Kylie Minogue's "X" - a fan-favorite for some, a missed opportunity for others. In this episode, we're giving a brutally honest track-by-track review of this divisive album. From the production, vocals, and lyrics to the music videos and performances, we're discussing every detail. Let us know all your thoughts in the comments below!
0:00 - Intro
1:40 - "X" Album Info
3:40 - "2 Hearts"
9:27 - "Like A Drug"
13:05 - "In My Arms"
19:17 - "Speakerphone"
24:48 - "Sensitized"
29:27 - "Heart Beat Rock"
34:25 - "The One"
39:15 - "No More Rain"
42:53 - "All I See"
47:15 - "Stars"
51:12 - "Wow"
56:13 - "Nu-di-ty"
1:01:03 - "Cosmic"
1:04:20 - Cut or Keep
1:05:49 - Final Thoughts
References:
- KylieX2008 Tour https://youtu.be/THwqSD0p5d4?si=K3kFvbNo8NukNJOj
- “2 Hearts” MV https://youtu.be/eQGU-vdXoVE?si=MQ7CI3e2BU0Z0FTe
- “2 Hearts” Live at Jools Holland Annual Hootenanny 2007 https://youtu.be/qbofJn3umj8?si=C2JXwcYx_C9SmV0E
- “In My Arms” MV https://youtu.be/Nj6IKIPteuE?si=nxLRCjEV8uDxpozZ
- “In My Arms” Live at Echo Awards 2008 https://youtu.be/ZpKIYYkuyp8?si=p6hEp0uJgIM9ITp_
- “In My Arms” Live at Aphrodite Tour 2011 https://youtu.be/wiPLT4aeF6M?si=KjotGUTlJ91IBYp7
- “Speakerphone” Rudolf Pap MV https://youtu.be/TN4SQlO9Ngw?si=5BsIaE-3Vz_AC9-3
- “Sensitized” Live at The Kylie Show 2007 https://youtu.be/fNwME_x9Z-4?si=KOSiHDtfgMvjO3Pl
- “The One” MV https://youtu.be/cGxn2jIKiR4?si=ra3aUiApqQWYCR7y
- “The One” Live at The Kylie Show 2007 https://youtu.be/U-k9Q2LMqXA?si=SEqaxPPuCvu0jutY
- “The One” Live at the Aphrodite Tour 2011 https://youtu.be/jvOE-YX3Sio?si=eVtnb44mZH-o-sl0
- “All I See” MV https://youtu.be/wI5_DWMHxgk?si=KTUSsfDVz2DUoKlO
- “All I See” Live at Craig Ferguson 2008 https://youtu.be/Oo_2qM7lMOM?si=UeA2lHMJrSHG4JAu
- “All I See” Acoustic https://youtu.be/7CR_2K6HvFk?si=p-GKjzFXFkj9lF5q
- “No More Rain” Live at The Kylie Show 2007 https://youtu.be/23-c6ZSV0y8?si=v9Htn0qdDVMqXYm2
- “Stars” Live at Anti Tour 2012 (Fancam) https://youtu.be/SN9rTXEGA1Q?si=cyINNCIujKTNahpO
- “Wow” MV https://youtu.be/wL2HKKrY7sM?si=N12HFit-XNj3pYs7
- “Wow” Live at The Kylie Show 2007 https://youtu.be/UvyncMuhzsQ?si=hiwKig99WhZ32rCK
- “Cosmic” Live at The Kylie Show 2007 https://youtu.be/ou6Tg6Mj4FM?si=gT1kkG2zgsEiXrhr
00:00:00 --> 00:00:12 Imagine, you work so hard to create your 10th studio album after battling cancer and critics pan your work. This is our review of Kylie Minogue's album, X. X.
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00:01:11 --> 00:01:39 Yes. So this episode, we're doing another Kylie album, which I'm very excited about. Yeah. And this time it was a fan vote. So we asked you all to choose between Kylie, Impossible Princess, X, and Kiss Me Once for us to review. And it was a very, very close vote. Oh my gosh, yes. But X did win out. But don't worry. We know a lot of you want us to do the others. So we will, of course, get through all of Kylie's albums. So just stay tuned. Yes. And if you haven't heard our reviews of Body Language, Disco, Tension, Tension 2...
00:01:39 --> 00:02:00 Redid those. Yeah, absolutely. They're there, so check those out. So X is Kylie's 10th studio album released in November 2007 around the world, except the U.S., where it was released in April 2008. The Electropop album received Brit and Grammy nominations and hit charts all over the world.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:30 So this album came following the release of the greatest hits compilation, Ultimate Kylie, and Kylie took an extended hiatus due to her breast cancer diagnosis. Yes, so after her recovery, she focused on completing the Showgirl tour and was very inspired to go back into the studio. And she worked with a huge variety of producers and writers for the project, adjusting the direction many, many times and ultimately rejecting songs by big names, including Teddy Riley, Pet Shop Boys, Mark Ronson, Daft Punk, and...
00:02:30 --> 00:02:47 and Groove Armada. Crazy. Can you imagine? Oh, Teddy Riley, working with Michael Jackson? Absolutely not. Pass that up with Mark Ronson, Daft Punk. Get out of here. That's crazy. She goes gnar. It is crazy. She said gnar. I don't want it. Gnar. Gnar. Gnar.
00:02:47 --> 00:03:10 So guys, this album was originally titled Magnetic Electric after the eventual bonus track, but it was later changed to X because all of the lovers, the fans, were referring to it as that anyway. And this era is quite divisive amongst the fan base. And our producer, Ren, has said that this is one of their least favorite Kylie eras. So...
00:03:10 --> 00:03:40 I know, right? Do we agree? So Chris is a longtime lover, and I am like freshly minted, like about from 2000, but like, you know, had like a cute little flirtation with her. So 2020, I would say I've joined the lovers a little bit, right? So I feel like I'm up there. I'm right there. So it's going to be definitely an interesting review this time. So we're going to go track by track and discuss the production, vocal, and lyrics and give our ratings for each song. So make sure you guys join along with us, okay? Leave those comments to let us know how everything rates for you guys. Okay, guys?
00:03:40 --> 00:04:09 That's right. So starting off with Two Hearts, which is done by Kish Mav, Jim Elliott, and Mima Stilwell. And this was released as the first single from the album in October 2007. And it was originally recorded by British electronic duo Kish Mav, who offered it to Kylie and were present for the recording and production process of her version. The song received mixed reviews from critics and fans, but ultimately did pretty well in the charts around the world, hitting number one in Australia and number four in Australia.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:37 in the UK. So this is quite a divisive single, I believe. So yeah, what do you think of this one? You know, when I heard this song, I was thinking of like, you know, glam rock, synth pop. Okay, it's a fun moment for her. Considering what I know now, I don't know a lot, but it is different. And then thinking about like, what I believe in you came right before this, really technically like single wise. Yeah.
00:04:37 --> 00:05:05 Like, I mean, obviously there's a lot of things happening in between, but in terms of like her sound, people expect sparkling, twinkling, brilliance of pop, electronic things. Not this electro-rock, reminiscent of Goldfrap, which isn't bad. Like, I do enjoy the cabaret pop-ness of it, and it's explored in an innovative way for her. But again, like I mentioned, Goldfrap has already done this. The duo is known for this kind of like,
00:05:05 --> 00:05:18 sound. I think lyrically it is simple but it's like dripping with seduction, you know, like you make me invisible like the sky you make my day like it's just really it's kind of smexy, but like it's also like
00:05:18 --> 00:05:47 Just not ridiculous, but it's one of those things where it's like, I really like this person. And like, when we come together, magic happens. Oh, you know? So it's nice. Kylie loves this song. She says she had to rerecord the track because she has like a Kearney Knightley, like, diction. So she had to get a little bit more of a slur to make it sound like that cursive singing that we, you and I cannot stand. But here, it doesn't sound like she's like cursive singing. It just sounds like she's so drunk in love. She's just like, oh my goodness.
00:05:47 --> 00:06:02 Oh, yeah. And I like the church lady. Woo. I'm in this. Yes. Woo. It's kind of cute. I like that. I mean, I feel like overall the feel is like it's a sultry teasing kind of track that says welcome to X. Expect the unexpected, you know?
00:06:02 --> 00:06:31 Yeah, no, I appreciate that she didn't do what everyone expected. I do think Wow at some point was floated as the first single and stuff. And I like that she kind of took a risk. I mean, if you look at the previous eras, like, yes, it was like I Believe in You and stuff. But then it was body language before that. Oh, yes, true. It's not like she was just doing the sparkly pop thing. Like she was already, you know, experimenting a little bit in these last few years. So...
00:06:31 --> 00:06:49 So yeah, I appreciate it. I actually do like the song. Yeah. I can see why it didn't do great as a lead single, though, to be honest, because I think while it's actually produced very well, and she executes it very, very well, Mm-hmm.
00:06:49 --> 00:07:06 It's just not a very memorable track. Right. Right. It's definitely catchy. Yeah. But it's not one that I ever really think about in her discography, really. That's valid. And so, yeah, I think it's cool. I think it's...
00:07:06 --> 00:07:22 It's an interesting one. And I definitely must prefer watching her perform it, I think, than listening to the studio version. But I have to be honest, I don't listen to the song very often. So listening to it more these past few weeks, I do appreciate her vocal the most, honestly.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:47 It's so sexy. It's super sassy. There's really cool layering and the way they kind of use the various effects and stuff was really, really well done. So props for that. Absolutely. I do think it's watching her perform it on the X-Tour, the promo performances. They're all... she sells it. Yeah, that's valid. And that's where I think this song really hits, I would say. Yeah. What do you think of the video and the performances?
00:07:47 --> 00:08:13 You know, like I said, the whole cabaret pop moment of it is delicious. We love it. And I think, like you said, she brings it to life because she really does emote really well. I think, honestly, X-Tour is the reason I know a lot of these songs anyway. And we watched the concert years ago and I was like, wow, wow. So I think this is one of those songs I was kind of attracted to because of how she performed it.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:35 But yeah, I think the cabaret video of it all was really cute. And she has like a classic look to her, that blonde blue eye thing that she has going. She's so pretty and it works for her. So the whole like, you know, rock star, that's kind of like old Hollywood glamor looks good for her. It feels believable as well. So I wanted to watch the video to see where it was going. She was just writhing.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:45 I'm okay with that. I'm okay with that. It doesn't have to be anything crazy happening in the video. It definitely needed to do like, Hey, I'm back. This is my single. Do you love it? No, I love it. It's fine.
00:08:45 --> 00:09:13 I do feel like it needed like maybe two or three more scenes there. Yeah. Just one more scene there. And I guess a stage should have gotten like bigger and bigger or something. Yeah. Like it just needed a bit of a story to it. Yeah. But I agree. I think, yeah, it felt timeless because she went for the whole kind of Marilyn Monroe thing. I enjoyed the skull accents on the mics and stuff. Very, very cool. Yeah. So. Yeah. So what do you rate this one?
00:09:13 --> 00:09:37 I'll give it a 7. It's down in the middle for me. Like you said, I think now you mentioned the bilingual album. I'm like, oh, she kind of has done this whole, like, sultry thing. And it's done a little bit better. Yeah. I'll give it a 7.5. Okay, a little bit better. Yeah. Yeah. Up next, we have Like a Drug. And this was done by Jonas Yeberg, Cutfather, Adam Powers, and Angelina. All right. So this one. Ooh.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:53 You want to talk about Dyelectro. I love this one, actually. It's super dark. It really does feel like there's something sinister going on. That's the word. Like in a dark corner of a dingy club very early in the morning. Yes. But I mean that in a good way.
00:09:53 --> 00:10:10 Like it really sets a scene just in the production of it. And it's cool, there's like a lot of space in the track as well. So there's just kind of all these layers of synths and they build in a really, really nice way. So each one really does make an impact. And then the chorus gets kind of euphoric.
00:10:10 --> 00:10:28 And then you can kind of feel the desperation in her voice. And especially when she takes it up to the head voice too. Like, I don't know, there's like a longing to it. So again, I think her vocal execution on this really elevates the song. And this is one of the highlights I would say for me from this era, actually.
00:10:28 --> 00:10:44 Ah, okay. I can understand that. The dark electro moment is... I'm loving it. I got... When you say sinister, I totally agree with you. I'm getting like femme fatale, you know? And of course, you're singing about addictive love and the production has like...
00:10:44 --> 00:11:12 Daft Punk kind of vibes. Like a sexy... Like if they had a female vocalist actually going off, I can hear them just... Make me feel... You know, the whole very sexy robotic. It's glossy. It's dangerous. And I love the depth of the bass drum. It just sounds very like... Oh, I don't know. It sounds like I'm in a tunnel or in a warehouse. It's perfect for a night of strobe lights and questionable grinding. You know, it feels like...
00:11:13 --> 00:11:33 Yes, questionable grinding. Questionable dance moves like grinding. It's giving Kavante. I don't want to say the word, but I figured out a workaround. So it's giving Kavante in the club. It's giving, how do you say, like the harnesses. It's giving grinding. Yes. And honestly, the live performance gave that to me as well, you know? Like it feels like.
00:11:33 --> 00:11:51 It's sexy and hypnotic too. So the sinisterness is like you're getting lured into this very hot, sexy neon trap, you know, like I'm, it's just, it's so good. Honestly, I remember we were at the club at one point or something like that, or just anywhere. I forgot where we were, but I think I mentioned to you, like what makes,
00:11:51 --> 00:12:06 like someone a gay icon like what like why do the gays love this I can see the gays liking this I can understand it even as a straight woman I can enjoy it as well but like this is giving like the straights could not enjoy this as much as the gays like we the we y'all
00:12:08 --> 00:12:37 When you're an ally, you lump yourself in. But the point is, there's something so, like, just eff it and dance about this song. And I love the performance on the tour. Oh, the skull. Yes. So iconic. It's giving Smexy, Kavanti, like, dictator. And the people are dancing in their harnesses and grinding. Yes. Like, no offense, but at this point, like, straight clubs are so lame. Like, they don't give this. Honey, this was giving. Yes. Okay. So what do you rate this one, then?
00:12:37 --> 00:12:59 I'm going to give this one an 8. It's a little bit better than Two Hearts for sure, but I definitely have other songs I like more than this one. Yeah, I will say this was a hard one for me to rate. I'll give it an 8 as well. Her standard is just so high. That's how. That an 8 for her is like really good. No, absolutely. Yeah. I feel like the body language, you were almost kind of like, not vicious, but it was like, it was...
00:12:59 --> 00:13:27 Yeah, yeah. Of course, they're a lot lower. But yeah, no, I really like this one. I think it's a highlight for sure. Yeah. Okay, moving on to In My Arms, which was done by Calvin Harris, Richard Biff, Stannard, Julian Peek, Paul Harris, and Kylie Minogue. And it was the third single from the album released in February 2008, and it peaked at number 10 in the UK singles chart. And certain territories had versions featuring other artists. So for Asia, a version featuring Jolin Tsai
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 And a Spanglish version for Mexico with Alex Sintek.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:57 That's amazing. I love that. She has so many different remixes. Joldan Sai is someone I came to find out about when I was in college, and she had just released Play. So, like, I'm familiar with her, and I think that's, like, a perfect match. Those two are, like, these little, you know, like... Yeah, her voice has some similar qualities to it, for sure. Yeah, exactly. So, I mean, honestly, it's perfect. And I did not know she recorded anything with Alex Sintik. So, yeah, I think this is a fun song. I feel like...
00:13:57 --> 00:14:23 Honestly, because it's produced by Calvin Harris. Like, early Calvin Harris was hungry. I don't know what he's doing now, but I feel like he had so much more to prove that he was like, I'm going to give you a banger of a track. And this one, for me, I feel like it sounds like Robin. I know people are probably going to be like, I don't hear it. Like, before you guys get upset, I mean that in the best way. Like, I love me a good Robin song. Okay, can you not imagine Robin singing this? Mm-hmm.
00:14:23 --> 00:14:47 The thin, high soprano voice over a dance track. Like, come on. Like, I'm not going to stop comparing either. The comparisons are going to come swift in this review. But my thing with this song is where Robin would have explored the concept of the feeling that Kylie says she doesn't know how to describe. Like, the lyrics in this song aren't extremely deep. Like, literally. She goes, how do you describe a feeling?
00:14:47 --> 00:15:16 So I think in terms of lyricism, it's not that deep. Like the overall feeling is like a shimmering, it's a high energy kind of like pop bop that deserves a place on a party playlist. And it does slot nicely after I Believe in You. It kind of just fits in her chronological concept order. But you know, like it's cute, it's sweet. Like honestly, how does it feel in my arms? Spoiler alert, it feels a little shallow, but fantastically euphoric, you know? Yes.
00:15:16 --> 00:15:42 Yeah. Yeah, Robin is an interesting comparison. I don't remember what the timing of her whole Dancing on my Own era was. But no, I get that. I never really thought about that comparison. That's interesting. Yeah, you know, we talked about I Believe in You. This is a very clear progression from I Believe in You. And kind of the Fever era as well. And it's cool that she's working with Colin Harris, right? Like, it just makes sense. It feels right there.
00:15:42 --> 00:16:10 And the production's cool. I like all the distortion. I love the open hi-hat. Definitely makes a big impact there. Yeah. And I think the whole production also matches the lyrics because it is kind of a one-sided love declaration because you never actually hear the response from who she's singing to, right? Like she wants to know how does it feel. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so there's a question mark to it. There's like a slight...
00:16:10 --> 00:16:28 oh no, what if you don't feel the same way to it? Which I love because you actually feel that, actually, in the melody in production. And the soft-spoken parts help with that too, right? Like, she sounds so vulnerable there. I don't know. I find that very interesting. You know what, Chris? Perspective. Thanks, ma'am.
00:16:28 --> 00:16:45 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I will say this is another one where I remember not thinking too much of it. I was like, oh, like, do they really need to release this? And wow, both the singles, you know. But after witnessing it live on the Aphrodite tour, I was like, okay.
00:16:45 --> 00:17:06 I get it. Because that performance is what I actually think of a lot with this song. More than the video. That whole Ursula thing with the dancers being the tentacles and stuff. Yeah, totally. That is so good. So yeah, I think that helps me appreciate this song more. And it always does go off live. She's included in quite a few of her live sets. And it always is a fun one. So...
00:17:06 --> 00:17:27 Yeah. What did you think of the video? The video is definitely super cute. I love the neon. I like the 80s kind of influence in terms of the color and the styling. And the color palette is very much like that. Even the checkerboard hoodie she's wearing with the shutter shades. Yes. You guys are like, you know, the last dragon with like showing up in the shutter. Yeah.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:56 If you guys have seen that movie, it's not hilarious, but that one part is so funny because he's so extra. I like, again, it's very much 80s inspired without being like, oh, yeah, we're going back to the 80s. We're going to sit inside of like an 80 art deco restaurant or like a hairstyle beauty salon. So, yeah, I like the music booth that she was in, the music booth because it allows for someone's like editing in the screen. I think the fan scene is probably like the most random. I love that.
00:17:56 --> 00:18:17 It's so cute. It's just her fight with this fan in the fringe. But yeah, I think the shapes, the colors of it all looked really nice. She looked like one of those like, I forgot the artist's name with those pale like white women in the hair salons. Like you've seen it. Like the slicked back hair and like the pink lipsticks. Like she was giving that.
00:18:17 --> 00:18:35 Yes. But obviously she'll never dry her hair like super dark. She could have wore a wig and have gotten away with it. But yeah, I think it's a good video. It's effective. It's nothing crazy. It's just her looking really good and having a good time. And I think that's really important too. You know? Because if she was sitting here pining over a guy, I'm like, girl, you're better than this. Get up. Stand up.
00:18:35 --> 00:19:04 also Kylie has had dark hair before stop really see new fan guys few different eras actually yeah but yeah I love the video like this imagery is kind of what I think of when I think of this era this kind of very neon 80s glam rock kind of thing that's what I because I feel like the tour was very much based on that kind of look as well I see what you mean so yeah
00:19:04 --> 00:19:17 I think it's definitely very effective. It's entertaining for sure. Yeah. Yes, it is. It is. Okay. So I'll give this one a nine. I'll give this one an 8.5 for the reason that I said the lyrics are a little shallow, even though her delivery is good.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:34 All right, guys, we're moving right along to speakerphone. And this was done by Bloodshy. Avant, Hendrik, Jonbak, and Klaus Alland. I'm getting all of the Swedish men. Oh, my goodness. Okay. We feel like you've said all these names before, at least. I know. I feel like we have. Definitely for our...
00:19:34 --> 00:19:56 blackout britney reviews guys make sure you check that one out because that one was a fun one as well all right so speakerphone charted in canada despite not officially being released as a single and there was a music video competition that was held and was won by rudolph pap so it's really exciting for her to chart and like not actually have it be a single hell yes canadians good taste
00:19:56 --> 00:20:23 Because I love speakerphone. I actually have a soft spot for speakerphone because it was one of the first songs I ever choreographed to. Oh, get out of here. What? Yeah. Oh, my God. Because it was one of the easier ones because it kind of already kind of gives you a lay of the land a little bit. Right. Because she just talks through her whole body. You know what? It kind of gives you something to kind of go off of. A cardiography like this? Yes. You can do kind of an interpretive dance to it. Totally. Because you can at least get a guide, you know?
00:20:24 --> 00:20:45 Just helpful when you're starting choreographing. You know, for me, this song is so, that's so funny. Wow, I thought you mentioned that. I didn't know that. Do you have the footage? Stop. Release the Snyder clip. Oh, hell no. I'm sure it's terrible. I don't remember it at all. Oh, okay. That's valid. I have a terrible first song, but I remember my first song, and it's so bad. Like, ugh, God. But yeah, continue. Go ahead. How do you feel about this one?
00:20:45 --> 00:20:57 Yes. Well, you mentioned Blackout. Love that she worked with Bloodshy and Avant for this album. It makes sense. Like, there's so much crossover in even their vocal styling as well. So it just makes sense that the two of them...
00:20:58 --> 00:21:25 would have similar crossover producers. This is such a good one. This is one of my favorites from the album. I love how robotic and cold the whole thing is. And there's so much going on in terms of the way the vocals are being produced. Like every single phrase, there's like a different effect on it. There's a vocal ordering, there's a layering. There's like an octave shift. And then the backing track is super mysterious and
00:21:25 --> 00:21:46 It's just so good for like a futuristic, you know, Fembot situation. Fembot, yeah. Yeah. And every little moment is a hook too. Like I feel like if you could, you could probably play around with the structure and you could make the verses more like choruses and you can make the chorus a bridge and you can kind of switch things around. It would still kind of work.
00:21:47 --> 00:21:59 in a way. Yeah. Yeah. So I love this one. And also I have to say the tour studio version that Steve Anderson did is so good. It makes it so intense.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:21 Oh, you know what? That's valid. Oh, no, that would be thinking of my score. Son of a biscuit. All right, guys. So, you know, for this one, she sounds like she whispers and I guess kind of sings like an AI assistant that got too sassy. Like, it's like Alexa, Cortana, or Siri. Like, they would eat this song up if they were given the chance. Like, seriously, can you imagine? Hey, Alexa.
00:22:21 --> 00:22:47 Slay she starts to your speaker phone your collarbone and you're you know, that'd be hilarious. I would dance Um, it's weird. It's futuristic and it's delightfully bizarre I mean again, Britney's blackout would definitely approve I would I'm just saying um, I like that the production is sharp and glitchy with like the like you said It has like a smexy robot android vibe and I think that because her voice is so I
00:22:47 --> 00:23:02 like unreal in terms of its timbre. The fact that it's so like pure, not squeaky, but it's so high pitched and it has gotten a lot more, not a lot more deeper, but it's gotten a lot more refined deepness as she's gotten older, but combine her vocal tone with the vocal,
00:23:02 --> 00:23:31 the effect it's a little weird it's like she doesn't sound real it sounds disconnected and I think conceptually that's really good I will say that the lyrics kind of crack me out like it's just it reminds me of the dem bone song the neck bones connected to the head bone and the finger bone connected to like so I got that kind of vibe and it kind of took me out in terms of like like wow this is so creative because like it's not like let's be pure it's just so not creative it's
00:23:31 --> 00:23:54 But I can kind of appreciate it. Not by a lot. Again, a lot of my thing is just the lyricism. Like, as a songwriter, I would have just written something a little bit more. Like, I don't know. There's so much you could have said. You could have run into a bunch of just random things with phone, groan, moan. No, but it's about how, like, the music is, like, coursing through your body and, like, making you move. I don't know. I think it works. Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:54 --> 00:24:23 I get it. But for me, it took me out. Because if I hear this for the first time, all I hear is bone, this bone, and that bone is connected to the... So first listen, it's giving that. It doesn't mean it's a bad song. It's just for me, I was like, okay. And when I came back to it and I listened to it and I watched that little freaky animated video as well... Oh, gosh. Yes. Very creepy. Yeah. So I kind of was brought back a little bit more because I was like, this video is creepier than the way that the lyrics are. So I can handle this. But...
00:24:24 --> 00:24:54 I don't think I've ever seen that before. That video is neat either. Yes. Rudolph, yes. Yes, Rudolph. I feel like Rudolph would do a better job now. Like, you know? But he did a pretty decent job for what he was given, or they were given, excuse me. But yeah, like I said, because of my initial reaction, my initial reaction, even with all the goodness, I had to give it an 8.5. It's kind of close to getting a 9. It was close, what you were saying, obviously, but I have to be honest. I will give it a 9. And I think also having it open the X-Tour is perfect.
00:24:54 --> 00:25:15 Oh my god, yes. Yes. Absolutely. Yes. Next up, we have Sensitize, which was done by Kathy Dennis, Guy Chambers, and Serge Gansbord. And it includes a sample of Bonnie and Clyde by Serge Gansbord and Brigitte Bardot. And a version featuring French artist Christophe Willem was released as a promotional single in Europe.
00:25:15 --> 00:25:32 So yeah, my taste is going to show a little bit with this one. I like this one. It has an interesting mix of slinky singing and clunky. Not clunky, that's not the right word. But there's a lot going on in terms of the production. I feel like it's full and it's...
00:25:32 --> 00:26:00 takes you on a journey of sorts, right? Because Kylie has like this breathly vocals over this sultry cinematic beat. Like it makes Kylie sounds cool when she sings at her lower register. So now she feels human. She feels grounded. But then you have this production that kind of elevates the whole experience of her vocals. Because if she kind of sang like this with an electronic beat, I don't know if it would be as effective. This one's cool. It's kind of slinky. Like her being able to kind of tap into that nasal...
00:26:00 --> 00:26:16 her nasal palate, tightening her soft palate to sound really nasally, fits the electronic. Her singing lower in this more, I don't want to say minimal, but it's not as like, throw everything in there electronically that we can find. This one's like, it's, it's,
00:26:16 --> 00:26:44 chill, but also interesting, has some intricacies that I appreciate. I like the lyrics when she's like, you trip the switch and I'm turned on for you. Ah, honey. And the bridge is delicious. It's understated and the harmonies are what creates the tension as opposed to like a giant belt or like crazy production. There's nothing wrong with the EDM. I do enjoy a good EDM track. This is not me slating, slating, slating any of the EDM, right? It's more just like, what?
00:26:44 --> 00:27:07 Once you have all of this electronic, when you have a track that's almost like a callback to Two Hearts and it's quote unquote natural sound, is it going to be good? And for me, it does. Like the lyrics explore the dangerous passion. It's oozing smacks uphill. It feels like Kylie in a Bond movie seducing 007. And I feel like she could freaking do it. I feel like she could do it. Can you imagine this being a Bond song?
00:27:08 --> 00:27:37 Oh, she would do a great Bond song, actually. Oh, my God, yeah, she would. Yeah. Make her a Bond girl. Yeah, well, you mentioned the bridge. The bridge is for sure my favorite part. When the drums go really crazy. It's so cool. It's really awesome. And, yeah, I agree with you. I think this song is pretty perfect for her voice. That nasalness, the breathiness, the sultriness, it just works for the song. And the sample is so cool. I had never heard this song before. Mm-hmm.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:55 It's not really even a song. Like, they're mostly talking over it. But the production and then the whoop that's kind of looped in there, the way they adjusted that and made it way sexier with all of this was just a really cool idea.
00:27:55 --> 00:28:24 Yes, sampling done right. Yes. And you know, Kathy Dennis, Guy Chambers, like classic, classic songwriters, and they just know how to write a good, catchy pop song. Because this is another one that's just so catchy. I do think in another world, this actually could have been a single. I think... I don't think it would have done amazingly well. I think it could have done better than Two Hearts. But I do feel like this kind of...
00:28:24 --> 00:28:32 darker side of the album is not represented at all amongst the single releases. And...
00:28:33 --> 00:28:58 There's so many B-sides as well, which we're not going to talk about in this episode. But if you would like to hear us talk about the bonus tracks, and there are a lot of bonus tracks from this era that the fans love. We will be doing a special bonus episode just for Patreon. So definitely come join us there. But in those B-sides, you get more of this kind of darker electropop thing. Yeah. That this song kind of represents. And so there's just this whole side to this era that...
00:28:58 --> 00:29:26 Yeah, I feel it's just underrepresented in the single. So I feel like this could have been up there. And that performance from the Kylie show where she's like on the bowl thing. It's so good. Like, it's so sexy. And she kills that. So, yeah, I love this one. I think it's a great, a great addition to her discography. Yeah, same. I actually gave this one a nine. Mm. Yeah. I will go 8.5. See, like, we switched a little bit. Yeah.
00:29:27 --> 00:29:56 All right, guys, up next is Heartbeat Rock, and this was done by Calvin Harris, Karen Poole, John Lipsy, and Kylie Minogue herself. And in Europe, there is a remix featuring Benny Blanco, so this was done by him, and it was featuring MC Spank Rock. That is a hilarious name. It's hysterical. Benny Blanco, isn't that... Selena Gomez's man now? That's him, yeah, that's Selena Gomez's man now. Her fiancé is Benny Blanco. Oh, my God, is that Benny Blanco?
00:29:57 --> 00:30:16 Am I tripping? Is that the same Benny Blanco? It is the same Benny Blanco. Hey, guys, listen. Benny Blanco, we're with Kylie Minogue. Okay, whatever. Go ahead, man. Get your... All right, yeah. Because Chris's face was... The cogs were turning. My cogs were turning. No, because I just assumed he was, like, way younger. But then I realized that Selena Gomez isn't actually, like, that.
00:30:16 --> 00:30:30 young either. I don't know. But you know, when I think of Benny Blanco, I think of a Latino man. But Blanco is white and Spanish. He's not a white dude. I mean, he's a white dude, but he's not like a Spanish man. I think he's Jewish. I'm a mistake.
00:30:31 --> 00:30:49 um yeah well regardless i mean i just think that the remix is great i don't know you yeah the remix is great so good job benny that's the point yes that's the point it's just so funny because i didn't realize who he was until like me either i didn't put that together at all it's so funny guys like that is funny
00:30:49 --> 00:31:11 Do you guys like the Benny Blanco remix more? Because I feel like some people might like remixes a little bit more than the original. It is definitely better to me than the original. It makes it a bit cooler. Like it's almost even more minimal. There's some more hip hoppy elements. They add extra little kind of vocal blips and stuff in there. And the rap totally works. Like I think the single, this remix could have been a single.
00:31:11 --> 00:31:39 Right. Again, would have been a risk, I think. Because I do think this is a divisive one because I can see how this could be an annoying song. You know what? Yeah. I feel like Benny's version of it, it kind of gave it like this 80s hip hop, 80s R&B pop kind of feel to it. Because it's still 80s. It still fits. It's still 80s. So I respect him keeping it. Do you like the song like the original? Because I feel like you said, ooh, you don't want to dig in it. I do. I think it's good.
00:31:39 --> 00:32:07 good. I think watching her perform, again, I'm going to say this for most of these songs, like watching her perform, it really sold it to me. I do, like I said, sometimes I'm in the mood for this song and sometimes I'm not because it can be a little grating, I think, sometimes. Because, you know, with the kind of wrapping, of quote-unquote wrapping and just kind of the talkiness of it, I don't know. It's very catchy, but it's just not
00:32:08 --> 00:32:11 It's not usually what I tend to listen to, this type of song.
00:32:12 --> 00:32:41 Okay, that's valid. That's totally valid. I agree. But I think the production is cool. Like I said, I like how bare it is. So the beat really is kind of all that really carries it, which makes sense kind of given the song title. Yeah. I do wish it had more of a climax, though. Same. Because it just doesn't really go anywhere. Same. Yeah. I said the same thing. I feel like this is, it's bratty. It's a little playful. It's a little rap, you know? When I say bratty, I mean like... That's what it is. I just don't love bratty-ness. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
00:32:41 --> 00:32:58 You know what? I feel like Love Angel Music baby Gwen Stefani would have a feel day with this one. Yes, a lot of reviewers said that. Get out of here, really? Yeah, Gwen Stefani's mentioned name quite a lot. Yeah, it sounds like a lamby. It sounds like a lamb, Gwen. The Ooh Yeah Vocal Tops,
00:32:58 --> 00:33:16 would be a cute little ad for YouTube. Like I could hear some parts of the song do have potential to be interesting. Like I said, the ooh, yeah, vocal chops would definitely be something I hear in a commercial for like a food or like a lipstick. This sounds like a commercial song. It doesn't sound like...
00:33:17 --> 00:33:45 like, something I would listen to on a regular basis, but if I heard it in an ad, I'd be like, oh, this sounds kind of catchy, and I would keep it pushing. That doesn't mean it's a bad song, but I feel like if you synced it for that purpose, perfect, perfect. The wiriness of it, the boomy-ness of the track, it bounces with this bass drum and its wiry synth. Like, it's very simplistic, with occasional harmonies here and there, but yeah, I have the same thing. The ending went absolutely nowhere. Yeah.
00:33:45 --> 00:34:12 For an ad, honey, great song. For like a track that, you know, it's okay. It's cute. But like we need a little bit more than cute right now. Yeah. I say just put the remakes and make that the version on the album. You know. Yeah. And then the performance really was amazing. The whole cheer squad concept, the Mickey interpolation. Yeah. So, so good. So because of all that, I will bump it up a little bit and I'll do a 7.5.
00:34:12 --> 00:34:24 You know what? That is generous. Oh, wow. Would I be wrong if I copied you right now? No. Yeah. Okay, because I gave it a 7, but that makes so much freaking sense. Yeah, I give it a 7.5, and I'll bump it up. 7.5.
00:34:24 --> 00:34:44 Okay, moving on to The One, which was done by Freemasons, Richard Biff-Sanard, Zoo Brazil, Johan Emoth, Emma Nils-Daughter, and Kylie Minogue. And this was released as the final single from the album in July 2008, and it was originally recorded by Laid and Emma Holmgren.
00:34:44 --> 00:34:55 And the track was remixed by the Freemasons for the single mix. And though it didn't make much impact in the charts, Kylie has noted it as one of her favorites and it has included it in many of her set lists.
00:34:56 --> 00:35:18 You know, Kylie, Kylie, classic, Kylie, classic, classic, Kylie. So this one's very classic to me in terms of like her sound. Her voice really does soar. I think the proper word here is glide. I'm not sure if she's a vocal soaring kind of person, but her vocals do glide on this. In terms of soaring or sailing, if you will.
00:35:18 --> 00:35:43 The ahs sound so like just, it transcends the space that you're listening to them in. Because it's kind of like far in the mix. And it feels like it's, I don't know how to explain it in a way that makes sense right now. But like, it just feels like little angels, little choir of angels over pulsating beats. You know? It's giving Aphrodite. It's giving party on Olympus, if that makes it easier for you guys to understand. It does. It does. Right?
00:35:43 --> 00:36:12 Yes. Lyrically, it's like a plea of connection and love. Like, that's relatable as AF. That's relatable AF, okay? It has the grandeur of, like, a Sunrise album. Anthem, sorry. A Sunrise anthem. It sounds like something like Ibiza. You're playing it. The music. Like, it has the lush veil of romance. It's grounding all the spaciousness of her vocals. And I think because the beat is so just, like, electronic and dancey and clubby, the vocals...
00:36:12 --> 00:36:42 It's like a bonus. It's almost unexpected. So the way it was written, I totally appreciate it. The way it was arranged and mixed, like the whole concept of her vocals. I would love to listen to this acapella. And that says a lot. So again, I can see why so many people love this kind of sound. It feels like the last song at the club at 4 a.m. The sun is coming up. Again, sunrise anthem, honey. Fans often cite this as a highlight. It is definitely pure Kylie magic.
00:36:42 --> 00:37:06 And it is, I think it's underrated because I didn't even know this was a single until we did this research. Like if I would have heard this, I probably would have liked it when I was younger. Like totally would have liked it because it's just, it's fun. It's easygoing. It just, it feels like, I don't know. It just feels good. And it sounds good too. Yeah. And, you know, we've mentioned I Believe in You a few times. This is the perfect bridge between I Believe in You and then Aphrodite.
00:37:06 --> 00:37:36 Yeah. Perfect bridge of kind of the two. And yeah, I feel like like I believe in you, there is something very spiritual, angelic, whatever the word is. Yeah. There is something there that feels, yeah, God-like in some way. It transcends like, you know. Yeah. It does something, guys. It ascends us. It does. It does. Yeah, I love how euphoric and glamorous it is. Yeah. Yeah.
00:37:36 --> 00:37:54 And I guess it's interesting because, again, I always tie performances in, especially with this album for some reason. But I actually point to the Aphrodite tour performance for this one also. Because, again, going along with what we've been saying, like her literally being like, I'm the one, like as in.
00:37:54 --> 00:38:20 the goddess of love like i was like it just totally worked in that context and that performance is so so beautiful so yeah i always think of that and i love the freemasons remix it definitely gives it a really big boost of energy it differentiates it from kind of these other kind of brighter kind of dance pop songs that are on the album and i think the video is great too it almost looks like a tour visual oh my god yeah yeah but also kind of like an art film it's
00:38:20 --> 00:38:31 So it works. The kaleidoscope, her blooming toward the screen and things like that. Yeah, I like those too. But it's just so good. Like, this is one that always just, like, I feel like transcends...
00:38:32 --> 00:38:56 somehow like live and everything it feels like it is bringing in something more spiritual to it all which is just interesting yeah yeah i think so i thought this one feels a little bit more real even for all the electronicness of it so yeah i'm gonna give it i'm gonna give it my first 10 oh i'll give it my first 10 because i liked it okay oh okay i'll do 9.5 her standard is too high i can't
00:38:56 --> 00:39:07 I'm crying. We're talking about the context of this album. Give me 50. I will give a 10. I will give a 10. Just wait. Okay. I have a couple, actually, as long as you stay tuned to the bonus episode.
00:39:07 --> 00:39:36 Ooh. Ooh. Yeah. You know what? Agreed. All right, guys. So we're going to keep going. Right on to No More Rain. This is done by Greg Kirsten, Pontus, Winberg, Karen Poole, Quant, Bloodshide, and Avant, and of course, Kylie Minnogway. What a nice last name. You know, that was actually a thing. There was something about American DJs not being able to pronounce her name. This was like back in like the 90s, I think. What?
00:39:36 --> 00:39:48 This was definitely a thing. Fans, lovers, this is the thing. I believe it. Tell us in the comments. I remember something about this happening in the U.S. especially. Kali Minoway.
00:39:49 --> 00:40:14 Anyway, okay. No More Rain. Yes. I love the message of this song. Like, I think you mentioned earlier, critics kind of panned this and wanted more lyrical depth in this album. I mean, this is very, very clearly about her fight with cancer, the support that she had from the fans and everyone else around her. And the lyrics are really well written. Like, it's very, very poetic and does feel very internal and personal. Mm-hmm.
00:40:14 --> 00:40:32 And yeah, I think coming off of the one, this also has that kind of more spiritual vibe to it. I will say the mixing does sound a bit muddled, though. And I couldn't tell if it was just my headphone. But I was like, no, I'm like listening to it like lossless. So it's like...
00:40:32 --> 00:40:45 I feel like it just kind of is that. Yeah. So I didn't love that. But I do enjoy the chorus a lot. Like you can really feel the joy in it. It has a really nice melody. Yeah. So yeah, I think for what it is, I enjoy it.
00:40:46 --> 00:41:02 Yes, I think this is definitely the reflective song that they were looking for. You're overcoming your struggles. That's relatable. Her personal triumph shines here, I think, the most in the album, though. This is a song that I feel like would have been...
00:41:02 --> 00:41:30 And interesting for a single. I mean, it has that natural, like, you know what I'm saying? It has that natural, like, band sound that Two Hearts has. This one feels like, even though it's not what X sounds as, like, the majority of X sounds like, this would have been interesting because it would have been real. It would have been something to connect to. And then when she came back with her, I'm great, I'm fine. Next single, it's a nice little EDM track. It'd be like, oh, my God. Yes. Yes, girl. Yes. It kind of...
00:41:30 --> 00:41:57 Even though people may not agree with me, there's something about the psychology of the releases that matters. Had this been the first release, it may have been like, oh my God, like, wow, she went through so much. And if she would have came with something like the wow right after, it would have been, oh my gosh. Or even this swapped two hearts. It would be like, okay, this is the direction she's going in. Even though still it does not represent X as a whole, it would have been interesting if this was the first one. I feel like the lyrics are hopeful.
00:41:57 --> 00:42:12 I like the, I feel the sunshine in my life. Like, obviously, it's like the whole no more rain thing. I get it. But saying that there's actual sunshine, a little bit of cheesiness is welcomed here. Yes. The melody is uplifting, but it is understated. Like, nothing about it is, like...
00:42:12 --> 00:42:40 trying to be catchy, and I appreciate that. It just feels like a hug in the sonic form. You can feel her being like, I'm okay, don't worry, I'm okay, I'm back. So the overall feeling of it, it's definitely like a heartfelt anthem of resilience. You know, like, I'm fine, I'm doing better than okay, I'm here, no more rain now, no more rain. So I appreciate that, it's very sweet. Very sweet.
00:42:40 --> 00:43:05 Yes. Okay, so I'll give this one an 8. Oh, an 8. Okay, okay, okay. I give this one a 7.5. Okay. Yes, not terrible, but... Okay. Moving on to All I See, which was done by Jonas Yeberg, Cutfather, Lil Eddie, and Raymond Calhoun. And it contains an interpolation of Outstanding, written by Raymond Calhoun, performed by The Gap Band.
00:43:05 --> 00:43:24 And this was released as the lead single in the U.S. in March 2008. And a remix featuring rapper Mims was serviced to U.S. radio stations in an attempt to appeal to a more urban market. But it unfortunately did not make much impact and peaked at number three in the Billboard Dance Club songs.
00:43:25 --> 00:43:43 All I see. You know what? I love the song Outstanding by the Got Band. When I tell you that song is, oh my God. Love it. This song is not that. Obviously. Oh, no. You love Janet. This sounds like a Janet reject.
00:43:43 --> 00:44:05 No, it does. No, it sounds like One Step at a Time by Jordan Sparks. Absolutely not. Janet would never. Janet would have taken this and actually flipped it with like a little bit of like a, you know, think about like, don't know what you got till it's gone. You know, think about freaking son of a gun. Like she knows how to flip a record. No offense. I mean, she has chill songs like this, though. This is true. Or like, yeah.
00:44:05 --> 00:44:15 All right, baby, come and find my way. Still, it's still better than this. Oh, I agree. That's why I said it's a Janet reject. Reject.
00:44:15 --> 00:44:45 Oh, I'm into, you know what? Okay, yeah, you did say that, yeah, yeah. But again, it's giving one step at a time, Jordan Sparks type beat. That's hilarious, yeah. Come on, right, come on. It's light, it's breezy, it's radio friendly, but it's such a shame that American tracks feel so boring and derivative. Like, what the heck? Why is it that when artists come to the Americas, it's like, let's make it really basic. For me, if I was a listener, I'd feel insulted because I'm like, you thinking I'm dumb and I can't appreciate good music like there are other stuff on this album.
00:44:45 --> 00:45:10 But then also it's just like, I mean, well, if it's, you guys made it popular, of course, we're going to copy it. So it's like, you know, two sides of the same, like, whack coin. It feels slightly out of place, but it's still charming because it's Kylie. Yes. Kylie does say she loved the song, but honestly, I don't share the same sentiment in Mims. This is why I'm hot Mims. That remix was terrible. Yeah.
00:45:10 --> 00:45:39 Oh my god, his rap verses were terrible. Garbage. The first one was better. The second one was awful, awful. Mm-mm. I will say the production of the remix, it gives it a little bit more oomph, at least. A little something, I guess. Yeah, this song is not it. I remember being so annoyed that when they announced this as the lead single in the U.S., and they had really good promotional slots for her, too. Like, she did a lot of the late-night shows. Like, she performed a lot. Wow. And it was this song. Um...
00:45:39 --> 00:45:57 And it just doesn't... It does her no favors, right? No, yeah. It's so chill, so she can't really do anything vocally. Yeah. It's, again, so chill that you can't really do much performance-wise either. No. It's not fair to her. And, yeah, I just find the whole...
00:45:58 --> 00:46:18 I find it a bit odd. Like, Love at First Sight did decently in the U.S. Yeah. You know, so people know her as, you know, more happy than, you know, more like poppy. Yes. I mean, I get that the whole thing, especially at that time, I guess it was like more cooler R&B leaning stuff. But you still had the Calvin Harris...
00:46:18 --> 00:46:47 stuff going on too. So I feel like you could have gone with an In My Arms. It would have made more Empire. Wow, obviously. Well, Gaga would have been after this. Oh, Gaga was coming. Excuse me. Britney had happened. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Not fair to her. Boo. Yeah. But yeah, you know what? She does a good job with it overall, like vocally, I would say, for the most part. I will say the ending is really weird where it kind of builds up for like two seconds. And then disappears. It was like...
00:46:47 --> 00:47:12 Yeah, there is an acoustic version that she would do on some nights of the tour. Okay. So I enjoyed that and made it a bit cuter. Uh-huh. So cuter. So yeah, I'll give it that. I don't think it's a terrible song. I will say I like it more now than I did when I was younger. But it just doesn't fit the album. I don't get it. Yeah. Yeah, doesn't fit and it's not good to me. So it's a six for me. Okay, I'll do 6.5.
00:47:15 --> 00:47:38 Up next, we have stars, and this was done by Richard Biff Stannard, Paul Harris, Jillian Peake, and Kylie Minogue. We have seen Biff's name many a time on our show. We love Biff. You've given me so much joy in life, sir. Yes, absolutely. So, yeah, if you guys don't know who Biff is, he's done a lot, if not all. I'm joking. But a lot of the Spice Girls work. So we have done, we've reviewed all of their albums.
00:47:38 --> 00:47:53 bombs oh my gosh guys even the b-side so make sure you look on our channel or make sure you pay attention to all those uh videos of course because we talk about spice girls quite a bit we are due for another one so guys give us a reason to talk about the spice girls again okay
00:47:53 --> 00:48:14 We have to do all the solo stuff, I think. This is true. We can, yes. Yeah, yeah. All right. Anyway, Stars. I really like this one. This was actually a standout for me. I remember like the first few times I heard the album. Back in the day. Back in the day. Because I think it does bring it back down. It's more organic, right? So it has the electric guitars in it. It still keeps that kind of 80s thing going on. Oh, yeah.
00:48:15 --> 00:48:28 But again, all I see made no sense. Can I just say, the sequencing of this album also makes no sense, especially towards the end. Like, why is all I see in the middle of No More Rain and Stars? What?
00:48:28 --> 00:48:55 Anyway Pretending all I see isn't there It does a great job Keeping the more kind of Spiritual, personal Kind of thing that's been going on these past few songs With the lyrics And the melody is just very interesting to me In this song Because it's kind of I don't know, there's something about it where each word Is kind of dragged out So it just really holds my attention In a way Yeah
00:48:56 --> 00:49:12 Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting. So when I listen to this song, I think the lyrics are like what? Chasing the dreams and aiming high. It's like classic optimism that comes with a track like this. It sounds upbeat. So I like that they followed the...
00:49:12 --> 00:49:40 the mood of the song, I feel like the production's kind of glittery. Like, it kind of sparkles like stars. I mean, that's kind of like on the nose, but it does kind of sparkle in a way. It feels cosmic, and the guitars on the track make it sound like we're traveling through space. Like, you know, it feels like a, it sounds like a soundtrack song to me, like a movie soundtrack. I know you guys are like, why would you say that? That's not fair. But it sounds like something. I mean, that's not a bad thing. It depends on the movie.
00:49:40 --> 00:49:57 Yeah, I mean, but there are some horrible movies that have amazing soundtracks. Okay, good. Okay, as long as you guys don't take an insult to it. I don't think it's a bad thing. I feel like I could see someone with a top-down driving to this or, like, in a cute little montage of, like, a woman's, like, you know, buddy comedy. This is just something about this is just... Really? Yeah.
00:49:57 --> 00:50:14 Yeah, that's what I have in my head right now. It's the scene of the top down, you know, the driving, you know, maybe a rom-com if you're feeling like that. Either way, it's about some type of connection with people and like just being free. I feel like it's, the beat is infectious in a way.
00:50:14 --> 00:50:34 Like it's not as like catchy where I can remember every guitar riff and everything like that. But something about it makes me want to move. So in terms of infectiousness, it means like the rhythms and the grooves and the beat catches my body. Is it catchy where I can be like, hey guys, this riff here on verse two was amazing? No. But do I want to move my body? Yes.
00:50:34 --> 00:50:56 So, yeah, I will say her vocals are a little bit more nasally than usual. So that kind of like made me like, yeah, OK, took me out a little bit. I think there's a fine line with vocals between being too nasal and being too tight in the vocal and then being too slurred. And you're singing cursive. And she started to lean more toward like hard and soft palate. So, yeah, yeah, it's not a bad song.
00:50:56 --> 00:51:14 Fair. Also, just to shout out, she did include this on the anti-tour set list, which I love. Oh, yeah. Because I remember being, like, a little sad it wasn't on the X-tour. So, it did still get a live performance. Yeah. So, justice for stars, y'all. Yes. Justice for stars. Yes. I will give it an 8.5. I gave this one an 8. Okay.
00:51:14 --> 00:51:35 Moving on to Wow, which was done by Greg Kirsten, Karen Poole, and Kylie Minogue. And this was the second single from the album in January 2008. And it hit number five in the UK singles chart, becoming her biggest hit in the UK since Love at First Sight. Craziness. You love this one. Yes, I do. I love it. Yeah.
00:51:36 --> 00:51:55 This is the song that I heard when we watched the X tour. And I was like, Chris, what is this? What is this? What is this? I mean, obviously it was like, wow. I think you were like, the song's called. I think it was like, the song's called, wow. Either way, I remember hearing the song and be like, I love this. Because I don't think I actually knew the song before we watched that tour. And that performance, like you mentioned,
00:51:56 --> 00:52:12 This was the performance when she did what? Heartbeat rock and then wow. Yes. All into that one thing, which is why when you said earlier, I was like, oh, I do like the song. I think I just like it live. But this one, I like it live. I like the track. It's fun. I love it so much.
00:52:12 --> 00:52:29 much um but yeah it's unashamedly unabashedly excuse me unabashedly camp with a chorus that sticks like bubble gum pop baby it is typical bubble gum pop and it really does stick like that i mean kylie's signature sparkle is turned up to 11
00:52:29 --> 00:52:59 because that fatty piano, something about it made me go, oh, do I know this song already? I didn't. I don't know. Something about it. Again, this is catchy, infectious, where I can sing it back to you. Unlike with stars, it just felt like I could move my body. I can move my body and I can sing it back. It instantly catches my attention. The lyrics are simple, but joyous. You know, wow, wow, wow, wow. Catchy. Very catchy. I mean, I feel like, like imagine if a rainbow had a rave. This is the track.
00:53:01 --> 00:53:28 Yes. It's actually really interesting to me because this song is surprisingly for me quite divisive among the fans. Some love it. Yeah. And some hate it and find it super annoying and hate that it's included on all her set lists. I am definitely on the former. I think this is a great example of just happy dance pop, electro pop Kylie at its finest, basically. Yes.
00:53:29 --> 00:53:58 So I love this song, and it does just make you happy. Yes. Like, it just emits so much joy. Like, just from the second the piano starts, there's already so much joy just in that itself. Absolutely. And it's just really fun to sing along to. Just a good pop song. I love the bubble effect that they put on the wow, wow, wow, wow as well. And there's, like, bubble effect kind of throughout it as well, the kind of pans and stuff, which is all really, really fun. So, yeah, I think this is one of her...
00:53:58 --> 00:54:27 best songs honestly like i would include it on like a top 20 kylie tracks yeah absolutely i think i think some people forget that she does have this bright side and not everything has to be like this slinky sexiness something with jenna i don't think that jenna has to be sexy but jenna has all right she has escapade and those songs are solid tracks so i play for this one it's like the same thing like let her have her pink rainbow rave okay talking about the video moving on to the video i
00:54:27 --> 00:54:53 I like the video. It's so cute. I think her wig is hysterical. That bob was bobbing. The suit was giving. Like, she looked so cute. It felt like spinning around, like, cracked-out sister who loves outer space. Because that's the same vibe. Go to the bar, dance it, shake it, move it. But in this skin-tight suit, it reminds me of Space Channel... Is this Space Channel 6?
00:54:53 --> 00:55:19 I think it is with Ooh La La, the girl with the pigtails. Like, hi, I'm Ooh La La. Oh, I know what you're talking about. Yeah, that's what it reminds me of. That's what the song reminds me of. It is Space Channel. So that video game from Dreamcast, if you guys know what I'm talking about, like literally Space Channel 6. I think I'm wrong, but it is. Yes, that's what I think of. Maybe it's not Space Channel 6. I mean, you mentioned the rainbow. I guess this is like if a rainbow was in space and the club at the end of it.
00:55:19 --> 00:55:48 Yes Oh by the way It's Space Channel 5 But yes This is the rainbow When you beat the game You get to dance And you ride a rainbow Into space And you end up At this club Yes Yes I also always think Of the Kylie show performance Where she had The pigtails Yes So cute Yeah just super Super fun Yeah And yeah this song Always goes off live I love it I'm always surprised Yeah I'm always surprised When fans say that they Aren't huge fans Wow
00:55:48 --> 00:56:03 Yes, if you guys don't like it, please let us know why you don't like it, because obviously music is up subjective. So definitely comment and tell us why you don't like it. We're not going to get angry with you unless you just go say it. Yes, we love different opinions. Yes. Yes. Wow. Is a...
00:56:03 --> 00:56:25 give it a 10 yeah me too i have to give this one a 10 i'm doing the language for a while you guys are wondering why the heck my mouth sounds crazy okay so we're gonna move right along to new d tea and it was done by blush eye and avant and karen pool all right that was interesting i love this
00:56:25 --> 00:56:51 I think when X was first announced and we kind of heard the types of producers she was working with, I wanted more experimental stuff like this. Oh. Yeah. Okay. So this is very much. Yeah. I think this is so cool. I love kind of weird Kylie sometimes. Again, though, the placement on the album is bizarre. Yeah, it's not great. Where would you have put it? Okay.
00:56:51 --> 00:57:20 I mean, I would need to rejig the whole thing, I would say. Yeah. But I feel like Cos... I understand that the whole Cosmic No More Rain, Stars, the one... Like, I don't know. They're kind of more fillery. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, not the one. But yeah, I think those four do have to kind of stick together, though. Because otherwise, either you have to completely spread them fully apart or they have to stick together. So I would have put, like, No More Rain, like, near the top of the track. Like, I don't know. The whole thing needs a rejig.
00:57:20 --> 00:57:38 Regardless, nudity. Bonus tracks. We need those bonus tracks to slide in here. Yes, we need the bonus tracks in there too. I would switch so many things out. Anyway. Yes. This production is awesome. There's so much warping in it. There's just so many weird elements to it. Like especially when that breakdown happens and you get all the new.
00:57:38 --> 00:58:02 like you get all this like weird stuff happening around you it's like what is going on it's so much fun i think i was reading an interview or something where kylie said it took her a couple listens to even understand what was happening and i get that and i love that like i think it's cool that you need those repeat listens to try to know where it's going yeah uh and yeah i get that's just like
00:58:02 --> 00:58:22 I don't know. I just love the weirdness of it all. I think it's great. I just love the weirdness of it all. Yeah. You know, for me, this one is interesting because, like, the ransom note magazine clipping of the vocals spelling out nudity in the beginning is hilarious. Because you guys know, like, with the letters getting cut out in the magazine, like, if you want...
00:58:22 --> 00:58:47 If you want your dog back, give us $100. It's all different magazine clippings, different fonts. That's what this sounded like. A bunch of chopped and screwed up magazine clippings to make this pop picture, to make this pop song. The whoops and the ooh make the song interesting as well. And I think the 80s influences are all throughout. There's a piano. There's a trombone? A trumpet?
00:58:47 --> 00:59:12 Like the chorus is so weird. It's so many random sounds. I will say I don't care for the horn instrument in the song. It doesn't do anything for the song. And if it was missing, I would not notice. This is really strange. It's like a horny, glitchy robot apparently imported from Japan because she finished the song with Which means you're welcome.
00:59:12 --> 00:59:32 My Japanese could be so much better, but I'm reading, like, the English spelling. It's terrible. I'm so sorry. My God. Gomen Asai. I'm so sorry, guys. But, yeah, so basically she sounds like a horny, glitchy robot imported from Japan. So with the ending that is in Japanese and she goes, you're welcome, I think I'm pretty much, like, correct about the concept. Don't you think? I don't know.
00:59:32 --> 00:59:44 Sure. Think about it. She's top of the line Kylie bot. It's giving, it's giving, you know, Beyonce stealing B-Day, the robot opening. That's what it is, right? Yeah.
00:59:45 --> 01:00:06 Is it the fever tour where she comes out with a robot? Yes, that's right. Yeah, this is fever tour is nudity. Like, this is a song that plays when she comes out her robot shell and she sits on top of you and says, you're welcome in Japanese. And then, and for me, I feel like I did not get this song listening to it on the album, but I remember liking it during the tour. Oh.
01:00:06 --> 01:00:21 You know? The performance, the stage was so good. Oh my God, it's sickening. It's absolutely sickening. I actually did just watch the entire tour again, like a couple days ago. I was like, well, this is an excuse just to watch this.
01:00:21 --> 01:00:50 It's a good excuse because it was so good. And I feel like I remember I was watching. I was like, oh, girl, what's this going? Where is it going? Where is it going? And then it went somewhere really nice. I think it's just overall. It was just everyone understood the assignment of touching and writhing and thrusting. You know, Geisha wig aside, I think the concept was great. The choreography was really smexy. It was giving Kavanti, honey. I loved it. Yes. Yes. Okay. So, yes, I will give this a nine.
01:00:50 --> 01:01:16 Yes, for me, that being said, I'm going to give this one... I'll give it an 8.5. I'll raise my score a little bit. Okay. Yeah, I'll raise it. Okay. We're now at the final track of the standard track listing of the album, and that is Cosmic. And this was done by Egg White and Kylie Minogue, and she did perform it on The Kylie Show. So we do have one performance of it. One performance. Yeah. You know...
01:01:17 --> 01:01:36 This is one that's also charmingly vulnerable, you know? Mm-hmm. Like, it's not like, woe is me sadness, but there's a little bit of vulnerability that is believable here. Again, I feel like this is the closest, or the closer we're getting to finding out her thought process while having and recovering.
01:01:36 --> 01:01:51 Um, I feel like for me, when I was typing, when I was looking at the song, it was so challenging because when I typed in Kylie Cosmic, Kylie Jenner's Cosmic perfume kept popping up. I was getting so annoyed. Um, honestly. Oh my God.
01:01:51 --> 01:02:18 I feel like in terms of beginning to end, first song to the last song, for book ends, this also sounds the most natural. I love the band sound of it. It's a callback to, I don't want to say sanitized, sensitized, callback to two hands where the instruments are more focused on the natural sounds. Real, two hearts. I said two hands, didn't I? Yeah, it's all good. My bad. You keep going. I got it. That's all right.
01:02:19 --> 01:02:42 So yeah, I feel like those three songs kind of like sound the most natural. I love the band sound of it. And after all that computer glitching and synthesizing, we finally get something and someone that is real. It's a fine outro for an album, like last track for an album. The top line is not my favorite, which leads me to say the meaning of a song does not mean the song.
01:02:42 --> 01:02:59 means something like like in terms of like quality is not terrible but it's like yeah doesn't mean that's like the best work that could have come from right you know oh no yeah i agree look i think the lyrics are very pretty very poetic yet again yes yes but yeah the melody is just a little clunky for me
01:03:00 --> 01:03:17 You know, yeah. Yeah. I will say the live version, I enjoyed it more, I would say. The production for me on this studio version is a bit weird. Yeah. Because the strings feel like they're in a different building.
01:03:17 --> 01:03:43 and it's like things are not happening together yeah like and i think that was a i feel like that was a deliberate choice i mean it's called cosmic like maybe they wanted it to feel like things were happening like in different dimensions yeah yeah it's like it sounds distant or it didn't like fully all gelled together uh so i thought that was an interesting choice yeah yeah uh
01:03:45 --> 01:03:52 Yeah, I never... I'm going to be honest, I almost completely forgot that the song existed when we were doing this. Yeah.
01:03:53 --> 01:04:22 Yeah, so we're not going to bash the song. We just don't really care for it. So I'm going to give it a seven, honestly. Yeah, no, it's not a terrible song. I will also give it a seven, yeah. Yes, yes. We're not bashing it, guys. Yeah, yeah. Oh, man. Okay, so yes. As we mentioned, this is the last track on the standard version of the album. There are quite a few B-sides and bonus tracks from this era, many of which the fans prefer to what made it onto the album. So really excited to talk about that. And if you would like to listen to that, we have an exclusive episode.
01:04:22 --> 01:04:49 Only on Patreon. So definitely come join us over there for that. Because I can't wait to talk about Magnetic Electric and all of those. But until then, we're first going to do our cut or keep section. Oh my gosh. Okay, I'll go first. If I had to cut a song from this album, I guess it would be Cosmic. Ooh, ballads. She has much better ballads than this.
01:04:49 --> 01:05:13 sorry I'm gonna have to cut out all I see I hate it oh my gosh am I sorry not really like I think I say I think I say I'm sorry because I said I hate it but honestly outstanding is an amazing song and for it to be like reduced to this weird like tight beat track absolutely inappropriate Kylie deserved better whether she liked it or not yeah
01:05:13 --> 01:05:22 Okay, so for the keep, okay, I'm not going to choose a single. Out of the album tracks, I would keep speakerphone.
01:05:22 --> 01:05:46 Okay. All right. So I want to pick an EDM track because I do believe they are good. But also, I think Sensitized is good. I feel like that would have been a bomb track as well for a release. Because if you want to go for like a natural sound to kind of like bait and switch people, this would have been a good one. Oh, also, we didn't even talk about the French version. Oh, my gosh. I love Kylie singing in French. So I love that that exists. Yes. Yes.
01:05:46 --> 01:06:14 We love a bilingual queen. Yes. Okay, so overall thoughts of the X album. Yes. It is very interesting because I actually love this era. Yeah. This was a very formative era for me, right? Because, you know, I was like, I was late teens. You know, I feel like your teenage years, all the music during that era is very like. It becomes like your personality. Yeah, like it becomes, you know, such an important part of your life. Yeah, it becomes a part of you. Yeah.
01:06:14 --> 01:06:39 So I remember this era very fondly. I love the visuals. I love the aesthetic of it. I still think this is one of her best tours. Yes. Up there with Aphrodite, honestly. Yes. But like I said earlier, the actual album itself, it's clunky. Like it's definitely a little bit all over the place. You can tell that they had a ton of different directions they were going in and it does not end...
01:06:39 --> 01:06:45 up with a very cohesive project. So I feel like I would have definitely...
01:06:46 --> 01:07:16 redone the whole track listing and the single releases. Redick it, as you said. Yeah. I feel like, like I said, I think the second half especially is just a bit of a mess. Like going from, like there's, I don't know, it gets a little fillery and then you just have these outlier songs. And then the B-sides are just so good from this era. So it's just a shame that they've been relegated to rarely being heard.
01:07:16 --> 01:07:20 But yeah, so I love the era itself more than I do the actual album.
01:07:21 --> 01:07:48 Yeah. That's valid. Yeah. You know, I feel like because I was introduced to this era via the tour. Yes. I can understand what you're saying. Because I feel like when you introduced it to me, I didn't know that X was the album, like the number, the album number. Like it was the 10th album. There we go. Wow. English. So, yeah, I didn't realize that this was the 10th album. And...
01:07:48 --> 01:08:14 I thought X was like one of those variables, like X can be anything. So X, what is the value of X, right? So I saw this tour and it was all of these different concepts, her looking like, you know, M. Bison in that red dictator hat for slow and for, you know, her on the skull. I was like, wow. And then suddenly she's a cheerleader and then suddenly she's like this weird little geisha thing. I was like, X could be whatever you want.
01:08:14 --> 01:08:34 But that's not what the concept of this album was. The concept of this album was Magnetic Electric, which was taken off this album. Boo. But the point is, you guys had an intention. And whatever it was, it was not followed through. Now, granted, I do understand she was coming from a traumatic event in her life.
01:08:34 --> 01:08:55 But even with that withholding all of that, when you come back and you're making a body of work, it should be a little bit more cohesive. I think it's awesome that she came back and made such happy music because I think people don't realize that not everyone cries to get over pain. Some people want to dance. Some people want to make jokes. And this is her getting over what she went through. She wants to dance.
01:08:55 --> 01:09:21 She wants to love. And I think overall, the ethos of the album is I want to love. I want to live. I am living. And that was captured here. I just think sonically, it just was incongruent and a little bit hopscotchy. You know, in and out and out and in. You know what I'm saying? Like, not bad. Not great. Just like needed some work. Need some work.
01:09:21 --> 01:09:45 Yeah. So what would you do as a final rating? Dang it. I mean, I don't know her full discography to be like, oh, my God, this compared to that. So for this one, I will say I would give it like a 7.5, maybe an 8 if I listen to it again. But right now, God dang it. I'm going to say no bonus tracks mentioned whatsoever. 7.5.
01:09:45 --> 01:10:15 Okay, that's fair. I'll go an eight. I think the highs on it bring it up enough. Ooh. Ooh. Yeah. Okay, dang it. Yeah. Now I'm stuck in my 7.5, but like I said, I got mine. Yeah, I think they're both valid. My mind might change as I listen to it again. Yeah. Well, fans, lovers, let us know what your score would be for this album. As we mentioned, it's quite divisive, so I'm really excited to hear all of your comments. So definitely do that in the comment box. Yeah.
01:10:15 --> 01:10:45 On Spotify and YouTube. And if you would like to hang out with us and the crew on Patreon, you definitely can do that. Like we said, we will be talking about the bonus tracks on Patreon. So head over so we can discuss that. You can also follow us at CCTV Pops on social media. And if you're on YouTube, definitely like, subscribe, turn on notifications. And on a podcast platform, please give us a follow, rating, and review. Yeah. Until next time. That's Chantel. That's Chris. And we're signing off from CCTV, the nonstop pop show.
01:10:45 --> 01:10:45 you