Kylie Minogue made X her comeback record after years away, and she wanted it to sound like everything at once. The album moves between electro-disco, pop rock, and dance cuts, sometimes within the same song. It does not always land, but when it does, the energy is real.
Opening With Stars
Excuse My French starts things off with a strong beat, and Fall For You follows without losing pace. In My Arms and Stars keep the early momentum, with Stars standing out as one of the record’s best moments.
The Middle Stretch
- Everything I Know and When The Cats Away ease the tempo
- Sensitized picks it back up
- Lose Control and Feels So Good stretch the record’s dance identity, though Feels So Good runs a little thin next to the others around it
White Diamond and Its Mixes
White Diamond (Ellectrika’s Burning Radio Remix) is a long cut, seven minutes, and it earns that time with a steady build. White Diamond (Live) is shorter and looser, and the second version of Lose Control adds length without adding much else.
The Later Tracks
Slow and Still Standing slow the pace further, and Promises and Step Back In Time keep the mood quiet. Loving Days and Kids bring back some bounce, but Where In The World? and What Do I Have To Do return to a gentler register.
The Old Hits
Giving You Up, I Believe In You, I Should Be So Lucky, Got To Be Certain, Especially For You, Hand On Your Heart, and Wouldn’t Change A Thing run together as older songs brought back into the mix, and they play their role without demanding attention. Never Too Late and Tears On My Pillow keep the middle portion moving without changing direction.
The Back Half
Better The Devil You Know, Please Stay, and Can’t Get You Out Of My Head close the album’s strongest run, with Love At First Sight and Shocked following behind. Give Me Just A Little More Time and Celebration round out the back half, and Confide In Me, Did It Again, Breathe, Spinning Around, and On A Night Like This finish things up.
The Verdict
X is a comeback record that wants to be everywhere at once, and it mostly succeeds. The best tracks — Stars, the White Diamond remix, the later dance cuts — carry the album. The weaker ones fill space without earning it.
The record is packed with vitality and, as always with Kylie’s releases, oodles of fun. It is not perfect, but it is a strong statement of intent.
Score: 65 of 100.
- Excuse My French3:45
- Fall For You3:32
- In My Arms3:37
- Stars3:40
- (Everything) I Know3:32
- When The Cats Away3:34
- Sensitized3:42
- Lose Control3:59
- Feels So Good3:27
- White Diamond (Ellectrika's Burning Radio Remix)7:28
- White Diamond (Live)3:33
- Lose Control (Anthony Lago's Lost Soul Mix)4:03
- Slow3:11
- Still Standing4:26
- Promises3:12
- Step Back In Time3:03
- Loving Days4:23
- Kids4:41
- Where In The World?3:28
- What Do I Have To Do3:31
- Giving You Up3:30
- I Believe In You3:20
- I Should Be So Lucky3:24
- Got To Be Certain3:19
- Especially For You3:56
- Hand On Your Heart3:51
- Wouldn't Change A Thing3:14
- Never Too Late3:21
- Tears On My Pillow2:29
- Better The Devil You Know3:53
- Please Stay4:04
- Can't Get You Out Of My Head3:50
- Love At First Sight3:58
- Shocked3:09
- Give Me Just A Little More Time3:06
- Celebration4:00
- Confide In Me4:26
- Did It Again4:14
- Breathe3:40
- Spinning Around3:27
- On A Night Like This3:32
