Christina Aguilera Hits the Dance Floor With "Not Myself Tonight"

In 2006, Christina Aguilera went Back to Basics, putting a modern spin on soul and swing-era music. Her new Bionic boasts a futuristic album cover and buzzing first single that show off her renewed desire to hit the dance club with high-powered beats from the 21st century. Aguilera premiered first single "Not Myself Tonight" on her official site yesterday, singing, "I'm not myself tonight, tonight I'm not the same girl," a nod to her musical shift in the past four years. Aguilera even takes preemptive aim at anyone who dismisses her new style with, "The old me's gone and I feel brand new, and if you don't like it, fuck you." It appears as though "Xtina" is back and is ready to duke it out for club spins with Lady Gaga and Ke$ha.

"Not Myself Tonight" was co-written by Ester Dean, who had a hand in Rihanna's "Rude Boy," and club king Polow Da Don, who also produced the track. Bionic will feature Aguilera combining songs written by electro-pop and rockers like Sia, Le Tigre and Ladytron with production from bona fide hitmakers like Tricky Stewart, Switch and Linda Perry. As Rolling Stone previously reported, Aguilera also had some writing sessions with M.I.A. and Santigold. "There's no holds barred for anything," Aguilera told RS. "It's really the future and can go anywhere. It's exciting to challenge myself in that way and explore."

The single will be available on iTunes starting April 13th, while Bionic will follow on June 8th, which is 69 days and two hours from right now according to the countdown clock embedded on Aguilera's site.

Related Stories:
• Christina Aguilera Looks Forward to "Futuristic" New Album
• Christina Aguilera Recruits M.I.A., Santigold for Upcoming Album
• Christina Aguilera: Still Dirty After All These Years

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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