Ranking the Best Christina Aguilera Albums
Were y’all outside for the Great Bubblegum Pop Explosion of the late 90s?
N’SYNC, Britney, 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys and an army of clones – they were everything everywhere all at once and I was doing their best to dodge their music like Neo weaving around bullets in the Matrix.
It’s what one did in the late 90s.
But there was one singer whose voice was so undeniable that I had no choice but to become a fan. Christina Aguilera’s hits had me in a chokehold because, no matter the kid-friendly production, you could always hear the rich soul deep in her voice. It was catnip for a playa like me.
Of course Christina evolved into a much more eclectic artist over the years, so let’s look back at her monumental career, ranking her albums from bottom to top. A couple notes though: This list will skip her Christmas album, EPs and compilations, as well as her Spanish albums – 2000’s Mi Reflejo this year’s Aguilera. I don’t speak the language fluently so I don’t think it’s fair to weigh in on things I’m not properly equipped to discuss
A lot of y’all need to take that advice on Twitter, but I digress.
Let’s revisit the best and worst of our favorite genie.
6. Bionic (2010)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: By 2010, every singer thought they were a freaking robot, and our girl Christina was no exception. Bionic is loud synths, electro-beats and weird sound effects that sound straight out of those cheapo Tiger Electronics handheld games. The real ones know what I mean. Anyway, I’m sure Bionic had the day-glo clubs lit but the dumbed-down lyrics on most of the songs do it no favors. Once the chaos settles down the album gets much stronger. Overall it’s a decent outing but jumping from slowed-down sex jams to screechy club records makes it a very schizophrenic listen.
Forgotten favorites: “Sex for Breakfast,” “Lift Me Up,” “Glam”
5. Lotus (2012)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: Lotus came at a turning point in Christina’s career – she was gaining more fame as a judge on the Voice while also rebounding from divorce. Lotus stands as a symbol of her rebirth, so empowerment is a heavy theme here. But, since it’s the year of our Lord 2012, you already know there’s TONS and TONS of interchangeable electronic dance tracks. They’re not as pedestrian (and ear-splitting) as the worst moments on the the previous album, but things get pretty same-y pretty quickly. Thankfully, solid singles and and a couple notable album cuts keep the album afloat. Lotus and Bionic are about even in terms of quality but I’ll give this one the slight edge due to better consistency.
Forgotten favorites: “Sing for Me,” “Your Body,” “Just a Fool”
4. Back to Basics (2006)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: I was VERY excited for Back to Basics in 2006. Christina creating a tribute album to soul and jazz with heavy hitters DJ Premier, Rich Harrison and Kwame on board? This HAS to be a classic in the making, right? RIGHT??? Well, I was mildly disappointed back then and that hasn’t changed 16 years (!) later. Double-disc albums are always a risky venture and the excess does Christina no favors. The second half of the first disc is by far strongest part of the album, showcasing all of Christina’s strengths. The jazzy tone and Preemo’s gritty scratches work much better than the wacky Lindy Perry-produced second disc, which swings from circus silliness to WW-2 era pin-up girl stuff. I know Back to Basics is a fan favorite – and there’s a lot to love here for sure – but it too often feels like she’s running through costume changes instead of finding sonic symmetry.
Forgotten favorites: “F.U.S.S.,” “Thank You,” “On Our Way”
3. Liberation (2018)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: Now this is the step forward we’ve been looking for. Since the Stripped era, Christina has experimented with blending multiple sounds on every project, with mostly mixed results, as you see above. Props to Liberation for nailing the consistency this time – an impressive feat when you’re mixing pop, soul, blues, reggae and rock elements on one album. It’s certainly not perfect – lead single “Accelerate” sounds like four different songs playing through your AirPods at the SAME TIME – but this was a very nice return to form. PS: Y’all slept on “Pipe” – it should be the soundtrack to countless freaky Tik Tok challenges.
Forgotten favorites: “Maria,” “Pipe,” “Twice”
2. Christina Aguilera (1999)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I was decidedly anti-boy band in the late 90s, and that included all the pop princesses too. But Christina’s music was just undeniable. Look up BOP in your nearest Oxford dictionary and I guarantee there’s a picture of Christina rising out of her genie bottle. She elevated herself over her peers because, even amongst the most candy-coated tracks, it’s clear she’s a legit singer. That’s why her debut still holds up exceedingly well today. A couple of generic pop tracks drag things down occasionally but, in my eyes, it’s easily the best album of the late-90s Bubblegum Era.
Forgotten favorites: “Love for All Seasons,” “Obvious,” “Somebody’s Somebody”
1. Stripped (2002)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: Christina stirred up a ton of controversy when she shedded her teenybopper image back in 2002 but hindsight shows that it was the right move. Stripped was her first attempt at blending genres, which would become a trademark over the next 20 years, and it’s probably best done here. Raucous pop songs, bouncy Latin tracks, rock-fueled empowerment joints, straight-up R&B ballads, Stripped utilizes every tool in Christina’s bag. Twenty years later and Stripped is still Christina’s defining album.
Forgotten favorites: “Loving Me 4 Me,” “Get Mine, Get Yours,” “Infatuated”
Your turn! Bionic and Back to Basics fans, feel free to leave your death threats below!
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