Kylie Minogue was someone of whom I had heard a lot, but hadn't listened to much of her music; other than her worldwide mega-hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (2001), she was never super popular where I'm from. Prior to Rhythm of Love, the only other Kylie album I had listened to was Tension (2023) since it was her most recent and included the viral hit "Padam Padam." Recently, however, I decided to check her out a bit more, so I went ahead and listened to this album, mainly because I had heard a couple of songs I liked from it before. My main fear was that the album tracks wouldn't live up to the singles, since that was something that had happened sometimes before with other artists; not to mention this was an album from before Kylie's artistic peak (from what I had heard). I can gladly say however, this album proved me wrong and then some. In a few words, Rhythm of Love is everything pop music should be: sugary, glossy, cheesy fun. It captures the essence of an era where pop idols in the traditional sense were still sort of a thing in the West (I guess if we're looking for contemporary counterparts, we could say Billie Eilish or Olivia Rodrigo but... eh) and provides a perfect soundtrack for escaping all the worries and troubles of the World.
The album starts off with what has to be one of the best track runs I have ever heard in my life: "Better the Devil You Know," "Step Back in Time," and "What Do I Have to Do?" which all happen to also be the first 3 singles from the album, plus the album cut "Secrets." With these tracks, the album wastes no time into transporting you to an imaginary dancefloor, with high-tempo dance and house tracks in their full early 90s glory. I have to take a moment to talk about "Secrets," because I was genuinely floored when I heard it for the first time. There's just something about the song which just exudes such a pure and unbridled joy despite it literally being about her telling her lover she's cheated on him. The combination of the melody with the background singers just keeps me going back for more (something I can say for the rest of the album, but especially this song.) One thing you will notice immediately about this record is how influenced by 70s disco it is. I believe this is something Kylie is known for actually (she literally has a whole album called Disco) and I can see why. Don't get me wrong, Rhythm of Love is still very much a late 80s/early 90s album, but the disco influence is undeniable, which other than being absolutely scrumptious to me is very hilarious because it just seems like a huge "fuck you" to the people who tried to kill disco some 10 years earlier. And I mean, if we look at the landscape of music some almost 35 years later, it's very clear disco still reigns supreme with its many off-shoots: just look at Dua Lipa and Beyoncé with their masterpieces Future Nostalgia (2020) and RENAISSANCE (2022), respectively. Suck on that, rockists!
Rhythm of Love doesn't offer much (or anything at all, honestly) in terms of ballads or mid-tempos, which honestly isn't a bad thing. The high-energy dance tracks are good enough to listen in such a consecutive manner and the album itself is a moderate length, so it doesn't get boring or repetitive. The closest things this album has to a ballad is The World Still Turns, which is a really sweet and optimistic song about getting over a former lover. We are quickly launched back to dance goodness, though, with the following section of the album, which is led by "Shocked." Personally, I prefer the single mix (featuring Jazzi P) of this song, but the album version has some things about it which I really enjoy such as the inclusion of a guitar which I thought was really fun. "One Boy Girl" is a funky number about loyalty, which is kinda funny since it's on the same album as "Secrets." This song features a spoken-word/rap section in the bridge done by Kylie and The Poetess, which is so 1990 and it is so good. I have said it before and I'll say it again, I love when music is so very obviously dated, and this song is far from an exception.
I truthfully believe that "Things Can Only Get Better" could solve the mental health crisis. The uplifting house beat paired with the motivational lyrics are sure to stop someone from offing themselves. Real talk, what Kylie sings on the song is very true, and even if some may dismiss this song as cheesy or cliché, sometimes we need small reminders like these to remember we have the power to make things better for ourselves, even if in that moment it doesn't seem that way, and I'm sure this song will be a wonderful pick-me-up whenever I'm having an off day myself. For "Count the Days," Kylie ditches the dance vibe in favor for a synth-pop one which is reminiscent to Madonna's early work.
OKAY hater shit aside, I do like Madonna's music so "Count the Days" sounding like a Madonna song is a good thing... I just had to find an excuse to whack her. The album ends with the title track, which similarly favors another style rather than dance-pop; this time it's new jack swing (I think). It kinda reminds me of Namie Amuro's "Don't wanna cry" (1996) which really puts into perspective just how outdated her music was by the time she made her solo debut with SWEET 19 BLUES (1996)... But we still love her! "Rhythm of Love" is a really cute way to end the album, and it's a pleasant surprise that it isn't your usual ballad-at-the-end-of-the-album and instead gives yet another incentive to get up and dance.
