Tender Ballads 08: Divas & Dixies

Lately, my daily blocks of tender ballad listening have been dominated by powerful female singers and groups. In the spirit of the recent foreign-language Open Your Box post, I've started off this round of slow songs with one of Christina Aguilera's finest tender moments, the Spanish ballad "Contigo En La Distancia." Even back in 2001, when her Spanish effort Mi Reflejo came out, her powerful voice established her as an instant diva. Christina's soaring vocals recall the reigning divas of the '90s, including three that I've included here (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Whitney Houston). Celine Dion's "To Love You More" perhaps isn't her most unforgettable song, but it is a solid power ballad with all the elements of her best works. Mariah's "Hero" is undeniably one of her signature tracks, with a universal message of personal strength and confidence that is best enjoyed sung out loud. Madonna, while not a diva in the same sense as Mariah or Celine Dion, has a pretty impressive back catalog of ballads. "Take A Bow," which spent seven weeks at number one in the US back in 1994, is among her finest downtempo compositions, providing a sharp contrast to the explicit sex vixen persona she had cultivated only two years prior. Mary J. Blige teamed up with U2 a few years back to recreate their classic single "One," raising the emotional stakes with her unrivaled powerhouse vocals. Whitney Houston, often considered the gold standard for contemporary divas, released one of the absolute classics of the 1990s with "I Will Always Love You," a performance that few, herself included, have been able to match. Finally, I'm including a group that don't really belong in the diva category, but regardless have been in heavy rotation for the past few days. The Dixie Chicks, as known over the past few years for their brave political commentary as their music, are the best in pop-based country music, as earlier, wistful hit "Cowboy Take Me Away" shows. Expect them to be worked into more posts in the future for sure!

Christina Aguilera, "Contigo En La Distancia" [YSI] (from Mi Reflejo)
Celine Dion, "To Love You More" [YSI] (from All the Way: A Decade of Song)
Mariah Carey, "Hero" [YSI] (from Greatest Hits)
Madonna, "Take A Bow" [YSI] (from Bedtime Stories)
Mary J. Blige & U2, "One" [YSI] (from The Breakthrough)
Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You" [YSI] (from The Greatest Hits)
Dixie Chicks, "Cowboy Take Me Away" [YSI] (from Fly)

***Note: Links removed***

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