Music Video Review - "All the Lovers" by Kylie Minogue

A paper cup of coffee falls to the pavement in the first frame of the music video "All the Lovers" by Kylie Minogue. This is the first single from the highly-anticipated new album Aphrodite, scheduled to hit stores in North America by July 6, 2010, according to Kylie.com. "All the Lovers" faces a stiff history of highly sensual and visually dynamic music videos released by the Australian songstress including the video for 2001's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - the song that re-launched Minogue's U.S. career.

In a manner befitting a single from an album titled Aphrodite, the "All the Lovers" video pays homage to love and sexuality with a tone that is more sensual than provocative. After the coffee cup falls, viewers are treated to a visual of what caused the release of the cup, passion. An entire city street fills the screen and couple after couple are stripping to their immaculately clean, white undies and rapturously embracing one another. As the song progresses, the individual couples begin to form a pyramid of glistening bodies with Kylie Minogue at the apex.

Despite the sensuality, "All the Lovers" maintains a purity and innocence appropriate to the lyrics of the song -- "All the lovers that have gone before/they don't compare to you." Part of this essence is derived from the clear blue skies seen in portions of the videos while other homages to purity appear in the form of white objects -- white marshmallows, white balloons and the release of a white dove by Minogue at the end of the video. This release is the first time Minogue is shown completely away from the crowd of bodies, and it captures the essence of letting go of the lovers of the past for a new and more pure love.

Adding a bit to the innocent theme, Kylie Minogue also appears in the video with a very gentle make-up stylization. The only artificial color immediately evident on her face is a metallic eye shadow. She is a beautiful and effortless goddess throughout the song and is at her most goddess-like in the final repetitions of the chorus where the video reaches a peak in the form of a literal peak of "lovers".

An aerial view shows a pyramid of bodies seemingly several stories high glittering golden in the sunlight in front of Los Angeles skyscrapers. Minogue is at the top of the pyramid and in several different moments both she and her subjects sway their arms in synchronization creating a stunning picture as white balloons and doves circle in the air. Wonderful cinematography.

"All the Lovers" manages to capture the beauty of being in love with one special person despite having experienced other failed moments of love in the past. The music video also manages to capitalize on the album title of Aphroditeby showing Minogue as a beauty at the pinnacle of a literal tower of love. "All the Lovers" is definitely a major music video for Summer 2010.

Sources:

All the Lovers across the World. Kylie.com.