Posted by Katherine St Asaph on 05/31/2011 at 4:07 PM News

The Popdust Files: christina aguilera

There’s always tension whenever Christina Aguilera talks about her upcoming album, which lately is happening a lot. Bionic was a patchy album that few bought, but nobody’s bringing that up anymore. Either her The Voice stint has miraculously erased what’s been a terrible year personally and professionally, or everyone’s just pretending that it has. So when Aguilera goes on Live with Regis and Kelly and makes awkward comments about drag queens dressing up as icons like Barbra and Madonna, then the “me circa my last record” outlier, all while giving only the vaguest of details about her Bionic follow-up and mentioning “the crazy year I’ve had,” things seem off.

That said, Aguilera’s still a hell of an interviewee, all the more so for dropping the perky/aloofness that’s her standard The Voice demeanor. And for outdressing the whole room. Watch the interview below, with highlights afterward:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oxKcdd3Fmo

- Your not-detailed details on Xtina’s new album: she likes to take her time between albums, she likes being close to her son while recording albums, she’s recording the album while doing The Voice, and she wants to have fun. In Aguilera’s defense, she does a good job of dodging Kelly’s “so do you write your own songs or work with collaborators?” gotcha question.

- But before that, the aforementioned Gay Walk of Fame star from West Hollywood’s The Abbey. Aguilera is in fact the first inductee, a fact that’s more notable for all the artists who aren’t. We’re guessing we don’t have to name names.

- Aguilera likes to sing Christmas carols and the Mary Poppins song “Stay Away” to 3-year-old son Max as lullabies. More on Max: like most toddlers, he’s a bit of a wild child, and Xtina “can see him acting one day.” Groundwork for eventual career: laid.

- As is apparently in the contract for any The Voice coach who goes on a talk show, Xtina explains the workings of the blind auditions and battle rounds, yet again. Look. We’re already at the second-to-last battle round. There comes a point where people are already clear on what The Voice is all about, and it’ll come later and later the more you assume they don’t.

And if you were hoping for dish or spoilers on tonight’s show, sorry; Xtina’s commentary on that is all rules explanation and feel-good almost-anecdotes. You’d be better off going to the show’s Twitter feed for those. Or, for that matter, ours! We’re live-tweeting again tonight.