© @TheRealXtina
She confidently described the set as a "beautiful masterpiece" at a recent event, but you'd be hard-pressed to find the same levels of assurance on Lotus. Naturally, she's rarely short on confidence - lead single 'Your Body' is a thumping, brilliantly sassy two-fingered salute at those criticising her weight - but the Max Martin production credit suggests an element of safe-playing.
It's not necessarily a bad thing either. Other notable knob-twiddlers include hitmakers Alex da Kid and Shellback, who allow her to seamlessly flit between sexy and playful on the brassy 'Red Hot Kinda Love' and Guetta-styled club diva on 'Let There Be Love' without sounding contrived or confused. In fact, their ability to reign in her chameleon-style approach to music gives it the kind of cohesion where even the three-and-a-half minute 'Lotus Intro' has single potential.
The ballads are left for the album's back-end, though the drag in pace is countered by their impressive delivery. Special mention goes to 'Blank Page', which sees her at her most unnervingly honest, confessing: "I know there's pain, but people change/ Lord knows I've been no saint" over nothing more than a piano. The result, like the album's namesake, is an elegant yet robust collection that should see her through these uncertain times.
Tracks to download: 'Army Of Me', 'Red Hot Kinda Love', 'Let There Be Love', 'Blank Page'
If you like this, you'll like: Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Leona Lewis
Watch the 'Your Body' music video below:
