Kylie Minogue

Why is Kylie Minogue famous?

There are only a few things that are explicitly known about her: she's Australian, she's a singer (a debatable fact) and males generally dig her.

Whatever the reason is, it seems to be working. The aging sex symbol-who recently beat breast cancer-has already sold out shows for her next tour and is promoting her tenth album, aptly named X.

Sadly, Minogue's latest CD is just another bland addition to her repertoire, containing the usual dose of light-hearted power pop, and attempts to reaffirm how comfortable she is with her sexuality.

In "Like A Drug," Minogue seduces listeners with lyrics such as "You got me hooked, gettin' me on the floor." Even more blatantly suggestive is "Nu-di-ty," which relies on choppy hip-hop rhythms to make the boring song seem even remotely interesting. Through the reverberating headache, she talks about the joys of "stripping off" after having her "own little games."

However experimental the songs appear to be, they are hardly original. "All I See" is what would happen if Pharrell and Neyo collaborated, "The One" sounds like a Duran Duran reject and "No Rain" attempts to mirror the whiny splendor of Hilary Duff. On top of all that, Minogue's painfully annoying falsetto makes concentrating, let alone dancing, a chore.

Frankly, X just doesn't quite mark the spot. Straying a little too much from comfortable territory, Minogue should just retire while audiences still remember her better hits. She may want to be the next Madonna, but her new album proves she isn't quite ready yet.

-Jessie Tang