Kylie Minogue 'X' album

Perhaps best known stateside for her 2001 smash singles "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Love At First Sight," Kylie Minogue is an international pop icon who, over the course of an extraordinary 20-year-career, has released ten studio albums, scored 45 hit singles, received countless gold and platinum discs, earned three Grammy® nominations, and sold out six world tours. She has performed for royalty, as well as for more than 4 billion TV viewers at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, inspired a 2007 costume exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum, and had her likeness replicated in wax four times by the world-famous Madame Tussaud's (only Queen Elizabeth II has had more models created). To top it all off, Minogue has been honored by the Queen with a 2008 OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her services to music.

In November 2007, Minogue released X, her tenth studio album, to a worldwide audience (outside the U.S.) of ecstatic fans eager to hear her first all-new batch of songs since 2003's Body Language. Hailed by British music bible Q as "a radiant collection of euphoric, occasionally dreamlike electro-pop," X finds Minogue pairing her breathy, elegant vocals with her trademark stylish electronic beats on such irresistible singles as "2 Hearts," "Wow," "In My Arms," and the first U.S. single "All I See." Minogue, who shares songwriting credit on seven of the album's 13 tracks, collaborated with a host of top-notch songwriters and producers, including Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams, Natasha Bedingfield), Cathy Dennis (Britney Spears, Spice Girls), Bloodshy & Avant (Madonna, Britney Spears), and Calvin Harris (Roison Murphy, Sophie-Ellis Bextor). Already certified platinum in the U.K. and Australia, X will be released in the U.S. by Astralwerks/Capitol Records on April 1st, 2008. The U.S. release includes the bonus track "All I See" featuring New York rapper MIMS.

"This album is much more of a celebration than anything I've done before, with some room for reflection as well," Minogue says. "I started work on it a year and a half ago when recording was far off in the future, because no one wanted to pressure me. But I had to get back into the studio just to test myself and get some things off my chest, which I did. To finish was a great relief and an inspiration in that I knew, 'This is what I do and this is what I love doing.' It has its challenges, but I'm ready for more."

X, Billboard says, "is stuffed with pointers as to why Kylie is one of the few pure pop artists to sustain a career into a third decade." And indeed Minogue has enjoyed remarkable career longevity, having released her first single, a remake of the Little Eva hit "The Locomotion," in 1987 followed by a series of glossy, cutting-edge pop albums, including the U.K. No. 1's Kylie (1988), Enjoy Yourself (1989), and Fever (2001), and five Billboard Top Ten dance-chart singles in the U.S.: "I Should Be So Lucky" (1987), "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (2001), "Love At First Sight" (2002), "Slow" (2003), and "I Believe In You" (2004). She also won a Grammy® Award for "Best Dance Recording" for "Come Into My World" in 2003.

In November 2004, Minogue released her second official greatest hits collection, entitled Ultimate Kylie, and launched "Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour" the following spring. Meant to be the most ambitious and extensive of her career, the tour achieved record-setting sell-outs across the U.K. and Europe. But in May 2005, days before "Showgirl" was to open in Australia, Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer and forced to postpone the rest of the tour. After successfully undergoing treatment, she made an emotional return to the stage in Australia in November 2006 with the "Showgirl Homecoming Tour." "My goal throughout my illness and afterward was to get back on stage," she says. "I wanted to reassure myself that I could still do what I did before."

The "Showgirl Homecoming Tour" is also the subject of a brand-new documentary, entitled White Diamond, which Minogue made with her friend and stylist William Baker. Shot between August 2006 and March 2007, the film is a look in at Minogue's return to the pop world, with intimate backstage footage and interviews with the star discussing her feelings, worries, and aspirations as she and her team take "Showgirl Homecoming Tour" from rehearsals to the stage.

Minogue has shown no signs of slowing down. In 2007, she became a recipient, and first woman ever to receive the Music Industry Trust Award, which recognizes contributions made by influential people in the music industry, followed by her appearance on the Queen's 2008 New Year's Honours list. She has also received a Golden Kamera Award for "Best International Female Artist" (Germany's top show business honor) and a "Special Recognition Tribute Award" at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes. In addition, she was honored by her hero, John Travolta, at the G'Day USA: Australia Week 2008 Australia.com Black Tie Gala in Los Angeles. In February, Minogue took home a BRIT Award for "Best International Female Solo Artist" and took to the stage to perform "Wow." In May, she will hit the road for a three-month, 50-date European tour, entitled KYLIEX2008. Tickets for the U.K. leg's eight shows sold out in just 30 minutes, proving that, at 39 years of age, Kylie Minogue is back and better than ever.

biography
Kylie Minogue is a phenomenon of truly international proportions. To date she has released nine albums, six long-play videos, in addition to the Greatest Hits double album and video package, live album and video and 39 singles throughout the world, all of which have been hits. Kylie has been the guest of Royalty in Britain and Europe, and the subject of several invitations for Royal Command Performances as well as the Lennon Memorial Concert in Liverpool in 1990. She has embarked on four sell-out world tours, including the critically acclaimed “Intimate & Live” concert tour and more recently her Fever 2002 tour which resulted in packed arenas throughout the UK, Europe and Australia.

In June of 1991, after the release of her 13th hit single, entitled Shocked, the British industry "bible" Music Week magazine declared that Kylie was the ONLY act in the history of the British pop music to have their first 13 releases all go Top 10. Kylie now has 30 consecutive U.K. hits, none of which failed to peak in the Top 20, 20 in the Top 10!

Today Kylie is one of the world's most successful female music artists, but she wasn't always known as a singer. Kylie started her career at age eleven when asked to act in the national Australian T.V. drama series “Skyways”, this was followed by more Australian television roles in the popular drama “The Sullivans” and later “The Henderson Kids”.

After her seventeenth birthday Kylie left school to take up acting as a full time profession. Her character "Charlene" in the Australian "soap" Neighbours is still today, arguably, one of the most popular characters ever to come out of Australian television.

By the time Kylie was out of her teens she had won five Logies (the Australian equivalent of an Emmy); the youngest actress ever to do so. In 1987 she won the Silver Logie for "Most Popular Actress" and in 1988 she was the first artist ever to win 4 Logies on one night, including the Gold for "Most Popular Personality on Australian Television", and another Silver.

Kylie’s recording career began in 1987 when she released her first single, a remake of the '60's Little Eva hit "Loco-motion". The song hit No.1 nationally around Australia and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the biggest Australian single of the decade. The success of “Loco-motion” led to Kylie teaming up with famed British record producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman in London.

Kylie’s eponymously titled debut album, released July 1988, contained the hit singles “I Should Be So Lucky”, “Got To Certain”, a re-recorded version of “The Loco-motion” and “Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi”. It sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Her duet with Jason Donovan, "Especially For You" debuted at #2 and shipped silver on release bringing Kylie's single sales in the U.K. to well over 2 million in under 12 months.

In October 1989 Kylie released her eagerly awaited second album "Enjoy Yourself" which shot to No.1 in the U.K. with pre-sales of over 600,000 copies. The album spawned 4 worldwide hits including the No.1 singles “Hand On Your Heart” and “Tears On My Pillow”.

In December Kylie's first feature film “The Delinquents” was released around the world to rave reviews and became the top grossing movie in the U.K. Also that month, Kylie joined the likes of Bob Geldof, Lisa Stansfield, Bananarama, Bros, Cliff Richard, and Wet Wet Wet for Band Aid 2's 1989 recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas" to raise money for Ethiopia.

Two more albums - “Rhythm Of Love” and “Let’s Get To It” – and more classic singles – “Better The Devil You Know”, “What Do I Have To Do”, “Shocked” - followed before the release of “Kylie's Greatest Hits” in 1992. The album collected all 19 hits along with three new songs and debuted at #1 on the UK charts.

On her move from PWL to the dance label Deconstruction, Kylie effectively made the difficult transition from "Pop Princess" to "Career Artist", a delicate move very few artists have been able to make successfully.

September 1994 saw the release of her album simply entitled "Kylie Minogue". Greeted with much critical acclaim the album debuted at no. 4 in the U.K. All three singles released from the album became worldwide hits.

Kylie's third duet "Where The Wild Roses Grow", a "Murder Ballad" penned by Nick Cave and recorded with Nick and his band The Bad Seeds was released internationally in 1995, becoming her 25th consecutive hit peaking at No. 2 in Australia and 11 in Britain.

In 1994 Kylie had a lead role in the $40 million dollar epic Streetfighter with Jean Claude Van Damme, and in 1995 she starred in a short film entitled Hayride To Hell shot in Australia for the European Film Festivals. 1996 saw the release of a comedy called Bio-Dome for the producers of Dumb & Dumber in Hollywood with Pauly Shore and Steven Baldwin and in 1998 Kylie starred in an Australian independent film called Sample People; and alongside Molly Ringwald in Mushroom Pictures horror film Cut. Earlier in 1999 she also found time to appear in a Caribbean production of Shakespeare's The Tempest for which she received rave reviews.

Kylie’s sixth studio album “Impossible Princess” (aka “Kylie Minogue”) was released in March 1998. With all lyrics by Kylie Minogue, “Impossible Princess”, featuring collaborations with The Manic Street Preachers, Brothers In Rhythm and Dave Ball (Soft Cell, The Grid), became yet another No 1 for Miss Minogue (Australian Music Report).

Kylie’s list of collaborations extend to the successful cult underground dance track “G.B.I.” recorded with leading Japanese artist Towa Tei (of Dee-lite fame); a track called “In Denial” with the Pet Shop Boys for their album, a duet with Ben Lee on “The Reflex” for a Duran-Duran tribute album, and the famous duet with Robbie Williams, “Kids” which debuted at No. 2 in the UK charts!

October 1999 saw Kylie release a collectible art book featuring contributions from many of the world's most respected artists, on the theme of "Kylie". Demand for the book was unprecedented with a second printing within the first month of release!

June 2000 saw the much anticipated release of “Spinning Around” the first single from Kylie's debut studio album for Parlophone Records. In true style she caused a sensation by debuting at Number 1 in both the UK and Australian charts. Spinning Around also gave Kylie the honour of being one of only two artists (the other being Madonna) to have a number one in the eighties, nineties and noughties!

September 2000, Kylie released the follow up single, “On A Night Like This” repeating Spinning Around's success by debuting in the UK charts at #2 and Australian charts at #1. Kylie's most anticipated album yet, “Light Years”, was released at the same time to massive critical & commercial success debuting at #2 in the U.K. and reaching #1 in Australia (double platinum!)

Kylie performed to her biggest audience ever at the closing ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games! Kylie thrilled more than 4 billion viewers with her rendition of “Dancing Queen” and “On A Night Like This”. Less than two weeks later she headlined the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.

Kylie ended a phenomenal year with the release of a fourth single from "Light Years", "Please Stay" on December 11th, as well as a prestigious appearance at the Royal Variety Performance. The top 10 hit "Please Stay" was Kylie's 33rd hit single and her 20th UK Top Ten hit.

In January 2001 tickets went on sale for Kylie's first major tour in nine years. The "On A Night Like This" tour sold out immediately for shows in the UK, Europe and Australia, where the tour became the most successful arena tour by a female artist EVER. The tour was no less successful in the UK, where the capacity doubled to accommodate the huge number of ticket applications.

The tour garnered rave reviews in the press, with the NME declaring that "the hits wheeled out tonight are pop at its most exciting" and the Guardian writing that the show was "utterly fabulous".

By now "Light Years" was platinum in the UK and 4 x platinum in Australia, where readers voted her "Best Pop Artist" in Australian Rolling Stone. Back in the UK, Kylie was nominated for a prestigious Brit Award for Best International Female. She later took time out to attend the LA premiere of the film "Moulin Rouge", in which she features as the Green Fairy.

In May, British Vogue put Kylie on its cover, an event that made the evening news in Australia. Later, at Vogue's "It's Fashion" party, Kylie was seated on the top table, next to Prince Charles.

September 2001 saw the Kylie phenomenon reach fever peak with the release of her global smash hit “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” from the multi-platinum selling album “Fever”. The album generated a further three smash hit singles “In Your Eyes”, “Love At First Sight” and “Come Into My World” and sold over six million copies worldwide.

Kylie garnered a host of major awards including Top of The Pops Awards for Best Tour for “On A Night Like This” and Top Song for “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, 3 Italian Dance Music Awards for Best International Artist, Best Song and Best Video, an NME Award for Best Pop Act, and ‘Showbusiness Personality of The Year’ at the Variety Club of Great Britain Awards.

Kylie stole the show at the 2002 Brit Awards with an incredible performance of “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” and won two major awards for Best International Female and Best International Album. At the World Music Awards in Monaco, Kylie delivered another show stopping performance to an world-wide audience of a billion people and was honoured as Best Selling Australian Artist of The Year.

In the spring Kylie embarked on her most ambitious live tour to date. Kylie’s ‘Fever’ tour kicked off in Cardiff in April 2002 before moving on to Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Newcastle and London. Tickets to the 25 date tour sold out within minutes of them going on sale and The Manchester Evening News presented Kylie with a plaque in recognition of having the most number of shows by a solo artist to sell out the Arena EVER!

Kylie took her “Fever!” tour to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and Holland, and then on to Australia in August where she sold out six nights at Sydney’s Entertainment Centre and a further six nights at the Rod Laver Arena in her native Melbourne.

Kylie was awarded “Woman Of The Year” 2002 at the Elle style awards while the record-breaking “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” garnered 3 Ivor Novello Awards for Best International Single, Best Dance Record and Most Played Record of The Year, and scooped an MTV Award for Best Choreography in a Music Video.

Kylie swept the board at the ARIA’s winning 4 awards including the first Special Achievement award! Just weeks later Kylie triumphed at the 2002 MTV Music Awards Best Pop Act and Best Dance Act and stole the show at Top of The Pops Awards with a stunning performance of “Come Into My World” and a second award for Tour Of The Year for “Fever 2002”.

November 2002 saw the highly anticipated release of the Fever 2002 Live DVD and the book “Kylie: La La La”. Written in collaboration with her artistic director Will Baker, “La La La” documents Kylie’s remarkable career and includes over 300 photos, most of which have never been seen before.

In 2003 Kylie’s lingerie range, ‘Love Kylie’, was launched in the UK in Selfridges to a massive media frenzy and incredible sales. Demand far exceeded supply with Selfridges doubling their orders to cope.

Kylie was awarded a Centenary Medal by the Governor General of Australia for “Outstanding Contribution to the Music Industry” and for the third year in a row won “Australian Performer of the Year” and “Showbusiness Ambassador of the Year” for the second consecutive year at the 28th Annual MO Awards in Australia.

In May 2003 Kylie appeared in the Rambert Dance Company project, “21” choreographed by Rafael Bonachella (“On A Night Like This Tour”, “Fever2002 Tour”) in a short black & white filmed piece.

In June Kylie is voted the sexiest pop pin up in the world by viewers of music channel VH1 and her “Agent Provocateur” commercial wins Best Cinema Commercial of the Year at the British TV Awards.

Kylie spent the summer of 2003 recording her ninth studio album, “Body Language” in London, Ireland and Spain. “Body Language” was released in various territories on 17th November 2003. It was preceded by the hypnotic single “Slow”, written by Kylie Minogue/Emiliana Torrini and Dan Carey which debuted at number 1 in Australia and the UK.

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Kylie Minogue - X