'TWO HOURS OF ENERGY'

The performer of dance hits like "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Spinning Around" said there are three very personal songs on the "X" album, which is due to be released in the United States in March.

But some reviewers have expressed surprise that "X" is more an album of classic Kylie dance and pop numbers than a reflection on the tumultuous last three years, during which Minogue also split with her long-term boyfriend, French actor Olivier Martinez.

The announcement of Minogue's European tour, set to begin in May in Paris, laid to rest persistent media speculation about her health.

She dismissed the notion that the tour would be physically less demanding than her extravagant, abandoned 2005 "Showgirl" world tour.

"You don't feel the pain when you are performing, when your adrenaline is going. It will be two hours of energy," she said.

"The bulk of the show is going to be more streamlined, but I'm sure there will be a moment when the showgirl in me will appear."

Like many pop stars who are huge in Britain and Europe, Minogue has not made the transition to mass-market fame in the United States. But even that has its blessings.

"It's a slightly weird situation for me because I can still walk the streets here (in Los Angeles) and no one will recognize me. I love it," she said.