Album Review: Christina Aguilera - Bionic

Bionic -- Christina Aguilera's 4th English studio album lands in the US and the rest of the world today, 08 June 2010. (07 June 2010 in the Philippines)

I would recommend to listen to the whole album repetitively as it took me a couple of listens to Not Myself Tonight and Woohoo before I was able to completely appreciate both songs. That is what I am doing now. But as of yet, I'd say that Stripped is still the best. Operative words -- as of yet.

Now after three weeks of continuously listening to the album, here's my 2 cents worth:
Due to the delays and variety of producers and collaborations that Christina made, I feel like Bionic's tracks were all great and too diverse that it overshadows each tracks. This is what happens when you mix too many colours - it becomes black. Although the creativity is very much visible in the project, I can't help but feel the pressure that Christina is dictated by the business side of the industry. Don't get me wrong though, I like and appreciate most of the tracks. But because of just too much elements, it tends to contradict one another and that harmony to give the feel of Bionic is grayed out, if not lost. If Christina did want to sound futuristic, she could have left the power ballads for b-sides or re-releases and stuck with the electro-pumped  tribal-bass  rich tracks like Bionic, Elastic Love and Not Myself Tonight. The deluxe edition does contain kick-ass tracks like the ditsy Bobblehead (which I can't help but laugh everyt ime I hear the dumb blonde ditch) and the mid-tempo electro track Birds of Prey. I don't blame Christina though for putting her class A ballads like You Lost Me, Stronger Than Ever, I Am (which reminds me of a Bjork song Hyper-ballad) and Lift Me Up. But if consistency she wanted they could have sequenced the album in such a way it does not negate that Bionic feel -- futuristic, mechanical.


Bionic title track is an instant hit for me -- it has Santogold/M.I.A. written all over it. No doubt because she's collaborated with Santogold and a couple of other peeps for this track along with Monday Morning, Bobblehead and Elastic Love which should have been the main sound of Bionic. Not Myself Tonight is a very powerful, influential, liberating song (too bad the video pulled its value down). Lift Me Up's rhythm really does inspire hope. Birds of Prey is a collab with one of UK's underground band Ladytron and I just have one word for it -- brilliant! You Lost Me reminds me a lot of Beyoncé's Resentment from her B'Day album. Morning Dessert/Sex For Breakfast is great as well -- kinship between Janet's Twenty Foreplay and Christina's own Loving Me 4 Me. Other cute tracks like My Girls, Vanity and as mentioned earlier - Bobblehead.  I find most Tricky Stewart-produced songs like Glam and Primma Donna rather disappointing except for Desnudate. I must say that Christina's vocals were very much diverisifed, flexible and it morphs in accordance to the song's feel but when the ballads are up the real powerful soulful voice of a white girl dominates and there's no question why she has been labeled as the best voice of her generation.

(above photo courtesy of JM Ballaran)


Track list:

1. Bionic     
2. Not Myself Tonight
3. Woohoo (featuring Nicki Minaj) 

4. Elastic Love
5. Desnudate
6. Love & Glamour (Intro)
7. Glam
8. Prima Donna
9. Morning Dessert (Intro)
10. Sex for Breakfast
11. Lift Me Up
12. My Heart (Intro)
13. All I Need
14. I Am
15. You Lost Me
16. I Hate Boys
17. My Girls (featuring Peaches)
18. Vanity
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
19. Monday Morning

20. Bobblehead
21. Birds of Prey 

22. Stronger than Ever

23. I Am (Stripped)
24. Little Dreamer" (iTunes only)

Noteworthy tracks: Bionic; Not Myself Tonight; Elastic Love; Morning Dessert/Sex for Breakfast; Vanity; I Hate Boys; Monday Morning; Bobblehead; Birds of Prey; I Am; Lift Me Up; You Lost Me; Stronger Than Ever; Little Dreamer