IT’s official; Christina Aguilera is the Queen of Pop.
Once dismissed as an imitator, the Cyndi Lauper to Britney’s Madonna, the Dirrty Girl has carved an adult identity for herself with ease.
And while Britney was busy failing to make the crossover to credible pop icon that ex-lover Justin Timberlake managed so successfully, Christina crept up and stole her crown.
If last night’s M.E.N. Arena performance is anything to go by, she has no intention of giving it back.
Chart-topping hip hoppers Black Eye Peas whipped up the largely teenage and female audience for the pint-sized stunner with a bass-driven supporting set.
A party attitude and old-school breakdancing encouraged some of the loudest screams in a night of sustained, high-pitched shrieking from Ms Aguilera’s legions of Manc fans.
After some visuals the tiny girl with the big voice finally came on stage to an enthralled city. In vampish, black leather get-up with cheeky red straps, her diminutive presence took full command of the huge room.
Oozing confidence, Christina made it clear she was there to belt out good, full-blooded pop, not the kind made by people who work with Pete Waterman, but the type that will bother radio playlists for a while.
Dirrty
Opening with her signature tune, Dirrty, the risque moves that seemed to have kept a lot of younger kids at home last night were performed live on stage to full effect. Afterwards, chatting to the crowd in a translantic accent, she gave a warmly received self-help speech to her girly fans.
Christina cruised through the next hour, showing the versatility that has kept her fresh. She breezed from the cod-eastern style of Genie In a Bottle to a latin-lite medley. For Genie she was wheeled on stage on an x-shaped ‘torture rack’, just one aspect of a visually impressive show that featured a half-clad dancer writhing in a box.
The 22-year-old donned her customary revealing leather chaps to the delight of the front-row photographers. There was even a Eurovision-style skirt ripping routine.
Her powerful rendition of Fighter was a highpoint, as was her step into blues territory with a cover of an Etta James track.
She rounded up the evening’s entertainment with confetti and a clean girly look for her eighth costume change.
And when she came back to perform ‘Beautiful’ fans sang their hearts out. Christina Aguilera was on top last night, and she loved it.
(from: manchesteronline.co.uk) |
