Released: September 22
Three years since the release of her record-breaking 15th album, ‘DISCO’, Kylie Minogue finally breaks the tension by unleashing its long-awaited follow-up.
Spearheaded by the global phenomenon that is lead single Padam Padam, the 11-track LP is an unashamed celebration of pop that transcends genre boundaries and chart trends and sees the Aussie icon let loose like never before.
“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,” says Kylie, who this year celebrates 35 years since the release of her classic debut.
“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.”
Closest to the Top 10 opener is the title song, Tension; an equally-sensual electro-pop stormer underpinned by pulsing beats, over which she begs: ‘Oh my God, touch me right there / Baby break the tension’.
Worlds away from concepts like ‘Golden’ or ‘DISCO’, Hold On To Now and Vegas High – a not-too-subtle not to her pending Sin City residency debut – are soaring anthems destined to be live show staples, while Things We Do For Love and You Still Get Me High lean into an ‘80s synth soundscape that’s unquestionably fresh with a knowing wink towards the era that launched her.
While Green Light is the closest to her most recent material and wouldn’t sound out of place on Kylie’s previous LP, One More Time channels mid-’00s pop and the sun soaked Hands is the closest we’ve come to a Kylie rap track – a blend that is, on paper, bonkers, but contrasted with a mid tempo chorus layered with ‘90s-style R&B harmonies, works.
Closing track Story reads as an ode to all the Lovers that have backed the Aussie superstar throughout her career and have become, in her own words, ‘part of my story’.
The strength of ‘Tension’ is in its diversity; just when you think you know where things are heading, Kylie throws a curveball and flips the album on its head, the effect of which is a collection that invariably exudes joy and sees the pop legend not only genuinely energised, but delivering her strongest vocals in a long time.
In places, the record has some of the finest track sequences of her career, and while certain cuts shine brighter than others, as a whole ‘Tension’ is a great pop record and a testament to Kylie’s continued relevance and indisputable legacy as one of greatest pop stars of all time.
