Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green team up again, but this time it's for his Christmas album, Cee Lo's Magic Moment! Having already recorded an original cut, in the form of Lotus' Make The World Move, the pair opt to tackle the pop standard Baby, It's Cold Outside this time round.
Despite Christina Aguilera only "featuring" on the song, it's perhaps unsurprising she remains the more striking voice on the classic: dancing all over CeeLo Green's grounding bass like a butterfly fluttering spasmodically around a slug.
The overall quality of her voice- tone/ timbre/ belts- is definitely much improved on the majority of tracks on her own album Lotus; an odd fact considering it was released after Cee Lo's album. Also, the balanced out dynamics on the top belt make her voice much more palatable. I just wish she'd chosen to attack the notes like this on Lotus: it would have made it a much more enjoyable affair.
However, having fallen in love with the Ray Charles and Betty Carter version many moons ago, Christina's delivery sounds way too fussy/showy for me to truly get into. This is supposed to be a song that tells a story, but when the melody is made so complex it makes it hard for it to be heard, let alone appreciated. Let's not even start on the lack of chemistry between the two singers. Bottom line, this won't be replacing the Ray Charles/ Betty Carter version of Baby, It's Cold Outside in my heart, or on my Ipod.
Check out both duets below:
Nice article but you kind of got some parts wrong. The song is on Cee Lo's magic moment which is his Christmas album thats already been out for a little while now. And he hasn't released anything for the one thats due next year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian! :D Me and my half assed researching...sigh.
ReplyDeleteI too agree nothing is better than the classic, I like it. This better than anything on Lotus vocally.I like her playing with softer side of her tone the melody and phasing which she does'nt due often. Although it was kinda showy there wasn't any ridiculous belts thrown in, I can aprecitate it.
ReplyDeleteNew music? LOL DD... this is old!
ReplyDeleteVoice sounds much better here. Love the head voice.
Hahaha omg DD that " butterfly around a slug" line killed me lol, that scene from Star Wars with jabba the hut and princess lea came to mind
ReplyDeleteExactly! If she only did more of her music this way, exploiting that beautiful softer side of her voice, it would be so much better.
ReplyDeleteChristina aguilera sings EVERYTHING the same!! No musicianship at all.
ReplyDeleteYes, preach gurlllll!
ReplyDeletejust when i thought "FINALLY christina has stopped straining and yelling! i love this side of her voice!" we get to 2:30 in the song and it goes downhill from there...
ReplyDeleteBut how is that not having musicianship? Bc she has a signature style? I mean at least she does Christina A all the time vs doing some1 else or what the song writer ask her to do n lose CA n is left with what some1 else wants her to sound. Also she sings very differently in songs like from porgy n Bessie , stepping out with tony Bennett, sex for breakfast, loving me for me, etc
ReplyDeleteJust because she sings similar (not the same all the time), doesn't mean she doesn't have musicianship. Musicianship is about interpreting the song as well, which is what they have done here. It doesn't sound like any other versions.
ReplyDeleteI love the sultry spin they've put on this. Cee Lo is one of the best male vocalists out there today (could you maybe do a vocal profile for him, DD?) and this is definitely one of her best vocal performances in the past few years.
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