Fever (Kylie Minogue album)

Background and production

In 1998, Minogue was dropped from her label Deconstruction following the poor commercial performance of her sixth studio album Impossible Princess. She instead signed on to Parlophone and released her seventh studio album Light Years. The disco and Europop inspired album was a critical and commercial success, and was later certified four times-platinum in Minogue's native country Australia for shipment of 280,000 units, and platinum in the United Kingdom for shipment of 300,000 units. "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, and a silver certification in the United Kingdom for shipment of 200,000 units. 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 three songs. In the vein of Light Years, Fever is a disco and dance-pop album that contains elements of adult contemporary and club music. The recording of the album took place at studios such as the Biffco Studios in Dublin, Hutch Studios in Chicago, Olympic Studios in London and Stella Studios.

Musical styles and lyrical content

Fever is primarily a dance-pop album, with prominent elements of 1970s-influenced disco and Europop. Jacqueline Hodges from BBC Music wrote that the album is not "pure pop", and is rather characterized by a more adventurous dance-oriented sound. 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. Needham saw Fever as an "update" from the "frothy disco" of Light Years. 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, while the latter was described as a "slow burn" disco song. Teen pop elements appear on songs like "Love at First Sight", which begins with an electric piano intro, and the "aggressive" "Give It to Me". The lead single "Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a "robotic" midtempo dance and nu-disco song. 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". The title track and "Dancefloor" draw influences from synthpop and club music, respectively. "In Your Eyes" contains hints of house and trance music. Minor influences of ambient music surface on the "atmospheric" "Fragile". 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. Jason Thompson from PopMatters commented that Minogue "knows how to express herself through irresistible melodies and seductive emoting", such as on the title track, which makes use of "suggestive panting". Unlike Minogue's previous studio efforts, Fever does not contain any ballads.

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". 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. "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. 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. 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." The lyrics of "Fragile" are simple and aim directly at the "[listener's] heart". "Come into My World" is a "plea for love" as Minogue invites her partner into her life. 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".

Release and artwork

Fever was released by Parlophone on 1 October 2001, in Australia, the United Kingdom, and other European countries. In the United States, the album was released by Capitol Records on 26 February 2002, and was Minogue's first album to be released in the country since her second studio album Enjoy Yourself (1989). Thus, Minogue was reintroduced to the US after nearly 13 years of inactivity in the region. A special edition of the album, containing a previously unreleased track entitled "Whenever You Feel Like It", was released on 19 November 2002.

Minogue's close friend and stylist William Baker, collaborated with graphic designer Tony Hung to create the artwork's concept of electro-minimalism. On the cover, which was photographed by Vincent Peters, 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. 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." A new cover was issued for the US version of the album and features a close-up of Minogue biting on a bracelet. The US version cover also served as the cover for second single of the album, "In Your Eyes".

Singles

"Can't Get You Out of My Head" was released as the lead single from the album on 17 September 2001. The song was well received by music critics, many of whom complimented its vibe and danceability. Commercially, the single was a massive success and peaked at number one on the charts of every European country (except Finland) and Australia. The song was released in the United States in 18 February 2002 and managed to peak at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Minogue's best selling single in the region since "The Locomotion". It was certified triple-platinum in Australia for shipment of 210,000 units, platinum in the United Kingdom for shipment of 600,000 units, and gold in the United States for shipment of 500,000 units. An accompanying music video for the single was directed by Dawn Shadforth and features Minogue and a number of backup dancers dancing in various futuristic backdrops.

"In Your Eyes" was released as the second single of the album on 18 February 2002, except in the United States, where "Can't Get You Out of My Head" had just been released. It received generally positive reviews from music critics and was praised for its house influences. It became the second consecutive single from the album to peak atop the Australian Singles Chart. The song was also commercially successful internationally and peaked in the top ten of charts in countries like Italy, Finland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It was certified gold in Australia for sales of 35,000 units, and silver in the United Kingdom for sales of 200,000 units. An accompanying music video for the song was again directed by Shadforth, and features Minogue performing a dance routine and striking various poses in a colourful neon-lighted room.

"Love at First Sight" was released as the third single from the album on 10 June 2002. It received positive reviews from music critics, with many of whom favouring its production. The song was a commercial success and peaked in the top ten of charts in countries like Australia, Denmark, Italy, New Zealand and United Kingdom. The song was remixed by Ruff and Jam and this version was released in the United States, where it managed to chart at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was certified gold in Australia for sales of 35,000 units and in New Zealand for sales of 7,500 units. An accompanying music video for the single was directed by Johan Renck and features Minogue dancing in a futuristic environment sporting cargo pants and teal eyeshadow. The song was later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2003, becoming Minogue's first Grammy nomination.

"Come into My World" was released as the fourth and final single off the album on 11 November 2002. It generated a favourable response from music critics, who enjoyed its lyrical content. Commercially, the single performed fairly well and peaked in the top 10 in Australia, Belgium (French-speaking Wallonia region), and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It received a gold certification in Australia for sales of 35,000 units. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Michel Gondry and features Minogue strolling around a busy street in Paris, France; every time she completes a full circle, a duplicate of her appears through one of the stores, and by the end of the video there are four Minogues present together.

Tour

Minogue launched the KylieFever2002 concert tour to promote the album. The tour was split in seven acts and "Can't Get You Out of My Head", "Come into My World", "Fever", "In Your Eyes", "Love at First Sight" and "Burning Up" were the songs from the album to be included on the setlist. For the performances, Minogue wore "skimpy" and skin-tight outfits, and was often seen wearing a glittering silver bikini and skirt coupled with silver boots. The outfits were designed by Italian luxury industry fashion house Dolce and Gabbana, and Minogue went through a total of eight costume changes during the tour. The performances that took place at the Manchester Evening News Arena, England, were filmed for inclusion in the live DVD for the concert tour entitled KylieFever2002: Live in Manchester, which was released on 18 November 2002. The DVD was certified platinum in Canada for sales of 10,000 units, gold in Germany for sales of 25,000 units, and double-platinum in the United Kingdom for shipments of 100,000 units.

Critical reception

Fever received generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Fever received an average score of 68 based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews". Jason Thompson from PopMatters gave the album an extremely positive review and praised the conception and production of the album, calling it a "perfect album of gorgeous dance music" and claiming that "there probably won't be a better album like it all year long". Chris True from AllMusic also gave it an acclaimed review and enjoyed the simple disco and dancepop music of the album, saying that there is "not one weak track, not one misplaced syrupy ballad to ruin the groove". Alex Needham from NME positively reviewed the album and noted that while the album lacks depth, it is "as effervescent as a foot spa" and that through the album, Minogue "shows the upstarts how it's done". Dominique Leone from Pitchfork Media gave it a favourable review and praised its simple and "comfortable" composition, terming it a "mature sound from a mature artist, and one that may very well re-establish Minogue for the VH1 generation".

Alexis Petridis from The Guardian praised the commercial nature of the album and called it "a mature pop album only in that it's aimed at the boozy girl's night out rather than the school disco". Jacqueline Hodges favoured the album's consistency and complimented its commercial prospect, predicting that the album is "going to sell bucket loads". Jim Farber from Entertainment Weekly labelled the album "the best guilty-pleasure retro-dance smash since Eiffel 65's "Blue"", but felt that Minogue "milks the formula (of "Can't Get You Out of My Head") dry on the album". Michael Hubbard from MusicOMH enjoyed the fun nature of the album and said that "if you want something to drive to, dance to, play at a house party or cheer your workmates up with, Fever is for you". Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine gave the album a negative review, criticizing Minogue's "painfully precise" vocals and the album's monotony.

Commercial performance

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. In this region, Fever was certified seven-times platinum for shipments of 490,000 units by the Australian Recording Industry Association. 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 and four, respectively. It also became the best selling dance album in the country in both 2001 and 2002. In the United Kingdom, Fever entered at number one on the UK Albums Chart on the week of 13 October 2001, spending a total of two weeks in the position. The album spent a total of 70 weeks inside the top 40 of the chart. In this region, the album was certified five-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 1,500,000 units.

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. In this territory, it was certified platinum for sales of 15,000 units by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. In Denmark, the album entered and peaked at number four on the Danish Albums Chart and spent one week at this position. In this region, it was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. 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. In this region, the album was certified platinum for sales of 100,000 units by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. In Germany, the album peaked at number one on the German Albums Chart for two weeks. In this region, it was certified platinum by the Federal Association of Music Industry for shipments of 200,000 units. In Ireland, the album entered the Irish Albums Chart at number two and peaked at number one, spending a total of one week on this position. 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. In this region, the album was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand for shipments of 30,000 units. 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. In this territory, the album was certified double-platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for sales of 40,000 units.

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 till date. In this region, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 1,000,000 units. In Canada, the album peaked at number 10 on the Canadian Albums Chart and spent a total of two weeks on the chart. In this region, the album was certified double-platinum for shipments of 200,000 units by Music Canada. Fever has reportedly sold over nine million copies worldwide.

Impact and legacy

Following its release, Fever reportedly sold over six million copies worldwide, becoming Minogue's highest selling album, as of today. The album's lead single "Can't Get You Out of My Head" peaked atop charts in 40 countries and sold more than five million copies worldwide, becoming Minogue's highest selling single to date and one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song is notable for being Minogue's biggest and strongest commercial breakthrough in the United States, a region in which Minogue previously had managed to achieve little success. It is also considered to be Minogue's signature song. Due to the single's commercial impact, the album enjoyed similar success in the United States and earned Minogue her only platinum album certification in the region. According to the IFPI, Fever was the thirtieth best-selling album globally in the year 2002.

Fever is considered to be a prominent example of Minogue's constant "reinventions". The image she adopted during this period was described by Baker as "slick, minimalist and postmodern", and it was seen as a step forward from the "camp-infused" tone of Light Years. Larissa Dubecki from The Age used the term "nu-disco diva" to describe Minogue during this period. Andy Battaglia from The A.V. Club opined that Minogue's public image and her persona in her music videos "presented herself as a mechanical muse whose every gesture snapped and locked into place with the sound of a vacuum seal". He further remarked that the singer's "hygienic coo summoned a cool sort of cyborg soul, and her videos showed her gliding through sleek futurescapes, tonguing the sweet-and-sour tang of a techno kiss". Adrien Begrand from PopMatters felt that the simplicity of the album made it a "classy piece of work" and commented that Minogue's experience and choice of collaborators resulted in "the thirtysomething Minogue upstaging soulless, brainless music by younger American pop tarts like Britney [Spears] and Christina [Aguilera]". Robbie Daw from Idolator pointed out that Britney Spear's recording of her 2004 hit "Toxic", Madonna's comeback album Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), Paris Hilton's musical debut Paris (2006), and radio stations' shift towards playing "more groove-oriented sounds" all followed the release of Fever, although he admitted that "we have no way of knowing whether Kylie Minogue's eighth studio album was directly responsible for these pop happenings". Chris True from AllMusic, in his biography of Minogue, commented that the release of the album and lead single "Can't Get You Out of My Head" cemented her position as an international music icon, saying "Her place in pop music history would be consolidated in 2001, and she would be reintroduced to America after more than a decade as well".

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". 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". 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. 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. During this period, 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". She eventually won a Grammy Award when "Come into My World" was nominated in the same category at the 2004 award ceremony. It marked the first time an Australian music artist had won an award in a major category at the American award show since Australian rock band Men at Work won the award for "Best New Artist" in 1982. The song is Minogue's only Grammy award-winning song to this date. In 2015, Fever was ranked 34th on "The 99 Greatest Dance Albums of All Time" by Vice magazine.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.