Four years after Body Language, Kylie Minogue releases her tenth studio album, the danceable and appropriately titled X.

After a four year absence from the music scene, Kylie Minogue releases X, her tenth studio album in a career that now spans three decades.

While it would have been easy, and understandable, for Kylie Minogue to go down a more reflective road following her highly publicised battle with breast cancer and recent split with long-time boyfriend, she keeps the album themes light and the dance beats heavy.

2 Hearts Lead-off Single

Fans of the artist have come to expect the first single from a new Kylie album to dance out of the box like “Can’t Get You out of My Mind” or “Spinning Around”, instead Minogue previewed X with “2 Hearts”.

This grimy, swaggering track filled with thumping piano and come-hither vocals strays from the danceable singles that has made Minogue a staple at UK Radio and clubs. While not the usual Kylie fare, album opener is a definite grower that gets better with each spin.

Kylie’s gritty departure is short-lived, however. Second track “Like a Drug” is as addictive as any of her previous dance tracks. With an electro beat borrowed from Goldfrapp and a catchy chorus, it’s impossible not to involuntarily move to this track.

Kylie’s Cosmic Collaborations

Outside of the United States, Kylie Minogue rivals only Madonna for queen of pop. To ensure she holds onto the thrown until Madge releases her new album in April, Kylie collaborated with a who’s who of writers and producers to work with her on X.

Bloodshy & Avant who recently worked with Britney Spears on her Blackout album, UK keyboard wiz and 80’s throwback Calvin Harris as well as Cathy Dennis who penned the unforgettable “Can’t Get You Out of My Mind” from 2002 and has recently worked with budding superstar Leona Lewis, all add their magical touches to X. And the efforts paid off.

X is by far one of Kylie’s best and most consistent albums in a while. Much along the vein of Fever, X does away with the down tempo of her last album, 2004’s Body Language.

“Speakerphone”, another Goldfrapp-influenced slice of electronica sounds great through headphones - interesting vocal effects and a pulsating synth hum make this one of the more enjoyable tracks on the disc – especially because of the throwaway and laughable lyrics that Kylie sings without a trace of irony – pure pop perfection.

Kylie Keeps It Light on X

“Sensitized” keeps the dance party going with a repeated background yell and a guitar driven dance vibe. While “Heart Beat Rock” and the awful faux hop hop tinged “All I See” sound like a vintage Janet Jackson rip offs – hit the next button and go straight to floor fillers “ One” and “Wow”. Perfect examples of dance music made right by a seasoned pro. When Kylie decides to dance, the world dances with her, but she should leave at that and stop the messy ballads.

To every rule of course there is one exception. “No More Rain”, a mid-tempo track, tones down the beat for three short minutes. Perhaps the best track vocally, this last-minute add-on brings substance and weight to an otherwise fluffy album.

“Nu-di-ty” and “Cosmic” round off the album with less than stellar results. However, the album as a whole has more than enough would-be hits to overcome these oversights.

As far as Kylie Minogue albums go, X ranks among the best in her catalogue. A must for fans and those interested in discovering an artist beyond her 2002 hit or her “Loco-Motion” cover from 1988.