The onetime genie has fallen on hard times recently, racking up a divorce, an unsuccessful album, and a public intox arrest in the past year. I sympathize with the decision to join The Voice, which has a panel star-studded enough to challenge both American Idol and X-Factor, but I can't get behind Christina Aguilera as either a coach or judge of talent. The 30-year-old pop star's songs are always big on vocal acrobatics ("Beautiful," "Candyman," "Ain't No Other Man") and short on the things Madonna, Whitney Houston, and even Idol's Jennifer Lopez stand for: fun, ebullience, and chutzpah.
I understand the show is called The Voice, so a performer like Aguilera -- whose sole talent is her astonishing instrument -- may be appropriate. But I think people like Lady Gaga and Adele, who have great voices but more importantly some self-awareness, keenness, and intellect, prove that the era of pop showboaters is a rightfully dated one. I look forward more to singer-songwriter competitions like Bravo's Platinum Hit than I do another round of platinum-blonde caterwaulers pummeling the bleachers with a glory note. It's not enough to have a voice; pop stars should have a handle on restraint (or, in the case of Lady Gaga, an owned sense of indulgence) too. I'm not even sure Aguilera has a handle on what makes an artist worthwhile beyond diva ululations and flappy hand gestures.
What do you think? Is Xtina a rightful judge of the X-factor?