The soundtrack to
Christina Aguilera
's silver screen debut
Burlesque
shines the spotlight on
Xtina
, who is in full-bore diva mode -- a return to the splashy swing of
Back to Basics
after the robotic R&B of
Bionic
. Of course, many of her collaborators from
remain on
:
Tricky Stewart
is responsible for the glitzy dance, and
Sia Furler
co-writes the ballads, their contributions slotted between two Cher songs designed to push the narrative forward, two
Etta James
covers, a slice of heavy camp in the mincing
"But I'm a Good Girl,"
and a
Nicole Scherzinger
co-written interpolation of
Marilyn Manson
's
"The Beautiful People"
that provides a bewildering conclusion to this soundtrack. Some of this stuff is quite good, particularly when
Christina
swings her hips to
Etta
's lead, bringing to mind the zest of
"Ain't No Other Man."
~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine