I feel like I'm summoned from the overlords and must produce a well thought out write up on a dance record... ... cool!

So, I will admit that Kylie Minogue's "comeback" album (at least in the States) was the one that got me into the woman; the famed Fever, a catchy disco-floor type record featuring a lot of sassy, playful energy. When she dropped Body Language, I was impressed with the drastic, after-party feel that is miles away from anything of the music on its predecessor. After this, Kylie began suffering. Majorly. Shortly after the album's success, this Australian pop princess was diagnosed with breast cancer and her career ground to a screeching halt so deafening that I could hear from the States. Kylie Minogue is often called the Anti-Madonna-- that is, someone who injects warmth and life into their style; with cancer now associated with the singer, people were wondering whether or not she would be coming back. Plans for a follow-up record were shot, and the rumors began to fly. But the show went on...literally. She continued her slightly altered Showgirl tour and now...well, nobody even remembers that she had cancer in the first place.

Nope.

We've all been blinding by her tenth album, an appropriately-titled electroclash album called X. When I saw the jacket for this record, I knew immediately that I haaaad to hear it. My interest in this Eurofamous Madonna had waned since her last effort, and my hopes were set very high if she was going to make a comeback (at least in my eyes). Well, Ms. Minogue blew my mind with this album with its electrifying, state-of-the-art beats that appeal to both the electronica-indie crowd as well as the disco crowd. The first song to drop from X was the worst introduction in history, though. I remember when Can't Get You Out of My Head came out from Fever, and that song ended up being one of the poorer tracks from a 5-star album; X is almost the complete reverse, as 2 Hearts sounds nothing like the rest of the album, and it's not one of her better songs. Dark and cabaret-ish, this twisted little pop star is cute and catchy at best, but it's a little dull. The intense Like a Drug and In My Arms are scorching dance tracks that make Minogue sound sexier than ever, taking the 1980s and turning them on its head. As with Madge's 2005 record Confessions on a Dance Floor, Kylie's tenth album proves that dance music can be innovative and well-crafted, rather than a generic mish-mosh of sound.

But my love for this album started with Speakerphone, one of the most clever dance tracks I've heard in years. Kylie's playful nature is shining through a whirlpool of electronic beats and sound effects-- this is overproduction done very, very well: Play it on your speaker phone / Track repeat go on and on... She's mature and sexy, injecting so much personality in such a hypnotic track that makes this body groove like there's no tomorrow. It reminds me of Janet's So Excited, because when I can't think of a routine, it's the perfect song to listen to. A lot of the tracks on X make a gigantic leap from pop to electro, but there are some bubblegum moments to please long-time fans of her new-millennium disco sound; Wow is so cute that I just want to pinch her cheeks (no, it's not a Kate Bush cover), while Heart Beat Rock is a parking-lot soundtrack with its hand claps and "all my girls!" feel. All I See is a mid-tempo rnb song (complete with harp sample) that has one of the best hooks of her careers: Doesn't matter what's gonna on or who's around us-- all I see is you [...] The DJ's got me feelin' like I did when I first met you...

But back to the electronica if we can, because Stars and the intensely delivered The One are perfect cuts. The One has a very intense electrodisco sound that bridges the gap between Fever and X in that it has a bit of a gay-club sound, but is still very mature and sounds absolutely nothing like the Queer Eye theme song. I love the rich vocals as she quietly sings the chorus from under her breath: I'm the one...love me, love me, love me, love... There's something very sad about this song, and it's not one you should listen to if you're going through a breakup because you might end up miserable. Her delivery is very dramatic and very strong from the verses to the chorus to the incredibly catchy bridge. As great as these songs all are, there are a few missteps, like the rejected demo-sounding Cosmic that reminds me of a bad Pussycat Dolls slowjam, and No More Rain, another pop exploit, tends to leave me a little non-plussed. Sensitized is a well-produced song, but I can't get into the melody and the hook is flat. Kylie sounds great and bubbly on these tracks, but there's something very off about them that makes me immediately skip over them. Then again, a few blemishes never hurt anybody. Everything else is still wonderful.

VERDICT
I sentence everyone on Epinions to get a copy of Kylie's X, because she wants to make you "drop your socks and grab your mini-boom box." Just don't play it on your speakerphone, because it'll probably blow out your speakers. P.S. Kylie looks like Nicole Kidman. Ain't it uncanny?

01. 2 Hearts [3 Stars]
02. Like a Drug [5 Stars]
03. In Your Arms [5 Stars]
04. Speakerphone [5 Stars]
05. Sensitized [2 Stars]
06. Heart Beat Rock [5 Stars]
07. The One [5 Stars]
08. No More Rain [2 Stars]
09. All I See [5 Stars]
10. Stars [5 Stars]
11. Wow [5 Stars]
12. Nu-di-ty [5 Stars]
((US Version: 13. All I See (featuring MIMS) [4.5 Stars]))

OVERALL SCORE: 4 STARS (4.3-)

Recommended: Yes