When was the last time Xenomania had a non-Girls Aloud hit? Do you really think they're that expensive to work with these days?

ETA:

As I've lived with this album more I'd say my favorite tracks are.

1. All the Lovers

2. Everything Is Beautiful

3. Better Than Today

4. Aphrodite

5. Go Hard or Go Home

The two Xenomania tracks do nothing for me and fan faves Illusion and Closer I often skip. I do see Closer growing on me but something about it bores me. Not sure what exactly. Overall it's a good album, but I still prefer X.

Ranking modern Kylie I'd say...

1. X

2. Aphrodite

3. Light Years

4. Fever

My ranking includes B Sides as well. Obviously X was flawed, but offered a lot of diversity, the videos and tour were great as well. Also some of the bsides are just amazing. Fever ranks low for me bc the album is very bland. Lots of dull tracks like More, More, More, Give It To Me, Dancefloor, etc. The singles were huge standouts, but the overall album is packed with forgettable filler.

BTW my overall rankings would be completely different of course. I just was focusing on the Parlo years.

Edited July 8, 201015 yr by Chris B

They had a top 5 with Mini Viva's Left My Heart in Tokyo last Fall (but everything else from that group, created by Xenomania has flopped big time and we'll never see an album, lol). And while not good with singles, the sales for the album they did last year for Pet Shop Boys were surprisingly big and the Gabrielle Climi stuff. But you're right that they're going through a rough patch. Still, I've heard they still are fairly pricey, but prob by the standards Parlophone would pay for Kylie it's not a big deal.

It's funny how, unlike with X, nearly every fan has diff love and hate tracks from Aphrodite (at least at this point, when the album's settled among fans it'll prob change at first). I was really not even slightly feeling the Xenomania tracks but now Heartstrings has really grown on me. Go Big or Go Home just sounds cheap to me now--and I loved it at first--so glad it didn't make the album.

I might agree with your ranking actually (you conveniently left off Body Language ). Aphrodite has less standout tracks than X, but does play better as an album (I think only half its videos were decent though, Wow is pretty crappy). And I agree about Fever, it actually feels kinda rushed to me (it came out what, a year after Light Years?) Great singles (well I'm kinda indifferent to Come Into My World), few hidden gems (I like Your Love, LOVE Tightrope which didn't even make the normal editions, and love Lovr Affair), but I think fans kinda forget that considering how high many rate it.

Well the iTunes top 10--or could she go top 10 overall? Her American press HAS been more positive overall than I've ever seen them before (She's at a 72% on metacritic). Anyway, I'm obviously very pleased... If not a bit surprised.

Admit it! You keep buying the CD over and over at Itunes! Thus the top 10 at Itunes.

Edited July 8, 201015 yr by Ruxton Hills

Hitsdoubledaily predicts the album will sell between 10-15K in its first week of release in the US, which probably won't be enough to enter the top 100 of the 200 album chart.

Is there any buzz about the album?? Why isn't she promoting it?? The Today Show...GMA??....Hey..call Oprah!!

The US isn't her main market and nor will the mainstream ever really embrace her in the US, she's wise to keep the main promotional efforts to the UK/Europe.

Exactly. It's a mixed deal--last time she held off releasing X in the US soshe could promote it there later, but by then ofcourse her small US fanbase had already bought it--so it's smart ofher to do it this way. I'm not surprised it prob won't go top 100. And Ruxton, I *never* buy from iTunes (besides which I can't access US iTunes)

Edited July 9, 201015 yr by EricMontreal22

Eric, I actually didnt meant to leave off Body Language, lol. The actual album is pretty bad, but the overall project has some great tracks.

Just got this email from a friend in Australia (who's even more of a Kylie nutter than I)

Aphrodite has debuted in the Billboard Top 20 albums!!!

This is shaping up to be Kylie's biggest album since 2002's Fever album ...

United Kingdom # 1

Australia # 2

Germany # 3

Spain # 3

The Netherlands # 4

Ireland # 5

Belgium # 6

USA # 19

A Top 20 debut for a Euro-based pop singer on Billboard is VERY impressive ... and NO promo over there yet ... Fever sold 1 million in USA and Kylie (1988) sold 500K in the USA

Some said Kylie may make the top 50 and look, #19 lol! Thats great. Better than Body Language with tons of promo.

Edited July 13, 201015 yr by Chris B

How much more are we going to talk about it?

That's what Hitsdoubledaily projects, it could change once the main chart information is released on Thurs (she could be higher or lower).

http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/sales/salescht.cgi

Hits projects it sold a little over 18,000 in its first week, which should tell you how dire sales are in the US if that's a top 20 album.

For reference, Body Language sold 43,000 in its first week of release in the US peaking at #42.

X didn't even make the top 100 of the album chart.

Sylph, feel free NOT to talk about it

Yeah, when you see actual physical sales numbers and compare them to even five years back, it is pretty shocking.

Kylie is also now officially the first artist in the UK to have had a number 1 in the 80s, 90s, 00s and now 10s.

Well, Eric, I'm glad it bombed. And is awful, but as usual you pimp it as if it's a masterpiece of shitpop! :D