Fever (Kylie Minogue album)
Fever is the eighth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 1 October 2001 internationally by Parlophone and later launched in the United States on 26 February 2002 by Capitol Records. Minogue worked with writers and producers such as Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, TommyD, Tom Nichols, Pascal Gabriel and others to create a disco and Europop-influenced dance-pop and nu-disco[1] album. Other musical influences of the album range from synth-pop to club music.
Fever
1 October 2001
January–August 2001
- Biffco Studios (Dublin)
- Big Studios
- BJG Studios
- Olympic Studios (London)
45:27
- Steve Anderson
- Rob Davis
- Cathy Dennis
- Greg Fitzgerald
- Pascal Gabriel
- Julian Gallagher
- Tom Nichols
- Mark Picchiotti
- Richard Stannard
- Paul Statham
- TommyD
Upon its release, Fever received positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised its production and commercial appeal. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number one in Australia, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Russia, and the UK. In the US, the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Minogue's highest selling album in the country; it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Fever was also certified seven-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), and five-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It won the International Album accolade at the 2002 Brit Awards ceremony.
Four singles were released from the album. The lead single, "Can't Get You Out of My Head", was released in September 2001 and peaked atop the charts of 40 countries, eventually selling more than six million copies worldwide. The song, which is often recognised as Minogue's signature song, is her highest-selling single. Follow-up singles "In Your Eyes" and "Love at First Sight" also performed well on charts internationally. The last single "Come into My World" won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2004. To promote the album, Minogue embarked on her seventh concert tour, the KylieFever2002 tour.
Background and production[edit]
In 1998, Minogue was dropped from her label Deconstruction following the poor commercial performance of her sixth studio album Impossible Princess.[2] She instead signed on to Parlophone and released her seventh studio album Light Years.[3] The disco and Europop-inspired album was a critical and commercial success,[3] and was later certified four times-platinum in Minogue's native country Australia for shipment of 280,000 units,[4] and platinum in the UK for shipment of 300,000 units.[5] "Spinning Around" was released as the lead single off the album and was a commercial success, attaining a platinum certification in Australia for shipment of 70,000 units,[6] and a silver certification in the United Kingdom for shipment of 200,000 units.[5] She promoted the album by embarking on the On a Night Like This tour.
Soon after, Minogue began work on her eighth studio album Fever. On the album, she collaborated with producers and writers such as British singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis, who co-wrote two songs out of the three she co-produced, Rob Davis, who co-produced and co-wrote three songs, and Richard Stannard and Julian Gallagher, who co-produced and co-wrote five songs ("Love at First Sight", "In Your Eyes", "Love Affair", "Boy" and "Rendezvous at Sunset").[7][8] In the vein of Light Years, Fever is a disco and dance-pop album that contains elements of adult contemporary and club music.[7][9] The album was recorded at studios such as the Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Hutch Studios in Chicago, Olympic Studios in London and Stella Studios.[8]
Music and lyrics[edit]
Fever is primarily a dance-pop album, with prominent elements of 1970s-influenced disco and Europop.[7][10][11] Jacqueline Hodges from BBC Music wrote that the album is not "pure pop", and is rather characterized by a more adventurous dance-oriented sound.[12] NME critic Alex Needham identified a "filter disco effect", described as "the one that sounds like you've gone under water and then ecstatically come up for air," working on various songs on the album.[10] Needham saw Fever as an "update" from the "frothy disco" of Light Years.[10] Songs like the opening track "More More More" and closing track "Burning Up" are examples of the disco-influenced production of the album. The former is an uptempo song with a "funky" bassline,[12] while the latter was described as a "slow burn" disco song.[7] Teen pop elements appear on songs like "Love at First Sight", which begins with an electric piano intro,[11][13] and the "aggressive" "Give It to Me".[7][9][14]
The lead single "Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a "robotic" midtempo dance and disco song.[7][15] Many critics felt that various songs on the album, particularly "Come into My World", are similar to "Can't Get You Out of My Head".[10][16] The title track and "Dancefloor" draw influences from synthpop and club music, respectively.[11][9][12] "In Your Eyes" contains hints of disco and techno music.[14] Minor influences of ambient music surface on the "atmospheric" "Fragile".[11] Minogue's vocal delivery ranges from "sensuous" (in "More More More") to "sweet" (in "Your Love"). The latter track contains instrumentation from an acoustic guitar.[12] Jason Thompson from PopMatters commented that Minogue "knows how to express herself through irresistible melodies and seductive emoting",[11] such as on the title track, which makes use of "suggestive panting".[12] Unlike Minogue's previous studio efforts, Fever does not contain any ballads.[7]
The lyrical content of Fever chiefly focuses on themes of love and enjoyment. Thompson described the album to be "all about dancing, fucking, and having a good time".[11] In the song "Love at First Sight", Minogue describes how she fell in love with her partner at "first sight" and how it led to good things happening for her.[11] "Can't Get You Out of My Head" was termed a "mystery" as the singer never mentions who her object of desire in the song is.[15] Lynskey Dorian from The Guardian suggested that Minogue refers to either "a partner, an evasive one-night stand or someone who doesn't know she exists" as her obsession.[15] The production of "Give It to Me" contrasts with its lyrics: Minogue urges her partner to "slow down," but the beat "goes in the opposite direction and tells your body to push it a little more on the dance floor."[11] The lyrics of "Fragile" are simple and aim directly at the "[listener's] heart".[11] "Come into My World" is a "plea for love" as Minogue invites her partner into her life.[11] On the other hand, "Dancefloor" focuses on issues like dealing with an end of a relationship, with Minogue celebrating a break-up by "lose[ing] it in the music".[11]
Artwork and release[edit]
Minogue's close friend and stylist William Baker, collaborated with graphic designer Tony Hung to create the artwork's concept of electro-minimalism.[17] On the cover, which was photographed by Vincent Peters and inspired by the cover of Grace Jones' Island Life (1985),[18] Minogue is seen "bound by a microphone cord, literally tied to her craft" and dressed in white leotard designed by Fee Doran, under the label of Mrs Jones, and shoes made by Manolo Blahnik.[17] In her 2012 fashion retrospective book Kylie / Fashion, Minogue commented on the album's theme, saying: "The whole campaign was so strong, sure, ice cool. Willie's [William's] styling was incredible and [Peters'] photography made for a second amazing album cover with him."[17] A new cover was issued for the US version of the album and features a close-up of Minogue biting on a bracelet.[7] The US version cover also served as one of two CD single covers for second single of the album, "In Your Eyes".[19]
Fever was released by Parlophone on 1 October 2001, in Australia, the United Kingdom, and other European countries.[8][20] In the United States, the album was released by Capitol Records on 26 February 2002,[21][22] and was Minogue's first album to be released in the country since her second studio album Enjoy Yourself (1989).[3] Thus, Minogue was reintroduced to the US after nearly 13 years of inactivity in the region.[22] A special edition of the album, containing a previously unreleased track entitled "Whenever You Feel Like It", was released on 19 November 2002.[23]
Accolades[edit]
Fever also brought Minogue a number of accolades and award nominations. At the 2002 ARIA Music Awards ceremony, the album won the awards for Best Pop Release and Highest Selling Album, and garnered a nomination in the category of Album of the Year.[73] At the same ceremony, "Can't Get You Out of My Head" won the awards for Single of the Year and Highest Selling Single, and Minogue won the Outstanding Achievement Award.[73] At the 2002 Brit Awards ceremony, Fever won the award for Best International Album, while Minogue was nominated for Best International Female Solo Artist and Best Pop Act, winning the former.[74] At the 2002 MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony, the album was nominated for Best Album; Minogue was nominated for Best Female Act, Best Dance Act, and Best Pop Act, winning the latter two.[75][76]
Minogue earned her first Grammy Award nomination when "Love at First Sight" was nominated in the category of Best Dance Recording at the 2003 award ceremony, although it lost to British electronic band Dirty Vegas's song "Days Go By".[3][77] She eventually won a Grammy Award when "Come into My World" was nominated in the same category at the 2004 award ceremony.[78] It marked the first time an Australian music artist had won at the Grammy Awards show since Australian rock band Men at Work won the award for Best New Artist in 1982,[78] as well as Minogue's career-first Grammy win.[79] In 2015, Fever was ranked 34th on "The 99 Greatest Dance Albums of All Time" by Vice magazine.[80] In December 2021, the album was listed at no. 10 in Rolling Stone Australia’s ‘200 Greatest Albums of All Time’ countdown.[81]
Commercial performance[edit]
In Minogue's native country Australia, Fever entered at number one on the Australian Albums Chart on the week of 21 October 2001, and spent a total of five weeks in the position.[20] In this region, Fever was certified seven-times platinum for shipments of 490,000 units by the Australian Recording Industry Association.[82] The success of the album in Australia was such that it was listed in the top-ten highest selling albums of the country in both 2001 and 2002, appearing at numbers five[83] and four,[84] respectively. It also became the best selling dance album in the country in both 2001[85] and 2002.[86] In the United Kingdom, Fever entered at number one on the UK Albums Chart on the week of 13 October 2001 with sales of 139,000 units, and spent a total of two weeks in the position.[87][88] The album spent 20 weeks inside the top ten and over 50 weeks inside the top forty of the chart.[88] In this region, the album was certified five-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 1,500,000 units.[5] Following the album’s 20th anniversary, in October 2021 the album re-entered the UK Albums Chart at number 23, its highest chart position since August 2002.
The album achieved similar success in other regions. In Austria, the album entered at number one on the Austrian Albums Chart and spent a total of 29 weeks on the chart.[89] In this territory, it was certified platinum for sales of 15,000 units by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.[90] In Denmark, the album entered and peaked at number four on the Danish Albums Chart and spent one week at this position.[91] In this region, it was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.[92] In France, the album entered the French Albums Chart at number 51 and peaked at number 21, spending a total of three weeks at this position.[93] In this region, the album was certified platinum for sales of 100,000 units by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.[94] In Germany, the album peaked at number one on the German Albums Chart for two weeks.[95] In this region, it was certified platinum by the Federal Association of Music Industry for shipments of 200,000 units.[30] In Ireland, the album entered the Irish Albums Chart at number two[96] and peaked at number one, spending a total of one week on this position.[97] In New Zealand, the album entered and peaked at number three on the New Zealand Albums Chart, spending a total of one week at this position.[98] In this region, the album was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand for shipments of 30,000 units.[99] In Switzerland, the album entered the Swiss Albums Chart at number 12 and peaked at number three, spending a total of one week in the position.[100] In this territory, the album was certified double-platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for sales of 40,000 units.[101]
In the United States, the album sold 115,000 copies in its first-week and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Minogue's highest-charting album in the region to date.[102][103] In this region, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 1,000,000 units.[36] In Canada, the album peaked at number 10 on the Canadian Albums Chart and spent a total of two weeks on the chart.[104] In this region, the album was certified double-platinum for shipments of 200,000 units by Music Canada.[105] According to the IFPI, Fever was the thirtieth-best-selling album globally in the year 2002.[106] Fever has sold over 6 million copies worldwide, becoming Minogue's highest selling album.[22][107]
Notes