A lot has happened in Xtina’s life since her last release, 2006’s Back to Basics. She’s settled down with her manager, popped out a kid and become an actress.
But despite any signs of maturation, Aguilera’s latest is an overproduced ode to clubbing, boozing and boys — sprinkled with a few out-of-place moments of motherly reflection in a return to her “Dirrty” roots.
On slow jam “Sex for Breakfast,” Aguilera croons she “wants you deep inside of me,” followed up by a 20-second interlude of her two-year-old son imitating mom’s trademark belting. (Good thing the kid’s too young to understand any noises from the parents’ room.)
Other, less-than-subtle low points include a botched attempt at flaunting girl power on adolescent anthem “I Hate Boys,” on which Aguilera spouts banana innuendos to a too-common drumming beat.
In fact, even Bionic’s shining moments (“Elastic Love,” “Bionic”) sound a little too
familiar, and for good reason: Aguilera co-wrote “Bionic” with M.I.A. and collaborated with Santigold producer Switch on the latter to churn out a pair of thumping imitations — which almost make up for a complete lack of originality with sheer danceability.
There is, however, one consistent selling point in Aguilera’s jumbled treatise on motherhood and getting laid. Xtina’s booming vocal range is on full display throughout, including on flopped first single “Not Myself Tonight.” By final cut “Vanity,” though, even those pipes can’t save Aguilera from the revelation that this self-proclaimed bad bitch is past her prime.