On the back of her ‘Greatest Hits’ world tour, Kim Wilde is back with her 15th studio album – the sequel to her 1988 classic ‘Close’.
Reuniting with her brother, songwriter and producer Ricky Wilde, ‘Closer’ is due January 2025 and billed as a “sister” to the LP that delivered smash hits like Hey Mister Heartache, You Came, Never Trust A Stranger, Four Letter Word and Love In The Natural Way.
“It really is a sister album to ‘Close’ in many, many ways,” she tells RETROPOP of the LP, which features the new single Trail Of Destruction. “It has the same diversity, the same sort of eclectic storytelling. Obviously, there’s a big emphasis on personal things and love and bigger themes.
“There’s dance on it. There’s rock on it. It’s as diverse as the ‘Close’ album and we really used that as a blueprint. It’s very evident and I can’t wait for people to hear it!”
Having embraced the past on her latest run of shows, in support of her ‘Pop Don’t Stop’ compilation, which followed her 2018 Top 30 comeback ‘Here Come The Aliens’, and a resurgence of love for the ’80s starlet who became a global phenomenon with singles such as Kids In America, Cambodia, Water On Glass and You Keep Me Hangin’ On.
It’s not just her audiences that inspired Kim to get back in the studio, with the success of today’s biggest acts – like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa – as well as classic acts such as Kylie Minogue, sparking her creativity.
“As the years have gone by, the audiences seem to really get it more and more, and there are new generations coming up that are really vibing on it as well, which is such a privilege and so joyful to observe and be part of,” she reflects.
“It makes you want to join the gang and say: ‘Hang on, there’s all these great artists out there making contemporary music – I want to be one of them!’ You know, if Taylor Swift’s making a great pop record, I want to make one. If Dua Lipa’s making a great pop record, I want to make one. If Kylie’s making a great pop record, I want to make one.
“A new one. Just like they’re doing. So that’s what we’ve done…”
