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Back to Basics (Double CD)

What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Kathi Kamen Goldmark

The first album by Christina Aguilera in four years, BACK TO BASICS features the pop music star feeling her oats on two CDs' worth of classic-sounding love songs. She pays tribute to the jazz, blues, and soul arrangements of the past while adding her contemporary, flirtatious spin. The pop princess vamps her way through lyrics like "Sip on my champagne/cause I'm gonna give you a little taste/of the sugar below my waist" (on "Nasty Naughty Boy"). Though these lyrics leave little to the imagination, most of the other sexy stuff (and there's tons of it) is the teasey double-entendre kind that won't register with kids too young to understand.

Is It Any Good?

4

The first disc features help from high-powered friends, including DJ Premier, Kwame, Tony Reyes, and Ben H. Allen. The second disc appears to be the "Linda Perry Show": The celebrity songwriter/producer leads Christina through her paces with artistry and finesse, and delivers a few lovely musical surprises. Many of the mixes sound a little drab, and some judicious editing could have made the album feel more focused, but if you're a true-blue fan, Back to Basics provides a lot of Christina to sink your teeth into.

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