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 late 2006, 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 dance-pop and electronica album that explore themes of sex and celebration. Music critics praised the production but were ambivalent towards its consistency and lyrical content. Minogue garnered several nominations for X, including Brit Award for Best International Album and Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. Commercially, X debuted at number one on the 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. The album peaked within the top 10 and reached multi-platinum status in the UK, Ireland, and Australia. In May 2005, while promoting Ultimate Kylie with the Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer. 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. Her hospitalization and treatment in Melbourne garnered intense media coverage. Following her recovery, Minogue worried about not having sung in some time and whether she could return to performing so soon after her treatment. The resumption of the tour was first announced in June 2006. The rescheduled tour, renamed Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour, began in November and travelled to Australia and England.
In July of the same year, Australian concert promoter Michael Gudinski revealed Minogue was in the studio recording new material. She recalled feeling happy to be back in the studio and not under pressure to record an album. 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. 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. 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. The production took a year and a half to finish, with more than 40 songs recorded. Finishing with X was a great relief to Minogue, who felt she was ready for more.