Best Bits from Christina Aguilera's Bionic

Let's call a spade a spade here: Christina Aguilera has had a terrible album era so far.

After a two year absence, the pop star has been met with what can be best called a lukewarm reception. Her lead single "Not Myself Tonight" flopped on the charts, debuting and peaking at a dismal #23 on the Hot 100, even after high profile promotion. The sex-crazed video for the song faced almost universal criticism for being a Lady Gaga knockoff. Speaking of Gaga, Xtina also had to release a statement clarifying rude comments she made about her pop counterpart in Out Magazine. It's fair to say things aren't looking too good for her right now.

There is a silver lining in the release of Bionic, her fourth studio album. There are actually some really good songs on here. The album is pretty lengthy, so here are the tracks you should be looking for.

Glam - Hopefully it won't go to her head, but this song is the closest thing to a modernization of "Vogue" that I've heard in a long time. It's funky, sexy, and has a really cool vibe to it. It isn't one of those songs that show off her spectacular voice, but that can be forgiven as you groove to it in the clubs.

Desnudate - Christina's got lots of sex tracks on this album, but this is the only one that's actually fun and danceable. It's definitely unchartered territory for the singer, dipping her toes into the dancehall pop that Kat DeLuna popularized. For anyone who's forgotten that Aguilera is Latina, the singer sings in some Spanish for us. It's a big hip-mover, and would've been a better bet for a lead single.

Lift Me Up - She debuted this song at the Hope for Haiti benefit, and it is just as affecting in studio as it is live. Aguilera is at her most authentic on this track, and it is comforting to hear her use that amazing voice she was gifted with. If released, this could be the album's "Beautiful".

You Lost Me - Powerful. Gorgeous. Sad. Classic pop diva balladry.

Vanity - Good in a "so bad it's good" kind of way. First off, I've never heard the word "bitch" used so many times in one song, to describe oneself. We knew Christina had a pretty big ego, but on this track, it's on heavy display, with hilarious, campy results. You might even find yourself laughing along in spite of yourself. Maybe you're just that vain.

Album Track Spotlight: "I.Y.A." by Chris Brown

If you read my review of Chris Brown's album already, then you know that I listed "I.Y.A." as one of the album's highlights (which are a few and far between, in my opinion).

"I.Y.A" can be best described as the chilled-out cousin of "Forever", Brown's best single. It is a mellow, synthy jam with the standard romantic sentiment of wanting to be the one you love. Brown's voice is AutoTuned to death (you can argue whether he needs it or not), but it works in an understated way with the slick production, courtesy of Free School. As I wrote in the review, its very reminiscent of the Pet Shop Boys, which is never a bad thing since they happen to be brilliant masters of synth-pop.

"I.Y.A." (coupled with "Crawl") should have been the backbone for the album he should have made; a fun, but mature R&B/pop record that shows that, like his female counterpart who shall not be named out of respect for Breezy's fans, he has an artist's ability to grow with every experience.

While the album ultimately failed in that pursuit, this song seems to show that it is possible.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Best Bits from Rihanna's Rated R Album

I know, back-to-back posts about Chris Brown and Rihanna...

I could write a review about Rihanna's new album Rated R, but I feel like I would be writing the same review that I wrote for Kanye's 808'S and Heartbreak.

What I can say is that this is her best album to date, her darkest album by a mile, her best vocal performance by seven miles, and one of the best pop albums of the year.

After listening to this album for a week and a half, I have come up with what I call "the best bits" (I'm really adopting the British culture):

Fire Bomb - The best song on the album, no question. Probably should be a single, if not the first. It's a midtempo pop/rock track that uses a burning car as a metaphor about an ending relationship. The lyrics match the sharp, industrial-sounding production perfectly, and Rihanna sounds absolutely stunning. My favorite part of this song is the heavily-altered vocal run after the chorus, which is excellent in its own right.

Rude Boy - It's the most uptempo song on the album, and the most fun. Rihanna teases her lover about being in control and whether they can really satisfy her (she even asks if he's "big" enough, pretty ballsy, pun intended). It's a lively R&B track that reaffirms Rihanna's strong presence.

Te Amo -  A lot sexier than "I Kissed a Girl", this latin drum-fueled pop track has Rihanna singing about a dancefloor encounter with another woman. The lyrics are pretty hot, but the the drums and the accompanying synths will make you want to hit the dancefloor yourself, with whatever gender you choose. Chances are, though, you won't have as much fun as Rihanna's dancefloor dalliance.

Russian Roulette - Rihanna's lead single couldn't have been a bigger surprise. Instead of releasing another "Disturbia" or "Umbrella", she drops this dark, dramatic ballad in the laps of the public. With the Chris Brown incident still fresh in our minds, we couldn't help but relate the shockingly abusive lyrics to her personal life. Setting that aside, the single ranks amongst her best, with a career-defining vocal performance and a powerful arrangement that ends with a shuddering gunshot.

Cold Case Love - Rihanna's interpretation of Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight". The song, which can be most appropriately applied to her drama, starts off slow, but it continues to build with more layers of instruments with each second. It finally breaks into a full-throttle track, following the Collins-esque drum solo. It's surprising, but very cool.

Hard - Probably the album's only, truly radio-friendly track, "Hard" sees Rihanna kicking her victim persona aside and taking control. The hip-hop-styled song, featuring a verse from Jeezy, may seem a little forced at first listen, but the hook is too bombastic and excellent to ignore.

Honorable mentions: Wait Your Turn, Photographs