Kylie Minogue in the 2000s: A Playlist You Can't Get Out of Your Head

I got a wonderful little email last night from iTunes, helpfully reminding me that I had pre-ordered Kylie Minogue's eleventh studio album Aphrodite, which is released today worldwide (and Kylie is notoriously adept at preventing leaks of her new material, so it's a bit more exciting a release date than usual around these parts). As I believe the only way to be able to discuss the merits of an album is to listen to it the entire way through, in order, at least once (I believe, and I'm not alone, that the packaging of the tracks selected for an album can and should be done with as much artistic care as anything else about it), which I will have a chance to do sometime today, and I will try and assemble some preliminary thoughts before the critical consensus becomes solidified, which should I succeed I will post here posthaste.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd gather up some of my favorite singles from the Aussie legend, initially for my own nostalgia but also to present to readers, whether you take it as a conveniently packaged soundtrack to mark the day while at work or leaving it or wherever you choose, or if, instead, as a relative newbie in Minogue terms you find yourself introduced to some of the best work of a dance pop pioneer who for the past ten years or so has been putting out consistently high-quality music, a feat even many of the greats cannot claim. I wanted to include, as a personal delight, the music video that captured me during my impressionable freshman year of college and introduced me to Kylie Minogue...with the help of one fantastically designed white hooded outfit that still thrills me to this day, even if the fear and ignorance of the female body I had then are...well, less an issue nowadays, at least. But unfortunately EMI hasn't gotten with the program and figured out that free music videos=singles sales, and it is not available for embedding (indeed, the only version I have been able to find for years is rather poor quality...very disappointing for reasons that may become clear in a second).

 Yep, that's the one!

Which is your favorite single from the past decade? "Can't Get You Out of My Head," obvious choice thought it may be in this country, is probably my favorite in so many way and for as many reasons, although I've become a recent convert to "Chocolate" as I've grown able to understand the concepts more over time; I have also had a soft spot for "In Your Eyes," a tune that reminds me of some good times with some very good friends years ago, and one of the rare songs I never skip when it happens to come up in shuffle. Vote in the poll to the right, and share which you chose and why in the comments if you'd like! I know I'd enjoy hearing about others' appreciation of an artist for whom I have a certain unique respect, whether her album blows me away as Body Language did or merely amuses as with X (and even at her worst she's thoroughly listenable anyway!). I'm excited to find out later today.

Ehhhh, how about one more before I go?

Excellent. I'm all set.