ernestsewell said:

Well stated, as always, Ernest.

Cinnie said:

Well the last line of that post sums it up and the reason the industry is where it is plain and simple. This decade can be defined by artists saying they are taking risks and changing, when all they are doing is what the next guy is doing. I get insulted when people compare this decade to the 80's? get the fuck out of here, in the 80's everyone was different and tried and went out of your way to be different, not just for your art, but because you didnt want to be like everyone else, but now that is the way of the world, look at the Hip Hop industry, everything from clothing to beats everyone is the same, and just take that mind set and insert it into what is the pop world today.

But as far as Bomb and Flop, i mean i know some people get off on that word, but, lets get real, the whole industry is a flop, bomb whatever cool word you wanna use, so im not shocked that her single didnt move, because what female diva that has been around a minute can move a song? Janet? Madonna? Mariah? i mean its over at this point, but i think xtina needs to be realistic about this, decide what you are, she is throwing too much out there, shes in a tough spot because she actually has the vocal talent where older folks like her when she is singing, i mean my mom digs her when she sings with Andrea Boccelli, and alot of people did dig her standards move, but you throw a total 360 and now you are into s&m and wonder why that audience that liked u with Andrea Boccelli has waved good bye to you. Overall its safe to say that this album will sell around 200,000 if its lucky (overall, not in a week) and labels and FANS of music have to adjust there "selling" terms, deal with the fact that those days of selling numbers are over

How much are we over Christina? Let’s count the ways. Well, there’s at least 27 just in this:



Maybe we got a little too hyped up over the new record? It’s been awhile and let’s face the truth: Back to Basics sucked. That double-disc shitfest of r&b mixed with old samples was b.o.r.i.n.g. Therefore, we were really itching for something great with this comeback and rightly so, because Aguilera was really touting it to be this tour de force album that would be totally different from anything she’s done:

"[There are] different textures and things with my voice that I was really playing around with and having fun with on this record that I never even knew I could do, vocally."

Then there was the whole iamamiwhoami debacle. Even though it had zero to do with Christina, it really got us excited that she was doing something really innovative. Especially after she made it the focal point in several interviews that Bionic was utterly unique and that her voice was going to be presented in many different ways (read as subtler).

However, we should take the blame for the hype – not her. I mean, how silly of us for thinking that she might actually be able to do something original, new and fresh. See here, here and here.

There was also the fact that she worked with lots of really cool people (ex. Goldfrapp, Sia, Ladytron) and then the tracklisting comes out and Goldfrapp is seemingly left out. Showing that she tossed all uniqueness to the side of the road with this record, Aguilera decided once again to take her own path and released the most unimpressive (comeback) single of 2010, Not Myself Tonight. Seriously, the song sucks more than anything on Back to Basics.

While the song tanked at radio, she released a really whorish gross unsexy weird fetish-filled perfume commercial neat video for the song which was 3 minutes of her doing something that Madonna has already done (a million years ago), but with less tongue-in-cheek and more ballgag-in-mouth tackiness. Someone at Christina’s camp probably should have told her that “sexy mom” is not a good tactic to sell a song, video or record. No one cares that you had a kid and can still wear leather. Just ask Kate Gosselin.


There was also the infamous coughing during an interview video.

And finally, today this cute little quote came out in Billboard:

I’m in it for the long haul, and a decade later in my career, I have nothing to prove. To anyone who wants to be negative, it’s like, ‘I’m obviously relevant enough to you for you to care and to talk and to evoke negative feelings inside of you.’ At this point in my career, I’m over any and all weird comparisons or negativity.

Which leaves me saying one word, “Who”. As in who the fuck does she think she is? What has she really done that you can recall that has been some milestone upon the canvas of pop music. Stripped was a defining moment in her career and one could argue that Dirrty and Beautiful both take their place among the best songs, but just because she didn’t go crazy like Britney doesn’t mean she gets to ride around on her fucking high-horse like she is God’s gift to music.

I don’t care how many records you’ve sold, or how rabid your fanbase is. Get over yourself. Your last album sucked. Your current single sucks, the video was tacky. And your diva attitude is completely unwanted.

Her attitude reminds me of fat people who lose weight and then become assholes. Guess what! I still remember your fat ass face, so let’s just go back for a minute and look at this:



Looking like a trailer-trash bitch who works, shops, eats, lives and breathes Claire’s. And don’t think for a minute Ms. Aguilera that just because you married a Jew, you’ve inherited any of that Hollywood power. I’m sure Burlesque will be a real piece of work.

EXPIRED.

(edited by Justin)



DAMN!! LINK

^^ DAMN! TALK ABOUT A GRILL!

CHIC0 said:

I think all credibility went out the window with the Jew comment. Hard to see how this person was EVER a fan.

I've always been mildly interested in Christina, so the hits album was nearly perfect (even though it leaves "Lady Marmalade" among others out...stupid). After hearing the first two full songs, yeah, I'm disappointed and I can see (well, hear) why fans would be really pissed...I mean, Goldfrap is pretty awesome and they DIDN'T make the cut? That being said, some might need to calm down.

lastdecember said:

I tend to nod and agree with a lot of your comments, but to put Christina in the camp of Janet and Madonna doesn't make sense. Who are her peers...could it be some other blonde singer that has a very similar background. SHE can move singles (especially lately). She wasn't doing so hot in the mid 2000s (with singles just plain going nowhere, despite at times being good) but she managed to catch on with a lot of the material from "Circus" and "3", from a greatest hits album that by any measurement underperformed (not a big deal....first off, it's her second hits set and was released with a majority of stuff from the first plus stuff from her later two albums...and frankly, that didn't set the world on fire because she really isn't a "greatest hits" selling artist....she is all about the latest release). She's puts sexuality out there, but the songs are damn catchy (and one would think for a while she was really listening to the wrong people and just going through the motions....might be the case, but someone out there is still picking the hits).

VinnyM27 said:

Yeah that article was too much.

Timmy84 said:

Yeah, I don't know about that. The article was harsh, but wasn't it kind of spot on? Isn't it kind of the reality check that girlfriend needs? That thing about someone coughing during her interview - what a bitch! I was really shocked about that. She could have paused a second, saved everyone a diva moment (and bullshit with her laughing it off - total fakery), and been a human about it.

I'm REALLY losing faith in this girl. And I hate that it's happening.

lastdecember said:

The numbers are even a far cry from the days of her last album, 2006's Back To Basics. I don't know how much that one sold either (as a double album).

Cinnie said:

Pink was pretty bold to get in the face of the head of RCA like that. Good for her.

VinnyM27 said:

Well Britney has never been a strong "airplay" artist, she could sell singles but the play always for the most part alluded her, ironically "Circus" got her, her most play since album 1. Britney and Xtina have an interesting relation with the public, Britney no matter she goes through or does, will always get the welcome back, because she is always that little cute girl from day one, Xtina always came off, sorry to say, as a bitch, and the public takes to that. Though it should all be seperate, look at a show like AI, they picked Taylor Hicks over Katharine Mcphee, one had minimal talent and SHE had the best voice in music in a long time, but they picked him because people said she came off as a little "stuck up" because of her talent, so thats why the Jay Leno-wannabe won a singing contest.

Its the same issues with Xtina and Britney, just look at her nickname Xtina, i mean that comes off the wrong way, it seems forced. Britney has the sexual market covered, so Xtina,Jessica Simpson etc....who are the better singers, are viewed as "followers" when they try to be raunchy and sexy. As for the Greatest Hits packages, like u said it was Britneys second, and it only had one new song, and you could get the song anywhere, since it was a 3year old demo. Plus neither sold strong because people already have all there music, there was no reason to buy it, i mean laying down 15dollars for Genie 2.0? why would anyone care.

If the album bombs due to bad material that's one thing; but, if it bombs because it doesn't sell over a million copies in a month than that's completely different. Britney ain't selling like she used to and her label threw shitloads of money into her recent videos and recent album promotion only to have it sell less than 300,000 copies in it's first week. That would really be considered a flop from the business aspect considering that she has two of the highest selling albums of all time from a female artist under her belt. She went from selling 20 million copies from each of her first two albums worldwide to selling less than 5 million copies worldwide with her 'Circus' album. From a financial standpoint, that would be considered a flop and she would be labeled a non-consistent artist, but in reality, I know that she's not going to pull those numbers because her fanbase has diminished over the years and CDs have been almost rendered obsolete thanks to the digital age which brings with it illegal downloading. Her numbers won't ever be what they once were no matter how great people say she is. That's called 'reality'.

If we're going to talk flop, let's go there. Beyonce sold 100,000 less copies of "I Am Sasha Fierce" than "B'day" in its first week so technically it would be considered a flop considering that with 'I Am Sasha Fierce' she has put waay more money into that album than she put into "B'day" because she made a video for pretty much every song on that damn album (about 8 videos) and with "B'day" she only released like 4 videos. Music videos ain't cheap and neither is promoting an album which is why some artists have their new albums come out without many people really knowing much about its release. I didn't even know Erykah Badu's album was coming out until a week before it dropped because there wasn't a whole lot of promotion for it, but that saved her and her label a shitload of money at the end of the day.

If we're going to talk numbers; let's talk numbers. Christina's last two albums of new material both sold a little over 300,000 copies in their first week, so if this new album is able to sell that amount; than that's not a flop...that's called 'breaking even'. As long as she's not making 8 music videos and doing shitloads of promotion for this new album, she'll probably come out the same as her previous albums unless it just stops selling after the first month; and if her new tour sells well, she'll do fine in the end. From a financial point of view, she'd probably be considered a consistent artist. It's when the consistency stops that labels start to drop artist's contracts but Christina has multiple Grammys and other awards behind her name so her label isn't going to drop her no matter how bad this one album does. It's the same with movie companies and Oscar winners who do a shitty film or two; they still have 'Oscar winner' in front of their name; so, they don't have to worry about not being able to find work because they are still considered marketable based off of that title. 'Thriller' became the highest selling album in music history, so everything MJ did after that was going to be considered a financial flop because how was he going top that? He wasn't; so he shouldn't have even stressed himself trying because it wasn't going to happen no matter how big a comeback he would have had (RIP Michael ). Again, that's being realistic.

The less money put out makes it easier to make a profit in the long run. It's the same in every business in the world, not just the music industry. Look at 'Avatar', that movie costed $500 million to make; but, it made $2 Billion fuckin' dollars...you don't have to be a mathematical genius to see that James got paid like muthafucka at the end of the day. At this point, James Cameron could shit in a box and film if for $500 dollars and it would probably make him a least a grande just selling it to some movie or internet company. He would still make a profit.

Christina's album hasn't even come out yet to see any numbers yet people want to talk out the side of their necks about it bombing when Christina hasn't sold 8 million copies of an album since her debut. How the fuck would she be bombing if she ends of pulling the same numbers with this album as she did with 'Stripped' and 'B2B'? Again, that would be considered 'breaking even'. Madonna's recent albums haven't sold shit compared to her stuff from the 80s and early 90s, but she seems to be doing just fine and her tour sales trump her album sells anyway. If she released an album that sold 10 copies and did a tour that grossed $500 million dollars, than who really gives two shits that she only sold 10 copies of an album because she still got stupid paid in the end. Profit is all that really matters at the end of the day since the music business has become more about the business than the music in the past 20 years anyway so let's just see if the album in it's entirety truly does sound as 'terrible' as those snippets and call it a day.

ScarletScandal said:

It sounds like she's trying to be the answer to Lady Gaga, honestly. Sort of like watching Madonna do Kylie Minogue for a few years. Christina is sort of ADHD about things though so this wont be a 3 or 4 year trend with her.

Yikes!

I know her stuck up attitude can get people annoyed especially when she picks on more famous and better selling artists than her lmao but I didn't expect it to come to this. Maybe she should just retire

estelle81 said:

Well all these points i have been saying for ages now, its a new day, the industry in ONE decade has gone from top of the line to dropping close to 70%, and yet people cant get it that an album will never ever ever ever sell a million in day like they did, and artists now are gonna have to fight for a million sold in this country it wont take 4 weeks like it used too, its now gonna take a year if your lucky. But peeps cant except it, they just wanna label flop off the bat, and have no clue on what went in as far as investment, they are just looking at an artist that sold 8 million of an album WHEN SHE WAS A TEEN STAR, get over it, she is old in the market now. Does Scott Baio still have a hit tv show? do girls break down his store still? no because he's old in the world now, and so is christina, and even older is the talk of "flop" when you dont even know how business works.

Personally I think the problem goes all the way back to "Dirrty" when Xtina got way too raunchy way too soon in her career.

This is what people warn against. What's left? A ball gag.

I also agree with confusing her audience. Is she a classy legend with pipes or a pop whore who smokes pipe?

ernestsewell said:

What interview are you talking about? Could you please post a link? Thank.

estelle81 said:

I can almost guarantee that the singles (especially "Single Ladies" being in the mix) from "Sasha Fierce" sold a hellvu a lot more than "B'Day"'(other than "Irreplacable", they were mostly forgettable). It's not a huge victory, but at this point, it's what they'll have to take.

Madonna (or Prince or Janet) could release an album that people love, the one they've been expecting but that also grabs new listners. They could win Grammys, be on all the shows, have huge tours, etc. That new album will not sell 10 million! It just won't happen. Not now. Not ever? Not sure. Right now, the general public's interest in buying music is nearly zilich beyond a singles. At this point, record companies need to figure out what the new normal is. "Hard Candy"'s numbers (which seemed dismal) might be the new normal. Even those seem low, though.

I know this much. If Christina can't get a hit single, that doesn't bode well. And I'm not sure if she'll get a second chance since labels rarely push the SECOND single if the first bombs. If the first bombs, time to move on.

Cinnie said:

lastdecember said:

THANK YOU!!!! I'm a fan and I know for a fact that she ain't selling no damn 8 million copies of any album no matter what style it's in and neither is anyone else...except for maybe that Justin Bieber kid but we all know why that would happen...teen girls keep the music industry alive ya'll. I'd be surprised if she can retain the title of 'platinum selling artist' with this album because Christina has never been the media darling; never, and that's partially due to her diva attitude. Anyone who honestly believes that any artist can go diamond or greater at this day in age really needs to either put the crack pipe down and go to rehab; or, they need to seek help with their obsession for their favorite artist before they end up doing so stalker shit and getting arrested...idol worship is bad; very bad.

dag said:

Cinnie said:

Agreed. The image that she puts out there is really beneath her considering her vocal talents and I feel the same way about Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Leave that hooker/stripper nonsense to the 'images with soundtracks' who have no real vocal talents to rely on.

Cinnie said:

Honestly, I can't imagine she wasn't just trying to be funny. I'm certainly not a cheerleader for the woman, but to freak out at her during that would be as dumb as if she was really freaking out over that cough.

VinnyM27 said:

With "Stripped", 'Dirrty' got pulled early because of that issue with the music video, but than she dropped 'Beautiful' which I think ultimately saved that album in the end. It's totally possible for an artist to have a bad first single but have the B-Side or second single save the project. It wouldn't be the first time it's happened in music history.

Cinnie said:

I hate arrogance. It´s sad how everyone in the show business nowadays has an ego and it is considered to be cool.

ernestsewell said:

Can't deny he was right on some parts.

midiscover said:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...tM#t=0m14s

Honestly, I've always thought she was kinda overrated. I never caught on to her hype. When I was little, I used to call her Christina "Agu-yeller," and used to resent people always comparing her to Whitney. To me, Pink was better/cooler.