X (Kylie Minogue album)

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X
An image of Minogue posing with a fishnet veil. She wears bold red lipstick and nail polish, with her right hand slightly covering her lips.
Studio album by
Kylie Minogue
Released21 November 2007 (2007-11-21)
RecordedJuly 2006 – August 2007
Studio
Genre
Length45:12
LabelParlophone
Producer
Kylie Minogue chronology
Confide in Me: The Irresistible Kylie
(2007) 		X
(2007) 		Boombox
(2008)
Singles from X
  1. "2 Hearts"
    Released: 16 October 2007
  2. "In My Arms"
    Released: 15 February 2008
  3. "Wow"
    Released: 17 February 2008
  4. "All I See"
    Released: 11 March 2008
  5. "The One"
    Released: 28 July 2008

X is the tenth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. EMI Music Japan released it first in Japan on 21 November 2007, before its release in Australia by Warner Music Australia two days later. The album was released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone on 26 November 2007, and in the United States by Capitol and Astralwerks on 1 April 2008. Work on the album began in July 2006, following Minogue's gradual recovery from breast cancer. After finishing Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour in early 2007, she returned to the studio to complete the album, with the help from many producers including Bloodshy & Avant, Calvin Harris, Greg Kurstin, and Freemasons.

X is a

Australian Albums Chart and peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart
. The album reached the top 20 in other countries, including Austria, Germany, Ireland, France, Scotland, and Switzerland.

Five singles were released from X. The lead single, "2 Hearts", peaked inside the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. "Wow" was released in Australia and the UK, while "In My Arms" was issued in Europe. "All I See" and "The One" were released as digital singles: the former to promote the album in the United States and the latter in Europe. Minogue promoted X by performing in the US during March and May 2008, and with the KylieX2008 concert tour, which saw her perform around Europe, Oceania, South America, and Asia. The album has sold over one million copies worldwide.

Background and development

In 2004, Kylie Minogue released her second major greatest hits album, Ultimate Kylie.[1] The album peaked within the top 10 and reached multi-platinum status in the UK,[2] Ireland,[3] and Australia.[4] In May 2005, while promoting Ultimate Kylie with the Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer.[5] She canceled the remaining concert dates and underwent immediate treatment: she had a partial mastectomy to remove a lump from her left breast and spent the next six months receiving chemotherapy.[6] Her hospitalization and treatment in Melbourne garnered intense media coverage.[7] Following her recovery, Minogue worried about not having sung in some time and whether she could return to performing so soon after her treatment.[8] The resumption of the tour was first announced in June 2006.[9] The rescheduled tour, renamed Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour, began in November and travelled to Australia and England.[10]

In July of the same year, Australian concert promoter Michael Gudinski revealed Minogue was in the studio recording new material.[11] She recalled feeling happy to be back in the studio and not under pressure to record an album.[8] At the start of the tour in November, Minogue said she was recording new tracks, and felt more inspired than she had for a long period of time.[12] Once the tour ended in January 2007, she returned to the studio to complete the album, feeling that finalizing it was a personal goal she had set. "I had to go back to the studio just to test myself and to get something off my chest, which I did", Minogue recalled.[8] X was the first album Minogue had consciously prepared for the recording process—she had been engaged in a cycle of record, release, and tour for much of her career.[8] The production took a year and a half to finish, with more than 40 songs recorded.[13] Finishing with X was a great relief to Minogue, who felt she was ready for more.[14]

Writing and recording

Towards the end of her cancer treatment in mid-2006, Minogue began writing in Melbourne, including the lyrics that would later form the basis of "Cosmic" and "No More Rain".

Edwin "Lil' Eddie" Serrano, whose vocals on the demo were used on the final version.[22]

Photograph of Greg Kurstin
Photograph of Cakvin Harris
Photograph of Karlsson & Winnberg
X features contributions from producers Greg Kurstin, Calvin Harris, and Bloodshy & Avant (clockwise).

Songwriter

Freemasons.[28] Music group Laid and Emma Holmgren originally recorded "The One", but they eventually gave the song to Minogue.[29] In April 2007, Scottish producer Calvin Harris was announced as a producer working on X.[30] He was introduced to Minogue through her A&R executive Jamie Nelson.[31] He ended up co-writing "In My Arms", "Stars" (both with Biffco), and "Heart Beat Rock" (with Karen Poole).[20]

Sessions in Stockholm with songwriter Poole and Swedish producers Bloodshy & Avant resulted in the tracks "Speakerphone", "Cherry Bomb" and "Nu-di-ty".[32] Minogue brought out her lyric book and attempted to work on "No More Rain" with the duo, but their production-heavy style did not work well with the song.[33] Minogue had formed a friendship with her frequent co-writing partner Poole prior to the production.[34] Minogue felt easy when co-writing songs with her because they shared the same vocal register.[34] Feeling tired of recording in London, Minogue suggested going to Ibiza with Poole and American producer Greg Kurstin in August. They set up a studio booth in a villa and put the final touches on the album.[35] They wrote "Wow" on the day they arrived in Ibiza; "King or Queen", "Carried Away", "Do It Again" and "Magnetic Electric" were also written and recorded during these same sessions.[36] Minogue also gave "No More Rain" to Kurstin to complete a new production on the song.[33]

Several tracks with other songwriters and producers were rejected during the production process.[37] Minogue completed a few tracks with her longtime collaborator Steve Anderson—one of those is a track titled "Flower" that was later recorded for the orchestral album The Abbey Road Sessions (2012).[38] Scottish musician Mylo was shocked when his recorded tracks with Minogue were scrapped, despite being told they were being sent off to be mixed and would be on the final record.[39] Minogue was reportedly working with R&B producer Terry Riley, her longtime collaborator Stock Aitken Waterman and New York-based DJ Roger Sanchez, who says she is "moving in a different direction"; their work never materialised.[40] Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, better known as Pet Shop Boys, were invited to write a handful of tracks, which were apparently rejected.[41] They ended up using some of the rejected ideas for their own 2009 album Yes.[42] English band Hot Chip was asked to meet a "top-line songwriter" from Minogue's camp, but this never occurred as they were busy making Made in the Dark (2008).[43] Nelly Furtado reportedly had a duet with Minogue for the album, but the song was never recorded.[44] Further submissions came from Boy George,[45] Amanda Ghost,[45] Mark Ronson,[46] Daft Punk,[46] Alan Braxe,[46] Groove Armada,[46] Hannah Robinson,[47] Siobhan Fahey,[37] Goldfrapp,[37] Dragonette,[44] Sneaky Sound System,[48] and Kiki Lesendrić.[49]

Musical styles

Minogue's musical direction and vocal delivery on X were compared to those of American singers Gwen Stefani (left, pictured in 2007) and Britney Spears (right, pictured in 2009)

X has been characterized as a dance-pop and electronica album that incorporates elements of electropop and pop rock.[50] Chris True of AllMusic commented on the album's musical diversity, pointing out the mix of calculated dance-pop from Minogue's early 2000s releases and her personal work akin to Kylie Minogue (1994) and Impossible Princess (1997).[51] BBC Music's Chris Long felt X captured the trend for electro music.[52] Tom Ewing of Pitchfork called it an album that "hops around searching for a sound it's comfortable with" and felt Minogue was trying to have "the whole contemporary UK pop scene on a single CD".[53] Sharon O'Connell of Yahoo! Music, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian and Ewing found the influences from other contemporary artists in the late 2000s, such as Daft Punk, Girls Aloud, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani and Sugababes.[54]

The album opens with "2 Hearts", a 1970s-style

Music critics found its production was influenced by Goldfrapp,[57] Roxy Music,[58] PJ Harvey,[59] Scissor Sisters,[60] and Blondie.[61] "Sensitized", another rock track, is built around the sample of Gainsbourg and Bardot's "Bonnie and Clyde".[62] Ewing wrote the track swings harder than anything else on the album, while Spike commented it comes off like a diluted version of "Cowboy Style" (1997) with a slower pace.[63] The 1980s-evoking disco-rock "Stars" features guitar riffs in the chorus.[64]

The synth-pop "In My Arms" features a flimsy, nearly-punk production by Harris.

Neptunes' keyboards.[69] Both Ewing and Bruce Scott of Prefix commented that "Heart Beat Rock" is better suited for Gwen Stefani, who embodied a more sassy and exciting tone.[70] The electro-disco "Wow" opens with a jangling piano line, and contains an "ooh-wow-wow" refrain towards the chorus.[71] It was compared to Madonna's "Holiday" (1983),[72] the work of Stock Aitken and Waterman,[73] and Daft Punk by music critics.[74] "Nu-di-ty" is a funky electronic track that has influences from Timbaland,[75] Spears,[76] and Black Eyed Peas.[59] Minogue speaks Japanese at the end of the track: "どういたしまして" ("You're welcome").[77]

"Speakerphone" is a mellow and distorted electronic pop song that was compared to Daft Punk and Girls Aloud by critics.[78] The multi-layer song is built around a tantalising harp tune.[79] Hughes claimed "Speakerphone" flirts with hip hop elements, while Levine and Dan Weiss of Lost At Sea viewed the track as an extension of Spears' Blackout era.[80] "The One" is an electro-disco track with morse-code synths and four on the floor beats.[53] The track is reminiscent of the work of New Order,[81] Stock Aitken Waterman,[82] and Minogue's "I Believe in You".[83] The cheery electro-pop "No More Rain"[84] is similar to the work of Ace of Base,[85] 90s-era Madonna,[86] Pet Shop Boys, and Goldfrapp.[87] The soulful R&B ballad "All I See" contains repetitive metronomic beats, strutting bassline, and a strummed-harp sample.[88] The song includes an interpolation from The Gap Band's "Outstanding" (1982).[25] "All I See" garnered frequent comparisons with the work of Janet Jackson.[89] The sentimental "Cosmic" contains dreamy piano chords.[90]

Themes and vocals

Critics identified the themes of sex and celebration on X.

double-entendres.[94] Minogue exclaims "I'm in love" on the opening track, "2 Hearts".[55] "The One" is a message to a lover, telling him she is the one and wanting him to love her.[53] The track has a reference to Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam in the lyrics: "It's a feeling that I need to know / Close to touch like Michelangelo".[28] Minogue references dancing and sex on "Wow", while telling her man to perform a striptease on "Nu-di-ty".[91]

"Stars", "No More Rain" and "Cosmic" touch upon Minogue's experience following her cancer treatment.[95] On "No More Rain", Minogue wonders about the universe and fantasises about her return to the performing stage.[96] On "Stars", she contemplates the meaning of life, advises the listener not to let a chance of love slip away, and to find joy in everyday life.[97] "Cosmic" has Minogue listing things she wants to do, including writing a song called "Cosmic" and speaking without the interruption.[98] Minogue recalled writing these songs as a mantra for positivity, and a tribute for the support she received from the public during her recovery.[33] Minogue refused to release an album full of material about her cancer treatment, thinking it would be seen as Impossible Princess 2 and be equally critiqued.[99] Several critics commented on the decision to ignore her health struggle and her breakup with French actor Olivier Martinez on X.[100] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters felt the album missed "a chance to say something deeply profound that would reach millions of people". He compared X to Sheryl Crow's Detours (2008), an album which explicitly addressed Crow's cancer struggle and her breakup with Lance Armstrong.[85] O'Connell said Minogue "might well have fancied a bit of fashionable recorded exorcism" similar to Spears' Blackout.[101]

Minogue's high-pitched and light tone of vocals on X attracted comments from several critics. Josh Love of The News & Observer thought her voice can match with the "chirpy buoyancy" of Stefani, Spears and Janet Jackson.[102] O'Connell linked her delivery to the breathy suggestiveness of Marilyn Monroe and the trademark falsetto of André 3000.[101] Critics also noted the hyper treatment of Minogue's voice, which is distorted and sliced-up on tracks like "Speakerphone" and "Nu-di-ty".[103] Petridis and Hubbard felt her delivery through electronic effects was robotic and made her sounds less connected to the music.[104] Sawdey, on the other hand, found Minogue engages the listener with her sex kitten persona despite her limited voice, and compared her robotic delivery on "Speakerphone" favourably to those of Spears during her Blackout (2007) album.[85] Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone suggested she made the right choice to allow her vocals to be "processed and thoroughly T-Pained".[105]

Packaging and release

Minogue's frequent collaborator

Idolator, Mike Wass and Robbie Daw commented the cover artwork is stylish and flaw-free.[107] The album's title, X, is a reference to Minogue's tenth studio album; X is the Roman numeral for the number 10.[108] The original title of the album was Magnetic Electric, the title of a bonus track.[108] Minogue changed the title to what her fans had been calling the album all along.[109] She decided on the final track listing for X with longtime manager Terry Blamey.[110] Minogue managed to save some of the rejected tracks for B-side releases.[111] "Some may be held for later on but you never know when and where they will turn up – most of them are quite good", Minogue said.[44]

"In My Arms" was released as a duet between Minogue and Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai (left, pictured in 2007) on the Asian edition of X, and Mexican singer-songwriter Aleks Syntek on the Mexican edition (right, pictured in 2008)

In March 2007, a track titled "Excuse My French" was

MySpace account.[114] The MP3 files, titled "In The Mood For Love" and "Spell of Desire", went offline hours later.[115] Minogue claimed the leaked tracks were demos and said: "I think any artist would be annoyed with that... Still, it was a lesson learnt."[46]

EMI Music Japan first released the standard edition of X in Japan on 21 November 2007, with two bonus tracks: "King or Queen" and "I Don't Know What It Is".[116] A special edition with a bonus DVD was also available, featuring an interview with Minogue, and the trailer for White Diamond.[117] Two days later, Warner Music Australia distributed the album in Australia,[118] while Parlophone and EMI released it in Europe.[119] Two editions of the album were available,[120] with a CD-ROM section on the standard edition containing access to the exclusive track "Rippin' Up The Disco".[119] In the UK, X was released on 26 November, also with two editions.[121] A limited USB edition was available in the UK and Canada, featuring a tiny animated doll of Minogue in the style of the release artwork.[122]

"Magnetic Electric" and "White Diamond" were included on the Australian and New Zealand releases from the iTunes Store in 2007.[123] Minogue recorded "In My Arms" as a duet with Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai on the Asian edition of X (released in November 2007),[124] and with Mexican singer-songwriter Aleks Syntek on the Mexican edition (released in June 2008).[125] The Chinese edition replaces the solo version of "In My Arms" with the version featuring Tsai, while omitting the tracks "Like a Drug", "Speakerphone" and "Nu-di-ty" because of censorship.[126] In the United States, Capitol and Astralwerks released X in April 2008 with two bonus tracks: the extended mix of "All I See" featuring rapper Mims and "Carried Away".[127] Mexico released a special edition in 2008, which contains three bonus tracks: "Carried Away", "Cherry Bomb", and "Do It Again".[128] A special tour edition package was released in southern Asia and Australia, featuring the track "Magnetic Electric", various remixes and bonus videos.[129]

Promotion

See also: KylieX2008
Minogue performing in a line of dancers in front of the LED background
Minogue and her dancers performing album single "In My Arms" during one of the dates of the KylieX2008 tour

To promote the album's release, Minogue performed on an exclusive show on ITV called The Kylie Show, aired on 10 November 2007.[130] Minogue performed songs from her previous albums and sneak peek songs from X, while also doing comedy sketches with her sister Dannii, her former co-star Jason Donovan, and Simon Cowell.[131] The show aired on the Australian Seven Network on 5 February 2008.[132] Minogue joined Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 1 for a special show, Kylie and Whiley, during which they recreated a scene from the Australian TV series Neighbours.[133] Minogue appeared on 14 January 2008 on the Australian morning program Sunrise, her first in-studio breakfast interview in more than a decade.[134]

Minogue went on several television shows in the US to promote the album. On 31 March 2008, she gave an interview on the

season 6 episode of the American program Dancing with the Stars. It was her first performance on American TV in five years and was viewed by more than 17 million people.[136] She was interviewed and performed "All I See" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[137] Her last appearance on the US-promo tour was on Idol Gives Back, an American Idol charitable campaign of on April 9.[138]

To promote the album, Minogue announced her tenth concert tour in late November 2007, titled KylieX2008.[139] It began in May 2008 and concluded in December.[140] Travelling to Europe, South America, Asia, and Australasia,[141] Minogue spent $20 million for the production, making it her most expensive tour at the time; in comparison, Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour cost her $5 million.[142] The concerts were divided into eight segments: Xlectro Static, Cheer Squad, Beach Party, Xposed, Naughty Manga Girl, Starry Nights, Black Versus White, and the encore.[141] Tickets for the first eight shows sold out in less than two hours in early December 2007.[143] KylieX2008 was commercially successful, grossing $70,000,000 from ticket sales.[144] The DVD of the tour, KylieX2008, was released on December 1, 2008.[145]

Singles

Photograph of Minogue in a red outfit singing into a microphone
Minogue performing the album's lead single, "2 Hearts", during the KylieX2008 tour

"2 Hearts" was released as the

UK Singles Chart, it reached a peak position of number four and remained in the top 75 for 13 weeks.[151]

The next two singles, "Wow" and "In My Arms", were released simultaneously. "In My Arms" was issued in several European countries on 15 February 2008,[152] while "Wow" was released as the second single in the UK and Australia two days later.[153] "In My Arms" was later released in the UK in May.[154] Both singles had several new mixes and previously unreleased tracks "Carried Away", "Cherry Bomb", and "Do It Again" as the B-side tracks.[155] Melina Matsoukas filmed two music videos back-to-back for "Wow" and "In My Arms" in Los Angeles.[156] The videos, which show Minogue dancing in a futuristic and colourful setting, were released concurrently in late January–early February.[157] Both singles peaked within the top 10 in the UK and Scotland.[158]

"All I See" was released as the lead single in the US on 11 March, with a version featuring rapper Mims.

Carol Lombard and Lauren Bacall.[163] On 15 December 2007, a mashup single titled "X Allmixedup" was released on iTunes in Australia and New Zealand, containing four songs from X: "2 Hearts", "The One", "In My Arms" and "Like a Drug".[164] Despite never having been released as a single, "Speakerphone" reached number 87 on the Canadian Hot 100 based on high downloads from the album.[165] A version of "Sensitized" featuring French singer Christophe Willem served as a promotional single in Europe, but did not appear on any major record charts.[166]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic65/100[167]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[51]
Dotmusic8/10[168]
The Guardian[73]
musicOMH[169]
Pitchfork6.6/10[53]
PopMatters6/10[85]
Q[170]
Rolling Stone[105]
Slant Magazine[171]
Spin[74]

X received mostly positive reviews from music critics.[172] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 65, based on 24 reviews.[167] Long praised it as an album packed with vitality and enjoyment.[52] Writing for The Village Voice, Hunter considered Minogue as the main factor that makes X great, who "has an ear for fantastic pop-rock tunes restyled for 2008, and she approaches them as totally vital music".[173] Mark Sutherland, reviewing X for Billboard, dubbed the album a welcome return for Minogue and wrote the producers and songwriters were not "overshadow Minogue's perky/saucy pop/dance formula".[174] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times and O'Connell commented that although X doesn't raise any high standards for the singer, it still has outstanding moments.[175]

Some reviewers questioned the album's lyrical content and Minogue's processed vocals. Petridis dismissed the generic themes, and commented Minogue's voice through effects sounds like "a 13-year-old boy has somehow wrested control of Stephen Hawking's computer".[73] The Observer's critic Peter Robinson viewed X as an above-average, over-thought and emotionally isolated piece of work.[176] Barry Walters of Spin and Nick Levine of Digital Spy viewed X as a catchy set of songs, and an opportunity for her to express her feelings, but Minogue refused to give anything away.[177] Robert Christgau criticized the sexualize lyrical content, while Hubbard opined that the pointless lyrics and Minogue's robotic delivery make the album "difficult to engage with on any level beyond its beats".[178]

Critics also criticized the lack of consistency on X. True argued that "X isn't a 'piece' as, say, Light Years was. It feels more like an artist trying to make sure she has all her bases covered."[51] Despite considering the album as a highlight for Minogue, Spike noted some of the ballads manage to draw the album out at times.[179] Writing for Slant Magazine, Dave Hughes argued the hit-or-miss production gives X the "focus-grouped attention deficit disorder" of a Gwen Stefani record.[171] Sawdey praised Minogue's lively performance on the first half of X, but dismissed the second half as a set of high-class fillers and forgettable tunes.[85] Michael Hubbard, a music critic of musicOMH, wrote that despite being an expensive-sounding album, X is "more filler than killer".[169] Ewing opined that despite trying on many musical styles, not all of those suit her and several good tracks on the album were poorly executed.[53]

Accolades

Courtney Devores of

ceremony, Minogue's album lost to Daft Punk's Alive 2007 (2007).[186]

Commercial performance

X debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart with first-week sales of 16,000 copies.

Top Electronic Albums chart.[193] By March 2011, the album had sold 42,000 units in the US.[194]

X debuted and peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart, selling 82,370 copies in its first week.[195] It was her twelfth top-ten album and her eighth studio album to do so.[151] Within days of its release, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the album platinum on 30 November 2007.[196] It appeared on the UK year-end album chart in 2007 and 2008, at number 51 and number 100, respectively.[197] The album had sold 473,537 copies in the UK by October 2020.[198] X peaked at number six on the Scottish Albums Chart, and number 14 on the Irish Albums chart.[199] It was certified gold by the Irish Recorded Music Association in 2007.[200] In Japan, the album peaked at number 40 on the Oricon Albums Chart and stayed there for 13 weeks.[201]

X peaked at number five on the Billboard

Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique in December 2007, and appeared on the 2008 year-end chart at number 158.[219][220] As of December 2008, X had sold one million copies worldwide.[221]

Track listing

X – Standard version
Edwin Serrano
  • Raymond Calhoun
    • Jeberg
    • Cutfather
    		3:05
    10."Stars"
    • Minogue
    • Stannard
    • P. Harris
    • Peake
    • Stannard
    • P. Harris
    • Peake
    		3:41
    11."Wow"
    • Minogue
    • Poole
    • Kurstin
    • Kurstin
    • Poole[a]
    		3:10
    12."Nu-di-ty"
    • Poole
    • Karlsson
    • Winnberg
    		Bloodshy and Avant3:04
    13."Cosmic"
    • White
    • Matt Prisne[b]
    		3:09
    Total length:45:12
    X – CD-ROM bonus track[222]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    14."Rippin' Up the Disco"
    • Hansen
    • Jeberg
    • Jasmine Baird
    • Cutfather
    • Jeberg
    		3:29
    X – Special edition bonus DVD[222]
    No.TitleLength
    1."Xposed" (interview with Kylie)24:39
    2."Photo Gallery" (with Xclusive 'White Diamond' Track)2:49
    3."White Diamond" (film trailer)1:04
    4."2 Hearts" (music video)2:53
    X – USB edition bonus content[223]
    No.TitleLength
    1."2 Hearts" (music video)2:53
    2."White Diamond" (film trailer)1:04
    X – Australian and New Zealand iTunes Store bonus tracks[123]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    14."Magnetic Electric"
    • Minogue
    • Poole
    • Kurstin
    		Kurstin3:16
    15."White Diamond"
    • Babydaddy
    • Shears
    		3:03
    X – European iTunes Store bonus track[224]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    14."Heart Beat Rock" (Benny Blanco Remix featuring MC Spank Rock)
    • Minogue
    • Poole
    • C. Harris
    • Lipsey
    		C. Harris3:13
    X – Japanese edition bonus tracks[116]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    14."King or Queen"
    • Minogue
    • Poole
    • Kurstin
    		Kurstin2:39
    15."I Don't Know What It is"
    • Stannard
    • P. Harris
    • Peake
    		3:18
    X – Mexican special edition bonus tracks[128]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    14."In My Arms" (featuring Aleks Syntek)
    • Minogue
    • C. Harris
    • Stannard
    • P. Harris
    • Peake
    • C. Harris
    • Stannard
    		3:40
    15."In My Arms" (Spitzer Dub Remix)
    • Minogue
    • C. Harris
    • Stannard
    • P. Harris
    • Peake
    • C. Harris
    • Stannard
    		5:03
    16."Wow" (CSS Remix)
    • Minogue
    • Poole
    • Kurstin
    		Kurstin3:16
    17."Carried Away"
    • Minogue
    • Kurstin
    • Poole
    		Kurstin3:17
    18."Cherry Bomb"
    • Minogue
    • Karlsson
    • Winnberg
    • Quant
    • Poole
    		Bloodshy and Avant4:17
    19."Do It Again"
    • Minogue
    • Kurstin
    • Poole
    		Kurstin3:22
    X – US edition bonus tracks[127]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    14."All I See" (featuring Mims)
    • Jeberg
    • Hansen
    • Serrano
    • Calhoun
    • Cutfather
    • Jeberg
    		3:51
    X – US edition bonus digital tracks[127]
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    14."All I See" (featuring Mims)
    • Jeberg
    • Hansen
    • Serrano
    • Calhoun
    • Cutfather
    • Jeberg
    		3:51
    15."Carried Away"
    • Minogue
    • Poole
    • Kurstin
    		Kurstin3:14
    X – Australian Tour edition (Disc 2)[225]
    No.TitleLength
    1."2 Hearts" (Harris & Masterson Extended Mix)4:25
    2."2 Hearts" (Alan Braxe Remix)4:52
    3."The One" (Freemasons Vocal Club Mix)9:13
    4."Wow" (David Guetta Remix)6:23
    5."Wow" (CSS Remix)3:14
    6."In My Arms" (Chris Lake Vocal Mix)6:36
    7."In My Arms" (Steve Pitron & Max Sanna Remix)6:41
    8."In My Arms" (Sébastien Léger Remix)7:02
    9."In My Arms" (Spitzer Remix)3:30
    10."All I See" (Remix featuring Mims)3:50
    X – Southern Asia Tour edition bonus tracks (Disc 1)[226]
    No.TitleLength
    1."All I See" (featuring Mims)3:51
    2."Magnetic Electric"3:16
    3."The One" (Freemasons Vocal Club Mix)9:16
    4."Can't Get You Out of My Head" (Greg Kurstin Remix)4:03
    X – Southern Asia Tour edition bonus DVD
    Brit Awards 2008
    )
     

    Notes

    Personnel

    Credits adapted from the liner notes of X.[25]

    Musicians

    • Kylie Minogue – vocals
    • Jim Eliot – drums, percussion, guitar, piano, Moog, ARP strings, Rhodes piano, hand claps, theremin (track 1)
    • Mima Stilwell – backing vocals (track 1)
    • Moray McLaren – bass (track 1)
    • Jonas Jeberg – keyboards, programming, vocal arrangement (tracks 2, 9)
    • Mich Hedin Hansen – percussion (tracks 2, 9)
    • Adam Powers – vocal arrangement (track 2)
    • Engelina Andrina – vocal arrangement, backing vocals (track 2)
    • Bloodshy & Avant – keyboards, programming, additional guitar, bass (tracks 4, 12)
    • Henrik Jonback – guitar (tracks 4, 12); bass (track 4)
    • Cathy Dennis – backing vocals (track 5)
    • Richard Flack – programming, additional backing vocals (track 5)
    • Guy Chambers – keyboards (track 5)
    • Paul Stanborough – electric guitar, additional programming (track 5)
    • Karen Poole – backing vocals (tracks 6, 8, 11, 12)
    • James Wiltshire
      – keyboards (track 7)
    • Russell Small
      – percussion (track 7)
    • electronic wind instrument
      (track 7)
    • Amanda Wilson – additional vocals (track 7)
    • Edwin "Lil' Eddie" Serrano
      – vocal arrangement, backing vocals (track 9)
    • Richard "Biff" Stannard – keyboards, bass (track 10)
    • Paul Harris – keyboards (track 10)
    • Julian Peake – keyboards, bass (track 10)
    • Seton Daunt – guitar (track 10)
    • Ash Howes – additional programming (track 10)
    • Jonas Quant – additional programming (track 12)
    • Eg White – all instruments (track 13)

    Technical

    • Kish Mauve – production, recording engineering (track 1)
    • Dan Grech-Marguerat – recording engineering (track 1)
    • Cesar Gimeno Lavin – recording engineering (track 1)
    • Dave Bascombe – mixing (track 1)
    • Geoff Pesche – mastering (at Abbey Road Studios, London)
    • Cutfather – production, mixing (tracks 2, 9)
    • Jonas Jeberg – production, recording (tracks 2, 9); mixing (track 2)
    • Mads Nilsson – mixing (tracks 2, 9)
    • Calvin Harris – production (tracks 3, 6); mixing (track 6)
    • Richard "Biff" Stannard – production (tracks 3, 7, 10)
    • Tony Salter – recording (tracks 3, 6)
    • Ash Howes – recording (track 3); mixing (tracks 3, 7, 10)
    • Ben Jackson – engineering assistance (track 3)
    • Bloodshy & Avant – production (tracks 4, 12)
    • Niklas Flyckt – mixing (tracks 4, 12)
    • Guy Chambers – production (track 5)
    • Cathy Dennis – production (track 5)
    • Richard Flack – recording, mixing (track 5)
    • Paul Stanborough – additional engineering (track 5)
    • Freemasons
      – production (track 7)
    • Greg Kurstin – production, recording, mixing (tracks 8, 11)
    • Karen Poole – vocal co-production (tracks 8, 11)
    • Paul Harris – production (track 10)
    • Julian Peake – production (track 10)
    • Eddie Miller – additional engineering (track 11)
    • Eg White – production (track 13)
    • Matt Prisne – additional production, mixing (track 13)

    Artwork

    • William Baker – photography
    • Provision Studio – digital imaging and production
    • Adjective Noun – sleeve direction, design

    Charts

    Certifications and sales

    Certification and sales for X
    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    Australia (ARIA)[189] Platinum 70,000^
    Belgium (BEA)[217] Gold 15,000*
    France (
    SNEP)[219]
    		 Gold 75,000*
    Hungary (MAHASZ)[235] Gold 3,000^
    Ireland (IRMA)[200] Gold 7,500^
    Russia (
    NFPF)[236]
    		 Gold 10,000*
    United Kingdom (BPI)[196] Platinum 473,537[198]
    United States — 42,000[194]

    * Sales figures based on certification alone.
    ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

    Release history

    Release dates and formats for X
    Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
    Japan 21 November 2007
    		EMI Music Japan [237]
    Australia 23 November 2007
    		[118]
    France Parlophone [238]
    Germany EMI Music Germany [239]
    Italy EMI [240]
    Taiwan
    • CD
    • CD + DVD
    		 Gold Typhoon [241]
    United Kingdom 26 November 2007
    • CD
    • CD + DVD
    • digital download
    		 Parlophone [121]
    Canada 27 November 2007 CD EMI Music Canada [242]
    Sweden 28 November 2007
    • CD
    • digital download
    		 EMI [243]
    Brazil 20 February 2008 CD [244]
    United States 1 April 2008
    • CD
    • digital download
    		[127]
    Mexico June 2008 CD Parlophone [128]
    Taiwan 28 November 2008 CD + DVD Gold Typhoon [226]
    Australia 29 November 2008 2-CD Warner Music Australia [225]

    See also

    References

    Citations

    1. ^ Paoletta 2005; Flynn 2019, p. 56: "Come into My World" by Earls, John
    2. ^ Official Charts Company A; British Phonographic Industry A
    3. ^ Hung Medien A; Irish Recorded Music Association A
    4. ^ Hung Medien B; Australian Recording Industry Association A
    5. ^ Flynn 2019, p. 56: "Come into My World" by Earls, John
    6. ^ Lampert 2006; Bartram 2019
    7. ^ CNN 2005; Aiken 2005
    8. ^ a b c d Hale 2007, track 1
    9. ^ BBC News 2006a
    10. ^ BBC News 2006b
    11. ^ BBC News 2006c
    12. ^ The Sydney Morning Herald 2006
    13. ^ Hale 2007, tracks 1, 10, 13
    14. ^ Hale 2007, track 2
    15. ^ Hale 2007, track 1; Hale 2007, track 22
    16. ^ Hale 2007, track 22; Wales Online 2006
    17. ^ Moran 2007
    18. ^ Moran 2007; Flynn 2019, p. 61: "Come into My World" by Earls, John; Hale 2007, track 12
    19. ^ Kylie.com 2007a; Moran 2007
    20. ^ a b Flynn 2019, p. 61: "Come into My World" by Earls, John
    21. ^ Hale 2007, track 14
    22. ^ a b Hale 2007, track 16
    23. ^ Hale 2007, track 23; Parlophone 2007e
    24. ^ a b c d Hale 2007, track 19
    25. ^ a b c d e f Parlophone 2007d
    26. ^ Parlophone 2007e; Hale 2007, track 24
    27. ^ EMI Music Japan 2007a; Hale 2007, track 24
    28. ^ a b Hale 2007, track 21
    29. ^ Flynn 2019, p. 70: Top 40 Kylie Track
    30. ^ MTV 2007a
    31. ^ Abjekt 2007; MTV 2007b
    32. ^ Flynn 2019, p. 61: "Come into My World" by Earls, John; Parlophone 2007d; Hale 2007, track 22
    33. ^ a b c Hale 2007, track 22
    34. ^ a b Hale 2007, track 26
    35. ^ Hale 2007, track 26; McCabe 2009
    36. ^ Hale 2007, track 26; Parlophone 2008
    37. ^ a b c Flynn 2019, p. 59: "Come into My World" by Earls, John
    38. ^ Daw 2012
    39. ^ Flynn 2019, p. 59: "Come into My World" by Earls, John; Tong 2007
    40. ^ Moran 2007; West 2006; Dingwall 2006
    41. ^ Youngs 2009
    42. ^ Youngs 2009; Flynn 2019, p. 61: "Come into My World" by Earls, John
    43. ^ NME 2007a
    44. ^ a b c Iannacci 2007
    45. ^ a b West 2006
    46. ^ a b c d e Adams 2008a
    47. ^ Wass 2014
    48. ^ Palathingal 2007
    49. ^ Klix.ba 2007
    50. ^ Spike; True; Hunter 2008
    51. ^ a b c True
    52. ^ a b Long 2007
    53. ^ a b c d e Ewing 2007
    54. ^ Petridis 2007; Ewing 2007; O'Connell 2007
    55. ^ a b Adams 2018
    56. ^ True; Ewing 2007; Flynn 2019, p. 67: Top 40 Kylie Track
    57. ^ Ewing 2007; Flynn 2019, p. 67: Top 40 Kylie Track
    58. ^ True; Anderman 2008
    59. ^ a b Weiss 2008
    60. ^ Devores 2008; Robinson 2007b
    61. ^ a b Spike; Adams 2018
    62. ^ Hale 2007, track 1; Anderman 2008
    63. ^ Ewing 2007; Spike
    64. ^ Hughes 2008; Hubbard 2011; Levine 2007
    65. ^ Sawdey 2008; Hughes 2008
    66. ^ Ewing 2007; Power 2007
    67. ^ Petridis 2007; Levine 2008; Flynn 2019, p. 71: Top 40 Kylie Track
    68. ^ Adams 2018; Scott 2008; Hubbard 2011
    69. ^ Hale 2007, track 20; Ewing 2007; O'Connell 2007; Ritter 2008
    70. ^ Ewing 2007; Scott 2008
    71. ^ Ewing 2007; Petridis 2007; Rosen 2008; Flynn 2019, p. 57: "Come into My World" by Earls, John
    72. ^ Anderman 2008; O'Connell 2007; Rule 2008
    73. ^ a b c Petridis 2007
    74. ^ a b Walters 2008
    75. ^ Spike; Hughes 2008
    76. ^ Ewing 2007; Sawdey 2008
    77. ^ Ewing 2007; Hale 2007, track 27
    78. ^ Spike; Power 2007
    79. ^ Hale 2007, track 18; Ewing 2007
    80. ^ Hughes 2008; Levine 2007; Weiss 2008
    81. ^ Hubbard 2011; Walters 2008; Weiss 2008
    82. ^ Sawdey 2008; Walters 2008; Hale 2007, track 21
    83. ^ Levine 2007; Spike
    84. ^ a b Anderman 2008
    85. ^ a b c d e Sawdey 2008
    86. ^ Sanneh 2007; Petridis 2007
    87. ^ Hubbard 2011; Power 2007
    88. ^ Adams 2018; Hubbard 2011; Hughes 2008
    89. ^ Hubbard 2011; Levine 2007; Rule 2008
    90. ^ Hale 2007, track 19; Anderman 2008; Levine 2007
    91. ^ a b Rosen 2008; Hubbard 2011
    92. ^ Dingwall 2006; Hale 2007, track 1; Adams 2008a; Taylor 2007
    93. ^ Anderman 2008; Ewing 2007
    94. ^ Spike; Petridis 2007
    95. ^ Adams 2008a; Taylor 2007; True; Petridis 2007; Hale 2007, track 29
    96. ^ Levine 2007; Power 2007; Hale 2007, track 22
    97. ^ Hale 2007, tracks 24, 25
    98. ^ Hale 2007, track 19; Taylor 2007
    99. ^ Adams 2008a; Hale 2007, track 22
    100. ^ Rosen 2008; O'Connell 2007
    101. ^ a b O'Connell 2007
    102. ^ Love 2008
    103. ^ O'Connell 2007; Hubbard 2011; Ewing 2007
    104. ^ Petridis 2007; Hubbard 2011
    105. ^ a b Rosen 2008
    106. ^ a b Flynn 2019, p. 117: "Dress Me Up 100 Ways" by Guiltenane, Christian
    107. ^ Wass & Daw 2014
    108. ^ a b Kylie.com A; Hale 2007, track 8
    109. ^ Kylie.com A; Hale 2007, track 8; Kylie.com 2008; Taylor 2007
    110. ^ McCabe 2009
    111. ^ Taylor 2007; Iannacci 2007
    112. ^ Ninemsn 2007; Hindustan Times 2007
    113. ^ a b Yahoo! Music 2007; The Sydney Morning Herald 2007
    114. ^ Kylie.com 2007a; NME 2007b
    115. ^ NME 2007b; Thorogood 2007; BBC News 2007
    116. ^ a b EMI Music Japan 2007a
    117. ^ EMI Music Japan 2007b
    118. ^ a b Warner Music Australia 2007
    119. ^ a b Parlophone 2007b; EMI Music Germany 2007a; EMI 2007a
    120. ^ Parlophone 2007c; EMI Music Germany 2007b; EMI 2007b
    121. ^ a b Parlophone 2007d; Parlophone 2007e
    122. ^ Parlophone 2007a; Harde 2008
    123. ^ a b KDB Pty 2007c; KDB Pty 2007d
    124. ^ Reuters 2007; Gold Typhoon 2007a
    125. ^ El Universal 2008; Parlophone 2008
    126. ^ a b EMI 2009a
    127. ^ a b c d Capitol & Astralwerks 2008a; Capitol & Astralwerks 2008b
    128. ^ a b c Parlophone 2008
    129. ^ Gold Typhoon 2008; Warner Music Australia 2008; San Francisco Examiner 2008
    130. ^ The Age 2007
    131. ^ The Age 2007; Knox 2007
    132. ^ Knox 2008a
    133. ^ Whilery 2007
    134. ^ Knox 2008b
    135. ^ The Weekend Australian 2008
    136. ^ Herald Sun 2008; Metro 2018
    137. ^ Goodman 2008; The Weekend Australian 2008
    138. ^ Vary 2008
    139. ^ MTV 2007c
    140. ^ Metro 2007; Kylie.com 2008
    141. ^ a b Kylie.com B
    142. ^ Terra 2008
    143. ^ MTV 2007d
    144. ^ Herrera 2009; Pollstar 2009
    145. ^ Brzoznowski 2008; eBroadcast Australia 2008
    146. ^ a b Kylie.com 2007b
    147. ^ Rakowski 2007
    148. ^ Stuff 2007
    149. ^ Globo 2007
    150. ^ Hung Medien B
    151. ^ a b Official Charts Company A
    152. ^ Kylie.com 2008a
    153. ^ Kylie.com 2008b; Adams 2008a
    154. ^ Kylie.com 2008c
    155. ^ Kylie.com 2008a; Kylie.com 2008b
    156. ^ Adams 2008b
    157. ^ Harmsworth 2008; Hilton 2008
    158. ^ Official Charts Company A; Official Charts Company B; Official Charts Company C
    159. ^ Capitol 2008a
    160. ^ Kylie.com 2008d
    161. ^ Billboard A
    162. ^ Kylie.com C
    163. ^ Knight 2008
    164. ^ KDB Pty 2007a; KDB Pty 2007b
    165. ^ Billboard B
    166. ^ Hung Medien C
    167. ^ a b Metacritic
    168. ^ O'Connell 2007.
    169. ^ a b Hubbard 2011
    170. ^ Q 2007
    171. ^ a b Hughes 2008
    172. ^ Adams 2008a; Schmidt 2007
    173. ^ Hunter 2008
    174. ^ Sutherland 2007
    175. ^ Sanneh 2007; O'Connell 2007
    176. ^ Robinson 2007a
    177. ^ Levine 2007; Walters 2008
    178. ^ Christgau; Hubbard 2011
    179. ^ Spike
    180. ^ Devores 2008
    181. ^ The Charlotte Observer 2008
    182. ^ BBC News 2008; BBC News 2002
    183. ^ ARIA Music Awards
    184. ^ Helpmann Awards
    185. ^ National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences A
    186. ^ National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences B
    187. ^ Cashmere 2007
    188. ^ a b c Hung Medien D
    189. ^ a b Australian Recording Industry Association B
    190. ^ a b Australian Recording Industry Association C
    191. ^ a b Hung Medien E
    192. ^ Goodman 2008
    193. ^ Billboard C; Billboard D
    194. ^ a b Trust 2011
    195. ^ Music Week 2007; Official Charts Company D
    196. ^ a b British Phonographic Industry B
    197. ^ Official Charts Company E; Official Charts Company F
    198. ^ a b Sutherland 2020
    199. ^ Hung Medien F; Official Charts Company G
    200. ^ a b Irish Recorded Music Association B
    201. ^ a b Oricon
    202. ^ a b Billboard 2007
    203. ^ a b Billboard E
    204. ^ a b Hung Medien G
    205. ^ a b Hung Medien H
    206. ^ a b "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 21.Týden 2008 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    207. ^
      GfK Entertainment Charts
      . Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    208. ^ a b "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2008. 20. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    209. ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – Kylie Minogue – X" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    210. ^ a b "Spanishcharts.com – Kylie Minogue – X". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    211. ^ a b "Swedishcharts.com – Kylie Minogue – X". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    212. ^ a b "Danishcharts.dk – Kylie Minogue – X". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    213. ^ a b "Italiancharts.com – Kylie Minogue – X". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    214. ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Kylie Minogue – X" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
    215. ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Kylie Minogue – X" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
    216. ^ a b "Rapports Annuels 2008 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
    217. ^ a b "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 22 December 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
    218. ^ a b "Lescharts.com – Kylie Minogue – X". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
    219. ^
      Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
      . 13 December 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
    220. ^
      Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original
      on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
    221. ^ Sinclair 2008
    222. ^ a b Parlophone 2007e
    223. ^ Parlophone 2007a
    224. ^ KDB Pty 2007e; KDB Pty 2007f
    225. ^ a b Warner Music Australia 2008
    226. ^ a b c Gold Typhoon 2008; San Francisco Examiner 2008
    227. ^ "Ranking Venta Mayorista de Discos - Semanal". Adminlic.capif.org.ar. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
    228. ^ Hung Medien F
    229. ^ Official Charts Company G
    230. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
    231. ^ Billboard C
    232. ^ Billboard D
    233. ^ Official Charts Company E
    234. ^ Official Charts Company F
    235. ^ "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2008" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
    236. ^ "Russian album certifications – Kylie Minogue – X" (in Russian). National Federation of Phonogram Producers (NFPF). Retrieved 17 February 2012.
    237. ^ EMI Music Japan 2007a; EMI Music Japan 2007b
    238. ^ Parlophone 2007b; Parlophone 2007c
    239. ^ EMI Music Germany 2007a; EMI Music Germany 2007b
    240. ^ EMI 2007a; EMI 2007b
    241. ^ Gold Typhoon 2007a; Gold Typhoon 2007b
    242. ^ EMI Music Canada 2007
    243. ^ EMI 2007c
    244. ^ EMI 2008a

    Websites

    Chart positions and certifications
    Critical reviews, rankings, and awards
    Others

    Media notes

    Print sources

    External links

    • X at Discogs (list of releases)
    • X at Kylie.com (archived from 2013)
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=X_(Kylie_Minogue_album)&oldid=1212223707"