KYLIE AND THE WALK HOME

I was walking home tonight through the crowded streets of New York thinking about the day while trying to avoid slipping on the wet leaves. A friend of mine gave me a copy of Kylie Minogue's X as I was leaving so I thought I'd play it on my journey home. One word WONDERFUL.

Ok, ok. I know I can get carried away sometimes, but I have to say this album was the perfect remedy to a long day at work behind a computer. X is a blast from one song to the next. I found myself dancing at stop lights—much to the dismay of many onlookers. I didn't care. I was in a completely different place. I remember hearing the first track and the first single "2 Hearts" a few weeks ago and not really feeling it, but after listening to it again tonight with it's repeating chorus "I'm in love wooh" it had me hooked. Then it goes directly into one groove after the other with "Like A Drug", "In My Arms" "No More Rain" and "Sensitized", but I think the real standout is the track "Speakerphone". It's got her trademark sexy breathy vocals along with some really interesting vocal tricks and a great beat. I'm sure it will be another track that I'll obsess about on the way back to work.

This album and how it influenced my walk got me thinking about the lack of really great dance music out there these days. It also reminds me a bit of the new Britney Spears album Blackout which is another really good dance album that has unfortunately been overshadowed by Ms. Spears' current media meltdown. Maybe Britney should take a page from Kylie's book when it comes to life in the public eye. Kylie's various trials and tribulations aren't covered as widely here as opposed to the rest of the world, but when she is in the tabloids she seems to somehow rise above from any drama and not let it distract from her music. Her recent battle with breast cancer has also certainly endeared her to many.

I'm hoping that X will be released here soon as right now it's only available as an import. I was very lucky to get my hands on a copy today. Come one Kylie how about the rest of us? These days more than ever our world needs good dance music and a chance to take a wonderful escape.