Well, Christina Aguilera’s week isn’t getting any better: Her tour was just postponed owing to “prior commitments†(seriously, what?), and now, with two weeks to go before its official release, Bionic has leaked. Good news for us, though, because we finally get to hear Aguilera’s oddball collaboration with Le Tigre and Peaches, “My Girls†(sorry, no Animal Collective samples). Nothing mind-blowing here, really: It’s a fun, silly female empowerment song, with a super-quick Peaches verse, probably most notable for the part where Aguilera shouts out Le Tigre’s JD Samson and Johanna Fateman like they’re all going off to solve fun crimes together. Much more interesting is “Elastic Love,†where Aguilera cribs off M.I.A. for the verses and Karen O for the chorus; it’s our second-favorite song on the album right now. Our favorite? Definitely “Sex for Breakfast,†a slow jam about … yeah … featuring the lines “taste me and I’ll taste you†and “won’t let you sleep/I want you deep inside of me.†Awkward!
Unintentional comedy aside, Aguilera’s at her best here when she’s — surprise — not trying to be raunchy. “Sex for Breakfast†splits Bionic down the middle, with most of the in-your-face stuff (including the two singles) coming before it, and all the reserved, pretty ballads on the second half. “My Heart,†“All I Need,†and “I Am†are all sparse and lovely, mostly just Aguilera’s voice, without any whistle-register theatrics, up front. Sex songs and inspirational ballads? Who does she think she is, R. Kelly?