Aphrodite (album)
Encyclopedia
Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue
. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X
. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single
, "All the Lovers
". The four singles released from the album have all topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, giving Minogue a total of seven number one songs on the chart as a solo artist, having had eight number one songs overall. Minogue has also made history on the chart, becoming the first act to claim two of the top three ranks in the tally's nearly 35-year history with "Better Than Today
" and "Higher
" with Taio Cruz
.
Aphrodite has received mostly positive reviews from music critics
upon its release, being frequently compared to Minogue's previous albums such as Light Years (2000) and Fever
(2001). The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
, just as her debut album, Kylie
, had done in the same week, 22 years previously. It was her fifth album to reach number one in the United Kingdom. This made Minogue the first, and to this date the only female recording artist in UK chart history to have a number one album in four consecutive decades, achieving this in the 1980s, 90s, 00s and 10s.
Minogue's record label Parlophone
described the album as "[Minogue] celebrating her dance-floor roots" and announced the release of the record on 20 April 2010, along with a short snippet of the lead single "All the Lovers" on Minogue's web-site. The resultant traffic caused the site to momentarily crash from demand. "All the Lovers" was one of the last songs written for the album, and was subsequently chosen as the lead single. Minogue claims that the song "sums up the euphoria of the album perfectly. It gives me goose-bumps, so I'm really excited to hear what everyone thinks of it."
Aphrodite features Stuart Price
as executive producer, who also contributed to song writing along with Minogue, Price, Calvin Harris
, Jake Shears
, Nerina Pallot
, Pascal Gabriel
, Lucas Secon
, Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley
and Kish Mauve
. Price became involved with the album after a writing session with Minogue in New York in late 2009; his role in the album's development was to establish a level of quality control over the project by selecting the tracks he considered the strongest, mixing
them, and seguing the finalised mixes into a flowing running order. The album does not contain any ballads, however some were recorded during the album sessions. One track, "Better than Today", was performed by Minogue on her North American For You, For Me
tour prior to the completion of sessions for the album. Price describes the album as "Kylie doing pop dance music at her best. When you look in your mind's eye at everything Kylie is, it's on this record."
, Minogue stated that she thought "that the inspiration for getting back in and starting this whole rollercoaster again was after the shows I did in North America. They were so from the heart and I felt so rewarded with the feeling and response from doing it." When asked if Aphrodite could work as a farewell album, Minogue called it "joyful. It's like the jus of all the best bits of my musical career." She has also described it as having "a feeling of euphoria". The album's second single, "Get Outta My Way
" was originally written by Lucas Secon
, Cutfather
and Damon Sharpe. In an interview with HitQuarters
, Secon described the track as "sexy electro disco with some clever lyrics and some real catchy melodies." He said the song was not written for any particular artist and at one point four different artists wanted to cut it as their first single before it was claimed by Kylie. Minogue said at the album launch party in Ibiza
that she found the recording process stressful. "I had sleepless nights and I was really getting stressed, but there was so much good energy from everyone involved that I thought it might just work."
", for the first time live at the Wind Music Awards in Verona
, Italy on 29 May 2010. The video made its debut on The Today Show
in the United States the following June. The song was also performed at the season finale of Germany's Next Topmodel, on France's Le Grand Journal
and the UK chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
that same month. The official album release party was held at club Pacha in Ibiza
, Spain that July. On her decision to launch the record in Ibiza, Minogue called the island "the spiritual home of dance." While promoting the album in her home country of Australia, Minogue appeared on A Current Affair and Hey Hey It's Saturday
, her first Australian television performance in over a decade. She was also interviewed on The 7PM Project
and performed "All the Lovers" on Dancing with the Stars
.
Minogue appeared on Alan Carr: Chatty Man
that July to perform the second single off the album, "Get Outta My Way
", followed by performances on America's Got Talent
, the Miss Italia
beauty pageant, The Oliver Pocher Show
, Schlag den Raab
and Paul O'Grady Live
as well as on the BBC Radio 1
Live Lounge
. The following October, she performed a concert in Egypt
in front of the Sphinx
and the Giza Necropolis, as well as at the "EXA Concert" in Mexico City
’s Palacio de los Deportes
. This was followed by an appearance on the show "Décadas" on to promote the album. Promotional appearances in the United States included the shows Dancing with the Stars and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
.
In November that year, Minogue performed the third single "Better Than Today
" on the UK reality show The X Factor
, as well as on Children in Need
. The song was also performed the next month at the Capital FM Awards, the Royal Variety Show, and for Jools Holland
's Annual Hootenanny. As well as promoting the album's singles, Minogue performed "Santa Baby
" and "Let It Snow" at the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
in New York the following December. Minogue would later go on to further promote the album by embarking on the Aphrodite World Tour. The tour became Minogue's largest to date and visited a total of five continents including Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania and Africa.
", which had its official premiere in the United Kingdom on BBC Radio 1
on 14 May 2010. Minogue confirmed on her official Twitter account that the video for the single would be directed by Joseph Kahn
. It was filmed in Los Angeles and inspired by the works of American artist Spencer Tunick
. The single was been released as a digital download
on 13 June, and physically released fifteen days later. The single received positive reviews from music critics and became Minogue's 33rd top ten single in the UK. It also peaked in the top 10 and top 20 of the music charts in Europe, Australia, Asia and became her 4th number one hit on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. PopMatters
has ranked "All the Lovers" as the 43rd best single of 2010 on its "60 Best Singles of 2010" list, while Popjustice
ranked the song as the 23rd best single of 2010 on its "Top 45 Singles Of 2010" list. Popjustice
said "As well as being the sound of dancefloor stampedes from now until the end of time 'All the Lovers' is also the sound of a million Kylie fans breathing a collective sigh of relief. It's grown up but carefree, bombastic yet delicate, sober in spirit and drunk on love. [...] It is very hard not to listen to this song on repeat."
At the album launch party in Ibiza
, Minogue confirmed that "Get Outta My Way
" would be released as the second single. It was released on 27 September. In August, before the single was released, a thirty second teaser of the music video premiered on Parlophone
's official YouTube channel. The full video was directed by AlexandLiane
and featured live projections by Frieder Weiss. The single was released worldwide on 27 September, except in Australia where it saw a release on 8 October. In an interview, Kylie described "Get Outta My Way" as "pure pop dance" and "really infectious". Digital Spy
's Mayer Nissim gave the song four out of five stars, writing that "with its basic heartbeat rhythm, simply-layered sounds and classic arrangement, it's probably the warmest and most unsophisticated thing Kylie's put on plastic in a decade, but it really is all the better for it." Christel Loar from PopMatters
gave the song a positive review, stating that the track's "pulsing pull is irresistible even as Kylie tells her guy exactly what’s going to happen if he just sits there". The song became Minogue's 5th number one song on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, also charting Europe and Japan.
"Better Than Today
", having previously been performed on Minogue's For You, For Me
tour, became the third single off the album and was released on December 6 in the UK. A digital EP had been released the day before. The single was also released in Australia on March 18, 2011. The video was debuted on 19 November, and was directed by Minogue and William Baker. "Better Than Today" received generally positive reviews from critics, many praising its country and dance style, with Entertainment Weekly
calling it a standout track on the album. BBC Music
said the song was a "tech-country strut" that "throws up imagery of line-dancing cyborgs". Digital Spy
gave the song four stars out of five and described it as "sweet, seductive and pretty much impossible not to succumb to over and over again". "Better Than Today" debuted at number sixty-seven on the UK Singles Chart based on digital download sales only. It eventually peaked at number thirty-two, thus making it one of Minogue's lowest charting singles in the UK after "The One
" which peaked at number thirty-six. The single also reached number twenty-seven in Scotland and number sixty-three in France. In the United States, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. After the relative failure of these last two singles, Minogue declared that she felt "let down" by her label.
Although it was announced by Minogue herself that "Better Than Today" would be the final single from the album, it was revealed that "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
" would be getting a digital and physical release and will serve as the fourth single from Aphrodite. The main release date was 3 June 2011, preceded by the Japanese release on 29 May 2011 The track was received generally well by critics, many praising its anthemic style. Jordan Richardson from Seattlepi gave it a warm review. He said "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love) is a concert hit waiting to happen. Its addictive chorus and warm verses bounce with cotton candy care (yeah, I said it) and her glee is impossible to miss." BBC Music
said that "Put Your Hands Up" is "particularly catchy." The lead remix of the single was the Pete Hammond remix, which was praised for its 1980s retro sound. Perez Hilton
called is "epic" and praised its engineer "legendary" Hammond while Ben Gilbert for Yahoo! Music praised his unique take on the song using the "often overlooked unbridled glee of that decade's pop". "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)" managed to peak at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs Chart, where Minogue has now achieved five consecutive number ones, including her collaboration with Taio Cruz on the track "Higher
". The single also reached the top 40 in Austria and Belgium. However, it did not do very well in Australia, where it managed to scrape into the top 50 at number 50 and in the UK where it stalled at number 93.
", the title track, peaked at number six on the Belgian Singles Chart
. The song has received generally favorable reception in album reviews, mostly praised for its single friendly style. It had been also featured on her holiday EP
A Kylie Christmas
. Tim Sendra from Allmusic gave the song a positive review, as he had highlighted the song as a track pick, saying that it is "one of Kylie's best, in fact". Christel Loar from Popmatters
had made it a highlight, as it was reviewed she said that its a "rare representation of perfect production that is just pleasure, pure and simple". The song was recorded in July 2009 at Narina Pallot and Andy Chatterley's Electric Love studios in North London, where she also recorded "Better Than Today
", which was also written and produced by Pallot and Chatterley.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 67, based on 21 reviews. Allmusic reviewer Tim Sendra gave the album a favorable review, awarding it four stars out of five. He said: "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."
Kerri Mason from Billboard
gave the album a favorable review, stating that "Price's ability to create a consistent sound without sacrificing each track's individuality makes the journey cohesive, fun and fitting for a goddess." Ian Wade from BBC Music
gave the album a very favorable review, calling it "frothy, intensely hummable dance pop. The sort of thing she does with such effortlessness and grace."
Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
gave the album a mixed review, awarding it with two and a half stars out of five. His review called it "nothing more than just another Kylie Minogue album", feeling that Minogue was "playing it safe" with the release. A mixed review came from The Guardian
where Caroline Sullivan awarded the album with three out of five stars, feeling that it was "limited to squeaks, exhalations and woe-begone sighs". Barry Walters from Spin
gave the album a favorable review, claiming that "Minogue delivers bliss like no other". April Welsh from Clash
gave the album a 7/10 rating, stating that Minogue's "latest musical endeavour reinstates the diminutive Aussie as the reigning princess of pop and may just make you fall in love with her all over again."
Mikael Wood from Entertainment Weekly
rated the album "A-", stating that "the diminutive Australian diva is still delivering disco thunder from Down Under."
Helen Clarke from MusicOMH
said that the album "fails to quite hit the spot." Margaret Wappler from the Los Angeles Times
gave the album two and a half stars out of four, calling it "finely executed", but noting it didn't contain "many new ideas".
Edna Gundersen
from USA Today
gave the album three stars out of four, noting the album's "effortless sass and sensuality". PopMatters
reviewer Christel Loar gave the album a rating of 7/10, stating the album was "filled with the frilly, fabulous dance-floor refrains for which Kylie is famous". Priya Elan from NME
gave the album a positive review, stating that "Aphrodites uniting sound is lightness", and calling it Minogue's "most unified work in ages."
Rob Sheffield
from Rolling Stone
has said that "Aphrodite is her finest work since 1997's underrated Impossible Princess
".
chart. In the United Kingdom it was her fifth album to reach number one. In the United States, the album became her second highest charting album with sales of over 18,000 copies in its first week, peaking at number nineteen on the Billboard 200
. In Canada, Aphrodite became her highest charting album and third top ten entry, debuting at number eight on the Canadian Albums Chart
. In Australia, the album became her tenth top ten studio album, peaking at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart
. In Germany, the album debuted at number three, becoming her third to reach the top ten and her first since 2001's Fever
. Aphrodite has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
and the British Phonographic Industry
for sales of over 70,000 and 300,000 units, respectively. The album entered at number eleven on 12 July 2010 in New Zealand, becoming Minogue's highest-charting album since Fever. It later slipped at number twenty-nine after one week. The album debuted at number three in France, staying on the chart for twenty-three weeks.
(*) denotes co-producer
|-
|-
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X
X (Kylie Minogue album)
X is the tenth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is her first release since the greatest hits compilation Ultimate Kylie , and her first studio album since Body Language . X was preceded by lead single "2 Hearts" and released worldwide in November 2007...
. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "All the Lovers
All the Lovers
"All the Lovers" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is the first single from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. "All the Lovers" was written by English electropop duo Kish Mauve and was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album. Minogue chose the song as the...
". The four singles released from the album have all topped the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, giving Minogue a total of seven number one songs on the chart as a solo artist, having had eight number one songs overall. Minogue has also made history on the chart, becoming the first act to claim two of the top three ranks in the tally's nearly 35-year history with "Better Than Today
Better Than Today
"Better Than Today" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album Aphrodite . The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, Buckminster Fuller EP. It was re-recorded by Minogue in...
" and "Higher
Higher (Taio Cruz song)
"Higher" is the fifth single from English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz's second studio album Rokstarr. It was written and produced by Cruz and Sandy Vee, and was released on 26 November 2010. This song was originally written for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's album Aphrodite, but plans fell through...
" with Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
.
Aphrodite has received mostly positive reviews from music critics
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
upon its release, being frequently compared to Minogue's previous albums such as Light Years (2000) and Fever
Fever (Kylie Minogue album)
Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
(2001). The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, just as her debut album, Kylie
Kylie (album)
Kylie is the debut album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, released by PWL on 4 July 1988. Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced and wrote eight of the ten tracks on the album....
, had done in the same week, 22 years previously. It was her fifth album to reach number one in the United Kingdom. This made Minogue the first, and to this date the only female recording artist in UK chart history to have a number one album in four consecutive decades, achieving this in the 1980s, 90s, 00s and 10s.
Background and development
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
described the album as "[Minogue] celebrating her dance-floor roots" and announced the release of the record on 20 April 2010, along with a short snippet of the lead single "All the Lovers" on Minogue's web-site. The resultant traffic caused the site to momentarily crash from demand. "All the Lovers" was one of the last songs written for the album, and was subsequently chosen as the lead single. Minogue claims that the song "sums up the euphoria of the album perfectly. It gives me goose-bumps, so I'm really excited to hear what everyone thinks of it."
Aphrodite features Stuart Price
Stuart Price
Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
as executive producer, who also contributed to song writing along with Minogue, Price, Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
, Jake Shears
Jake Shears
Jake Shears is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters.-Early life and education:...
, Nerina Pallot
Nerina Pallot
Nerina Pallot is a platinum selling, BRIT Award and Ivor Novello Award nominated British singer and songwriter. Although born in London, Pallot was brought up in Jersey to a half-French father and mother from Allahabad, India.-Early life:Pallot played piano as a child and wrote her first song...
, Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Richard Marcel Gabriel is a Belgian-born musician based in London. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock band The Razors...
, Lucas Secon
Lucas Secon
Lucas Secon, also known by the stage name Lucas, is a world-renowned Danish-American Grammy , MTV Award and Emmy Award-nominated record producer, songwriter,Golden Poets Award winner, DJ, rapper, singer and artist/conceptualist. He lives in London, United Kingdom.Secon has contributed to seven...
, Keane's Tim Rice-Oxley
Tim Rice-Oxley
Timothy James Rice-Oxley , is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as co-founder, the principal composer and pianist, backing vocalist of piano rock band Keane.-Life and career:...
and Kish Mauve
Kish Mauve
Kish Mauve is a British electropop group. The group was formed in 2005 in London, England, and consists of Mima Stilwell and Jim Eliot ....
. Price became involved with the album after a writing session with Minogue in New York in late 2009; his role in the album's development was to establish a level of quality control over the project by selecting the tracks he considered the strongest, mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
them, and seguing the finalised mixes into a flowing running order. The album does not contain any ballads, however some were recorded during the album sessions. One track, "Better than Today", was performed by Minogue on her North American For You, For Me
For You, For Me Tour
The For You, For Me Tour was the ninth concert tour by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. This is Minogue's first concert tour in North America. The concert has received very favorable reviews from music critics...
tour prior to the completion of sessions for the album. Price describes the album as "Kylie doing pop dance music at her best. When you look in your mind's eye at everything Kylie is, it's on this record."
Production
In an interview with UK music website PopjusticePopjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
, Minogue stated that she thought "that the inspiration for getting back in and starting this whole rollercoaster again was after the shows I did in North America. They were so from the heart and I felt so rewarded with the feeling and response from doing it." When asked if Aphrodite could work as a farewell album, Minogue called it "joyful. It's like the jus of all the best bits of my musical career." She has also described it as having "a feeling of euphoria". The album's second single, "Get Outta My Way
Get Outta My Way
"Get Outta My Way" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. It was released as the second single internationally on 27 September 2010. The song has received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many praising it as the second single...
" was originally written by Lucas Secon
Lucas Secon
Lucas Secon, also known by the stage name Lucas, is a world-renowned Danish-American Grammy , MTV Award and Emmy Award-nominated record producer, songwriter,Golden Poets Award winner, DJ, rapper, singer and artist/conceptualist. He lives in London, United Kingdom.Secon has contributed to seven...
, Cutfather
Cutfather
Mich Hedin Hansen better known by his stage name Cutfather is a Danish music producer and songwriter.-Career:He is perhaps best known for his remix of "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison , and the song "Superstar" released internationally by Jamelia in 2003.He has worked with Danish producer...
and Damon Sharpe. In an interview with HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
, Secon described the track as "sexy electro disco with some clever lyrics and some real catchy melodies." He said the song was not written for any particular artist and at one point four different artists wanted to cut it as their first single before it was claimed by Kylie. Minogue said at the album launch party in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
that she found the recording process stressful. "I had sleepless nights and I was really getting stressed, but there was so much good energy from everyone involved that I thought it might just work."
Release and promotion
Minogue performed the lead single, "All the LoversAll the Lovers
"All the Lovers" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is the first single from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. "All the Lovers" was written by English electropop duo Kish Mauve and was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album. Minogue chose the song as the...
", for the first time live at the Wind Music Awards in Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, Italy on 29 May 2010. The video made its debut on The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
in the United States the following June. The song was also performed at the season finale of Germany's Next Topmodel, on France's Le Grand Journal
Le Grand Journal (Canal+)
Le Grand Journal is a French nightly news and talk show airing every weekday evening on Canal+. Debuting on August 30, 2004, it was created and hosted by Michel Denisot. Originally a one-hour program, it expanded to two hours in 2005. Even though the show is broadcast on the premium channel Canal+,...
and the UK chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
that same month. The official album release party was held at club Pacha in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, Spain that July. On her decision to launch the record in Ibiza, Minogue called the island "the spiritual home of dance." While promoting the album in her home country of Australia, Minogue appeared on A Current Affair and Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
, her first Australian television performance in over a decade. She was also interviewed on The 7PM Project
The 7PM Project
The Project is an Australian talk show television program airing weeknights across Australia on Network Ten. The formerly half hour long show premiered on 20 July 2009, and is hosted by Charlie Pickering, Carrie Bickmore and Dave Hughes, with a rotating daily guest panelist...
and performed "All the Lovers" on Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
.
Minogue appeared on Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Alan Carr. The award-winning show is on Channel 4. The show features interviews with celebrity guests, sketches, topical chat and music....
that July to perform the second single off the album, "Get Outta My Way
Get Outta My Way
"Get Outta My Way" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. It was released as the second single internationally on 27 September 2010. The song has received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many praising it as the second single...
", followed by performances on America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
, the Miss Italia
Miss Italia
Miss Italia is the name of a beauty pageant awarding prizes every year to young, female contestants from Italy. Since the first edition of the contest in 1939 many of the contestants have gone on to notable careers in television and film.-History:...
beauty pageant, The Oliver Pocher Show
The Oliver Pocher Show
The Oliver Pocher Show is a late-night show with Oliver Pocher shown by Sat.1 in Germany on Fridays. The show is a mix of late-night comedy and personality. Each broadcast begins with stand-up comedy. There are generally two celebrity guests...
, Schlag den Raab
Schlag den Raab
Schlag den Raab is a game show airing on the German television channel ProSieben. A candidate who can beat Stefan Raab in a number of disciplines wins the jackpot.- Premise :...
and Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live
Paul O'Grady Live was a British comedy chat show hosted by Paul O'Grady, that began airing on 10 September 2010 on ITV1 and ITV1 HD/STV HD/UTV HD in the United Kingdom. The show is a Friday night chat show that features a mixture of celebrity guests, airing at 21:00. The show culminates with...
as well as on the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
. The following October, she performed a concert in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in front of the Sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
and the Giza Necropolis, as well as at the "EXA Concert" in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
’s Palacio de los Deportes
Palacio de los Deportes
Palacio de los Deportes is an indoor arena, located in Mexico City, Mexico, within the sports complex Magdalena Mixhuca Sports City, near the Mexico City International Airport and the Foro Sol, in which sports and artistic events are also celebrated. It is operated by Grupo CIE...
. This was followed by an appearance on the show "Décadas" on to promote the album. Promotional appearances in the United States included the shows Dancing with the Stars and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
.
In November that year, Minogue performed the third single "Better Than Today
Better Than Today
"Better Than Today" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album Aphrodite . The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, Buckminster Fuller EP. It was re-recorded by Minogue in...
" on the UK reality show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, as well as on Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
. The song was also performed the next month at the Capital FM Awards, the Royal Variety Show, and for Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
's Annual Hootenanny. As well as promoting the album's singles, Minogue performed "Santa Baby
Santa Baby
"Santa Baby" is a 1953 Christmas song written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer. Although Tony Springer is listed as co-writer, he was a legal fiction created for purposes of membership in the performing rights organization BMI.The song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list sung by a...
" and "Let It Snow" at the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed annually in Rockefeller Center in mid-town Manhattan in New York City. The tree is erected and lit in late November or early December. In recent years, the lighting has been broadcast live nationwide on NBC's Christmas in...
in New York the following December. Minogue would later go on to further promote the album by embarking on the Aphrodite World Tour. The tour became Minogue's largest to date and visited a total of five continents including Europe, Asia, North America, Oceania and Africa.
Singles
The first single from Aphrodite was confirmed as "All the LoversAll the Lovers
"All the Lovers" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is the first single from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. "All the Lovers" was written by English electropop duo Kish Mauve and was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album. Minogue chose the song as the...
", which had its official premiere in the United Kingdom on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on 14 May 2010. Minogue confirmed on her official Twitter account that the video for the single would be directed by Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn
Joseph Kahn is an American music video, advertising, and feature film director.-Early life:Kahn was born in Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston. He is of Korean ancestry. He spent part of his childhood growing up in Livorno, Italy until his family moved to Texas...
. It was filmed in Los Angeles and inspired by the works of American artist Spencer Tunick
Spencer Tunick
Spencer Tunick is an American photographer. Tunick is best known for organizing large-scale nude shoots. Since 1994 he has photographed over 75 human installations around the world.-Biography:...
. The single was been released as a digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on 13 June, and physically released fifteen days later. The single received positive reviews from music critics and became Minogue's 33rd top ten single in the UK. It also peaked in the top 10 and top 20 of the music charts in Europe, Australia, Asia and became her 4th number one hit on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
has ranked "All the Lovers" as the 43rd best single of 2010 on its "60 Best Singles of 2010" list, while Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
ranked the song as the 23rd best single of 2010 on its "Top 45 Singles Of 2010" list. Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
said "As well as being the sound of dancefloor stampedes from now until the end of time 'All the Lovers' is also the sound of a million Kylie fans breathing a collective sigh of relief. It's grown up but carefree, bombastic yet delicate, sober in spirit and drunk on love. [...] It is very hard not to listen to this song on repeat."
At the album launch party in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, Minogue confirmed that "Get Outta My Way
Get Outta My Way
"Get Outta My Way" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. It was released as the second single internationally on 27 September 2010. The song has received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many praising it as the second single...
" would be released as the second single. It was released on 27 September. In August, before the single was released, a thirty second teaser of the music video premiered on Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
's official YouTube channel. The full video was directed by AlexandLiane
AlexandLiane
Alex Large and Liane Sommers are a British directing team who have been based in Berlin since 2000. They have made music videos for Kylie Minogue, La Roux, Tiga, Take That, Cheryl Cole, Scissor Sisters, Dido, Mika, Bloc Party, The Ting Tings, Sam Sparro, Armand Van Helden, Tocotronic and...
and featured live projections by Frieder Weiss. The single was released worldwide on 27 September, except in Australia where it saw a release on 8 October. In an interview, Kylie described "Get Outta My Way" as "pure pop dance" and "really infectious". Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
's Mayer Nissim gave the song four out of five stars, writing that "with its basic heartbeat rhythm, simply-layered sounds and classic arrangement, it's probably the warmest and most unsophisticated thing Kylie's put on plastic in a decade, but it really is all the better for it." Christel Loar from PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
gave the song a positive review, stating that the track's "pulsing pull is irresistible even as Kylie tells her guy exactly what’s going to happen if he just sits there". The song became Minogue's 5th number one song on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, also charting Europe and Japan.
"Better Than Today
Better Than Today
"Better Than Today" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album Aphrodite . The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, Buckminster Fuller EP. It was re-recorded by Minogue in...
", having previously been performed on Minogue's For You, For Me
For You, For Me Tour
The For You, For Me Tour was the ninth concert tour by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. This is Minogue's first concert tour in North America. The concert has received very favorable reviews from music critics...
tour, became the third single off the album and was released on December 6 in the UK. A digital EP had been released the day before. The single was also released in Australia on March 18, 2011. The video was debuted on 19 November, and was directed by Minogue and William Baker. "Better Than Today" received generally positive reviews from critics, many praising its country and dance style, with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
calling it a standout track on the album. BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
said the song was a "tech-country strut" that "throws up imagery of line-dancing cyborgs". Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
gave the song four stars out of five and described it as "sweet, seductive and pretty much impossible not to succumb to over and over again". "Better Than Today" debuted at number sixty-seven on the UK Singles Chart based on digital download sales only. It eventually peaked at number thirty-two, thus making it one of Minogue's lowest charting singles in the UK after "The One
The One (Kylie Minogue song)
"The One" is a song by Australian record artist Kylie Minogue. It is her fifth and last single from her tenth studio album, X . "The One" was written by by Minogue, Richard Stannard, James Wiltshire, Russell Small, John Andersson, Johan Emmoth and Emma Holmgren, the song was released as the album's...
" which peaked at number thirty-six. The single also reached number twenty-seven in Scotland and number sixty-three in France. In the United States, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. After the relative failure of these last two singles, Minogue declared that she felt "let down" by her label.
Although it was announced by Minogue herself that "Better Than Today" would be the final single from the album, it was revealed that "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
"Put Your Hands Up " is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue released as the fourth single from her eleventh studio album Aphrodite ....
" would be getting a digital and physical release and will serve as the fourth single from Aphrodite. The main release date was 3 June 2011, preceded by the Japanese release on 29 May 2011 The track was received generally well by critics, many praising its anthemic style. Jordan Richardson from Seattlepi gave it a warm review. He said "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love) is a concert hit waiting to happen. Its addictive chorus and warm verses bounce with cotton candy care (yeah, I said it) and her glee is impossible to miss." BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
said that "Put Your Hands Up" is "particularly catchy." The lead remix of the single was the Pete Hammond remix, which was praised for its 1980s retro sound. Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
called is "epic" and praised its engineer "legendary" Hammond while Ben Gilbert for Yahoo! Music praised his unique take on the song using the "often overlooked unbridled glee of that decade's pop". "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)" managed to peak at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs Chart, where Minogue has now achieved five consecutive number ones, including her collaboration with Taio Cruz on the track "Higher
Higher (Taio Cruz song)
"Higher" is the fifth single from English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz's second studio album Rokstarr. It was written and produced by Cruz and Sandy Vee, and was released on 26 November 2010. This song was originally written for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's album Aphrodite, but plans fell through...
". The single also reached the top 40 in Austria and Belgium. However, it did not do very well in Australia, where it managed to scrape into the top 50 at number 50 and in the UK where it stalled at number 93.
Other songs
"AphroditeAphrodite (song)
"Aphrodite" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, taken from her eleventh studio album of the same name . The song was written and produced by Andy Chatterley. The song has received generally favorable reception in album reviews, mostly praised for being a single...
", the title track, peaked at number six on the Belgian Singles Chart
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
. The song has received generally favorable reception in album reviews, mostly praised for its single friendly style. It had been also featured on her holiday EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
A Kylie Christmas
A Kylie Christmas
-Charts:-Release history:-External links:*...
. Tim Sendra from Allmusic gave the song a positive review, as he had highlighted the song as a track pick, saying that it is "one of Kylie's best, in fact". Christel Loar from Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
had made it a highlight, as it was reviewed she said that its a "rare representation of perfect production that is just pleasure, pure and simple". The song was recorded in July 2009 at Narina Pallot and Andy Chatterley's Electric Love studios in North London, where she also recorded "Better Than Today
Better Than Today
"Better Than Today" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album Aphrodite . The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, Buckminster Fuller EP. It was re-recorded by Minogue in...
", which was also written and produced by Pallot and Chatterley.
Critical reception
Aphrodite received generally favorable reviews from most music critics. At MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 67, based on 21 reviews. Allmusic reviewer Tim Sendra gave the album a favorable review, awarding it four stars out of five. He said: "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."
Kerri Mason from Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave the album a favorable review, stating that "Price's ability to create a consistent sound without sacrificing each track's individuality makes the journey cohesive, fun and fitting for a goddess." Ian Wade from BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
gave the album a very favorable review, calling it "frothy, intensely hummable dance pop. The sort of thing she does with such effortlessness and grace."
Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
gave the album a mixed review, awarding it with two and a half stars out of five. His review called it "nothing more than just another Kylie Minogue album", feeling that Minogue was "playing it safe" with the release. A mixed review came from The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
where Caroline Sullivan awarded the album with three out of five stars, feeling that it was "limited to squeaks, exhalations and woe-begone sighs". Barry Walters from Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
gave the album a favorable review, claiming that "Minogue delivers bliss like no other". April Welsh from Clash
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
gave the album a 7/10 rating, stating that Minogue's "latest musical endeavour reinstates the diminutive Aussie as the reigning princess of pop and may just make you fall in love with her all over again."
Mikael Wood from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
rated the album "A-", stating that "the diminutive Australian diva is still delivering disco thunder from Down Under."
Helen Clarke from MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
said that the album "fails to quite hit the spot." Margaret Wappler from the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
gave the album two and a half stars out of four, calling it "finely executed", but noting it didn't contain "many new ideas".
Edna Gundersen
Edna Gundersen
Edna Gundersen is an American journalist who is a longtime music writer and critic for USA Today.Gundersen grew up in El Paso, Texas. She attained a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso and then wrote features and entertainment news for the El Paso Times from 1977 to 1987...
from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album three stars out of four, noting the album's "effortless sass and sensuality". PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
reviewer Christel Loar gave the album a rating of 7/10, stating the album was "filled with the frilly, fabulous dance-floor refrains for which Kylie is famous". Priya Elan from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
gave the album a positive review, stating that "Aphrodites uniting sound is lightness", and calling it Minogue's "most unified work in ages."
Rob Sheffield
Rob Sheffield
Rob Sheffield is an American music journalist and author. He is currently a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, writing music reviews and essays on pop culture. Prior to that, he was a contributing editor at Blender before the print version of the magazine folded in 2009, and at Spin...
from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
has said that "Aphrodite is her finest work since 1997's underrated Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess is the sixth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released in Japan on 1 November 1997 by BMG Records, Australia on 12 January 1998 by Mushroom Records and 23 March 1998 in Europe by Deconstruction Records to mixed reviews. The album was produced by...
".
Commercial response
Aphrodite debuted in the top ten of the album charts in over fifteen European countries as well as debuting at number one on the European Top 100 AlbumsEuropean Top 100 Albums
The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100...
chart. In the United Kingdom it was her fifth album to reach number one. In the United States, the album became her second highest charting album with sales of over 18,000 copies in its first week, peaking at number nineteen on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. In Canada, Aphrodite became her highest charting album and third top ten entry, debuting at number eight on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
. In Australia, the album became her tenth top ten studio album, peaking at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. In Germany, the album debuted at number three, becoming her third to reach the top ten and her first since 2001's Fever
Fever (Kylie Minogue album)
Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
. Aphrodite has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
and the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales of over 70,000 and 300,000 units, respectively. The album entered at number eleven on 12 July 2010 in New Zealand, becoming Minogue's highest-charting album since Fever. It later slipped at number twenty-nine after one week. The album debuted at number three in France, staying on the chart for twenty-three weeks.
Track listing
(^) denotes additional production(*) denotes co-producer
Les Folies Tour Edition
On 3 June 2011, a three disc re-release of Aphrodite, entitled the Les Folies Tour Edition was released in Australia only on both physical and digital formats The album was later released on 13 June 2011 in New Zealand both digitally and physically.Personnel
Personnel credits adapted from Allmusic.- Kylie MinogueKylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
– vocals, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Beatriz Artola – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- William Baker – photography
- Andy ChatterleyAndy ChatterleyAndy Chatterley is a Grammy nominated remixer, record producer, song writer, and keyboard player. He was born 8 May 1973, in Jersey, Channel Islands, and educated at Victoria College, Jersey....
– synthesizer, piano, keyboards, producer, engineer, drum programmingDrum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music... - CutfatherCutfatherMich Hedin Hansen better known by his stage name Cutfather is a Danish music producer and songwriter.-Career:He is perhaps best known for his remix of "Return of the Mack" by Mark Morrison , and the song "Superstar" released internationally by Jamelia in 2003.He has worked with Danish producer...
(Mich Hansen) – producer, percussion - Daniel Davidsen – guitar, keyboards, programming, producer
- Jim EliotKish MauveKish Mauve is a British electropop group. The group was formed in 2005 in London, England, and consists of Mima Stilwell and Jim Eliot ....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, piano, keyboards, producer, drum programming - Dave Emery – assistant
- Børge Fjordheim – instrumentationInstrumentation (music)In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
, additional production - Fraser T. SmithFraser T. SmithFraser T. Smith is an English record producer, songwriter, mix engineer and guitarist....
– guitar, producer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Pascal GabrielPascal GabrielPascal Richard Marcel Gabriel is a Belgian-born musician based in London. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock band The Razors...
– instrumentation, additional production - Brian Gottshall – assistant
- Calvin HarrisCalvin HarrisCalvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
– arranger, producer, mixing, instrumentation - Beatrice Hatherley – backing vocals
- Maime Hladiy – bass
- Pete Hofmann – engineer, Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
- Sebastian IngrossoSebastian IngrossoSebastian Ingrosso is a Swedish DJ and producer of Italian descent. Born in Grahamstown, South Africa but raised in Solna, Sweden. Sebastian spent his teenage years in his fathers studio learning how to make music, with his first official remix released on Mega Records in 1999...
– producer, mixing - Nathan Khors – assistant
- Magnus Lideball – producer, mixing
- Miriam Nervo – backing vocals, vocal producer
- Olivia Nervo – backing vocals, vocal producer
- Mads Nilsson – mixing
- Nerina PallotNerina PallotNerina Pallot is a platinum selling, BRIT Award and Ivor Novello Award nominated British singer and songwriter. Although born in London, Pallot was brought up in Jersey to a half-French father and mother from Allahabad, India.-Early life:Pallot played piano as a child and wrote her first song...
– synthesizer, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals, producer, engineer - Geoff Pesche – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Stuart PriceStuart PriceStuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
– keyboards, producer, engineer, executive producer, mixing, vocal producer, additional production - Tim Rice-OxleyTim Rice-OxleyTimothy James Rice-Oxley , is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as co-founder, the principal composer and pianist, backing vocalist of piano rock band Keane.-Life and career:...
– piano, keyboards - Hannah RobinsonHannah RobinsonHannah Robinson is a British songwriter. Her best known compositions include the "Some Girls", a UK #2 for British pop star Rachel Stevens and Ladyhawke's "My Delirium". She also a vocalist and in 2006 achieved a #1 on the U.S...
– backing vocals - Lucas SeconLucas SeconLucas Secon, also known by the stage name Lucas, is a world-renowned Danish-American Grammy , MTV Award and Emmy Award-nominated record producer, songwriter,Golden Poets Award winner, DJ, rapper, singer and artist/conceptualist. He lives in London, United Kingdom.Secon has contributed to seven...
– keyboards, producer - Alexandra Segal – backing vocals
- Damon SharpeDamon SharpeDamon Sharpe is an award-winning music producer and songwriter who works in Los Angeles. He has contributed many recognizable songs to popular culture and has been involved with the production of various popular albums that cumulatively have sold over 34 million copies.-Early life:Sharpe was born...
– producer, engineer - StarsmithStarsmithStarsmith is a songwriter, producer, remixer and DJ. He studied a classical music degree at the University of Surrey majoring in performance on saxophone...
– producer, mixing - Mima StilwellKish MauveKish Mauve is a British electropop group. The group was formed in 2005 in London, England, and consists of Mima Stilwell and Jim Eliot ....
– backing vocals - Jason Tarver – assistant engineer
- Ben Vella – electric guitar
- Peter Wallevik – keyboards, programming, producer
- Richard XRichard XRichard Philips, best known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie, Kelis, Liberty X, Rachel Stevens...
– keyboards, minimoogMinimoogThe Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
Weekly charts
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 3 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
4 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Wallonia) |
3 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
8 |
| Croatian Albums Chart | 10 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 5 |
| Danish Albums Chart IFPI Denmark IFPI Denmark is the Danish branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Denmark.-Gold and platinum awards:... |
21 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
4 |
| European Top 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
1 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 22 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
3 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
3 |
| Greek Foreign Albums Chart IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
1 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
18 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
5 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
9 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
28 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 22 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
11 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
16 |
| Polish Albums Chart Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
6 |
| Scottish Albums Chart Scottish Singles and Albums Chart The Scottish Singles Chart and Scottish Albums Chart are charts compiled by The Official Charts Company, based on physical and digital sales in the STV North, STV Central and ITV Border regions.... |
1 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
9 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
2 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
19 |
| US Dance/Electronic Albums | 2 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Belgium Belgian Entertainment Association The Belgian Entertainment Association is the organization that represents the interests of the music, video and video game industries in Belgium... |
Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 55 |
| European Top 100 Albums | 54 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 77 |
| US Dance/Electronic Albums | 20 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 30 June 2010 | EMI EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
CD, CD + DVD (Deluxe Edition) Digital Download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... , Vinyl |
| Australia | 2 July 2010 | Warner Music Warner Music Group Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies... |
|
| Germany | EMI | ||
| Netherlands | |||
| Switzerland | |||
| Austria | |||
| Poland | |||
| Spain | |||
| United Kingdom | 5 July 2010 | Parlophone Parlophone Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which... |
|
| Mexico | EMI | ||
| Brazil | |||
| France | |||
| Denmark | |||
| New Zealand | Warner Music Warner Music Group Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies... |
||
| United States | 6 July 2010 | Capitol Records Capitol Records Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine... |
|
| Canada | EMI | ||
| Taiwan | Gold Typhoon | ||
| Israel | 7 July 2010 | Helicon Records Helicon Records Helicon Records is a record label which was founded in Israel in 1985.Aside from being the label of many Israeli artists, Helicon is also the exclusive distributor of Snapper Music, EMI and Universal Music Group in Israel, which includes artists like Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Guns n'... |
External links
- Aphrodite at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Kylie Minogue: Mighty Aphrodite – BlackBook MagazineBlackBook MagazineBlackBook is an American arts and culture magazine published 8x a year. Founded in 1996 as a quarterly publication, BlackBook has now expanded to a circulation of roughly 150,000. The magazine covers topics ranging from art, music, and literature to politics, popular culture, and travel guides....
interview with Kylie Minogue - Kylie Minogue: Special K – Billboard interview with Kylie Minogue
- Kylie Minogue: I am still so lucky – The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
interview with Kylie Minogue - Kylie Minogue: Crazy for Kylie! – OutOut (magazine)Out is a popular gay and lesbian fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle magazine, with the highest circulation of any gay monthly publication in the United States. It carries itself in a similar editorial manner to Details, Esquire, and GQ. Out was published by PlanetOut Inc...
interview with Kylie Minogue - Singer Kylie Minogue survives and thrives – CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
interview with Kylie Minogue
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