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Entertainment behind the scenes
Christina Aguilera’s new album a “Bionic” bust
Maybe Christina Aguilera should have called her new album “Anemic” instead of “Bionic.” The album debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. pop chart Wednesday after selling just 110,000 copies last week, according to tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan.
That’s a huge drop from her last studio album, “Back to Basics,” a double-disc set that debuted at No. 1 in 2006 with 346,000 units. In 2002, she went to No. 2 after “Stripped” kicked off with 330,470 units. It’s actually her worst start since a Christmas album debuted at No. 38 in early November 2000 with 29,700 units.
But the weak start was not a huge surprise. The new album’s first single, “Not Myself Tonight,” stalled at No. 23 on the Hot 100 singles chart in late April. Last month, she canceled a slow-selling amphitheater tour, claiming she needed more time to rehearse.
Aguilera did work hard to promote the album, lining up a string of major TV appearances last week. She’s pictured at left singing the national anthem during Game 6 of the NBA basketball finals in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The married mom also courted the LGBT community by alleging that she has bisexual tendencies.
