There has been so much buzz and controversy over Christina’s new album, Bionic, especially among the gays. The release of her music video had droves of people calling foul for Gaga- and Madonna-thievery (not influence or reference, but outright thievery). And when her album leaked early, I heard almost exclusively negative feedback. But I decided that I needed to form my own opinion and listen for myself. And I’m glad I did.
"Bionic" is an industrial, electronic track that works better as an intro than as a stand-alone track and could have easily been cut to 1:30 (the abbreviation opened her recent MTV Movie Awards performance). It sets the tone and establishes that this album is the opposite of her last throwback album. It’s musical manifestation of the album art. The main element of the instrumental is a buzzing synth that arpeggiates at semi-irregular intervals (in time). The percussion is simple and syncopated. The verses are punctuated with high, dark synth chords, and [producer] samples space-age sounds throughout the track. All these elements work to achieve the futuristic sound. She rap-talks through the verses and sounds quite a bit like Nikki Minaj.
"Not Myself Tonight,” the lead single from the album, had to grow on me. Polow da Don employs a current sound, using a buzzing bass synth that's not unlike the sound of Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro”. Polow da Don seems to take quite a few cues from RedOne (who produced “Alejandro”), a kick drum on every beat, the mid-pitch echoey synth sounds. However, Polow incorporates a much sharper snare in his percussion and adds Stomp-like percussion during the pre-chorus and chorus. The form that the song is written in is interesting: a 4-bar verse; a 4-bar pre-pre-chorus; and a 4-bar pre-chorus before the chorus. Each part has distinct instrumental elements that build up to the 8-bar chorus. Songwriters have seen huge success in repeating more material than they change between verses in pop music recently (I mean, “Bad Romance” has at least 24 bars worth of repeated material in each verse/chorus cycle); however, the chorus fails to deliver on the build-up. The melody blows its load early when Christina hits her highest note in the transition from the pre-chorus to the chorus. The lyrics fall flat as well. Even instrumentally, there's only so much one can add to these 4 distinct parts before it sounds over-produced. And Polow literally starts out the first verse with a kick and snare drum, punctuated with intermittent bass notes. Polow got primary writing credits on this track, which is no surprise to me: the lyrics sound like a mediocre imitation of Sean Garret (known for penning such ladies hits as "Goodies" by Ciara and "Buttons" by The Pussycat Dolls, among other). The formula for a hit is there, but the elements for this track fail to fill in the blanks. Yet somehow, I still want to toss my when it comes on.
The intro to "Woohoo" starts out with an ominous-sounding atmospheric synths that sound like they were tacked on as an afterthought to make this hip-hop-influenced track fit into the futuristic theme of the album. The actual song starts out with a chant that turns out to be a hook. I almost wish it were used as a chant and we got an actual chorus, but it's catchy and harkens back to hand games that young girls (and boys) play on the playground. It feels even less like a chorus because the verse contains more elaborate accompaniment. On the second hook, synth chords come in halfway through. The chord progression resolves with a full bar left. Rather than riding the tonic chord out, another progression starts and doesn't resolve where one expects the hook to end. The hook has an extra 2-bar tag (that could have been cut to 1 bar with more impact) with varied percussion, but the synths rush back to the tonic awkwardly rather than ending on a dominant chord and letting the beginning of the next verse (which starts on an implied tonic chord) resolve the progression. In fact, all of the synths and organs in this track seem like an afterthought. I'd wager this was all bass, percussion, and vocals, and an exec said the producer had to go back and fix it. Christina sounds flawless, and I love her runs in the background vocals (they're not gratuitous and actually work to move the song to the next section). The line "I'm a little tipsy; play along with me" is rhythmically awesome and approaches sonic perfection as a transition. Nikki Minaj's verse is very branded with her style; however, lyrically, it's nothing special. Most rappers go out with a dynamite line on a guest appearance. It just sounds like she just stopped rapping. No one actually says the word "woohoo" until the very end of the song, and if I hadn't seen the name of the song, it wouldn't be immediately clear whether the sample the producer chose is supposed to replace a word or if it were supposed to be a part of the instrumental.
My first reaction to "Elastic Love" was that it sounds like M.I.A. in a pinball machine feel, which makes sense since Switch, who has worked extensively with M.I.A., was a co-producer on this track. I literally would never guess this was Christina's voice because I've never really heard her sing in this register where she lacks that signature push behind her voice. The bassline reminds me of Benni Benassi. Most of the instrumental comes from a buzz synth played in different octaves. The bridge sounds strange because it never gets to the tonic note. One can easily be disoriented the first time one hears it, but the resolution of the chorus re-orients the listener.
"Desnudate" means "Get naked" in Spanish (literally "nude yourself"). The intro sounds like it could have been from Britney's Blackout album (in a good way). Christina uses the familiar sexy technique of slipping between head and chest voice (see: Britney's "3"). A dance kick drum on every beat and a reggaetón snare drive this track with tribal-sounding percussion in the background. The chorus is slight let-down, but the buildup isn't as dramatic as "Not Myself Tonight." There are just enough Latin elements to make the track unique but not alienate it from the rest of the album. But it takes on a party-on-the-beach feel towards the end with the Spanish guitar, tribal drums, brass, whistle, and flute. Lyrically, the song is great, and the syllabic placement couldn't get any better (props to Christina, Tricky Stewart, and Claude Kelly for their penning skills). And I live for that repeated harmonized run towards the end. It's very Christina and very well done. I really want them to get Daddy Yankee on this (and maybe Lil John) and make it a single. They could definitely come up with a chant to liven up the chorus.
There's a superfluous intro before "Glam" that's literally just Christina talking, so let’s just act like that never happened. "Glam" itself has a loungy, recovery vibe, with a kick drum (on every beat) borrowed from a voguing track. Lyrics like "walk, turn, pose, stop" seem to be a shout out to the ball scene (where voguing competition takes place), and the transition between the verse and chorus as well as the run-off after the chorus are perfect for this track's genre. Most of the vocals are soft and muted, even the spoken parts. While the track seems a bit subdued for a ball, she actually belts on the bridge, creating a stark contrast that would be perfect for the climax of a voguing performance that (somehow) embraced the subtlety of the beginning. I really want this to be a single: not because it sounds particularly radio-ready; but because the video would be fierce!
"Prima Donna" has a slow, yet hard-hitting beat, and it’s the last of a trilogy of Tricky Stewart productions in a row. The first verse has only simple, syncopated percussion and a warped-out brassy synth bassline. The melody in the verse is a smooth chromatic line from the tonic down to the dominant, which is unexpected. The instrumental variation when the chorus comes in is pretty subtle: a bit more percussion, a sustained buzzing synth, and a bass synth that slides down the scale. The climactic feel of the chorus comes mostly from Christina's belt, harmonized dramatically a third above. Basically, "Prima Donna" is a synonym for the overused term diva, and the vamping piano and strings at the end of the chorus and run-off are very Phantom-of-the-Opera as are the timpani used in the transitions. Out of nowhere, some guy jumps of a tree and starts yelling over the second verse, and it took checking the credits to convince me it wasn’t Lil John. It's a bit jarring (especially since he didn't get a "featuring" credit), but it keeps things fresh. The second pre-chorus adds some tension-building synths that weren't there before, and Christina's simple yet (even more) dramatic entry into the second chorus is refreshing in a cut-and-paste-music world. The horn riff in the bridge is dangerously close (read: identical) to Ke$ha's breakdown in "Take It Off." The bridge, while it builds great tension, feels like it should lead into something bigger, like an actual bridge (the repetition of "Im a prima donna" is more of a breakdown) rather than cycling back into the chorus. "Morning Dessert" is an ultra-sexy interlude, obviously produced by an alumnus of the Janet Jackson 80s School of Interludes. The cooing, whispery harmonies and chromatics are an awesome foreplay for the next track.
"Sex for Breakfast" sounds instrumentally like it'd fit into a 90s Janet album, yet the synths give it a distinctively neo-soul sound. Her run-heavy vocals are reverbed within an inch of absurd, and it has a seductive effect on the listener. The bridge is almost like edging: she starts to belt, the background vocals build their chords, and the melody approaches the threshold of her belt. She pulls back into a cool falsetto, and the percussion drops out. She resists the urge to belt until after 4 minutes into the song. And I live for her last line.
"Lift Me Up" features piano chords and live-sounding drums before a warped-out electric guitar comes in. On the chorus with strings. In place of the bridge is a nearly a cappella falsetto interlude with tons of reverb, and the classic Christina belt comes in. She sounds great, but it's not a distinctive (let alone inspirational) track. Again, the formula is there, but for whatever reason, this track doesn't deliver. Much like Gaga’s “Speechless,” the live performance conveyed that X factor that was absent in the studio for me.
"All I Need" is rather jazzy with a very dark kick drum, a muted snare, acoustic guitar and piano. Strings and woodwinds eventually join the instrumental. A recital-like piano interlude precedes the bridge (sounds like an old piano in the acoustics of a carpeted room). Christina's vocals are uncharacteristically understated. Runs are basically absent, and the melody doesn't go above a G#3 (within a tenor's range). I love how the melody plays with the harmonic minor by going from the sharped 7th degree to the dominant (sharped 7ths almost always resolve to the tonic or home note... they're right next to each other).
"I Am" starts out with an orchestral string ensemble. Her diction is noticeably different from her usual style: she's saying "am" exactly as a choral director would instruct singers to do. It has the feel of of a Mika track. Again, no belting and no major runs on this track.
"You Yost Me" starts out with an arpeggiating piano and sparse vocals. It’s basically a rewrite of Beyoncé's "Resentment" with more slick production. There's some fun chromatic play throughout the song, and I adore the warbling in the pre-chorus (see: Keyshia Cole's "Love"). We finally get a real bridge that explodes into a belt and heavy instrumentation at the end, and Christina’s performance effectively conveys the intense emotion behind the words.
"I Hate Boys" starts out sounding like the Gary Glitter’s "Rock and Roll” (aka, “The Hey Song” that football teams always use), right down to the crowd cheering in the background. The lyrics are clever, funny even. The bassline and guitar are absolutely infectious. The chorus brings in some rather subtle synth hits that would seem like they shouldn't fit in with the vibe of the song, but they work perfectly. The post-chorus run-off is gratuitously pop and shows that the producers were vying for radio release. It would be well deserved.
On "My Girls," production team Le Tigre creates a Ting-Tings-meets-electronica sound with mix of a mellow rock band vibe with pinball sounds mixed in. Christina's vocals are sort of spoken in melody without much breath support or attention to technique (as a stylistic choice, no doubt). Even her background harmonies, which are definitely in her upper chest voice, don't have that signature push behind them. If someone played this blind for me, I would have never guessed that it was Christina. The guitars drop out in a percussion-and-pinball breakdown for Peaches' rap. I was disappointed that it was only 8 bars. 8 bars that didn't particularly blow me away. However, Peaches' very presence give the track indie cred (or maybe peripheral pop cred), and the buzz over the collaboration was significant before the album came out.
"Vanity" is a great way to close the album (this is the last track on the standard edition). It feels like a first single, and would really bang in the club. Lyrics are clever and elicit a reaction from the listener. The instrumentation on the last chorus gets more organ-heavy, giving it a vogue-type feel ("Get into it!"). The chant towards the end isn't as hot as I was hoping, but it works. The main problem I have with this song is the over-use of "bitch." I guess that was cool like 5 years ago, but today it comes off as trying too hard. Xtina, the gays like you without the overkill.
“Monday Morning” is the first of the deluxe tracks. It’s got a throwback vibe with the disco bassline and the Billy Jean-esque percussion. It has that same electronic rock vibe as “My Girls” as well as the same unfamiliar register in Christina’s voice.
“Bobblehead” has a distinctively M.I.A. feel from the syncopation in the percussion to the spoken melody to just about everything in the in the instrumental. It’s another Switch co-production. The lyrics are well-written, and the syllabic placement is great. The hook is ridiculously catchy. The valley-girl speech between the verses is overdone and distracts from the flow of the track.
“Birds of Prey” starts out with what sounds like an adhān (Muslim call to prayer). It turns into a loungy, synthy slow track with whispery vocals. The combination of the laid-back feel with the word-of-caution lyrics is a very cool combination. You may recognize Ladytron’s signature style on the production of this track.
“Stronger Than Ever” is another ballad that starts out accompanied solely by a piano. The transition between the pre-chorus and the chorus is awkward because… well, basically, there’s no transition. There’s barely even a drum fill leading into it, and the melody jumps a 6th up. No run, no ascending strings or piano glissando. Nothing. Also, the background vocals have a strange texture to them that doesn’t quite blend. I feel like this is a great song that fell way short of it’s potential.
The first time I heard “I Am (Stripped),” I thought it was the same as the regular track. It doesn’t really do anything for me. I think it would be more distinct if it were a bit more unplugged. Maybe Christina, a guitar, and 1 or 2 background singers. Then again, if Britney can have the exact same track on 2 albums…
“Little Dreamer” sounds like it’s right off the credits of an early 80s movie. It’s synth heavy from the treble to the bass. The production has an ironic contrast to the space-age lyrics. Its one of the more entertaining of the additional tracks from the Deluxe Edition. There has been quite a lot of negative buzz over this album, and quite a bit is Gaga-related. I really don’t hear Gaga in her music. That is to say, in the sounds that are coming from the speakers when she sings. While the visuals in her first music video may have been Gaga-esque (but really, what did their styling have in common that Madonna hadn’t already done?), Christina gets a lot more gritty and hip-hop than Gaga ever does. She also covers much more ground, as Gaga seems to stick to a very distinctive style (and work with few producers). The variety (or lack of consistency) in Christina’s album could be seen as a plus or a minus, but it’s hugely distinct from Gaga.
I’m probably going to get some flack for saying it, but I think this will be one of the more entertaining albums of the year. It was hard to take Christina’s new persona seriously, but after listening through these tracks a few times, it’s working for me. There’s some real, intense emotion in this album, and it goes right along side the fun, get drunk, and jump around songs. I’m not going to say I like every single track, but this project gets a thumbs up from me. In fact, all of the songs I suggest for download below are part of either my pre-game, walk-to-the-party rotation or my ride-home-after-the-party rotation.
Amazon has the deluxe album for $14.99 and $10.99 for the standard edition. iTunes has the same price for the standard and the deluxe. With iTunes, you get the electronic album jacket that includes an option to play the album with a rather comical visualizer, photos (hot!!), a song list, credits (very important for music-heads like me), and a discography that links you to her albums and concert DVDs thru the iTunes Store.
Suggested tracks for individual download:
Woohoo
Desnudate
Glam
Prima Donna
Morning Dessert (Intro)
Sex for Breakfast
You Lost Me
I Hate Boys
Vanity
Maybe:
Not Myself Tonight
My Girls
Bobblehead
Click here to check out my review of Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" video.
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