a perfect fit for dance tracks, and while I wanted more at the time, I’m satisfied here knowing that I got what I wanted, and I can finally enjoy Your Body for what it is, and not for what it isn’t. RATING: 8.5/10

6) LET THERE BE LOVE – Level Three: David Guetta’s Army of Modest Stars: Kelly, Jennifer, SIA
Let There Be Love is what made me realize how much Christina has been missing from the pop game. When this Guetta style hit radio and clubs I knew that Christina’s voice was a perfect fit for these types of songs. “When Love Takes Over” and “Time Of Your Life” are great gems with powerful vocals layered on sledge-hammering dance beats, and while Rowland and Hudson are great vocalists, nobody energizes a song like Christina Aguilera. Her voice is pure momentum on this track, and it shows how comfortable her voice is staying glued on a high note or yell. I hope that Guetta and crew notice this song, because Christina’s voice is a perfect fit for these. Let There Be Love is a well-paced song with stellar production and, of course, an even more stellar vocal. It’s also Lotus’s unofficial mascot track. RATING: 10/10

7) SING FOR ME – A ballad that’s less than the sum of its parts
It’s ironic to say it, but Christina ballads never did it for me. I always felt that her enunciations were too muddled for ballads, and honestly they always come off as an excuse for her to shove as many riffs and runs into a line as possible. I much prefer her on a dance track. But I wanted to give them a shot this time because, hey, it’s a rebirth right? Sing For Me is the most quintessentially uneven song on this album, and it’s because some absolutely brilliant (dare I say iconic?) moments on this song are filtered out by an overwhelming sense of awkwardness, both in some of the lyrics and the vocal delivery. The whole concept of the song means well, but the lyrical imagery leaves too little to the imagination. Picturing her heart spilling out of her mouth when she opens it, again, means well metaphorically, but the writing is a bit too archaic and misdirected for me to take seriously. I can’t listen to this song without being in absolute awe at certain moments (right as the second half of the verse kicks in, for example), but also without cringing a bit at the forwardness of these lyrics. The final third of the song sounds like something out of Whitney’s playbook, which is absolutely stellar. It has some truly soaring moments but the dim moments also need to be taken into account here. RATING: 7.9/10

8) BLANK PAGE – Level Four: Adele
Blank Page is a heartstring-tugging ballad that has a beautifully glacial production that lets Christina’s voice take center stage. Whereas Sing For Me reminded me of why Christina ballads don’t do it for me, Blank Page takes a page (no pun intended) from the best balladeer of modern pop. I’m reminded of the deprived productions on Adele’s 21, and the modestly deep lyrics on Blank Page sound like something Adele would write on a good day. There is a lot of sweetness in the chorus lyrics, and her raw vocal shines on certain riffs and ad libs here. The post-chorus hook is of course pure and angelic, and this is an example of what I said earlier about Christina editing herself. Knowing when to hold back, to stall, to minimize. There are things sister had a hard time understanding throughout her career, and Blank Page demonstrates her maturity as a vocalist (the irony is that Sing For Me is very much old Christina, but somehow the fact that Blank Page plays right after it made me feel like it’s an evolution). In the end, this is a brilliant song with a brilliant vocal. This, second only to “Hurt”, is the most powerful ballad of Christina Aguilera’s career, “Beautiful” notwithstanding. RATING: 9.8/10

9) CEASE FIRE – Level Five: Rihanna (part one)
Cease Fire begins with a jarring riff that doesn’t do much for me, but the smart lyrics and pacing more than make up for it. This mid- to low-tempo song reminds me of a ballad Rihanna would release, and probably be very proud of. The almost reggae-esque delivery in the chorus is very familiar here too. What’s so interesting is that I always felt that Rihanna was inspired by Christina MUCH more than she, or anyone else, would likely admit to. The way she tosses a note out like a brick would sound amazing if she could sing as well as Christina, but generally their vocal styles have quite a few similarities. Cease Fire shows this in spades, and the build in the bridge is one of the most energetic and triumphant moments of Miss Aguilera’s career. It’s powerful in all the right ways, and smart in all the right ways. This is a song that will grow on me immensely over time, for sure. RATING: 9.5/10

10) AROUND THE WORLD – Level Six: Rihanna (part two)
A song that Talk That Talk wish it had, Around The World is another reminder that Rihanna holds the pop niche that would have otherwise been retained by Christina if she committed to radio all this time. The blatant propositioning, in this case humping across the skies and seas, almost comes off as cookie-cutter for Christina. We’re used to getting a track like this on every Christina album, but with the existence of a Rihanna and a Nicki Minaj, this song is simply another member of the pack. The song is fabulously fierce though, and invoking lyrics from her past songs is a clever way to brand it as a signature Christina sound. Christina practically pioneered the hard-hitting proposition in modern pop. This could just be her way of taking it back. RATING: 8.5/10

11) CIRCLES – Level Seven: Nicki Minaj and… Alanis Morrisette?
First of all, let’s just make sure we cover the fact that this song is ridiculous. From the blatant imagery of fingering someone while they spin as some sort of new “fuck you” fetish, to the Minaj-y verses that make about as much sense as Minaj herself, it’s obvious that this song will either hit it off with the listener really well or really badly. The slowed introduction is unfortunately cringe-worthy, and while the verses feel passively modern and familiar, nothing quite hits me until the chorus smashes in. Suddenly I’m reminded of old 90s alternative pop-rock, like an Alanis/Nirvana/Natalie Imbruglia hybrid that’s pure nostalgia. The chorus is short but brilliant, and the bridge is adorably forward as well. The song is uneven but that chorus gets stamped into your brain so effortlessly that I have to give it props. Christina’s “fuck you” songs are always polarizing, but this one manages to slip by. RATING: 8.6/10

12) BEST OF ME – Lotus hits the snooze button
Best of Me is the worst song on the album, and it’s because of this scattered production that reminds me of Christina’s career lows. When a song doesn’t quite know where it’s going, or when the song’s biggest hook is a muffled, repetitive mess, it’s obviously not a recipe for success. Usually pop albums slow down a bit by the beginning of the last third, and that’s evident here. Her soft middle register is one I’m not a fan of at all, and her intonation in the verses, coupled with the unattractive chord progression, is an immediate turn-off. The scattered vocal layering in the chorus doesn’t help it either. I do like that it invokes portions of the Lotus Intro in the last fourth, which brings things almost full circle, but of all the songs to invoke such a brilliant introduction, Best of Me is not it. Maybe this will grow on me, I don’t know. RATING: 6/10

13) JUST A FOOL – Christina shines in the greatest collaboration of her career
This song is a triumph in male-female collaborations that finally gives “Nobody Wants to be Lonely” a run for its money. Just A Fool is such a gorgeously raw and mature song to take on too, and I love the chemistry between Christina and Blake here. I love that her voice is so raw and BIG when she’s singing solo, but with his masculine drawl draped over her, she soothes her own voice out, and makes it more vulnerable and damaged. It’s an impeccable arrangement. While the song itself is very much a standard low-tempo country track, it’s their raw talents that transcend it into one of the best collaborations of the post-2010 era. All that’s left to say about this is that it may be the strongest track on Lotus, and one of the strongest tracks that she’s ever made, period. RATING: 10/10

14) LIGHT UP THE SKY - Final level: Katy Perry
This takes a page straight from Katy Perry’s playbook, except Light Up The Sky is a very well-written power ballad that only shines brighter because Christina’s amazing vocals. The second verse is especially transcendent, and it almost sounds like if Sing For Me was finely tuned and relieved of the over-bearing qualities that dragged it down. The chorus is pretty standard, while it doesn’t necessarily go anywhere it has a solid to good chord progression that’s quite memorable. This goes without saying however, Light Up The Sky is one of the shining exemplars of Christina’s talent, and while the song isn’t really the strongest on Lotus, it’s a bonus track that very well could have been switched out for Sing For Me or Best Of Me and made the standard album even stronger. RATING: 8.9/10

15) EMPTY WORDS – The funny thing about a bonus track is… it’s just a bonus track
Empty Words could have easily not existed and I wouldn’t have fretted, but I suppose that’s the definition of a “bonus track.” While the chorus is memorable enough and the lyrical construction is relatively smart, the overall execution is just about sub-par. This definitely could have benefited from some stronger production or a more powerful bridge, but I can’t complain. The string of “I don’t care what you have to say” songs on Lotus is especially prominent, and while that theme is a comfortable staple in all Christina albums, it’s especially poignant here because the album is so tightly-wound and concise, so if the theme isn’t of interest to the listener, the whole album suffers because of it. Empty Words is precisely the moment for me when that theme starts getting tired. RATING: 7/10

16) SHUT UP – A big “fuck you” to dramatic album closers
One can’t go on and on about a song like this, so I’ll just say a little bit. It’s a typical Christina “fuck you” song in the verses, and the chorus is pure ironic bliss. The bridge is a hilarious stall of a moment, and the whole thing really does feel like ironic closing credits for a movie that was otherwise fairly serious. Maybe that was her intention here, pop albums can either end with an epic dramatic closer (The Edge of Glory), or a tongue-in-cheek reminder of why pop exists in the first place (Teeth). The difference between a closer like Just A Fool and a closer like Shut Up is of course stark, and they’re both a reminder that the woman at the helm is indeed quite hard to define. And given the disparity in content with each of her albums, she knows that she’s hard to define too. RATING: 8/10

FINAL COMMENTS:

If Christina Aguilera’s debut album was her equivalent to “The Fame” by Lady Gaga, then all three of her follow-up albums would be her equivalent to “Born This Way.” All three of them stray far away from her original jumping off point, in three blazingly different directions, with three very different results. They are polarizing, a bit archaic, perhaps long-winded, and definitely controversial. While Stripped comes close, none of those three albums COMPLETELY defines her without her debut singles coming into play. In Christina’s case, she never got to release a “Fame Monster.” Where’s the perfect middle? Where’s the category that sits perfectly between the initial runs of “Genie” and the disparate experiments in “Cruz,” “Mercy On Me” and “I Am”? The answer is finally here. Like “The Fame Monster,” LOTUS defines her in the most efficient, cohesive way possible. She does vengeance songs, she does dance songs, she does ballads, and she does tongue-in-cheek. She’s a jack of all trades and finally we have an album that covers all four categories without much of a hitch, and can stand most fittingly with her “pop star” job title. Christina Aguilera is finally a pop star with a true pop album. Here, here.



Fucking phew. Now someone buy me a drink.
 
D

DMeisterJ

Banned
Soulscribe said:
9) CEASE FIRE – Level Five: Rihanna (part one)
Cease Fire begins with a jarring riff that doesn’t do much for me, but the smart lyrics and pacing more than make up for it. This mid- to low-tempo song reminds me of ballad Rihanna would release, and probably be very proud of. The almost reggae-esque delivery in the chorus is very familiar here too. What’s so interesting is that I always felt that Rihanna was inspired by Christina MUCH more than she, or anyone else, would likely admit to. The way she tosses a note out like a brick would sound amazing if she could sing as well as Christina, but generally their vocal styles have quite a few similarities. Cease Fire shows this in spades, and the build in the bridge is one of the most energetic and triumphant moments of Miss Aguilera’s career. It’s powerful in all the right ways, and smart in all the right ways. This is a song that will grow on me immensely over time, for sure. RATING: 9.5/10
Click to expand...

Soulscribe said:
I don't know what this is but it's either a series of random statements or the worst song ever written.
Click to expand...

botty said:
It's one of the poetic breaks in Cease Fire.
Click to expand...

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B

Bladenic

Member
Soulscribe said:
iconezao_banner_2.jpg


Christina Aguilera has described LOTUS as her rebirth; leaving her past behind, and charge forward with 808s and synthesizers at the helm. I’ve always considered a new album of hers as a rebirth of sorts though. No album of hers is the same, and that serves her in a good and a bad. The good, of course, is that you can always expect something fresh (or at the very least unfamiliar) each time. The bad, of course, is that a fan doesn’t quite know what to expect, and whether it’s fresh or just new, the fan still wants the album to at least REMIND of why he or she is a fan in the first place. In my case, it’s her energetic vocal. “Come On Over” is the “mascot” track under her name from my point of view, and it perfectly demonstrates the way her vocals travel and build. It falls largely in her middle register, where her voice is most comfortable, and is allowed to demonstrate all its power without any strain. It also lets her alternate between her soft and hard vocal, and the instrumental is airy enough to give her ad libbing room to show that she has strong intonation. More songs like that, I think, are what I hope for with each Christina record. Back to Basics gave me an equally fabulous example of this “perfect middle,” which was “Candyman.” (which is probably the greatest song of her career, but that’s another matter). After that, however, I’ve had a hard time finding another example.

The reason I’m speaking so much about this is because it’s important that pop fans understand what Christina fans are looking for. It’s important because I want pop fans to know that we haven’t GOTTEN what we’ve been looking for in a very long time. And finally, it’s important because I want pop fans to know that we’ve FINALLY gotten it with Lotus.

Christina is reborn yet again, this time with an eye for radio pop. In every track, Christina takes on a pop trope that was popularized by another pop star, but never perfected. I take it as sort of an Arcade Mode in a fighting game: the main character takes on one person at a time, until she reaches the end, claiming the prize. Outside of the Intro, every song reminds me of someone else, and I’m then reminded that with Christina’s voice and eye for intonation, many of those other people might need to pack it up and go home.

1) LOTUS INTRO – The Tan Knight Rises
This is her most flawless album intro because it leaves nothing to the imagination. “Rise Up, Lotus rise, this is the beginning,” she coos. It’s her sonic rebirth and she conceals her monster vocal behind a silk sheet; still fragile, she’s not ready to let it out just yet. And then, toward the last third, for just a bit, you hear her thundering run and riff, and it suddenly hits you: “Holy shit, it’s Christina Aguilera. Where the HELL have you been?” It’s a well-paced introduction with an unambiguous storyline. As someone who’s suffered through oversaturated interludes and tangents, this is a fresh take from Christina. It also happens to be one of the best segments of Lotus. And we've only just begun. RATING: 9.7/10

2) ARMY OF ME – Level One: Kelly Clarkson
Nobody’s popularized mid-tempo power ballads in modern pop as much as Kelly Clarkson, and Army of Me reminded me so much of that pop style. The verses are held back, with lyrics that exist only as a bridge to a powerful chorus. Christina’s lower register is something I’m definitely not a fan of, which is why going into it I wasn’t really feeling this. Once the chorus hits though, I’m reminded of some epic fusion of “Eye of The Tiger” and something Diana Ross would deliver. An amazing chorus with a beautiful chord progression that stands as one of her strongest yet. RATING: 9.3/10

3) RED HOT KINDA LOVE – Level Two: Gwen Stefani
This bubbly ride is a style that’s touched on a bit on Bionic, but you won’t find something like this on there. It’s consistently boppy, with nods to the esoteric, flirty styles of Gwen with the bubbly production of a song that could easily belong on Arular. The lyrics are smart and simple (the yin and yang of perfect pop), with an instrumental that gets you on your feet. One of the strongest songs on the album by far. RATING: 9.7/10

4) MAKE THE WORLD MOVE - A double-teaming for the ages
Remember when I said I was looking for a perfect mid-register vocal? Here it is darlings. And Make The World Move is a short and sweet swoon of a song that’s as charming as it is catchy. The hammered in chord progression that hits you over and over again (right as “the time is now” hits) is pop euphoria, and the message is clean, silly, but untouchable. The bizarre howling in the chorus is a welcome addition, though unnecessarily. And the bridge is pure urban Spice Girls tea. So far Lotus is hitting me hard in every major category, and this funk-pop riot is a track I plan to go back and listen to for years to come. RATING: 9.9/10

5) YOUR BODY – An uneven first single finds a home on Lotus
Your Body is a mid-tempo song that quenched Xtina fans’ thirst for a bit when it released, but it reminded us that while Christina has the flavor and the style to deliver huge pop smashes, she doesn’t quite reach that goal with Your Body. The song sounds a bit dated, especially compared to most of other songs on Lotus, but its existence is much more validated when bunched up with the radio pop tunes in Lotus’s first half. The line “I think you already know my name” in the bridge buildup is absolutely fierce though, and the way the instrumentals stray before hitting the final chorus with her thundering riff layered on top is a great pop moment. This single was a great reminder of the fact that Christina’s voice is a perfect fit for dance tracks, and while I wanted more at the time, I’m satisfied here knowing that I got what I wanted, and I can finally enjoy Your Body for what it is, and not what it isn’t. RATING: 8.5/10

6) LET THERE BE LOVE – Level Three: David Guetta’s Army of Modest Stars: Kelly, Jennifer, SIA
Let There Be Love is what made me realize how much Christina has been missing from the pop game. When this Guetta style hit radio and clubs I knew that Christina’s voice was a perfect fit for these types of songs. “When Love Takes Over” and “Time Of Your Life” are great gems with powerful vocals layered on sledge-hammering dance beats, and while Rowland and Hudson are great vocalists, nobody energizes a song like Christina Aguilera. Her voice is pure momentum on this track, and it shows how comfortable her voice is staying glued on a high note or yell. I hope that Guetta and crew notice this song, because Christina’s voice is a perfect fit for these. Let There Be Love is a well-paced song with stellar production and, of course, an even more stellar vocal. It’s also Lotus’s unofficial mascot of a song. RATING: 10/10

7) SING FOR ME – A ballad that’s less than the sum of its parts
It’s ironic to say it, but Christina ballads never did it for me. I always felt that her enunciations were too muddled for ballads, and honestly they always come off as an excuse for her to shove as many riff and run into a line as possible. I much prefer her on a dance track. But I wanted to give them a shot this time because, hey, it’s a rebirth right? Sing For Me is the most quintessentially uneven song on this album, and it’s because some absolutely brilliant (dare I say iconic?) moments on this song are filtered out by an overwhelming sense of awkwardness, both in some of the lyrics and the vocal delivery. The whole concept of the song means well, but the lyrical imagery leaves too little to the imagination. Picturing her heart spilling out of her mouth when she opens it, again, means well metaphorically, but the writing is a bit too archaic and misdirected for me to take seriously. I can’t listen to this song without being in absolute awe at certain moments (right as the second half of the verse kicks in, for example), but also without cringing a bit at the forwardness of these lyrics. The final third of the song sounds like something out of Whitney’s playbook, which is absolutely stellar. It has some truly soaring moments but the dim moments also need to be taken into account here. RATING: 7.9/10

8) BLANK PAGE – Level Four: Adele
Blank Page is a heartstring-tugging ballad that has a beautifully glacial production that lets Christina’s voice take center stage. Whereas Sing For Me reminded me of why Christina ballads don’t do it for me, Blank Page takes a page (no pun intended) from the best balladeer of modern pop. I’m reminded of the deprived productions on Adele’s 21, and the modestly deep lyrics on Blank Page sound like something Adele would write on a good day. There is a lot of sweetness in the chorus lyrics, and her raw vocal shines on certain riffs and ad libs here. The post-chorus hook is of course pure and angelic, and this is an example of what I said earlier about Christina editing herself. Knowing when to hold back, to stall, to minimize. There are things sister had a hard time understanding throughout her career, and Blank Page demonstrates her maturity as a vocalist (The irony is that Sing For Me is very much old Christina, but somehow the fact that Blank Page plays right after it made me feel like it’s an evolution). In the end, this is a brilliant song with a brilliant vocal. This, second only to “Hurt”, is the most powerful ballad of Christina Aguilera’s career, “Beautiful” notwithstanding. RATING: 9.8/10

9) CEASE FIRE – Level Five: Rihanna (part one)
Cease Fire begins with a jarring riff that doesn’t do much for me, but the smart lyrics and pacing more than make up for it. This mid- to low-tempo song reminds me of ballad Rihanna would release, and probably be very proud of. The almost reggae-esque delivery in the chorus is very familiar here too. What’s so interesting is that I always felt that Rihanna was inspired by Christina MUCH more than she, or anyone else, would likely admit to. The way she tosses a note out like a brick would sound amazing if she could sing as well as Christina, but generally their vocal styles have quite a few similarities. Cease Fire shows this in spades, and the build in the bridge is one of the most energetic and triumphant moments of Miss Aguilera’s career. It’s powerful in all the right ways, and smart in all the right ways. This is a song that will grow on me immensely over time, for sure. RATING: 9.5/10

10) AROUND THE WORLD – Level Six: Rihanna (part two)
A song that Talk That Talk wish it had, Around The World is another reminder that Rihanna holds the pop niche that would have otherwise been retained by Christina if she committed to radio all this time. The blatant propositioning, in this case humping across the skies and seas, almost comes off as cookie-cutter for Christina. We’re used to getting a track like this on every Christina album, but with the existence of a Rihanna and a Nicki Minaj, this song is simply another member of the pack. The song is fabulously fierce though, and invoking lyrics from her past songs is a clever way to brand it as a signature Christina sound. Christina practically pioneered the hard-hitting proposition in modern pop. This could just be her way of taking it back. RATING: 8.5/10

11) CIRCLES – Level Seven: Nicki Minaj and… Alanis Morrisette?
First of all, let’s just make sure we cover the fact that this song is ridiculous. From the blatant imagery of fingering someone while they spin as some sort of new “fuck you” fetish, to the Minaj-y verses that make about as much sense as Minaj herself, it’s obvious that this song will either hit it off with the listener really well or really badly. The slowed introduction is unfortunately cringe-worthy, and while the verses feel passively modern and familiar, nothing quite hits me until the chorus smashes in. Suddenly I’m reminded of old 90s alternative pop-rock, like an Alanis/Nirvana/Natalie Imbruglia hybrid that’s pure nostalgia. The chorus is short but brilliant, and the bridge is adorably forward as well. The song is uneven but that chorus gets stamped into your brain so effortlessly that I have to give it props. Christina’s “fuck you” songs are always polarizing, but this one manages to slip by. RATING: 8.6/10

12) BEST OF ME – Lotus hits the snooze button
Best of Me is the worst song on the album, and it’s because of this scattered production that reminds me of Christina’s career lows. When a song doesn’t quite know where it’s going, or when the song’s biggest hook is a muffled, repetitive mess, it’s obviously not a recipe for success. Usually pop albums slow down a bit by the beginning of the last third, and that’s evident here. Her soft middle register is one I’m not a fan of at all, and her intonation in the verses, coupled with the unattractive chord progression, is an immediate turn-off. The scattered vocal layering in the chorus doesn’t help it either. I do like that it invokes portions of the Lotus Intro in the last fourth, which brings things almost full circle, but of all the songs to invoke such a brilliant introduction, Best of Me is not it. Maybe this will grow on me, I don’t know. RATING: 6/10

13) JUST A FOOL – Christina shines in the greatest collaboration of her career
This song is a triumph in male-female collaborations that finally gives “Nobody Wants to be Lonely” a run for its money. Just A Fool is such a gorgeously raw and mature song to take on too, and I love the chemistry between Christina and Blake here. I love that her voice is so raw and BIG when she’s singing solo, but with his masculine drawl draped over her, she soothes her own voice out, and makes it more vulnerable and damaged. It’s an impeccable arrangement. While the song itself is very much a standard low-tempo country track, it’s their raw talents that transcend it into one of the best collaborations of the post-2010 era. All that’s left to say about this is that it may be the strongest track on Lotus, and one of the strongest tracks that she’s ever made, period. RATING: 10/10

14) LIGHT UP THE SKY - Final level: Katy Perry
This takes a page straight from Katy Perry’s playbook, except Light Up The Sky is a very well-written power ballad that only shines brighter because Christina’s amazing vocals. The second verse is especially transcendent, and it almost sounds like if Sing For Me was finely tuned and relieved of the over-bearing qualities that dragged it down. The chorus is pretty standard, while it doesn’t necessarily go anywhere it has a solid to good chord progression that’s quite memorable. This goes without saying however, Light Up The Sky is one of the shining exemplars of Christina’s talent, and while the song isn’t really the strongest on Lotus, it’s a bonus track that very well could have been switched out for Sing For Me or Best Of Me and made the standard album even stronger. RATING: 8.9/10

15) EMPTY WORDS – The funny thing about a bonus track is… it’s just a bonus track
Empty Words could have easily not existed and I wouldn’t have fretted, but I suppose that’s the definition of a “bonus track.” While the chorus is memorable enough and the lyrical construction is relatively smart, the overall execution is just about sub-par. This definitely could have benefited from some stronger production or a more powerful bridge, but I can’t complain. The string of “I don’t care what you have to say” songs on Lotus is especially prominent, and while that theme is a comfortable staple in all Christina albums, it’s especially poignant here because the album is so tightly-wound and concise, so if the theme isn’t of interest to the listener, the whole album suffers because of it. Empty Words is precisely the moment for me when that theme starts getting tired. RATING: 7/10

16) SHUT UP – A big “fuck you” to dramatic album closers
One can’t go on and on about a song like this, so I’ll just say a little bit. It’s a typical Christina “fuck you” song in the verses, and the chorus is pure ironic bliss. The bridge is a hilarious stall of a moment, and the whole thing really does feel like ironic closing credits for a movie that was otherwise fairly serious. Maybe that was her intention here, pop albums can either end with an epic dramatic closer (The Edge of Glory), or a tongue-in-cheek reminder of why pop exists in the first place (Teeth). The difference between a closer like Just A Fool and a closer like Shut Up is of course stark, and they’re both a reminder that the woman at the helm is indeed quite hard to define. And given the disparity in content with each of her albums, she knows that she’s hard to define too. RATING: 8/10

FINAL COMMENTS:

If Christina Aguilera’s debut album was her equivalent to “The Fame” by Lady Gaga, then all three of her follow-up albums would be her equivalent to “Born This Way.” All three of them stray far away from her original jumping off point, in three blazingly different directions, with three very different results. They are polarizing, a bit archaic, perhaps long-winded, and definitely controversial. While Stripped comes close, none of those three albums COMPLETELY defines her without her debut singles coming into play. In Christina’s case, she never got to release a “Fame Monster.” Where’s the perfect middle? Where’s the category that sits perfectly between the initial runs of “Genie” and the disparate experiments in “Cruz,” “Mercy On Me” and “I Am”? The answer is finally here. Like “The Fame Monster,” LOTUS defines her in the most efficient, cohesive way possible. She does vengeance songs, she does dance songs, she does ballads, and she does tongue-in-cheek. She’s a jack of all trades and finally we have an album that covers all four categories without much of a hitch, and can stand most fittingly with her “pop star” job title. Christina Aguilera is finally a pop star with a true pop album. Here, here.



Fucking phew. Now someone buy me a drink.
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<+)O Robido O(+>

<+)O Robido O(+>

Member
Soulscribe said:
12) BEST OF ME – Lotus hits the snooze button
Best of Me is the worst song on the album, and it’s because of this scattered production that reminds me of Christina’s career lows. When a song doesn’t quite know where it’s going, or when the song’s biggest hook is a muffled, repetitive mess, it’s obviously not a recipe for success. Usually pop albums slow down a bit by the beginning of the last third, and that’s evident here. Her soft middle register is one I’m not a fan of at all, and her intonation in the verses, coupled with the unattractive chord progression, is an immediate turn-off. The scattered vocal layering in the chorus doesn’t help it either. I do like that it invokes portions of the Lotus Intro in the last fourth, which brings things almost full circle, but of all the songs to invoke such a brilliant introduction, Best of Me is not it. Maybe this will grow on me, I don’t know. RATING: 6/10
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Weird. This is my favorite song from the album.
 
S

Soulscribe

Member
DMeisterJ said:
Right?

He used the IGN scale. Everything gets a 9 and if it's okay it gets a six. What kind of lack of using the whole scale?

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Well the scores are relative to the other scores on the album, not relative to every other song ever. "Circles" being like an 8.6 on Lotus just means it's like second tier quality on the album. But it's probably a 6.0 outside the context of the album. Dunno if that makes sense but, that's how I graded.

And thanks for clocking me for my Cease Fire comments you skank! :p The bridge lyrics are shit on paper but they sound good on the track, so... *gif* *gif* *gif*
 
D

Dr. Malik

FlatAss_
Soulscribe said:
Well the scores are relative to the other scores on the album, not relative to every other song ever. "Circles" being like an 8.6 on Lotus just means it's like second tier quality on the album. But it's probably a 6.0 outside the context of the album. Dunno if that makes sense but, that's how I graded.

And thanks for clocking me for my Cease Fire comments you skank! :p The bridge lyrics are shit on paper but they sound good on the track, so... *gif* *gif* *gif*
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I would like to see the ratings outside the context of the album tbh

Bladenic said:
Get help.

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shut up and let me fan like a 14 year old school girl
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K

Kyon

Banned
Wafflecakes said:
I mean....I know its just a marketing ploy by 1D.....but its still so fascinating.
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that is not a marketing ploy like what happens in Kpop lol the boys get along great. Nothin wrong with Bromance

Though i'd prefer it be like Kpop because then we would be getting kisses on the lips and stuff :3
 
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