“Aphrodite”
(EMI/Astralwerks, July 6)
Dance queen Kylie‘s last album failed to make much of a splash stateside, but plenty has changed since it was released in 2007. For one, her new album will be released in the United States a day after its U.K. bow, as opposed to the six-month lag the last one faced. And in the last several months, her brand of upbeat Euro-disco has suddenly stormed the charts. “I hope the rise of people like David Guetta helps me,” she says. “It’s funny that this is happening now, because I’ve been doing it for so long.”
Minogue partnered with Nervo and the Scissor Sisters for specific tracks, and Stuart Price executive-produced the album. Sonically, there aren’t many surprises-it’s still the same club-friendly sound she’s known for. Such tracks as first single “For All the Lovers” feature breathy vocals and pulsating beats, while “Put Your Hands Up” and “Too Much” sound like they came straight from Studio 54. Minogue‘s biggest statement is on the title track: “I was gone,” she sings over a pounding beat, “but now I’m back.”
Previous album and sales: “X,” 39,000 (according to Nielsen SoundScan)
