Released on November 22, 2010, the Burlesque Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a fascinating artifact: a pop diva summit meeting disguised as a period piece. It’s an album that had no right to be as powerful as it was, yet it delivered some of the most jaw-dropping vocal performances of the decade. The album’s genius lies in its passing of the torch. Cher, the veteran of husky, dramatic power ballads, represents Old Hollywood glamour. Aguilera, the vocal acrobat of the "Stripped" era, represents the new school of show-stopping prowess.
In the winter of 2010, Hollywood released a film that was less a critical darling and more a cultural curiosity: Burlesque . Starring Cher (returning to the big screen after seven years) and pop titan Christina Aguilera (in her feature film debut), the movie was a backstage musical draped in fishnet stockings and rhinestones. The plot—a small-town girl saves a glamorous but struggling neo-burlesque club—was thin. But the soundtrack? That was a different story entirely. Burlesque Original Motion Picture Soundtrack -2010-
In hindsight, the album represents a final hurrah for a certain type of maximalist pop. Before streaming made everything minimalist and lo-fi, Burlesque was loud, proud, and over-the-top. It’s the sound of two generations of divas fighting for the spotlight and realizing there is enough room for both. Released on November 22, 2010, the Burlesque Original
The centerpiece is the duet, A thumping, brass-and-bass-driven track produced by Tricky Stewart, it’s pure, unapologetic fun. Cher’s weathered, authoritative purr plays perfectly against Aguilera’s laser-sharp belts. It’s not a competition; it’s a conversation. Cher, the veteran of husky, dramatic power ballads,