Lotus

Don’t let the spiritual-rebirth title of Xtina’s fifth LP fool you. Christina Aguilera has only one religious affiliation – the cult of the voice. And she has a great diva theme to rap her pipes around: surviving a divorce. “Spin around in circles on my middle, middle finger,” she sings on “Circles.” Producers like Shellback and Max Martin give her top-line tracks to body-slam, but, sadly, her bombastic breakup ballad with Blake Shelton, “Just a Fool,” sounds more like a battle round on The Voice than a friendly duet. It’s just one telling moment where this vitriol-tsunami of a record misses a chance to connect Aguilera’s music with her warm, empathetic TV presence. 

Listen to ‘Lotus’