The display could give credence to those who have dismissed "Back to Basics" as a pretty, vintage repackaging of a gently used pop star, but Aguilera's voice consistently shakes off all haters.
Her impeccable pitch and tone cushioned her nervy performance of "Back in the Day," where she strutted her little blond self across the stage while claiming to be resurrecting the music of Billie Holiday and Marvin Gaye. Her steamrolling over a vocal sample from '60s singer Betty Harris on "Understand" might read as disrespectful if she didn't sound so good doing it.
Even the choice to put last year's gigantic single "Ain't No Other Man" at the beginning of the show, rather than its close, was forgiven when she hit the tune's highest notes.
Bad song order, overconfidence -- it all seems insignificant when Aguilera opens her mouth.
Those pipes were especially wondrous in comparison with vocals from Aguilera's special guests: Diddy's girl group, Danity Kane (whose hit "Show Stopper" didn't exactly make good on its implicit promise to bring down the house), and the Pussycat Dolls.
The Dolls, the pioneers who finally knocked down that pesky wall between pop and burlesque, are only as good as lead singer Nicole Scherzinger, who brought depth to the two-dimensional "tramp l'oeil" of "Buttons" and "Don't Cha."
In an effort to push her new sound without alienating old fans, Aguilera gave "What a Girl Wants," "Come on Over (All I Want Is You)," and "Dirrty" all new arrangements in line with her current big-band, pre-Motown soul sensibilities. Yet she didn't dare tinker with her signature ballad, "Beautiful," or the empowering "Fighter," which are as much a part of Aguilera as pants that lack a seat and a crotch.
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