A return to basics

I once wondered what Christina Aguilera will record after the big hit Stripped. That raunchy romp forever took her out of the Disney-fuelled Reflections category into a new place notches higher than Britney’s, but certainly not yet at par with Mariah. Well, given her hands-on, perfectionist style, it took four years before I finally got an answer.

Four years is how long it took Aguilera to come up with Back to Basics, the follow-up to Stripped where she is both song artist and executive producer. Of course, she was not working on the album that entire time. Something of greater importance was the fact that she got married to her manager Jordan Bratman last year. This event inspired the love songs in the album.

About a month or two ago, Christina was back on the promo scene, doing interviews and singing new songs. It was also at about the same time that she came out in lots of skin-baring photo sessions. Honestly speaking, it seemed like every magazine I opened had photos of Christina with bright red lipstick, platinum hair dye and a barely there wardrobe. It was more than I have ever seen done by Madonna or Janet or Britney or anybody else before.

Was she telling us that as in Stripped, she remains Dirty? Perhaps and she has a track entitled Still Dirty in Back to Basics. But smutty or not, Back to Basics is something lots of Pinoys should be happy about. Those of you who like watching singing contests on TV must have probably noticed that most of the female contestants now sing diva songs from some years ago. That is because none of the vocal cords stretching divas from overseas have done any exercises lately.

Until Chrstina Aguilera in Back to Basics. This is a two-disc, well thought out, well-produced set full of over-the-top love songs. I believe the purpose of having two discs was to divide the album into R&B and pop/rock. Christina does both equally well and she hip hops, shimmies, boogies, gets funky and does other rhythms in the 23-cut epic. This is a fact though that is surely lost on her local following. All they want to do is get their voices into those songs. I can already hear all sorts of Pinoy versions of the album’s first hit single Ain’t No Other Man.

It is a direct contrast from Ain’t No Other Man, but I like Save Me from Myself best. It’s a lovely ballad that calls for true artistry and not vocal histrionics. But if you prefer the latter, you will simply adore the rest of what Christina has to offer. Nobody roars, purrs, screams, etc. etc. like this girl does.

Disc One also has Back to Basics, Makes Me Wanna Pray, Back in the Day, Understand, Slow Down Baby, Oh Mother, F.U.S.S., On Our Way, Without You, Here to Stay and Thank You. Disc Two is made up of Enter the Circus, Welcome, Candyman, Nasty Naughty Boy, I Got Trouble, Hurt, Mercy On Me, The Right Man and as a bonus track, the Back to Basics video.

The album sells for P590. Steep. But you get 22 songs, one video and lots of sexy, glossy pictures in the inlay.

Top 10 albums

Christina’s Back to Basics made No. 1 in the Billboard 200 albums’ list this week. The rest of the top ten are: The Phoenix by Lyle Jennings; Dangerous Man by Trace Adkins; Unappreciated by Cherish; The Cheetah Girls 2, the original soundtrack by Various Artists; Now 22 by Various Artists; Port of Miami by Rick Ross; Second Round’s On Me by Obie Trice; Step Up, another musical film soundtrack; and All the Right Reasons by Nickelback.

Ain’t No Other Man is also in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles. These are: London Bridge by Fergie; Crazy by Gnarls Barkley; Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado; When You Gonna Give It Up To Me by Sean Paul featuring Keyshia Cole; Buttons by the Pussycat Dolls; Me & U by Cassie; Get Up by Ciara featuring Chamillionaire; Ain’t No Other Man by Aguilera; Sexy Love by Ne-Yo; and I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic! At the Disco.