Anybody with a passing knowledge of Kylie Minogue's career thus far will probably have realized that there's a pattern to her albums. First comes the unified piece, meant to churn out big hit singles, then comes the mixed bag, its purpose to give our Australian diva some crossover success, and to also explore other sub-genres of electronica. It's safe to say that even 26 years down the road, this formula of success remains in tact with her new album, "Kiss Me Once". Since this is her 12th album, an even number, it's time to dabble in a wider array of current trends, including dubstep, house, late 70s/early 80s disco, and of course, the recent emphasis on EDM. Since Kylie's always been a dance artist in the electronic vein, she has absolutely no problem in supplying her vocals over four-on-the-floor beats, synth-bleeps, and processed machinery. While other albums of the 2010s have attempted to come to grips with these changing soundscapes, the always competent Kylie has once again picked producers and songwriters (chief among them: hit-maker dujour, Sia) to make "Kiss Me Once" the first successful album to fully embrace the new millennium, without it ever sounding too-modern or too retro. Lead single "Into the Blue" exemplifies this well, as it pounds with conviction, but it doesn't get overbearing or corny. And just like that song, the super-glossy commercial sheen of the rest of the album doesn't peel away after repeated spins. On the contrary, "Kiss Me Once" seems to get better, catchier with each play. Which is a good thing, because due to the fact that it comes and goes in under 40 minutes, the first listen is quite bewildering. You'll need time to fully appreciate the lone Pharrell gem "I Was Gonna Cancel", and its fusion of house and funk, or the other 80s updates such as "Sexy Love", no doubt her recapitulation of the Stock, Aitken, Waterman era. But their ingratiating hooks and club-perfect production are what reward continued listens. The only time things drag below this excellence is in the smack-dab middle of the record, when we fumble into the Sia co-write "Sexercize" and then muddle our way through "Feels So Good" and "If Only", the two sort-of ballads of the album. They're not bad songs by any stretch, but they also can't seem to muster enough energy to be totally infectious or catchy, they seem, literally, stuck in the middle. Fortunately, there are enough superb moments in the back-half of the record to compensate, such as the absolutely gorgeous Enrique duet "Beautiful", with voices so processed it seems like two robots looking to regain human life. Then we have the closer "Fine", which is notable not only because it ends the record on a theme of self-empowerment, but because it seems to hint at "Kiss Me Once" as being the first Kylie album ever to be an album of purpose, a collection of songs dedicated to subjects other than love or the dancefloor. Needless to say, this only works on the few occasions it pops up, because otherwise, this is another great dance record from the woman who continues to stay relevant through hard-work in refining and expanding her music. This is the most impressive, because while other pop titans such as Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and more recently Lea Michele, try to equate progression with shock and awe, Kylie has maintained her artistic integrity effortlessly.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Into the Blue 2. Million Miles 3.
I Was Gonna Cancel
4. Sexy Love 5. Sexercize 6. Feels So Good
7. If Only 8. Les Sex 9.
Kiss Me Once
10. Beautiful 11. Fine
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