Australian pop artist, Kylie Monigue, made somewhat of a career comeback in the music industry when her eleventh studio album, “Aphrodite”, was released in July 2010 to positive reviews. An album that can be classified as “traditional Kylie” has sent its three singles to the top of the US Dance charts, to give the artist a total of six number ones. The vocals presented on the album can only be considered effortless and beautiful as Minogue sings tracks that any of today’s artists would kill for. “Aphrodite” is an effort that succeeds its predecessor while showing why Minogue is a true artist.
The twelve track album begins with the soft, dance orientated “All The Lovers”, which sets the tone of the entire project. The album starts with one of its strongest tracks which will pull listeners in with Minogue’s beautiful signature vocals and accompanying beat that will get anyone on their feet. Released as the first single, the song shows every reason why the artist is a force to be reckoned with in the pop world.
The album stays on the right path once “Get Outta My Way” begins its three and a half minute reign. In my opinion, the track is the highlight of the album and could justify the purchase of the album all on its own. Minogue is the queen of dance as she sings a song with immense attitude and power. The beats are loud, the lyrics a bit harsh, but the soft vocals balance the song to become something quite enjoyable.
“Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)” will take the listener back to the 80s, which is not necessarily a horrible thing. Minogue’s performance goes well with the material that was written, the beats also take it up a notch, but it really is not anything too special or amazing. The track is a well done piece of pop music, may not be anything new or interesting, but it is a good song nonetheless.
For some reason, “Closer” takes on an eerie, dark vibe when singing about the concept of love. The beat and production would not normally go well with the vocals or lyrics, but it is interesting to hear them all come together. The song, I feel, is something different for the artist who usually creates fast-paced club tracks. The problem I have with the song is its length, just when it was getting good it stops.
The album continues with “Everything is Beautiful”. The song may be considered somewhat of a ballad which changes the up-tempo pace of the album down a little. The song is good, Minogue’s vocals are breathtaking as usual, but the track seems a little boring when compared to the songs that preceded it. The song incorporates a 90s sound, but makes it more modern to please today’s listeners which it is able to accomplish.
Once Minogue’s voice is heard on the title track, “Aphrodite”, the production is toned down in order to let true talent shine through. The track shows the fact that there is a real artist at work who does not need her vocals altered to put out a successful song. Again, the song differs than most of the track list, and is a reason why the song is a standout, everything about just seems to work.
The accompanying beat is one of the main reasons why “Illusion” is a success. As soon as the track begins one will have to force themselves from getting the urge to jump to the feet and dance. Minogue and her producers have found a great way to incorporate club ready beats with lyrics that actually have a meaning. The track comes off very nicely as if recording comes easy to the artist.
“Better Than Today”, the album’s third and final single, is just a feel good pop song that will make you smile once the lyrics begin to play. The sing along chorus makes the track a true gem, goes perfectly with the rest of Minogue’s signature hits. The track, when broken down, is fairly simple in composition, but it gives the album a different mood and tone which was needed. The song has a nice, light pop bounce, not too complicated.
The album hits a slight wall with “Too Much” which just gets lost and forgotten towards the end.j The fast chorus is catchy and a pleasure to hear, but the verses do nothing for the song which is a shame. The song is not horrible, but when compared to the rest of the album, it falls flat. Some pieces of the track worked, but the song failed at coming together as a whole.
The longest track off the project, “Cupid Boy”, unfortunately does not do anything for the album, in a positive or negative way. The vocals provided come off very sultry and sexy, something Minogue is good at doing, but I feel the artist is not singing about anything important or meaningful. Bottom line is that a good performance was wasted on lackluster material that does not show any creativity at all.
The slower, yet still as catchy “Looking For an Angel”, is a sweet track that comes in the form of a ballad that has been remixed in some ways. The vocals are soft and innocent, while the beats sound like they have been sped up. The song works for those who just want to sit back and enjoy a Minogue song without working up a sweat. Placed close to the end of the album, it is a nice way to level the track list.
The album closes with “Can’t Beat the Feeling”, an electro-pop creation that finishes the album on a positive note. The track sounds like it could fit in with any other album that the artist has released over the span of her career, but it does not sound dated in any way. It is a simple, care free, song that is crafted very well to be decent material for the Australian queen who has been in music for a while.
“Aphrodite” is a well crafted pop album by an artist who has been on the music scene for the last four decades. With every release, Minogue is able to come back to provided some new, fresh, and up to date in order to please the audience. The album is the definition of pop, but Minogue’s powerful vocals are the one thing that sets the album apart from the rest of the stuff that is on the shelves today. The album is filled with up-tempo dance tracks and soft ballad-esque songs that give a good balance to the effort, each song is something different. For amazing vocal abilities and great pop tracks, “Aphrodite” deserves an 84%.
Tracks to Hear: “All The Lovers”, “Get Outta My Way”, and “Aphrodite”
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