Kylie returns to form in this deliciously camp record.
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Like every great pop superstar, Kylie has mastered the art of remaking her image with each album era; for Disco this is no exception – she takes the album title to new extremes, and shakes off the country twangs of Golden to make way for the glitter of Disco.
From Lady Gaga to Jessie Ware, many pop artists have been revisiting the vintage sounds of disco in different ways recently. In Disco, Kylie takes the route of super-sweet, sometimes over-saturated disco.
The first part of the album is by far the strongest. Kylie starts with the catchy chorus of ‘Magic’, inviting us into her galactic imagination where everyone most certainly believes in magic. ‘Magic’ lets us know what to expect from the oncoming songs – glittering synths, disco-infused strings, and funky bass lines. From ‘Magic’, we move to ‘Miss a Thing’, which opens with an utterance of “dance” which is definitely a wink to ‘All the Lovers’ from 2010. ‘Miss a Thing’ inspires the same dance-escapism of that track, with lyrics that want you to “run away with me tonight” and “lose control”.
After a string of cheesy dance tracks comes ‘Say Something’. By far the strongest track on the album, ‘Say Something’ is pure disco gold; it utilizes choirs and layered vocals to build around the uplifting lyrics that see a hopeful future. This song embodies the philosophy of Kylie’s music: cheesy on the surface, but genuine underneath.
While living in the future, Kylie still manages to remember the past. On ‘Where Does the DJ Go?’, we are brought to the dance floor where we find Kylie “singing I will survive”; on ‘Fine Wine’ Kylie brings the essence of Donna Summer alongside a modern sample of Jawny’s ‘Honeypie’.
Although the album can be praised for it’s use of disco, there are moments where it can become too much – like in ‘Monday Blues’, where a catchy chorus is overpowered by dominating instrumentals. Here disco is used excessively; things like guitar licks and horns that are used sparingly throughout the rest of the album are used overbearingly and do nothing for the quality of the song.
Despite the occasional moments of over saturation, the record consistently delivers upbeat, sparkling tunes that make you want to get up and dance. Kylie’s vintage disco talents are unparalleled on Disco, and remind us why she is still the Princess of Pop to many.
Disco is out now via BMG Records. Watch the video for ‘Magic’ here:
