Christina Aguilera: All Star Game
Sexy Singer Wows NBA Halftime Show while Toni Braxton Disappoints
Grammy winner Aguilera sang "Ain't No Other Man" during the NBA's 56th All-Star game. R 'n' B vocalist Toni Braxton and Cirque Du Soleil also performed.
Half-time shows at major sports events are always a bit strange. Sandwiched in the center of big, flashy events such as February's NBA All-Star game, performers are expected to live up to their own hype and impress a high-paying audience. So how did Christina Aguilera and Toni Braxton fare on February 18, 2007 when it was their turn?
Multiple Grammy winning singer Christina Aguilera has always been known as a vocal powerhouse. Using the half-time show of the 56th All-Star game as a platform, she had the chance to remind the world of just how talented she really is. R 'n' B songstress Toni Braxton, on the other hand, failed to impress with a disappointing, chaotic performance.
Held in Las Vegas, Braxton opened the show to little fan-fare. In fact, she lacked so much spark it would've been more exciting to watch a round of gold on television rather than the six-time Grammy winner. Braxton, who has been out of the spotlight for years, now performs at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. She arrived onstage with a shaggy haircut and a tremendously short, 1940s flapper-style dress. She’s known for her deep, sultry voice and it wouldn't be unusual for fans to expect this from her; alas, people were sadly mistaken once Braxton started to sing.
Mumbling through her mercifully short set, Braxton sounded almost unitelligible, as if her microphone was too close to her mouth or she was rushing and not completely finishing her words. On top of the shaky vocals, she almost flashed the camera and crowd numerous times when she started to gyrate in her mini-dress. Perhaps she thought the short, shiny dress and provocative dancing would distract from her singing. It did not.
After Braxton's dismal performance, members of the Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas troupe performed and were utterly mesmerizing with their high-wire, visual antics. By the time the headlining Aguilera came out, Braxton was a distant memory.
"Xtina" came out wearing a tight-fitting, shiny black suit and top hat. She belted out her new song, Ain’t No Other Man (about husband Jordan Bratman) with her powerful pipes and accompanied by energetic dancers. The crowd was up on its feet in no time and pumped for the second half of the game... just as it should be. With the multitudes of fans expecting a huge Vegas-style extravaganza, it's lucky Ms. A was there to save the show.
When the game was over, the West won over the East and most people had forgotten Braxton had even performed. A pity for her but just another success for the consummate performer that is Christina Aguilera.
