Christina Aguilera - "Lotus"
Lotus is Christina Aguilera's seventh studio album that was released last Friday, November 9th. This album is a huge step up from her last album, Bionic. It has a great mix of club/dance songs and piano focused songs that bring out the best in her powerful voice. It is a CD that definitely brings her voice front and center, something that Bionic lacked. Her previous album was a major flop in the music industry with very low sales figures. Aguilera has put out her best album in years with this latest release. The main theme throughout the album is that she is a fighter and refuses to be hurt by what all of her critics have to say. All of the Aguilera fans will be very pleased to see what she has done with this album.
1) Lotus Intro (??/10)
This "song" sets the mood for the rest of the album. It's not much of a song, as the entire thing is spoken word. The words, however, use the lotus flower as a metaphor for Christina's "rebirth." She is making it clear that she wants a clean slate and is ready to take on her career with a new attitude. I can not give it a score, just because it isn't really a song.
2) Army of Me (7/10)
This song is about facing the pressure of being a celebrity. Aguilera is already using her lyrics to build herself up and prove that she will not be affected by what anyone else has to say. It has the sound that I would expect in a single off of this album. I wouldn't be too surprised if this inspiring hit will see some time on the radio in the coming months.
3) Red Hot Kinda Love (8/10)
Now this song is interesting. The first time I heard it, I absolutely hated it. But after a few listens it began to become one of the standout songs off of this album. It is a fun pop song filled with energy that is bound to make its way onto the playlists of clubs everywhere. This song takes some warming up to, but it has that sound that will have people singing it all over the place.
4) Make The World Move (feat. CeeLo Green) [4/10]
The addition of her "Voice" co-star seemed really unnecessary. His vocals never had an important part in the song. He was basically a back-up singer for the track. The song was backed by a band that featured a lot of trumpets and horns that didn't quite fit. The mix of "old-fashioned" and modern music made for a sub-par song.
5) Your Body (8.5/10)
This is Aguilera's lead single off of Lotus. It was released sometime in September and saw a good amount of time on the radio. It shows off Aguilera's incredible vocal ability tremendously. What makes this song so good is that it can do that and be a pop song that will be very successful. This is a hit song for Aguilera and her producer.
6) Let There Be Love (7/10)
This song is headed straight for the radio. It uses the familiar formula for hit songs, mostly because of the producer of this song, Max Martin. He has also produced songs for Katy Perry, Usher, and Britney Spears. Christina is likely to release this as a single also, as Martin has proved to be very successful in the past. The song itself does not lack vitality and deserves to be a hit single.
7) Sing For Me (8/10)
This is the first ballad of the album. It is reminiscent of arguably her best song to date, "Beautiful." This is another song where she gains confidence by singing about how she is not affected by what other people have to say. It is backed by some soft violins and a piano, with a solid "ballad drumbeat." For die hard Christina Aguilera fans, this is a precious jewel to save from this LP.
8) Blank Page (7/10)
Aguilera decided to follow up the album's first ballad with another intense piano ballad. This is the first song with a lot of emotion that doesn't focus on her thoughts of herself. These lyrics focus on a lost love. Christina is able to show off the power in her voice. Her voice is able to make the listener feel the emotions she is feeling, and that is very evident in this song.
9) Cease Fire (5/10)
This song is very bland and uninteresting. From the extremely unnecessary use of auto-tune at times to all of the war analogies, this song is probably the album's low point. Even the chorus isn't as electrifying as the rest of the songs. I just feel like this song was released unfinished. If it was a little more polished and the lyrics were put together a little better, it could be great.
10) Around The World (6/10)
This song also lacked the excitement the album reached in the beginning. It reminds me a little bit of "Your Body," but without the thrills that it had to offer. One good thing about this song is the drums, something about the drumbeat in this song stood out to me. Aguilera also referenced her hit song from 2001 by whispering "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" in the background. That might have been the best part of the song.
11) Circles (8/10)
This song was a complete change from the current mood of the album. With the hook line being "Spin around in circles on my middle middle finger" it definitely took me by surprise. Anyway, the song is one of the more fun tracks off of the entire record. It was filled with attitude and was a great change from past three songs, which were not very great.
12) Best Of Me (8/10)
This is Aguilera remembering how she used to be so vulnerable. With this song she is putting the past behind her and promises that nobody will ever get the "best of me" anymore. This is a song of hope that she can stay strong in the future. This is the third and final ballad of the album. I think it is the best of the three.
13) Just A Fool (feat. Blake Shelton) [7/10]
This is a great song to end the record. It is another duet with her fellow judge on "The Voice," but this one is much better than the first, with CeeLo. The first verse is all Aguilera, and the second is with Blake Shelton. Even so, he continues to sing along with Christina in the last part of the song. There is a great powerful drum beat that is perfect for tapping your feet along with the music. If there was one song that really proved that Christina Aguilera is one of the best singers of this generation, it would be this one.
Lotus is so much better than I thought it would be. It is one thousand percent better than her last album, Bionic. The addition of a long list of new producers make this an album that is filled with songs that are bound to make an impact on the charts. There was a brief stage of about three songs where things got a little weak, but for the most part, this was a great album. Christina is starting a new chapter, and all of her fans will be very excited when they hear this new record.
Listen to the Deluxe Version of Lotus on Spotify!
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