This is a man’s world but it wouldn’t be nothing without our little divas!
Today, our From The Vault pick comes courtesy of ‘Your Body’ songstress Christina Aguilera and her heartfelt tribute to the late great James Brown.
‘It’s a Man’s World’ is one of Mr. Brown’s many signature songs, and beyond that is without an ounce of a doubt considered a musical landmark. Released in 1966, it has been sampled by numerous artists such as Michael Jackson in ‘Bad’, Wu-Tang in ‘Gravel Pit’ and Alicia Keys in ‘Fallin’ and covered by Cher, Tom Jones and Celine Dion to name but a few.
Xtina’s Grammy Awards rendition of the quintessential track serves as one of her most glorious showcases to date. Taking place during the 2007 Grammy Awards, the petite powerhouse “churched it and worked it!”
Displaying incredible technique all the while conveying emotion, this makes for a more than a compelling experience, once again placing Ms. Aguilera in a league that she shares with the likes of Adele, Beyonce, and Amy Winehouse as the Voices of this generation. Receiving rave reviews from critics the world over, it is often cited as one of the most memorable Grammy performances of all time. All-time.
Christina, who is gearing up to the release of her fifth album ‘Lotus’ on November 13th, remains an untouchable talent as witnessed here; especially in this climate which sees singers-who-can’t-sing-won’t-sing topping the worldwide tallies.
Still, as was the proof with her last outing (the underrated ‘Bionic’), in this industry it is not always about ‘The Voice’ (pardon the pun) and more about the packaging and perception – fronts Christina has struggled with on in recent years.
Nonetheless, with her hit-filled new album, the ‘Dirrty’ singer has an impressive arsenal to launch the biggest of Pop comebacks. Here’s hoping all involved “play the game” in a way which ensure she is once again…winning.
Is Christina one of the greatest voices of all-time?