Kylie Minogue - 'Wow'
Sometimes when you hear an album, there are tracks which totally blow your mind to the extent that everything else is completely forgotten and sort-of disregarded as 'not as good as [mind-blowing track].' Which is usually unfair but such is the way with music.
And such was the way with Kylie's latest, 'X,' for me. I loved '2 Hearts,' even if no one else did and I think 'In My Arms' is one of the greatest pieces of music ever, if only for the fact it sounds like an electropopped-up version of 'I Aint Saying My Goodbyes' by Tom Vek.
Some of the other songs, like 'Heart Beats Rock' and in fact 'Speakerphone' are very good, unfortunately they get rather forced under the rug by the aforementioned monolithic pop achievements. It would seem in a lot of the rest of the world, this was what most people thought too but in Britain, we have quite voluntarily plumped for 'Wow' as the second single.
I have to admit my initial reaction to this news was massive disappointment that we wouldn't be getting 'In My Arms' until at least the third single and general feelings of resentment towards the British public, which did make me wonder if it was actually a sensible idea to attempt to review 'Wow' since I already had a six-foot stack of emnity towards it for not being a completely different song. Fortunately, though, upon putting the album in for a quick spin before scribbling down some hastily-constructed abuse I remembered that actually 'Wow' is also one of the best songs on it.
Kylie's at her best when she's twirling about creating the sort of bouncy, swinging pop music that bubbles through a party and makes you dance around singing into your beer can. The oft-levelled accusation that she doesn't actually have a huge amount of personality when she's singing becomes entirely irrelevent under these circumstances and her soft, come-on voice flourishes over the bubbly flirting.
Which is basically exactly what 'Wow' does, taking the kinetic force of the tune and instrumental to propel her vocals along at breakneck fantasy speed, and making the song sound very much like she's whsipering it to you in a club, rather than singing it from the speakers. Kylie can do this sort of innocent, joyful desire like absolutely no other popstar around, it's what she built her career on and while she definitely has darker moments, they're supported by the euphoria.
The disappointment of it not being 'In My Arms' is still slightly raw, of course but when you consider the fact that this has indutibly the better video of the two, you feel considerably less short-changed:
I suppose this song is very much the natural heir to 'Spinning Around', sounding basically the same except for the addition of some early 90s dance piano to make the mix even more spritely, although there's certainly nothing wrong with a Kylie single sounding like a Kylie single (especially not given the fuss kicked up over '2 Hearts') and it doesn't lessen the effect in the slightest.
Yes, 'X' really isn't as cutting edge as it was perhaps promoted to be at all but that doesn't mean the songs aren't any good; this one in particular is the kind of thing that overturns the non-entity argument regarding Kylie's performance because there really aren't a lot of other artists who could make a song like this sound much above average, but her hefty experience with polishing songs into tiny pop masterpieces means that she can get away with this where no one else could. And she pulls it off brilliantly.
Download: Out now
CD Released: February 18th
(Hazel Robinson)
Comments
When I first the 'new kylie' song (2 hearts) I was at first skeptical, then after a listen absolutely loved it and used to sing it round the house, at work etc. So when this (WOW) was being promoted I was v excited, then I heard it and was bitterly disappointed. I actually thought it was danni at first (not good). Then I kept hearing it on the radio, and really like it. I think you are right she is the only person really who could pull this off. So am off now to dance round my kitchen to WOW WOW WOW WOW!x
im ur twin sister u may nt believe just ask mum and ull find out i found out bout u one week ago by her well actually i found out by my foster mum
c ya later
[Where's my birthday present then, MICHELE?? - Fraser]
alright, i'm a huge kylie fan, i love the album, i loved 2 hearts, but wow? well, it's an enjoyable but in my opinion should never have been made to be anything more than album filler, pity.
I don't like this Songg...
This song is lioke not wow but it is okay i suppose. It gets to overplayed on radio1.
Read my lips, I'm into you,
I'm into you,
I can't resist,
You're so hot (get me into the shade)
The spotlight's on
You take me to it,
You like it and,
Just the way that you dance,
Just the way that you dance.
(Yeah yeah) Is enough to love you baby,
(Yeah yeah) Is enough to send me crazy,
(Yeah yeah) Such angelic motion,
(Yeah yeah) You know you're made in heaven.
The way you walk, the rythmn when you're dancing,
Every inch of you smells of desire,
You're such a rush, the rush is never ending,
Now,
You got it, you're wow wow wow wow,
You got it, Wow wow wow wow.
The more I try, I try to stop,
The more I can feel my antenna just sensing you up,
What can I do? I'm into you,
I'm into you,
Love the way that you move,
Just love the way that you move.
(Yeah yeah) Such angelic motion,
(Yeah yeah) you know you're made in heaven.
The way you walk, the rythmn when you're dancing,
Every inch of you smells of desire,
You're such a rush, the rush is never ending,
Now,
You got it, you're wow wow wow wow,
Wow wow wow wow.
W-woah ohh ohh,
W-woah oh,
W-woah ohh ohh,
W-woah ohhhh.
The way you walk, the rythmn when you're dancing,
Every inch of you smells of desire,
You're such a rush, the rush is never ending,
Now,
You got it, you're wow wow wow wow,
The way you walk, the rythmn when you're dancing,
Every inch of you smells of desire,
You're such a rush, the rush is never ending,
Now,
You got it, you're wow wow wow wow,
Wow wow wow wow.
Am I the only one that thinks this song is awfully similar to Love At First Sight? :(
I've just realised I totally failed to mention the line that goes 'I can feel my antenna just sensing you up' in my review. Epic fail on my part, I thoroughly apologise.
Whose twin sister is this michele, mine or Fraser's?
Both singles are very average....A huge dissapointment after playing Kylie's latest album X...I can not stand the album at all...
After 2 Hearts came out I refused to get X but after hearing In My Arms and Wow I had to get it-X really is quite good, maybe not as good as the hype surrounding her comeback but still very good.
Wow is IMO the best song on the album, its Kylie being Kylie and thats what I want
I agree with white.tap; to me this sounds a *lot* like Love At First Sight. So it's good, but I feel like I've loved it before.
It is such a masterpiece, and yeah In My Arms is better but i think that Wow works well with the Britsh market, and X is a great album, you just have to listen to it a coupleof times and you will end up loving it!
The One needs to be a single!
How can I get hold of a silver tracksuit like the dancers in Kylie’s new video.
Hazel, perhaps you should consider emigration: In my arms has just been released as the new single in the Netherlands, before Wow.
Good choice in my opinion, although both songs are quite good.
Fun single, glad it made it to #5 but I wonder what Kylie needs to do to get back to #1. With all the publicity this single got and still no chart topper... Wow!