Album- Aphrodite
Artist- Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue is at a funny stage in her career at the
moment. After celebrating 25 years in the music industry, she has departed from
her previous management and moved to the Jay-Z led Roc Nation team. She has
reportedly been working with a number of new music producers such as Rodney
Jerkins. And on top of all that she is hotly anticipated as a new judge on the
upcoming third series of The Voice UK. In looking to the album Aphrodite, I
simply want to see if the singer still is worthy of her pop stardom and whether
her upcoming 2014 album will be worthy of the public’s attention. Or maybe this
last record of new material should have been her swansong.
Track 1- All the
Lovers
Opening track All the Lovers was the records lead single and
is a mid tempo synth pop track in which the singer invites people onto the
dance floor and for people to connect as lovers, with Minogue also comparing
previous relationships to that of her current lover. The lyrics are nice with a
shimmering pop chorus, but what is really great about this song is the way that
Minogue uses her voice. With her airy tone and breathy vocal style she creates
a euphoric quality within the track that makes the lyrical statement that bit
more powerful. The production value is also really great, creating this 80’s
disco feel with the glittering synth line, whilst the bridge is also great in
being stripped back to just a piano and string arrangement, allowing for the
final chorus to be a real triumphant piece of pop.
3.5/5
Track 2- Get Outta My
Way
Second single Get Outta My Way is an up tempo dance pop tune
that sees Minogue do what she does best and just hit the dance floor. The
lyrics are fun and flirtatious as the singer plays the role of an unsatisfied
lover who warns her partner by getting on the dance floor with another man. The
chorus is snappy and immediately catchy, and vocally the singer is the right
mix of feisty and sultry. The sound of the track is simple but effective with a
thumping beat, snappy synths and a layered arrangement that just works in the
right ways, showing that after all these years Kylie Minogue as still got it.
4/5
Track 3- Put Your
Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
Put Your Hands Up is another high powered dance tune with
slightly more of a club feel. Here Minogue sings of being within this crowd and
asking people to just put their hands up if they feel love. The repetitive
nature of the chorus makes the song quite catchy but lyrically the composition
is a bit weak because a few too many clichéd statements are used. The singer’s
vocal performance is nice as her light tone brings out the love based sentiment
of the track very nicely, whilst the singer also really sounds like she is
having fun within her vocals, so this can really affect the listener. The
rumbling beats and snappy electro rhythms creates a more speedy and intense
sound that sets the song apart from the previous tracks and creates a slightly
heavier, newer style for the singer, even though the song still feels like a
Minogue classic in its own right.
3.5/5
Track 4- Closer
With Closer Minogue takes the record into darker territory.
The song finds the singer asking her lover to come closer to her and let their
love shine, but things are never enough. The message could be sweet but with
the layered, lilting vocal performance Minogue creates a haunting and sultry
essence within the track. The songs haunting feel is also elevated by the use
of sighing background vocals, creating this dual feel of passion and sadness in
the song. Producer Stuart Price creates a frenzied, harpsichord style to the
production that further heightens the dark energy of the track, making this an
interesting offering from the record.
3.5/5
Track 5- Everything
Is Beautiful
Down tempo pop track Everything Is Beautiful takes the
record to its softest moment yet, but the song still has a stomping beat and
shimmering 80’s synths to create a vibrant quality to the track. The production
is nice with the use of electric guitar creating a funky undertone that is nice
to hear. The song focuses on Minogue being in this languid state of love in
which she can just lay with her partner and wait until everything around them
is beautiful. The message is sweet but the chorus is a bit dreary, whilst the singer’s
vocals are slow and convey the feeling of the song very nicely but don’t grab
you in the way you want a catchy song to do.
3/5
Track 6- Aphrodite
Title track Aphrodite changes up the record a little in
terms of having more of 90’s influenced dance sound. The track is a fun and
feisty number that almost acts like a self-empowerment anthem for the singer as
she exclaims of her sexual prowess and warns people that they do not want to
mess with her. The song is structured really well lyrically in terms of the
verses being a little softer to make the really snappy chorus that much more
catchy. Vocally the singer gives a commanding performance that is nicely
layered in places to further convey this sense of the singer as a goddess when
it comes to music. The snappy feel of the production is also grand, with the
military style drum instrumentation creating a real forceful feel to the track.
This is a stellar title track and probably would have worked well as a single.
4/5
Track 7- Illusion
Opening with a layered vocal from Minogue that sounds like a
vocal choir, Illusion quickly transforms into a stomping mid tempo synth track.
Minogue lyrically sings of not being herself and feeling caught up in this
illusion, emphasising that she does not understand the relationship she is in.
The lyrics are fun in terms of the more narrative feel, whilst the chorus could
have more of a prominent and catchy quality. Vocally the singer’s slow and airy
style is nice in conveying the songs sentiment but is a bit too safe. The
stomping dance beat and fuzzy synth line of the song is fun and forceful, with
the 80’s electro blips creating this frenzied but slick style to the track that
is a pleasure to hear.
3.5/5
Track 8- Better Than
Today
Third single Better Than Today finds Minogue going further
back in time as the song has a slight 70’s disco feel. Here we are treated to a
simple, pure, summery pop number in which the singer questions people’s
feelings in life and asks us what is the point of living if we don’t want to
dance? The song is just fun and lyrically really taps into the dance persona
that has characterised the singers career. The vocal performance is light and
fun with Minogue playing the role of dance queen very nicely. But what is most
intriguing and great about the track is the blend of sounds, with the song blending
acoustic guitar, synthesisers and drums for a sound that feels very dance ready
but which is tinged with a sense of funk, soul and country, making this a much
more interesting offering from the record than some of the other songs.
3.5/5
Track 9- Too Much
Current hit song maker Calvin Harris and Scissor Sisters
frontman Jake Shears team up with Minogue for Too Much, a rave influenced,
thumping dance track. The song focuses on Minogue telling us that she must have
love in her life, but this kind of love she is feeling is a bit too much for
her too take. The song is lyrically quite simple but lovely, with a chorus that
is instantly catchy with a nice pop hook. The singer’s vocal performance is
light and snappy enough to really convey the feeling of being too consumed by
love very well. The only issue with the song is that the rumbling bassline and
bubbling synths creates a fun dance sound, but it feels very much like a
typical Calvin Harris tune, so if you are not a fan of Calvin Harris then you
probably won’t be a fan of this song.
3.5/5
Track 10- Cupid Boy
Cupid Boy is an upbeat track that finds the record in more
of a pop rock state, whilst still having a dance feel. Within the song Minogue
asks this guy to call her once again as she sees him as this great guy who
almost acts like a drug to her as his love is so great. The message is okay but
quite clichéd, but what is fun about this song is the production value. Here
Minogue treats us to a song with a throbbing bass line and rock guitar
instrumentation that marks the track against the other songs and creates a bit
of diversity to the singers traditional dance sound. The singer’s vocal
performance is languid and airy in the right way, but the auto tuned pre chorus
is just annoying.
3/5
Track 11- Looking for
an Angel
With the style of Minogue’s vocal performance and the overall
feel of the production, Looking for an Angel is a song in which the heavenly
metaphor of the lyrics is perfectly embodied within the different elements of
the track. That being said, this does not mean that the song is absolutely
brilliant. Instead the song falls flat and is a bit too languid. Here Minogue
sings of how she is looking for this man in life who will be like an angel and
send her to heaven with their love. The message of the track just feels
terribly clichéd and the repetition used in the chorus is just annoying.
Minogue’s breathy vocals are nice in bringing out the sentiment of the song but
this just makes the lyrics feel a bit drearier. The synth based strings create
a euphoric quality to the tracks sound, yet it just doesn’t feel exciting or
passionate enough to have you invested as a listener.
2/5
Track 12- Can’t Beat
the Feeling
Can’t Beat the Feeling is a great close to the record that
finishes things off in a state of electro pop bliss. The song focuses on the
singer simply telling this person that she can’t beat this feeling that they
make her have when they are with her. The lyrics are fun and simple and the
singer’s layered vocal style is sweet and bright enough to be perfectly
balanced with the lyrical message. The production is stellar as the shimmering
synth notes give a slight funk feel to the track and just creates this buzzing,
lovely dance floor finish to the record that is simply euphoric and brilliant.
3.5/5
Final Review
Aphrodite is a great album from a seasoned artist who
definitely still has what it takes to thrive in the music industry. The record
as a whole is nice in that the polished dance pop sound feels in tune with the
style that has characterised Minogue’s career, yet the record doesn’t feel like
a simple rehashing of older material and still has that current pop feel that
would ensure chart success. The record is also great in that vocally the singer
really knows what works well for her, with her airy tone working wonders on
particular tracks. Some of the lyrics do annoyingly take in some clichés, but
aside from this we are treated to a plethora of catchy tunes that work great as
a whole package and this just makes me excited for future music from the
singer.
8/10
Best Track- Get Outta
My Way
Worst Track- Looking
for an Angel
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