Christina Aguilera was once the darling of the Pop charts; one of the crown jewels of the industry’s musical diadem. Wielding a voice that rivaled many of music’s greats, the singer was once hailed by critics as “the voice of her generation”. Without a doubt, the rampant success that Aguilera enjoyed in her early career was out-paced by only a few of her contemporaries. Nevertheless, it seems that the singer has since been ousted from her position at the top of the Pop roost.
Having taken the time to establish herself as a both a wife and mother, Aguilera’s dominance of the Billboard charts has become but a distant memory. Where she once garnered #1 hits around the world, she has now been placed on the back burner of public interest. In fact, her last widely successful studio release was the ‘Stripped’ LP of 2002 which was certified 4x platinum in the US, a far cry from the relatively mediocre sales of ‘Back To Basics’ which struggled to achieve platinum status in her native market. Indeed, many would consider the young star to be a diva in aging.
Moreover, where her only rival in the industry was once only considered to be Britney Spears – who has since managed to continue her Pop music supremacy despite her many personal issues – Aguilera has now been replaced at the top of the charts by a flurry of new artists including Rihanna, Beyonce and Lady GaGa. Interestingly, she once denounced GaGa’s presence entirely, claiming not to have even known that the singer existed, a move that she may have come to regret as GaGa has now captured her market; erasing almost all memory of Aguilera’s former reign.
With that being said, the question is this: does the music industry still have a place for Christina Aguilera? Or would she become a staple of the past like many of the songs on her ‘Back To Basics’ LP? Regardless of how talented she may be, one thing is certain: she no longer has the luxury of resting on her laurels like she has in recent times. If she does not have a major breakthrough with this release, it might be wise for her to consider motherhood as a full-time job.
