Christina Aguilera (RCA)
In a time when musical careers often flame out in a year or two, it's best to be prolific. Taking that idea to heart, Aguilera releases this set of 11 holiday songs on the heels of her first Spanish-language release, Mi Reflejo. She fares better in English.
On her multiplatinum 1999 self-titled debut, Aguilera established herself as the teen pop queen who can actually sing. Here she hones her craft on such traditional carols as "Oh Holy Night" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" as well as on a bluesy spin of "Angels We Have Heard on High." She duets with Dr. John for the jazz-infused "Merry Christmas, Baby" and sets "The Christmas Song" to a kickin' dance beat. Though the classics serve Aguilera well, she falters on new cuts such as Diane Warren's painful "These Are the Special Times" and "Christmas Time," credited to a production team called Celebrity Status/Ron Fair.
Bottom Line: Still a little green
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