I'm not going to lie, I'm almost kind of enjoying watching Christina Aguilera's career implode right before my eyes. Don't get me wrong, Xtina fans, I have hardly anything against her. I can probably only name three of her songs off the top of my head and think they're fine, even if her Mariah-esque vocal exercises do sort of annoy me. But I've spent the last decade or so wondering why she -- and so many other people who it feels like in the past would have had a hit or two and then faded away, like in the '80s -- even still had a career in the first place. It almost feels like the implosion of the traditional music industry has forced the establishment -- and the public -- to cling on to the last stars of "old era" -- from which Xtina emerged -- when in the past we'd have moved on to the next star with a hit single (remember those?) and cool video (remember when MTV showed videos?). (I feel the same way about that chick who sang "Bills, Bills, Bills," so what do I know?)
To me, Christina was to Britney (another artist I have no use for) what Cyndi was to Madonna -- and as such, it makes perfect sense to me that her time is up. (Cyndi also held on for three albums -- "Bionic" is Xtina's "Hat Full of Stars.") No, it's not a done deal. This could be Xtina's Girlie Show period, where her career hit a rough patch but from which she can rebound. But the backlash against her -- most of it calling her out for going Gaga, a claim that has been disputed by her fans and about which I know little, although I am nearly certain that people tend to call it "copying/ripping off" when they aren't a fan of someone and "appropriating/finding inspiration from" when they are -- has been so visceral and mean-spirited (check out the Phyllis Diller crack in the caption above!) that I see this as Xtina's Captain Lou Albano moment, from which she will never recover. And why should she?
Keep this in mind: Cyndi also had The Voice. But being a superstar requires way more than just talent. A great voice or even a great song can get you on the charts. But it's the intangibles -- a little thing called star quality -- that give an artist staying power. And like it or not, Madonna and Britney -- despite her relentless attempts to sabotage herself -- have "it" and Christina does not. Only time will tell if Gaga is a Madonna or a Cyndi. But as "Beautiful" becomes the new "True Colors," something tells me the days are numbered before Christina's doing the True Colors Gay Pride circuit.
I'm not going to lie, I'm almost kind of enjoying watching Christina Aguilera's career implode right before my eyes. Don't get me wrong, Xtina fans, I have hardly anything against her. I can probably only name three of her songs off the top of my head and think they're fine, even if her Mariah-esque vocal exercises do sort of annoy me. But I've spent the last decade or so wondering why she -- and so many other people who it feels like in the past would have had a hit or two and then faded away, like in the '80s -- even still had a career in the first place. It almost feels like the implosion of the traditional music industry has forced the establishment -- and the public -- to cling on to the last stars of "old era" -- from which Xtina emerged -- when in the past we'd have moved on to the next star with a hit single (remember those?) and cool video (remember when MTV showed videos?). (I feel the same way about that chick who sang "Bills, Bills, Bills," so what do I know?)
To me, Christina was to Britney (another artist I have no use for) what Cyndi was to Madonna -- and as such, it makes perfect sense to me that her time is up. (Cyndi also held on for three albums -- "Bionic" is Xtina's "Hat Full of Stars.") No, it's not a done deal. This could be Xtina's Girlie Show period, where her career hit a rough patch but from which she can rebound. But the backlash against her -- most of it calling her out for going Gaga, a claim that has been disputed by her fans and about which I know little, although I am nearly certain that people tend to call it "copying/ripping off" when they aren't a fan of someone and "appropriating/finding inspiration from" when they are -- has been so visceral and mean-spirited (check out the Phyllis Diller crack in the caption above!) that I see this as Xtina's Captain Lou Albano moment, from which she will never recover. And why should she?
Keep this in mind: Cyndi also had The Voice. But being a superstar requires way more than just talent. A great voice or even a great song can get you on the charts. But it's the intangibles -- a little thing called star quality -- that give an artist staying power. And like it or not, Madonna and Britney -- despite her relentless attempts to sabotage herself -- have "it" and Christina does not. Only time will tell if Gaga is a Madonna or a Cyndi. But as "Beautiful" becomes the new "True Colors," something tells me the days are numbered before Christina's doing the 
3 comments:
Agree! Amen! Took the words out of my keyboard.
Could not agree more!
started back in 2008 http://cuseclothesline.blogspot.com/2008/11/christina-vs-lady-gaga.html
when xtina stylist though no one would notice ripping off Lady Gaga
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