Body Language is the ninth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 10 November 2003 by Parlophone. Following the commercial success of her eighth studio album Fever (2001), Minogue enlisted a diverse group of writers and producers to aid in creating a new album, including Cathy Dennis, Dan Carey, Emiliana Torrini, Johnny Douglas, and Kurtis Mantronik among others. Influenced by the musical works of the 1980s and artists like Prince and Scritti Politti, Body Language musically differs from Minogue's previous albums, which mainly featured disco-oriented dance-pop tracks, and instead explores genres like synth-pop, electroclash, R&B, and hip hop. Lyrically, the album touches upon themes of flirtation, romance, introspection and heartbreak.
Following its release, Body Language received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of whom complimented Minogue for experimenting with new genres and the overall production of the album. Some critics, however, opined that many songs lacked catchy material and were not suitable for dancing. Commercially, Body Language peaked at number two on the albums chart of Australia and was certified double-platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number six and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Three singles were released from Body Language. "Slow" was released as the lead single in November 2003 and was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the singles charts of Australia, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom. "Red Blooded Woman" was released as the second single and reached the top five in Australia and the United Kingdom. "Chocolate" was released as the final single and peaked inside the top 10 in the United Kingdom. Minogue performed at a one-off concert-show titled "Money Can't Buy", on 15 November 2003 to mark the release of the album. Body Language became notable for displaying another change in Minogue's persona and is cited as an example of her numerous "reinventions". The album sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. It was reissued for the album's twentieth anniversary, on vinyl for the first time ever, on 8 March 2024.
Background and development
In October 2001, Kylie Minogue released her eighth studio album Fever. The disco and Europop-influenced dance-pop album became an international commercial success, debuting at number one on the record charts of Minogue's native Australia and the United Kingdom. It was Minogue's first album to be released in the United States since her second studio album Enjoy Yourself (1989), and became her biggest commercial success in the region after peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. With worldwide sales over six million copies, Fever became Minogue's highest-selling album to date. The success of the album, particularly in the US, was credited to the commercial impact of its lead single "Can't Get You Out of My Head", which reached number one in 40 countries. "Can't Get You Out of My Head" sold over five million copies worldwide, becoming Minogue's highest selling single to date and also one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Soon, Minogue began work on her ninth studio album Body Language. Aiming to create a dance-pop album inspired by electronic music from the 1980s, Minogue enlisted collaborators such as Cathy Dennis, Dan Carey, Emiliana Torrini, Johnny Douglas and Mantronix. Talking further about Scritti Politti, a British post-punk band, Minogue reminisced about her collaboration with the band's frontman Green Gartside, who provides vocals on the track "Someday", saying, "To this day I haven't met him! I left a message on his answering machine, saying, "Hi, it's Kylie! I just wanted to say thanks so much! You sound brilliant!" "After Dark" was co-written by Dennis, who had previously co-written "Can't Get You Out of My Head" for Minogue. Torrini, who co-wrote "Slow", revealed how she was approached for writing the song, saying "It was like I had just accidentally walked into the line of fire with, "Hey! You There! It was all quite surreal. I still think Kylie's people were trying to call Jamelia, and they just got the wrong number. It'd be much more funny if that is how it actually happened". The recording of Body Language took place during the summer of 2003, in London, England; Dublin, Ireland and Marbella, Spain.
Music and lyrics
Inspired by music from the 1980s, Body Language deviates from Minogue's usual disco-influenced dance-pop style, evident on albums like Light Years (2000) and Fever (2001), and instead explores genres like synthpop, electroclash, club and R&B. In comparison to her previous work, Body Language is a "slower-burning record" and begins with the song "Slow", a "minimal" and simple track which serves as a primary example of the synthpop-styled production of the album. Adrien Begrand from PopMatters compared it to "More More More", the opening track of Fever, saying "In contrast to the pulsating, hi-hat driven dance beat of Fever'''s "More More More", Body Language gets off to a more understated start". Other synthpop songs on the album include "Still Standing" and "Promises", which make use of "buzzing, low synth lines driving the beats, and chord flourishes that sound straight out of 1984". The former track also displays influences of nu-disco and club music.
Many songs on Body Language are influenced by R&B and hip hop music, two genres Minogue newly experimented with on the album. "Red Blooded Woman" "blends the 1980s sound with an almost garage-like beat" and contains a "Boy! Boy!" hook and "la la la" bridge. Critics felt its production was similar to that by American hip hop and R&B producer Timbaland. Elements of funk are also present and are notably clear on tracks like "Sweet Music" and "I Feel for You". "Secret (Take You Home)" received considerable coverage as it features a "coquettish" rap section delivered by Minogue. Body Language also contains ballads such as the quiet storm-influenced "Chocolate" and "Obsession". Minogue's vocal delivery on the album is mostly seductive and breathy in tone, such as in songs like "Slow" and "Chocolate", although the track "Obsession" features raspy vocals.
Critics noted references and similarities to 1980s pop music throughout the album. Adrien Begrand from PopMatters found the hook of "Sweet Music" similar to those in songs by Prince and INXS. "Still Standing" was described by Helen Pidd from The Guardian as "a magnificent blend of Prince's "Kiss" and Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"". "Red Blooded Woman" contains a reference to British band Dead or Alive's 1985 song "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", in the line "You got me spinning round, round, round, round like a record". The title of "I Feel for You" is the same as the 1979/1984 song by Prince and Chaka Khan, although it is not a cover of the song. "Secret (Take You Home)" directly refers to urban contemporary band Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's 1984 song "I Wonder If I Take You Home", both in its title and refrain. The line of the song in which Minogue sings "don't confuse emotions with the pleasure principle" also refers to American recording artist Janet Jackson's 1987 song "The Pleasure Principle".
Lyrically, Body Language touches upon themes like enjoyment, flirting, sex, and "partying like it's 1987 all over again". In an interview with VH1, Minogue was asked why the lyrics on the album "sound more personal than they might have been a few years ago", and she responded by saying "Some of that could be just chance! I wrote lyrics that were intensely personal to me on an album a few years ago. Maybe people know me better now, and therefore, if a songwriter pitches me a song, they might tailor it [to fit me]. I get the lyrics of a tune and interpret them my way". Although the lyrics of "Slow" seem like an invitation to the dance floor, Minogue revealed that "it's about how time and space have a different meaning when you meet someone [you really like]". In "Sweet Music", Minogue sings about the "magic of the modern singer/producer partnership" in lines like "I think we're on to something/Your taste it mirrors mine/So hot and in the moment" and "Let's make this demo right". The song also makes use of double entendre in some lines. Similarly, "Chocolate" is "packed with saccharine innuendo". "Secret (Take You Home)" contains various metaphors that compare flirting and sex to car racing. Ballads like "Obsession" deal with issues of loss and the ending of a relationship.
Release Body Language was released on 14 November 2003 in Australia, while in the United Kingdom it was released three days later. In the United States, Body Language was released on 10 February 2004. The cover art of the album, as well as other promotion shoots, show Minogue striking a pose in a black and white striped crop top, which reveals her midriff, and black pantyhose, which were worn without shoes. Her appearance is similar to that of French actress and singer Brigitte Bardot. Minogue described the promotion shoots as "the perfect mix of coquette, kitten and rock 'n' roll", and revealed that "We shot it on location in the South of France, so it was [easy to] channel the spirit of [Brigitte] Bardot. She's a great iconic reference, particularly that period where she was working with Serge Gainsbourg". The title of the album was taken from a line from the song "Slow" in which Minogue sings "Read my body language".
Singles
"Slow" was released on 3 November 2003 as the lead single from Body Language. The song garnered critical acclaim, with Minogue's breathy and seductive vocal delivery receiving particular praise. Commercially, the single was a success. It debuted at number one on both the Australian Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart. In the latter region, it became Minogue's seventh number one single and made her a record-holding female artist for spending the longest duration as a UK chart topper. Elsewhere, it reached number one in Denmark, Spain, and on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. In Australia, "Slow" was certified platinum by the ARIA for shipments of 70,000 units. The accompanying music video for "Slow" was directed by Baillie Walsh and was shot in Barcelona, Spain. It features Minogue and a number of beach models performing synchronised choreography to the song while sunbathing next to the Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc swimming pool.
"Red Blooded Woman" was released as the second single on 1 March 2004. Critics praised its radio-friendly sound and lyrical content. The song performed well on charts, peaking at numbers four and five in Australia and the United Kingdom, respectively. An accompanying music video for the song was directed in Los Angeles by Jake Nava, and features Minogue performing dance routines in various locations.
"Chocolate" was released as the third and final single on 28 June 2004. It received positive reviews from critics, some of whom praised its sensual nature and breathy vocals. The song was a moderate commercial success, peaking at number six in the United Kingdom, but narrowly missing the top 10 in Australia. It became Minogue's 27th single to peak inside the top 10 in the UK. Dawn Shadforth, who had previously directed the video for "Can't Get You Out of My Head", collaborated on the music video for "Chocolate", which sees Minogue and a number of backup dancers performing a ballet-like dance routines as a tribute to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals.
Promotion