kylie minogue

popography

all hail the queen…

Kylie Ann Minogue and I go way, way, way back. She was the first single I owned, the first voice that caught my ears, and she layed the very solid foundation of my musical journey.

Kylie Minogue, OBE has sold over 70 million records worldwide, has 3 Brit Awards, a Grammy, 17 ARIA Music awards, various MTV Awards, and is the highest selling Australian Female Artist of all time. She was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government as a Chevalier (knight) for her contribution to French culture. In 2005 after a battle with breast cancer she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Health Science (D.H.Sc.) degree by Anglia Ruskin University for her work in raising awareness for breast cancer. In 2011 she was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame.

Kylie has often been compared to Madonna over the years, and there are arguments for both to wear the Pop Crown, but Kylie has the edge for me, because she is much more relatable, more real and knows exactly what her fans want and she gives it to them. Madonna has lost me once or twice along the way (Madame X anyone? snooooze Ray of Light? Not really my bag. Yeh I said it!), yet Kylie has me hooked on her every move. The buzz around her doing a country album before Golden’s release had me ready to hit the pause button, but after the whole era of the album and the tour, it has ended up as one of my favourite periods in her career. Having been in an audience of both, Madonna arguably puts on a stronger staging with often a story to tell and a message to preach, Kylie always connects to the audience on a more personal level, taking us on her musical journey and comes across as more relatable on stage. As we have known her for so long, a generation has grown up ‘with’ her, it almost feels like a close member of your family up on that stage, rather than the iconic pop legend that she is.

So, lets go way, way, way back.

early acting career

Kylie’s first break came when she was 10 years old with a minor part in The Sullivans. She also appeared in Skyways in another minor role. In 1985 she landed a lead role in tv show The Henderson Kids juggling filming with school. She also appeared on Young Talent Time to perform with her sister Dannii, who was a regular on the show. That same year she was cast as Charlene Mitchel in hit tv show Neighbours, culminating with arguably the wedding of the year in 1987, but you already knew that!

Cue iconic intro…

Although The Locomotion was the launch single for Kylie in Australia (which lead to her coming over to the UK to work with Stock, Aitken & Waterman), it was I Should Be So Lucky that launched her over here. Quite possibly the most important pop song of all time, this song was written in just 20 minutes as they forgot she was coming and were busy with their other acts…

“I was at home one Friday afternoon when I got a phone call from Mike Stock at the office who asked if there was something I had forgotten to tell him. ‘A small Antipodean called Kylie Minogue?’ prompted Mike, ‘Oh yes, I forgot, she’s in town.’ Mike said, ‘No she’s in reception.’ I apologized for messing up and said we’ll have to drop the whole project. Mike said, ‘We can’t, she’s expecting to do something with us.’ ‘She should be so lucky,’ I replied. ‘Great,’ Mike said, ‘That’ll do. I Should Be So Lucky. Can we write some lyrics?'” Mike and Pete began faxing lyrics back and forth and the song was quickly finished. The triple echo “lucky, lucky, lucky” at the end of the title was an improvised joke during the recording, which they decided to keep.

Pete Waterman, 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh

The song was an international hit topping the charts in 8 countries, achieving Gold status in the UK & Germany, Silver in France, and Platinum in Australia.

Second single Got To Be Certain did the business internationally too achieving Gold status in Australia and Silver in France & the UK.

Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi is one of my all time faves. The new mix by Steve Anderson for the Step Back In Time Greatest Hits tour was phenomenal, and such a surprise when I was in the audience at Blenheim Palace, it made me really emotional. To my ears this track is a timeless classic. Hit reached No.2 in the UK Singles chart, achieving Silver status for sales of over 325,000 copies. It was 1988, I was 10 years old.

Especially For You, duet with Jason Donovan was another smash internationally, hitting the top 10 in 12 countries and the top spot once again in the UK Top 40 Singles Chart, and achieving Silver status in France, Gold in Australia and the UK.

This performance below was another emotional one for me. The first Kylie Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall was such a special evening. We were sat slightly behind the main stage where the choir sit and it honestly was an amazing view because you saw what she saw. With all the lights in the air for this song and the audience singing along with her, it was purely magical.

enjoy yourself

Hand On Your Heart was the first single from second album Enjoy Yourself, hitting the top spot again in the UK Singles Chart, and hitting the Top 10 in 10 countries, certified Gold in Australia and the UK.

A personal favourite of mine I Wouldn’t Change A Thing from the second album had a really fun dance routine, I absolutely love this video and the song’s catchy hook. This song also provided a lovely re-visit moment during her a recent tour which was pretty special for me.

Tears On My Pillow was released to coincide with her movie debut The Delinquents. It was a NO.1 hit in the UK, and classified Silver for sales of over 260,000.

rhythm of love

And now it’s time for quite possibly the greatest hat trick of #bops of all time…

Kylie 2.0 was hyped and ready to go with a slightly more mature sound. Better The Devil You Know is one of her best known tracks and went Platinum in Australia and Silver in the UK.

Step Back In Time is so legendary it became the title of her most recent Greatest Hits collection and is arguably the definitive Kylie Minogue song. It hit No.4 in the UK Singles Chart in 1990 and was certified Gold in Australia for selling over 35,000 copies.

What Do I Have To Do is my favourite classic Kylie track. At the time I remember hating it. I didn’t want Kylie to grow up and get all sexy. But I was wrong! Oh how I love it now! It just builds and builds and erupts into a huge crescendo of sheer pop brilliance!

lets get to it

Album No.4 Let’s Get To It was launched with Word Is Out which is one of Kylie’s most underrated singles IMO. This song peaked at No.16 in the UK Singles Chart which was her lowest charting appearance and ended her 13 consecutive run of UK Top 10 singles.

4th single from Let’s Get To It was Finer Feelings, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful highlights of her career. Here is a more recent version which I think is pure bliss.

greatest hits

August 1992 saw the release of her first official Greatest Hits collection, with new tracks What Kind Of Fool (Heard All That Before) and cover of Kool & The Gang’s Celebration being given the single treatment. The album charted No.1 in the UK and received Platinum status for sales of over 300,000. It was No.3 in Australia, where it was also Platinum certified.

street fighter

In 1994 Kylie was offered the part of Cammy in the movie version of the hit video game Street Fighter starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (and a pre S.H.I.E.L.D. Ming-na Wen). The film received poor reviews but it was a moderate hit in the US earning $70 million at the box office.

kylie minogue

Ok, so now we have album No.5, and after a slight hiatus from being a Kylie fan, this is the album that brought me back. So much so that it was the very first album that I purchased with my own hard earned cash. I was doing work experience (still at school) and the manager gave me £20 for each week I worked (2 weeks) and I literally felt like I ruled the world!

This album also saw Steve Anderson credited as producer for the first time and Kylie still works with him to this day. He is also responsible for updating some of Louise’s music too and did a really great job. I consider him to be The Godfather of pop. He’s a really nice guy too.

Confide In Me was another game changer for Kylie, showing true artistry for the first time. It just missed the top spot at No.2 in the UK Singles Chart, and went on to be certified Silver for sales of over 200,000 copies sold. It was a No.1 in Australia, and also a Top 40 hit in the US Billboard Dance Club Chart. The video is one of the most iconic music videos of all time IMO. Kylie was back at the top of the charts where she belongs. This song is another fan favourite and a regular on her tour setlists.

2nd single, the beautiful Put Yourself In My Place has another iconic video to go with it. Paying homage to Jane Fonda’s Barbarella, this video is just deliciously rich with colour and campness. It peaked at No.11 in the UK and Australia where it was also certified Gold.

This is my favourite album of hers as is shows true artistry and is a much more mature sound for her at that time. You can really hear her voice properly for arguably the first time. It’s just so raw on songs like Automatic Love and Dangerous Game. Where Is The Feeling was released as a single, but the single version just isn’t good. Why change perfection? The album version is just so brilliant. As is the BIR Bish Bosh Mix. Just so good.

Now for a dramatic change in direction…

where the wild roses grow

Where The Wild Roses Grow, written with Kylie in mind by Nick Cave for his Murder Ballads album. I didn’t know quite what to think of this at first. As a fan, she was taking me on a musical journey, as it turned out, I was here for it. I love this song and we so pleased it was revisited for her Glastonbury show.

And now we go leftfield for the most bizarre, yet incredible album from Kylie…

impossible princess

Some Kind Of Bliss co-written with James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers was unlike any Kylie has ever done. It peaked at No.22 on the UK Singles Chart. Personally I wasn’t a fan of MSP so this didn’t really do it for me. Now, looking back I can appreciate it for what it was and I was secretly hoping for a revisit on the Golden tour as the material written in Nashville almost had the same organic feel to it, I would’ve been here for a Golden spin on Some Kind Of Bliss.

Breathe, 3rd and my favourite single from Impossible Princess. I prefer the single version as opposed to the slower album cut. I was very excited to hear this live at the exclusive Spotify gig she did for the Golden album launch. The video is pretty cool too…

And just when everyone thought Kylie Minogue had had her day…

light years

Spinning Around was the masterclass in pop that the world didn’t know it needed for the new millennium! Co-written by none other than Paula Abdul, it was her first UK No.1 since Tears On My Pillow a decade earlier. The song won the ARIA Music Award for Best Pop Release. It was certified Gold in the UK for sales of over 400,000 copies.

This song holds a special place in my heart because during her big comeback with this song, she was on hosting duties at London Pride in Finsbury Park, which was the very first one I went to with my best friend Matt, and she performed this at the end of the show and it was the first time I saw her perform live. What a day!

Follow up single On A Night Like This is a personal favourite of mine and another tour setlist guarantee. It was another hit, reaching No.2 on the UK Singles Chart and went on to be certified Silver. Here’s a live performance from the Body Language show.

Kids, another duet and another certified Silver hit in the UK, with Robbie Williams on board and on co-writing duty with Angles writer Guy Chambers. I loved this song at the time, I was revelling in her being really successful again, and duetting with Robbie Williams was such a big deal. I still like it now, but as a frequenter at her shows I am a little over it.

This is another personal favourite album of mine. I was working at Tower Records at the time and I was just loving that she was really big again. We had a massive 3 tier promo poster for it and I got to keep it once the store was done with it. There’s just so much great material here: Butterfly & Under The Influence of Love were favourites, Bittersweet Goodbye is really beautiful and Koocachoo & Loveboat are next level-bonkers-campness slices of pure pop.

The album went on to sell over 400,000 copies in the UK earning a Platinum classification. It was also certified Platinum x 2 in South Africa and Platinum x 4 in her native Australia.

on a night like this tour

This was the first proper Kylie concert that I went to. I went with my best friend Matt to The Brighton Centre and it was just so amazing. Everything about it was just so amazing. The highlights for me were her cover of Olivia Newton-John’s Physical and the fact that she did my favourite from the album Butterfly, but the whole bloody thing was just so bloody amazing! I have the DVD and I have watched it so many times, it just means so much more when you were there in person, it instantly takes you back. I would love a Blu-ray release for this.

moulin rouge

In 2001 Kylie had a special guest cameo in one of my favourite movies as The Green Fairy.

Then, just when we thought she couldn’t get any bigger…

La La La…

fever

This song catapulted Kylie into supernova status around the globe, hitting the No.1 spot in 40 countries, and peaked at No.7 in the US Billboard 100, where it was also certified Gold, finally breaking America. It sold over 1 million copies in the UK alone, and went on to sell over 5 million copies worldwide. So yeah, it did the business.

Love At First Sight was another smash and provided Kylie with a regular tour setlist climaxer. Co-written and co-produced by regular Richard Biff Stannard, provided another hit on the US Billboard Top 100 at No.23, and another certified Silver hit here in the UK, also going Gold in Australia and New Zealand.

fever tour

I went to Manchester with a group of semi-friends for this as a last minute replacement for someone else, and we were sat so far at the back I could barely see her, but it didn’t matter, the vibe in the room was electric, she was as flawless as ever and a great night was had. It was her biggest show to date with a huge budget due to her massive success during this period. Unfortunately I don’t remember much of the actual night as the night out on Canal St afterwards was pretty good. Ahem. But, again, I have the DVD and this show is spectacular! The fact that Dangerous Game and Cowboy Style featured gave me life, and Burning Up went next level for me from just an album track to sheer pop brilliance.

body language

For the next album, Body Language, Kylie explored the world of electropop, and I am still here for it. This album is one of my favourites, I just love the edge that comes with this music. Launch single Slow was another No.1 in the UK, and another No.1 on the US Dance Charts. Here is a fantastic live performance from 2019 whilst promoting Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection on The Graham Norton Show.

Red Blooded Woman is another of my favourites. It was so ‘of it’s time’ giving off Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me A River vibes. And she is so sexy in this video…

This album brings back so many memories. I was working at Fopp when this came out which was a bit of a Tower reunion as some of my former work mates were also lucky enough to get jobs there too. This album just has so many highlights. I love the whole vibe for it, electro-does-pop magnificence. It’s simply incredible and I still listen to it today. One of her best for me. Secret (Take You Home) was dying to be a single! Her rap alone is divine! It’s one of my favourite tracks she’s ever done and would love to hear her do it live.

showgirl: the greatest hits tour

2005 saw Kylie embark on her biggest tour yet with a massive stage set and extravagant costumes showcasing her as the true showgirl that she is. Unfortunately, this was a tour of two halves as she was diagnosed with breast cancer, forcing her to cancel the Australian leg of the tour. In November 2006 after winning her battle with cancer she embarked on Showgirl: Homecoming to return to the stage and her fans.

the magic roundabout

The end of 2005 saw the release of The Magic Roundabout, the movie adaptation of the classic retro children’s tv show. Kylie voiced the part of Florence. A year later she returned to the project, reprising her part and recorded the theme song for the US version entitled Doogal.

x

2 Hearts peaked at No.4 here in the UK, but hit the No.1 spot and went Gold in Australia. I absolutely love this song. It’s just so different from anything she’s ever done and I love watching her perform it as she clearly has so much fun doing so. This is her most underrated single IMO. I hope to one day get to see her sing it live. I personally love this whole era. It was so creative, and you could tell she was just loving life and really let herself just enjoy it after a dark period, she had come out triumphant and was loving being back doing what she loves most. The X tour is probably my favourite show of hers and I wasn’t even lucky enough to go see it. I have had to make do with the Blu-ray and have watched it countless times.

Wow was another certified Silver, Top 5 hit in the UK, and a Top 20 hit in the US Dance Airplay Chart. It’s also a setlist regular and top DJ Zane Lowes’ favourite as he was proper fangirling over it in the recent Apple Music interview with her. It’s another one of my favs as it really is delicious on the ears with lots going on all at once, not to mention it is incredibly catchy!

Third single from X was In My Arms, another strong pop masterclass with Calvin Harris on producing duties with Richard ‘Biff’ Stannard, was a Top.10 hit in 13 countries I always felt this would’ve been a better lead single for the album as it’s more of a taste of things to come…

And now we have something really special. The One was the final single released from X and she saved the best until last. The video is absolutely stunning and the song is just beautiful. It wasn’t a massive hit but it’s defiantly a fan favourite, and is a personal fav for me as watching The Golden Tour (many years later) from the gods at the o2 with my fiancé I found myself overcome with emotion and was unable to stop the tears rolling down my face.

The X Tour is probably my favourite of all her live shows, I just wish I could’ve been lucky enough to see it in person, but I’ve given the Blu-ray many, many viewings. There’s just something that really clicked with this era for me, I really loved the music, and the versions of all of her classics are just incredible. It features my favourite versions of most of her big singles, especially Step Back In Time & On A Night Like This. Simply incredible. I also really love Boombox from this show.

white diamond

A documentary filmed during her Showgirl: Homecoming tour was released featuring footage recorded in 2006/2007, filmed, directed and produced by long time collaborator and friend William Baker. New songs featured on the soundtrack, I’m Hip, You Are There and the Madonna co-written with Rick Nowels track, Alone Again.

aphrodite

In 2010, we were given another iconic Kylie hit as she reaches God-like status…

All The Lovers, such a beautiful video and is probably my favourite look for her, she just looks incredible and the diversity in this video makes me very proud to be a fan, and now because of this song, us fans are known as her Lovers. This song peaked at No.3 on the UK Singles Chart, was a No.1 hit on the US Billboard Dance Club Chart, and went Top 10 in 17 countries, earning Gold status in Australia, Italy and the UK.

Get Outta My Way is another favourite of mine, and this performance shows Kylie at the top of her game…

I just love this song. The video, filmed at Pinewood Studios in London, was a big dance routine affair based around chairs, and I really loved the light gloves that feature. Looks wise she’s on top form here, serving a fierce look in a hot gold-chain dress. It also featured an intricate video system that mimicked the dancers dance moves.

Get Outta My Way peaked at No.12 in the UK, and gave her another No.1 US Dance Club Billboard Chart hit. It also did well in Brazil, hitting No.1 on the Hot Pop Songs Billboard Chart.

Better Than Today was a bizarre single choice IMO but it did the business again in the US, giving her another US Dance Club Billboard No.1 making it a hat trick from the album.

Aphrodite, her 11th studio album, debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, earning her the Guinness World Record for achieving the most consecutive decades with top five albums in the UK. Kylie had reached her peak aesthetically with an extremely big budgeted tour, Aphrodite: Les Folies with an extravagant stage themed around ancient Greek temple of the Gods and a built in water feature for a truly exuberant finale. The show was a massive success, selling over 500,000 tickets. Unfortunately I was never lucky enough to see this show in person, but I have the 3D Blu-ray and it truly is an extravagant affair.

Although this era did very well for Kylie, and everything produced from it was of the highest quality, and it did produce two of my favourite songs, it just wasn’t a favourite era for me. It might’ve been because I didn’t get to see the show in person but for me there is so much going on in the show that she kind of gets lost within it and there’s almost a disconnect. I can’t quite put my finger on it. But she was still out there doing what she does best so I was very thankful for that.

the anti-tour

To celebrate Kylie’s 25th year in the industry, she embarked on a tour with a difference, playing small, intimate venues and performing B-sides and fan favourite album cuts and rarities in a show designed just for her Lovers. This was a real treat for her hardcore fan base and something that I missed out on which is one of my biggest regrets. I would’ve loved to have been at one of these shows but I have seen a recording and it was a real treat.

timebomb

Major #Bop alert! ‘Do you wanna wanna…’

Timebomb was released in 2012 as a stand alone single as part of her K25 celebration, and what a treat it was. The high energy video was filmed around London’s Soho and Chinatown. One of her best songs, and thankfully it has made the setlist of a couple of her shows and always goes down well. Once again this song scored her another No.1 US Dance Club Billboard hit as well as claiming the top spot on the Australian Dance Chart.

jack & diane

In 2012 Kylie appeared in US romantic horror movie starring Juno Temple, for which she recorded a promotional single with Icelandic band Mum called Whistle for the soundtrack.

holy motors

She also appeared as Eva/Jean in fantasy drama movie Holy Motors, alongside Eva Mendes. the movie aired at Cannes Film Festival and grossed $4.2 million.

abbey road sessions

Later in 2012 we were treated to a truly beautiful X album off cast as a single to launch The Abbey Road Sessions, co-written with Steve Anderson whilst undergoing treatment for breast cancer, written as a love letter to the child she may or may not ever have, Flower…

This album is pure deliciousness. I for one was very excited about new versions of her hit songs, and was here for the new, dramatic feel given to them on these new recordings. Recorded at the famous studio with a full orchestra, these classics were recreated with a completely new gravitas. Can’t Get You Outta My Head became almost haunting. If you dismissed it at the time and thought it may not be for you as many fans did, I strongly urge you to give it a try. The version of Finer Feelings is especially, simply beautiful. I was so excited when I found out it was included on this album.

The album hit No.2 in the UK Albums Chart and went on to be certified Gold for sales of over 235,000 copies.

limpido

In 2013, Kylie was featured on Italian singer-songwriter Laura Pausini’s single Limpido, which was a number-one hit in Italy and received a nomination at the World Music Awards for World’s Best Song. The song went on to be certified Gold in Italy.

the voice

2013 saw Kylie joining Ricky Wilson, Tom Jones and Will.I.Am as a Coach for the third season of BBC’s The Voice. The first show aired to over 9 million viewers in the UK. Kylie received huge praise as an addition to the show and was called a national treasure. She went on to do season 3 in her Australia at the end of the year.

kiss me once

January 2014 bought us Into The Blue, the launch single for album no.12 Kiss Me Once.

I absolutely love this song. It reminds me of re-connecting with one of my best friends, Barry. We met at college but we drifted and he moved away. Many years later, he returned to Southampton after a break up and we re-connected almost immediately and he has since become a constant in my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We had gone to London to see Eternal in The Big Reunion (One of the best night’s of my life) and we went to GAY Late for a few drinks and a boogie after, as you do! This was the first time we both heard Into The Blue on a night out and we both completely lost our inhibitions and succumbed to the heat and the music and lost ourselves into the blue, if you will. We also saw the Kiss Me Once show together at the o2, our first Kylie show together, the first of many.

Next up we have the Sia written, Sexercize. Now. This is not a favourite for many people but it is for me. It’s pure bubble-gum campness with a dirty edge. The video is pure filth and I am still here for it!

Kiss Me Once peaked at No.2 in the UK and scored her another Silver certified album for sales of over 90,000 copies, and sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. It is not classed as a favourite amongst fans, with many claiming the record label got it wrong with a mish-mash of tracks making it onto the final album but I’m rather fond of it. I completely agree that the single choices weren’t great (the less said about I Was Gonna Cancel the better) when there were the like of Les Sex and Million Miles which were crying out to be singles, but it wasn’t meant to be. Kiss Me Once Live was absolutely brilliant. The intense goose bump explosion during the old-school section where they recreated the bath from I Should Be So Lucky and she performed many of her real classics was just pure, emotional joy, and the INXS cover was bloody brilliant!

Crystalize

Kiss Me Once offcut Crystalize, produced by Babydaddy received a quiet release in June of 2014, charting at No.60 here in the UK and charting within the Top 40 throughout Europe.

right here, right now

The beginning of 2015 saw Kylie team up with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder which had little success in Europe, but gave Kylie her 12th No.1 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.

san andreas

Kylie had a very brief cameo as Susan Riddick in big box office movie starring Dwayne Johnson.

the other boys

Australian twins Nervo called upon Kylie, Jake Shears and Nile Rodgers for this cut for their debut album. The result is this fun bop that had a very hush-hush release but is one of my musical highlights from 2015. It also was another No.1 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs Chart. If you’ve never heard it, you’re in for a treat…

kylie christmas

In 2015, Christmas came calling, a duet with James Corden, a brief reunion collaboration with Stock, Aiken & Waterman and THAT duet with Dannii.

So, Christmas + Kylie = Popsmith HEAVEN. The album peaked at No.12 in the UK and was certified Gold, and also went Top 10 in Australia and Hungary. It has become one of my favourite Christmas albums, along with Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey. It’s just pure Christmas bliss with some great original songs and some traditional covers. The Royal Albert Hall show was just so special, one of the best nights of my life, and the first time my fiancé Jim and I saw her together. Close friends Barry & Chaz were there too but we were sat in different sections as originally Jim and I weren’t going to go but I made a last minute naughty purchase! Our seats were just behind the stage and it was so wonderful to see what she saw for a change. Plus we got to see Dannii come out on to the stage before the rest of the room did, and it was one of the best moments of my life, to see them on stage together, performing my new favourite song. The entire evening was magical and we watch it every Christmas.

Kylie Christmas: The Snow Queen Edition was released the following year with 6 new songs including duets with Mika & Iggy Pop, as well as 2 more shows at The Royal Albert Hall, and yes, we did go again! At Christmas was used as a promo single.

swinging safari

In 2017 Kylie filmed Australian comedy drama Swinging Safari, starring with Neighbours co-star and long time friend Guy Pearce.

In 2018 things got a little Country, with a twist of Kylie’s sparkle of course, to produce another great era…

spotify exclusive gig

Seriously amazing. My friend Barry had won tickets due to his constant activity playing Kylie via Spotify and his hubby Chaz could not go so he took me! I couldn’t believe it. We got there early as we knew if was an intimate gig with unreserved standing and we wanted to see how close we could get, and yes, we made it to the front. I never thought I would ever be this close to Kylie Minogue. The whole thing was almost an out-of-body experience for me. It was such a privilege to be in this crowd and to let alone hear these brand new songs for the new album Golden before it’s release, but to hear them for the first time live. Personal highlight for me was hearing her sing Breathe live. It’s not a popular one so I never thought I’d see her do it live, it was amazing. One of the best nights ever.

golden

Dancing was the launch single and an instant Kylie classic, going Top 10 in seven countries earning her another Silver classification in the UK and a Gold in Australia.

Duet with Jack Savoretti is quite possibly the most beautiful thing she’s ever done, and the video, filmed in Venice, is so beautiful but I wanted to share this moving live performance.

The song Golden was written in Nashville and was perfect as the title track for the album as it coincided with her turning 50 and feeling very much that it was a new lease of life and looking forward instead of back.

This album was a cathartic process for Kylie, with her on co-writing duties for every track and as a result is the most personal album from her thus far. I am not really a fan of this genre, so my expectations were low, but I absolutely fell in love with this album, and this era, being lucky enough to see Golden Live twice, once right up front with Barry in Cardiff for my 40th birthday (AMAZING), and then again with Jim up in the Gods at the o2, which was really great to see the show from afar too. Check out my footage from the Cardiff show…

step back in time: the definitive collection

Another Greatest Hits compilation released in 2019 and another No.1 hit in the album charts for Scotland, Australia, and here in the UK where it has also gone Gold.

The album also had a summer tour to go with it with 15 dates across Europe and the UK, including a massive gig headlining Glastonbury in the Legends slot which has become the most watched set in the history of the infamous festival with 3.9 million viewers. It was the biggest moment in her carer, given even more gravitas due to her being forced to pull out in 2005 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Here’s Spinning Around from the set, which has over 600K views on the BBC Music’s official YouTube.

Next up, Kylie came to spread her stardust over a global pandemic…

DISCO

Infinite Disco

Infinite Disco is a recorded non-stop concert shared with her fans via streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic which meant we couldn’t have a live tour for this album. For £16 a ticket, millions tuned in and had a mini concert in their own homes. It was actually on the same day as Jim’s (my fiancé) birthday, so we made a bit of a thing of it by ordering her wine, some disco lights and a disco ball. An excellent night was had.

DISCO is UK Album Chart No.1

She’s only gone and done it, setting records along the way. Kylie Minogue’s poptastic new album enters the UK Album Chart at No.1, making her the first and only female artist to have a No.1 album in five consecutive decades.

vogue magazine

A touching look back on many of Kylie’s classic looks throughout the years.

#SBIT30

My artwork to mark the 30th anniversary of Step Back In Time.

#WDIHTD30

My artwork to celebrate the 30th anniversary of my all time favourite Kylie song What Do I Have To Do.

#SHOCKED30

My artwork to mark the 30th anniversary of Shocked.

#BTDYK30

My artwork to celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of her trademark hits Better The Devil You Know

#ROF30

My artwork collection to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Kylie’s 3rd studio album Rhythm of Love.