We all have guilty pleasures; the Boney M album that comes out every Christmas, or the John Denver album you have hidden at the back of your collection. As for me, I have an occasional weakness for trashy Euro- pop. Such is the case with the new Kylie Minogue album "X". It is a terrifically sugary & slick album that has fulfilled my pop cravings for the year. Nobody does pop better than Kylie!
The kind of music on "X" is the type that futurists from decades past would have probably envisioned us listening to by now . Case in point; the song "Speakerphone" sounds like it could have been crafted by some Cylon vixen or by some sassy entertainment bot with its AI run amok. With lyrics like "Drop your socks and grab your mini boombox/ Do the pop lock/ body rock" its as if the robot's rhyming algorithms are in over-drive. Needless to say its loads of fun and one of the best dance tracks to come around in a while.
The lead single "2 Hearts" is good derivative glam rock fun. I am also thrilled that Kylie samples "Fade To Grey" by new wave icons Visage on the infectious track "Like A Drug". There is lots of genre hopping in this album, a bit of R & B, dance, futurist pop and some electro-disco, which to me is great, and not a point of criticism as some reviews have indicated.
Actually, one reviewer suggested that it was a great disappointment that Kylie didn't have more soul bearing lyrics on this album in light of her recent battle with breast cancer. To me this completely misses the point, as Kylie's music has always been about having a good time and losing oneself in sweet and transcendent pop music. Stick to your Sting albums if you want something more confessional and intimate! Remember how boring Madonna became when she went all "spiritual" on us?
To me, the most life affirming thing Kylie could do is to keep on keeping on with her infectious pop offerings. This to me is the best way for her to stick it to cancer, by continuing to provide a rapturous soundtrack that is itself a celebration of life. If I want darkness or reflection I have lots of good music that I can turn to for those moments. When its time for a little booty shaking I am glad that Kylie is still putting it out there. Long live guilty pleasures!
1 comment:
Great review, I'll check it out on itunes. I've got a couple of her albums, but I tend to prefer her singles over the filler songs.
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