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.
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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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