The identity of the guest vocalist on Kylie Minogue’s ‘Tension’ album track Hands has been unveiled.
The breezy track appears mid-way through the Aussie superstar’s latest album and sees Kylie dabble in rap, declaring: ‘Whenever I feel your hands all over me It’s like I’m up in heaven, I’m in a dream’.
Since its release, there’s been much speculation surrounding the vocals on the first verse of the song and in an interview with Apple Music, the pop legend confirmed it’s not all her singing.
Revealing a demo of the song, recorded by a male vocalist and pitched higher, was sent over by her A&R manager Jamie Nelson, she shared: “I had to work a lot on trying to morph it to be ‘me’.
“I wish I’d known earlier that the vocal [on the demo] was a male voice pitched to be in a ‘woman’s’ register, because that made me feel a bit better about how I couldn’t quite access the start of it.
“So the very beginning of the first verse is not me — we just left [the demo vocal] on the track — but the rest is…”
The album credits attribute the additional vocals to Ms. Marinade and while fans have been abuzz with speculation as to the actual identity of the mystery male vocalist – the only guest performer on ‘Tension’ – their questions have finally been answered.
Songwriter Ryan Ashley – who co-wrote the song with Mich Hansen, Daniel Davidsen and Kasper Larsen – shared a clip of the track on Instagram and when asked by a fan “Who’s the elusive Mrs Marinade? [sic]”, he responded: “yes, I am Ms. Marinade.”
The revelation comes as ‘Tension’ – featuring the huge summer single Padam Padam – heads 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, ‘Tension’ 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”.
