Kylie Minogue, ‘Kiss Me Once’
THE latest offering from pop goddess Kylie Minogue is like a narcotic disco dream, slightly confused about the time-space continuum, yet very delightful. With her 12th studio album — her first after signing with Jay Z’s Roc Nation management — Minogue attempts to keep her crown in the dance kingdom — and succeeds — when she’s not trying too hard to upgrade to today’s trends.
Australian wunderkind Sia, who has written for Rihanna, Beyonce and Britney Spears, co-executive produced this tiny gem of dance floor anthems and sex-crazed tunes. When three out of 11 tracks have the word “sex” in their titles, you know what the album is going for — the antechamber to the bedroom of music.
Minogue excels on songs that are pure bubblegum fun. The Pharrell-penned spring-in-one’s-step “I Was Gonna Cancel,” the vaguely familiar “Sexy Love,” the casually dance-inducing “Feels So Good” and the beguilingly ‘80s throwback title track bring back a rash of dance memories from Minogue’s golden days circa 2001 with the addictive hits “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and “Love at First Sight.”
Sia’s writing contribution to the fun is the aggressively erotic “Sexercize,” a bass-heavy baller of a song that slithers all over your ears and proves that Minogue can deftly rap. Another laidback come-on is the enjoyable “Les Sex.”
The bug in this sextra intoxicating party cocktail is the misguided attempt at a ballad: an irritating duet with Enrique Iglesias’ computer-flavored vocals on “Beautiful.” Just stick to what you do best, kids, separately. You can’t force love on a player of an album. (AP)
