Aphrodite

by Kylie Minogue

Overview

By time of Kylie Minogue's eleventh album, 2010's Aphrodite, she had been releasing records for over 20 years. Most artists who've stuck around for that long end up rehashing their past catalogs and/or growing stale, but Kylie manages to avoid these fates by constantly working with new collaborators, keeping up on musical trends without pandering to them, and most importantly, never taking herself too seriously. Sure, she's serious about making great dance music, but she never confuses her status as a pop icon with a desire to send out a message in her music. Aphrodite rarely strays past sweet love songs or happy dance anthems; its deepest message is "everything is beautiful." You have to credit the songwriters (big names like Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters and Calvin Harris, as well as behind-the-scenes people like Sebastian Ingrosso, and Pascal Gabriel) for tailoring the efforts to Kylie's strengths. Also on board is exec producer Stuart Price, who puts it all together, giving the record a focused sound that was lacking on her previous record, X, which touched convincingly on a myriad of styles and influences, but which ended up sounding a little scattered. Here the main sound is the kind of glittery disco pop that really is her strong suit. The various producers keep their eyes on the dancefloor throughout, crafting shiny and sleek tracks that sound custom-built to blast out of huge speaker columns. Fortunately for non-club goers, they never pave over the interesting details that make records good for home or headphone listening. The squiggly synths of the massively catchy "All the Lovers," the sighing background vocals and spiraling harpsichord-esque synths on the ominous "Closer," and the heavenly extended breakdown on "Looking for an Angel" are the kind of hooks that reward repeated listens. While Kylie is fortunate that so many excellent writers and producers are willing to work with her, they are lucky to be working with Kylie too; she can put over a shimmering and funky track like "Can't Beat the Feeling" with ease, stomp through a dancefloor-filling jam like "Put Your Hands Up" with power, or cruise through a breezy summertime jam like "Better Than Today" with all kinds of laid-back charm. Sure, she'll never be mistaken for an octave-stretching diva or a vocal powerhouse, but her slightly nasal, girl-next-door vocals serve her needs perfectly. She soars through the songs with just the right blend of emotion and restraint, adding some sass when needed (as on the thumping title track or "Get Outta My Way") or some quiet melancholy when the mood arises ("Illusion"). This ability to tailor her performance to the song is a rare quality in the pop world of the early 2010s. It may lead people to underestimate Kylie's artistry but really, Aphrodite is the work of someone who knows exactly what her skills are and who to hire to help showcase them to perfection. She and her team have crafted an album that's both full of songs that could/should hit the upper reaches of the charts, and also a collection of songs that hang together as an album. One of her best, in fact. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	11/15/2024
Label:	Astralwerks
UPC:	5099964290324

Tracks

1. All the Lovers
2. Get Outta My Way
3. Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
4. Closer
5. Everything Is Beautiful
6. Aphrodite
7. Illusion
8. Better Than Today
9. Too Much
10. Cupid Boy
11. Looking for an Angel
12. Can't Beat the Feeling

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kylie Minogue   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Borge Fjordheim   Primary Artist
Calvin Harris   Primary Artist
Pascal Gabriel   Primary Artist
Lucas Secon   Keyboards
Miriam Nervo   Vocals (Background)
Hannah Robinson   Vocals (Background),Vocals
Tim Rice-Oxley   Piano,Keyboards
Richard X   Keyboards,Mini Moog,Synthesizer
Jim Eliot   Bass,Drums,Piano,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Fraser T Smith   Guitar
Daniel Davidsen   Guitar,Keyboards
Ayak Thiik   Vocals (Background)
Beatrice Hatherley   Vocals (Background)
Andy Chatterley   Drums,Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Alexandra Segal   Vocals (Background)
Ben Vella   Guitar (Electric)
Maime Hladiy   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Mima Stilwell   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Nerina Pallot   Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Olivia Nervo   Vocals (Background)
Mich Hansen   Percussion
Peter Wallevik   Keyboards
Stuart Price   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Matt Price   Composer
Damon Sharpe   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Dave Seaman   Composer
Stuart Price   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Vocal Producer,Executive Producer,Additional Production
Calvin Harris   Instrumentation,Mixing Engineer,Producer,Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Musician
Beatriz Artola   Engineer
Geoff Pesche   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Lucas Secon   Composer,Producer
Miriam Nervo   Composer,Vocal Producer
Luciana Caporaso   Composer
Babydaddy   Composer
Hannah Robinson   Composer
Cutfather   Producer
Pascal Gabriel   Composer,Musician,Producer,Instrumentation,Additional Production
Tim Rice-Oxley   Composer
Richard X   Composer
Matt Prime   Composer
Jim Eliot   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Nick Clow   Composer
Fraser T Smith   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
William Baker   Photography
Daniel Davidsen   Composer,Producer,Programming
Beatrice Hatherley   Composer
Borge Fjordheim   Composer,Musician,Producer,Instrumentation,Additional Production
Steve Anderson   Composer
Brian Gottshall   Engineer,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Jason Tarver   Assistant Engineer
Magnus Lideball   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Mima Stilwell   Composer
Pete Hofmann   Engineer,Pro-Tools,Recording,Digital Editing
James Eliot   Composer
Nerina Pallot   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Andy Chatterley   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Drum Programming
Olivia Nervo   Composer,Vocal Producer
Mads Nilsson   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Mich Hansen   Composer,Producer
Magnus Lidehaell   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Starsmith   Mixing,Producer
Fin Dow-Smith   Composer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Nathan Khors   Engineer,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Peter Wallevik   Composer,Producer,Programming
Daniel Davisen   Composer
Jemima Stilwell   Composer
Damon Reinagle   Composer
Jake Shears   Composer
Sebastian Ingrosso   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Mixing Engineer
Kylie Minogue   Composer
David Emery   Mixing,Assistant,Mixing Engineer,Personal Assistant