Rating: 3/5
Verdict: Goddess of love? Yes. Queen of pop? Not quite
Could it be time Kylie moved on from music? Didn't she launch a successful underwear brand a few years ago? And judging by some of the songs on the Aussie star's 11th album, it might pay for her to broaden her horizons. Not that Aphrodite is bad. It's just that sometimes it's nothing more than mindless and mechanical, albeit fun, pop music. There's nothing as impressive here as her pop music classics, like Spinning Around, and best of all, Can't Get You Out of My Head. On Get Outta My Way the beats sound like they've come out of a SodaStream machine, and if it wasn't for the video to first single, All The Lovers, where lots of people are making out in their undies, the song's mid-tempo mediocrity would be a tad torturous.
Still, Aphrodite has its highlights, usually when Kylie slows things down to a poppy dance plod, like on Everything Is Beautiful, or a banging lope on the title track which brims with saucy attitude. Plus, the diverse list of guest songwriters, ranging from Calvin Harris and Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears on the bells and whistles electro house of Too Much, through to Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane (who co-wrote Everything Is Beautiful), spice up the monotony of manufactured pop. One thing is certain, Kylie carries the mantle of Aphrodite well, because let's face it, she's still gorgeous after all these years, even if musically she's not quite so hot.
