Kylie Minogue debuted her ‘Tension’ album track Story during an intimate gig at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
The show was a money-can’t-buy opportunity to fans with tickets available exclusively for O2 Priority customers, who flooded to the venue to see the pop icon perform.
During the show, she delivered a handful of tunes from her latest LP, including the hits Padam Padam and Tension, fan-favourite Hold On To Now and – for the first time – closing song Story.
After singing the track, Kylie turned away from the crowd and said: “I’m gonna cry now.
“I can get emotional in these moments, full stop. But when it’s a new song, it’s that song . . . forget it. I’ve got a sparkle in the eyes.”
Check out fan-shot footage of the performance below.
‘Tension’ has already topped the charts in Australia and is set to debut at to No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, with the LP currently outselling the rest of the Top 20 combined, according to the Official Charts Company.
If she holds the position, it will become Kylie’s ninth chart-topper, following her 1988 debut ‘Kylie’, follow-up ‘Enjoy Yourself’, ‘Greatest Hits’ (1992), ‘Fever’ (2001), ‘Aphrodite’ (2010), ‘Golden’ (2018), ‘Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection’ (2019) and her previous record, 2020’s ‘DISCO’.
Earlier this week, Kylie shared a new digital version of the album featuring two new songs; the Bonus Deluxe Edition includes all tracks from the previously-available deluxe release, along Heavenly Body and Drum.
It marks the first time each track has been made officially available.
Speaking about her latest record, Kylie said in a press release: “I started this album with an open mind and a blank page. Unlike my last two albums there wasn’t a ‘theme’, it was about finding the heart or the fun or the fantasy of that moment and always trying to service the song.
“I wanted to celebrate each song’s individuality and to dive into that freedom. I would say it’s a blend of personal reflection, club abandon and melancholic high.”
Discussing the recording process, she added: “I loved being back in the studio with my collaborators but was also able to benefit from remote recording, which we have all got used to – my mobile studio never left my side for a year and a half!
“The album is a mix of songs I have written and songs which really spoke to me. Making this album helped me navigate challenging times and celebrate the now. I hope it accompanies listeners on their own journeys and becomes part of their story.”
Following the album release, Kylie will launch her first-ever Las Vegas residency at the the Voltaire nightclub at The Venetian on November 4 before returning to the UK in December to film her forthcoming ‘An Audience With’ special at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
In a review of the album, RETROPOP called ‘Tension’ “a great pop record and a testament to Kylie’s continued relevance and indisputable legacy as one of greatest pop stars of all time”.
