the KYLIE
TIMES
April/May 2020
Focus News
The last news regarding the singer
SOME KIND OF BLISS
KYLIE MINOGUE WINES
Everything about Kylie’s new brand
© Christian Vermaak - Darenote Ltd
When I go shopping, I’m always on the look out for something that will make me look decent with minimum effort. Kylie Minogue - 1997
A P R / M A Y
E
2 0 2 0
D
I
T
O
Hiiyyyyyaa lovers !
SUM UP 4. Throwback Calendar 8. SOME KIND OF BLISS 22. Kylie Minogue Wines 30. The latests news on Kylie‘s upcoming album (Part 2) 34. News 44. Kylie In The Press 56. Interviews 58. Fashion 62. MEANWHILE ON SOCIAL MEDIA 64. Kylie Reactions
We hope you are all doing well after these two rather complicated months! If the lockdown is coming to an end in many countries in Europe and the number of coronavirus cases is declining there, the situation is nevertheless getting worse in certain countries, in particular among our Brazilian friends, we are thinking of you guys !. We want you to think of something else for a while, so here is a new issue of the Kylie Times, with a focus this month on « Some Kind Of Bliss », as well as on Kylie’s brand new wine collection, the « Kylie Minogue Wines » (and if you like alcohol, you will be delighted when the full range will be available!). We also made a summary of the latest rumours circulating around the singer’s next album, as well as a sum up of the few interviews published recently, and, obviously you will also be able to read all the news of the last two months. Considering the fact that the holidays are fast approaching and that we may not have many news of our favorite Australian, the next issue of our magazine will be released at the end of the summer, unless Kylie decides to release a single before… In the meantime, take care of yourself, have a great summer and don’t forget the barrier gestures!
xx Laeti and Isa With the help of Junior and Deyse
Throwback CalendAR Let’s have a look back at the most important events in Kylie’s career through the years and that took place in April and May. MAY 28th, 1968 Birth of Kylie Ann Minogue at Bethlehem Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.
Pop Star BABY april 3rd, 1987 Kylie becomes the youngest artist to win a Silver Logie Award (the equivalent of the Emmy awards in Australia) and is crowned « Most Popular Actress in Australia ».
may 1st, 1989 Kylie begins filming her first movie, The Delinquents, in Queensland, Australia. The film is based on the novel of the same title written by Australian author Criena Rohan. It takes place in the 1950s and tells the story of Lola Lovell (Kylie) and Brownie Hansen (Charlie Schlatter), two teenagers who fall in love but because of their young age and for their well-being, their parents try to separate them. When Lola becomes pregnant, the couple decides to run away to keep their baby. But then a lot of things go wrong...
April 17th, 1986 After leaving school, Kylie takes on a life-changing role in the soap Neighbours as Charlene Mitchell. The character portrayed by the actress is part of a group of teenagers who were created by the authors of the series to attract younger viewers. Originally, Charlene was supposed to appear in the series for twelve weeks, but given the popularity of her character, her adventures in Ramsay Street lasted for more than two and a half years! It was on April 17th that the first episode where Kylie appeared was broadcast on television, and at that time, we were far from suspecting the career that awaited the young mechanic !
april 17th, 1988 « I Should Be So Lucky » remains in the Top 10 of many European rankings and at the top of the charts in Germany, Finland, Israel, Switzerland and Hong Kong. In the United States, « I Should Be So Lucky » entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts the week after its release.
I Should Be So Lucky
april 17th, 1990 Launch of the European part of the « Enjoy Yourself Tour » in England after three dates in Australia. Kylie performs 19 tracks and begins the concert with « The Loco-Motion » to end with the title of her studio album, « Enjoy Yourself ». If Kylie’s outfits were completely correct, the press however described the concert as « hot » and not suitable for a younger audience. Obviously it only bothered the press... 4 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
may 1991 Kylie is invited by Prince Albert of Monaco to perform « Shocked » at the World Music Awards in Monte Carlo, where she received the awa r d f o r « B e s t selling Australian artist ».
MAY 31rd, 1992
aPril 1993
Alongside Yasmin LeBon, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer, Kylie takes part in the Rhythm Of Life charity gala at the Grosvenor Hotel in London, organized by Sting to raise money for the Rainforest foundation. The singer appeared on stage in a John Galliano dress and lip-syncs on « My Heart Belongs To Daddy » by Marilyn Monroe.
The singer made her first studio sessions since her label change with Saint Etienne, where she recorded a cover of the track « Nothing Can Stop Us », as well as the song « When Are You Coming Home? ». She took the opportunity to also record several new tracks with the Italian producers The Rapino Brothers.
MAY 1995
MAY 8th, 1997
Jean-Paul Gaultier does an interview with Kylie for an English TV program. The singer is filmed buying lingerie in Paris and photographed by artists Pierre Et Gilles. The portrait where Kylie is dressed as a nun on a horse remains a classic. It is called « Saint Mary MacKillop ».
April 1999 She goes to Sydney to record a cover of the 60s song of Russell Morris: « The Real Thing », with producer Josh Abrahams. This cover served as a soundtrack for the film Sample People. « I’m not sure how to describe it, but it was great working with Josh. It’s quite faithful, the original is so good you wouldn’t want to veer too much from it ».
may 15th, 2001
The « On A Night Like This Tour » ends in Sydney, Australia. The concert is filmed to be released on video, but also to be broadcast on TV. 5 www.kylie-world.com
Kylie makes an appearance alongside John Garnham and Ray Charles at the opening of the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. 1,500 guests attended, including Jeff Kennett and Elton John. Kylie performed a special version of « I Should Be So Lucky » and arrived on stage in a giant seashell!
APRIL 23rd, 1998 The singer takes part in The Ben Elton Show program where she performs « Breathe », as well as a cover of The Clash’s: « Should I Stay Or Should I Go ».
MAY 2000 The song « Spinning Around » is sent to the radio and it is Kylie’s first single with her new label Parlophone. It’s an immediate success that marks the return to the singer’s pop roots. Co-written by Paula Abdul, this song became even more famous after the music video - where Kylie wore her very famous golden hotpants - was broadcast.
Throwback Calendar • April / May 2020
may 23rd, 2002 « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head » wins three Ivor Novello Awards: « International Hit of the Year », « Best Dance Song » and « Most Performed Song ».
may 7th, 2003
april 28th, 2004
Kylie goes to the opening of the exhibition Body Craze which celebrates the sexuality of bodies in all genres, including the singer’s lingerie collection, at Selfridges in London. For the occasion, she was accompanied by numerous models wearing the LoveKylie collection.
In England, the company Phonographic Performance Ltd announced that Kylie was the most played artist on the British radio, and the fourth most played artist overall.
MAY 7th, 2005 She performs for the last date of her « Showgirl Tour » in London, at Earls Court. This was her seventh sold-out concert at this location. One of the concerts had been filmed, it was broadcast on television and reached second place in the most watched programs that evening!
APRIL 2006 Kylie starts working on a new album in New York and takes time to write with the Scissor Sisters.
may 23rd, 2007
april 1st, 2008
The singer goes to the Cannes Film Festival where she performs In promotion in the United States for her album « X », the singer « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head » appears in Dancing With The Stars where she interprets « Can’t Get You and « Locomotion » with a surOut Of My Head » and « All I See ». The next day, she went to the Late prise guest for a duet, Sharon Stone. Late Show to sing « All I See ».
may 22nd, 2009
may 29th, 2010
april 28th, 2011
« All The Lovers » is perforA duet with Verbal is unveiled med for the first time live at the to the public. It’s called « We Are Wind Music Awards in Veronne, One » and the goal is to raise funds Italy. to support the victims of the earthquake in Japan. She goes once again to the Cannes Film Festival for Miracle Africa International Foundation, where she performed.
ALL THE LOVERS 6 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
may 25th, 2012
may 28th, 2013
may 4th, 2014
On her birthday, she unveils a track that doesn’t sound like anything she has done before : « Skirt ». The song, composed and produced by Nom De Strip (Chris Lake and Marco Lys) was really appreciated by her fanbase.
Kylie continues her tour of The Voice and after participating in the English version, the singer becomes a coach in the Australian version. In the first episode, she joins the other coaches, Ricky Martin, Joel Madden and Will.I.Am and they all perform « Hall Of Fame » together.
As part of the singer’s 25-year career, a new song is released: « Timebomb ». It took 25,000 tweets to unlock the video and the song was available to download immediately. This track is only present on the singer’s compilation « Step Back In Time ».
APRIL 23rd, 2015 Launch of her lingerie brand with Sloggi. Kylie becomes the headliner of their campaign and spends the day in Berlin to promote the brand and the collection. In the afternoon, the singer gave a press conference and in the evening, she presented her brand to journalists and influencers.
ApRIL 2016
april 4th, 2017
We learn that the singer will have a role in a film alongside Guy Pearce, « Flammable Children » (which then became « Swinging Safari »), thirty years after they had appeared together on screen in Neighbours!
She received the Britain-Australia Society Award from Prince Philip. This award aims to maintain good relationships between England and Australia and is only given to people working for this cause.
Britain Australia Society Award 7 www.kylie-world.com
may 4th, 2018
She participated in the BBC Sounds Like Friday show where she performed « Stop Me From Falling » and « Radio On ». Laeti, April/May 2K20
Some Kind Of Bliss After a very long (2-year) break from the public eye, Kylie came back with a brand new single on September 8th, 1997: « Some Kind Of Bliss », and the least we can say is that this song was a massive change in direction (again) for Kylie. The song was released as the lead single from her soon-to-come new album, « Impossible Princess », and was co-written by Kylie, James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore, both from the rock band « Manic Street Preachers ». Originally, Kylie wanted « Limbo » to be the first single, but deConstruction refused considering the track was too « brusque » for radio, and even though songs like « Too Far » and « Jump » would have been more representative of Kylie’s next album, « Some Kind Of Bliss » was chosen as lead single. The single earned Kylie the title of « Indie Kylie » in the music press, but fans weren’t quite in the mood for Indie Kylie.
Focus • Some Kind Of Bliss When I say Kylie took a lengthy break from the public eye for two years, I don’t mean she was actually on a 2-year holiday. If there is one thing we all know for sure about Kylie, it’s that she’s a workaholic. So, OK she did travel a bit but what she did mostly was work and write! The problem is that fans were used to Kylie releasing an album every two years - and singles every two or three months - so this wait felt like forever! It had been three years since her last album has been released and two years since her song with Nick Cave had come out. After the success of that duet, she first took a small break to travel with her boyfriend, Stéphane Sednaoui. The pair had started dating in October 1995 - even though he had been in Kylie’s social circle for a while - and he was the one who encouraged her to put both her acting and musical careers on hold to travel across America with him. During their trip, they sought inspiration wherever they went; they took loads of photos - Stéphane photographed Kylie a lot when they were together, and not only during their vacation - and, apparently, devoured underground music. « I had never done anything like it. I had known him a short while and we were stuck together in a car for 3 weeks. I was so excited when he suggested it. It was bliss waking up in the morning and not knowing where we would sleep that night. But the best thing was that we were bonded ». When Kylie came back to the UK, she immediately started to work on her new album, she had written a lot during her trip (after many years of being persuaded otherwise, she now wanted to write her own material) and rumour has it that Stéphane also convinced her to take singing lessons, which
she did, and that was another thing she had never done before.
Stéphane and Kylie - 1996
Before I get into the « Some Kind Of Bliss » subject, I think it’s important for me to introduce you briefly to Stéphane Sednaoui and his career as he had a massive influence on Kylie’s life, image and career at that point in time. During the first part of his career Stéphane explored with success various film and photographic territories, covering the genres of music videos, photojournalism and pop culture. Work related to that period has been exhibited in group shows: at the MoMA, New York (2015), at the Brooklyn Museum, New York (2013), at the Barbican Gallery, London (2014), at Le Grand Palais, Paris (2015) and at the 9/11 Memorial Museum (2013-current). He has directed an impressive number of video clips for artists like Tina Turner, Tricky, Massive Attack, Björk, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, U2, Garbage (and hundreds of others), and also directed the video for Kylie and Towa Tei’s « German Bold Italic » song. Palm Pictures also published in 2005 an anthology of his work as a director in the form of a DVD called « The Work of Director: Stéphane Sednaoui ». He has also been a regular contributor to Vogue Italia, Vogue China, Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, Interview and Visionaire as a fashion and portrait photographer. On his official internet site, we can now read « Drawn towards more personal projects over the years, Stéphane Sednaoui has redefined his artistic approach to solely focus on his art and cinematographic projects ». In December 1996 Kylie said to the press : « Yes I’m in love. Stéphane is wonderful, adorable and inspirational. I need kindness, spontaneity and sincerity in a man, and I’ve got all three in Stéphane. Plus, he’s successful and driven. I really admire that ». She also admitted that when she’s with a boyfriend, she takes on board some of their personality, and that’s exactly what happened with Stéphane Sednaoui during this period. Being a photographer, very creative and visual, he introduced her a bit more to the fashion world and helped her become more confident in herself.
Stéphane and Kylie - August 1997
10 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
So, anyway, as I was saying, after their trip, Kylie went back to work on her new album. Initially, the new LP was meant to be entirely conceived with Brothers in Rhythm, with Kylie as co-writer. They wanted to go through the « Confide In Me » door as Kylie put it herself and started working with that objective in mind. However, at some point Kylie’s A&R Pete Hadfield was apparently worried that within the material that Kylie and BIR were working on there weren’t enough radio-friendly songs, so he suggested that she work with different producers… and Kylie was more than happy to do so! After having received acclaim from critics for her experimentation with rock music following the release of « Where the Wild Roses Grow » with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Kylie wanted to experiment a bit more with her music for her upcoming album: « My daytime fantasy is to have an album where I work with the likes of Blur and Nick Cave and some American artists, like 10 different bands of all different styles, and just see what they would do with me. It would be like giving ten sculptors a piece of rock. It would mean a bit of regression for me, because that is exactly what I was trying to escape. But as an experimental thing, it would be very interesting ». Stéphane supported her in her decision and thought it was an excellent idea as well. So after several months, Kylie started working with English producer and electronic musician David Ball (from the band Soft Cell), Australian composer Rob Dougan, and then, of course, with the Manic Street Preachers. And as you surely know « Some Kind Of Bliss » is one of the two Kylie/Manics songs on the album, along with « I Don’t Need Anyone »: both songs are characterized by a distinc-
Manic Street Preachers
tive guitar-driven musicality: the famous « Manics-esque strings » as the Brits say. « Some Kind Of Bliss » was recorded at Mayfair studios in London in 1997, and is actually a Britpop song with alternative rock and « rock-tinged » elements also featuring bass, electric guitars, drums, string sections, flute and saxophone. But… you probably wonder how Kylie ended up working with the Manic Street Preachers in the first place? I mean, they come from two totally different worlds! As a reminder, the Manic Street Preachers - known as « The Manics » - is a Welsh rock band composed of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (drums, percussion) and of Nicky Wire (bass guitar, lyrics).
Indeed, the Manic Street Preachers had been wanting to work with Kylie for years (a bit like Nick Cave really), but she had never even heard about it. In 1991, the Manics had sent a fax (yes… a fax Lovers!) to PWL to ask for Kylie to sing with them on their song « Little Baby Nothing » from their album « Generation Terrorists ». They thought the duet would have resonated from her contribution because the song is about a starlet used by men and trapped by their gaze. Unfortunately, their request never reached Kylie and ex-porn star Traci Lords sang on the track instead, sending the song to n° 29 in the UK charts in 1992. When interviewed about this, Kylie said :
Rumour has it that the Manics contacted Kylie’s record company, but according to Kylie, it all started over a beer, although she’s not 100% positive about it: « I’m not entirely sure, I’m not sure whether the Manics contacted deConstruction or the other way around, but I think it happened over a beer. James Dean was speaking with one of the guys from my record company and I imagine they asked each other what they were up to and Tom from deConstruction would have said « well we’re mainly working on Kylie’s new album » and then it just came up in the conversation how in 1991 the Manics were interested in me recording a duet with them! ». 11 www.kylie-world.com
Kylie by Mike Diver
Focus • Some Kind Of Bliss « Unfortunately, that’s what it was like in those days... It went to PWL and I never heard about it whatsoever. I’m too inquisitive to let things like that go by so I would have said yes. It’s a shame that I didn’t hear about it, but in another way it’s nice that it took that long to get to this point. I guess if there’s that six year history already then it all made sense at this point for us to work together. When I finally found out about it, years later, I was flattered and went to see them live and was like überfan, so the Manics and I decided to meet for a tea ». So, Kylie then went to see James Dean at his home, and they played around with a bunch of lyrics she had brought while he strummed along on his guitar. James then told her to leave the lyrics with him, and he formulated them into a song. Kylie admitted : « It was quite unusual having the mixture of him and me, especially as he was in an anarchist band for years and I’m a super-sudsy pop girl, but in the end it was a natural combination!. The opportunity to work with him was just magical, I’m a lucky girl! ». James first sent Kylie a demo of the track « I Don’t Need Anyone » and she absolutely loved it, she found it refreshing and different from what she had done before. Also, the fact that he had « taken control » of the song was a nice kind of break for her. She felt safe in his hands and she knew it would be, at the very least, an interesting collaboration.
Then James Dean asked her for some more lyrics, so she gave him another two sets, and he took half from one and half from the other, and that’s how he and his cousin Sean Moore came up with the lyrics for « Some Kind Of Bliss ». Kylie was impressed by this way of working : « They took one half of one set of lyrics and took another half from another set of lyrics and merged them together, which I found interesting because it was something I wouldn’t have done because in my mind they were two separate things. But it worked well together ». Kylie stated that James was very talented, but also that from the start, he had a very clear idea of what he wanted her to sound like, and that it seemed very easy for him. She wasn’t sure if it was because he’d thought about it many times, but always said that it had been a real pleasure working with him, even though no one was expecting them to work together in the first place! « People may be surprised at the collaboration between James Dean Bradfield and myself, or other distinctly different styled collaborations on this album, but Nick Cave opened that door for me, like no-one else could ». For Kylie, it was good to come out with something slightly unexpected, but she wanted people to be surprised and not shocked by the album, and she thought that this single was maybe a good « start », a good way of easing into that.
Kylie by John Rankin
According to Kylie at the time « I Don’t Need Anyone » was probably the most obvious choice between the two Manics’ songs, but this one was the most interesting choice. Lyrically, in « Some Kind Of Bliss » Kylie sings about being happy, or more specifically, of her experiences while away from people all the meanwhile being happy. « To me the song is about being able, not necessarily shut your eyes and feel that someone is there but the way you are when you are close to someone [...] the ability to feel like they’re with you even if they are a million miles away ». It’s honestly a great feel-good track!
Kylie by John Rankin Kylie by Stéphane Sednaoui
12 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
CHARTS & CERTIFICATIONS Unfortunately « Some Kind of Bliss » performed relatively poorly on international charts, even though « Indie Kylie » became a thing. In actual fact, at the time, it was Kylie’s biggest flop. • It only peaked at #27 on the Australian Singles Charts before falling to #39 as of the following week. It managed to stay in the charts for 6 weeks but resulted in being her lowest-charting single from one of her albums until « Into The Blue » from « Kiss Me Once » in 2014 (which peaked at #46); • The song entered and peaked at number 47 on the New Zealand Singles Charts for one sole, making it her lowest charting single there since her 1988 single « It’s No Secret ». • In the UK, it entered and also peaked at #22 on the UK singles charts and only spent one week in the Top 40. It was her first solo release to miss the UK Top 20, but at the same time, it secured her 24th Top 40. It became her lowest selling solo single there until « Better Than Today » from « Aphrodite » in 2010 (it only peaked at #32 which is terrible because it’s a brilliant track!). With hindsight, the release of « Some Kind Of Bliss » may have been a mistake, it wasn’t a fair representation of the album as a whole, and was too much of an abrupt change in direction and style. Kylie was totally unrecognizable as Kylie ! Steve Anderson believes that this single was a cop-out release to satisfy the demands of the media who wanted it to be the single (the Manics were very popular at the time). This release missed the mark because even though « Impossible Princess » contained many different music styles, it was mostly dance-oriented, and this song didn’t represent that at all. It would have been perfect for a Manics album, but for Kylie it just seemed wrong to most people. But to be fair, things hadn’t been helped by the unlucky coincidence of Elton John releasing « Candle In The Wind 1997 » in tribute to the just deceased Diana Princess of Wales during the same week. Kylie publicly commented on the bad sales of the single « I think that Elton John had 75% of the sales that week, so mine didn’t get off at a good start ». And of course, the Brits were mourning the loss of their favourite Princess, so no one was really bothered by Kylie’s new single… However there is one funny fact about this single, even though it didn’t sell very well, Kylie had won some respect within radio stations. The single was initially put on BBC Radio One’s B playlist and then upgraded to the A playlist, which guaranteed invaluable radio plugs for a duration of six weeks. About the radio airplays, Kylie had said :
Kylie by Eva Mueller
« I guess it’s a good start, and it helps me feel a little more secure ». About this single not performing very well in Britain, the Manics later told GQ magazine that they had felt guilty because they’d landed her with a new set of problems, even though they considered that the song was great and that Kylie was brilliant in it. « It was what we wanted but it wasn’t what everybody else wanted, that’s the problem ». In an interview with The Face, Nicky Wire admitted that he had never expected « success would avalanche into some kind of mediocrity ». The poor reception at the time also prompted Kylie’s A&R manager to apologize to her, blaming himself for not being in control of the promotion: « I loved her voice, got on with her and I am embarrassed that I failed her ».
THE VIDeO The video for this single was directed by David Mould who has directed videos for Blur, Bryan Adams, Robbie Williams, Take That, Oasis and Radiohead to name just a few. Filming took place over two days in the province of Almería, Spain, and more specifically in the desert of Tabernas, which is one of Spain’s semi-arid deserts. This desert is actually quite famous because it has been the filming location of many films, such as spaghetti westerns and television series, and some of the sets still remain as tourist attractions to this day. This Bonnie & Clyde themed clip features an indie-rocked styled Kylie with a short auburn crop hairstyle alongside Dexter Fletcher, who plays her partner in crime (and lover). You can find out more about Dexter Fletcher in our « Did You Know? » section. The video is set in non-linear structure (it’s chopped up starting with the end); it opens with Kylie and Dexter in a light blue 1968 Pontiac Firebird at a gas station. Kylie co-
13 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Focus • Some Kind Of Bliss mes out of the car to put some gas in it, and then she goes to stare inside the gas station while her love stays in the car after having been released from jail. In these scenes, Kylie is wearing a very short (once called « the shortest dress known to humankind ») and very tight denim dress that she later changes in a gas station, ending up in tight turquoise hotpants (because yes Kylie wore hotpants before « Spinning Around »!). We then see this particular gas station scene several times, before seeing them driving around difference areas, in different outfits, or running around in a hotel, being happy and playing around in their hotel room. In one scene, Kylie is just driving in an empty car park while Dexter runs after her and jumps into the car on several occasions. We then understand that he’s actually training himself to be as quick as possible to get in the car so that they can quickly flee once they have robbed a shop or whatever. I love this scene, I find Kylie beautiful in it with her amazing black lace dress, she’s just super happy to be with the man she loves again and with whom she’s going to be able to rob again… Kylie waiting for him outside jail
Here she’s (gently) slapping his face for getting caught by the police
During the bridge, Kylie and her lover park in front of a shop, and we see Kylie try to distract the cashier outside by staring at him and taking suggestive poses, while Dexter’s job is obviously to steal money from the till. In the last scenes, Kylie is wearing the hotpants and a simple white tee and walking in an alley with was we suppose is a bag full of money, but then she sees a police car driving towards her and she walks off, but Dexter doesn’t have as much luck, he is caught, and escorted into the police car. When seeing this, Kylie drives off with the money. At that moment, we finally understand why sometimes during the video, she is crying while driving (she is dressed the same way and her hair is the same as during the scene explained above): it’s because her man has been caught and is going to go to jail.
14 www.kylie-world.com
Dexter in the music video
Dexter Fletcher - 2020
In 2009, in an interview with Daily Record we learn that Dexter Fletcher, who is only 5ft6 admitted his favourite role was starring with Kylie Minogue in the video for her song « Some Kind Of Bliss » - because it made him look tall. He stated : « Kylie is great, and she even makes me look tall! ». Funny fact, the same year, in the Express Magazine, we find out that Dexter’s dad loves Kylie too. Even though Dexter has a varied acting career, according to his father, his top moment is the fleeting appearance that his son made in this video. Dexter stated : « He is a huge fan of hers ever since I was in her video « Some Kind Of Bliss ». I played a gangster released from jail and she is waiting to pick me up. It’s my dad’s favourite piece of work. Never mind working with De Niro and Pacino, my dad loves Kylie ». Also, Kylie and Dexter were reunited not so long ago, on the Graham Norton in May 2019. Kylie was one of Graham’s guests and Dexter Fletcher was in the audience. When Kylie was told he was there she couldn’t believe it! « We go back a long way, we did the video for « Some Kind Of Bliss » and we were just running around in Spain and it was a lot of fun ». Dexter said : « It was a lot of fun, two days in Spain just driving around in a car with Kylie, just acting like, well trying to act like I was cool ». Isa, April/May 2K20
and Kylie said :
(ouch!) ;
« you were very cool ». In March 2014, Mike Wass from Idolator ranked this video as one of Kylie’s sexiest (along with the clips of « Put Yourself In My Place », « Spinning Around » and « Sexercize ») and stated : « There’s something so casually sexy about this Bonnie and Clyde-themed video. Kylie spends a lot of time wearing skimpy denim dresses while dealing with the fallout from her criminal love interest ». The music video was featured on the first CD single of her November 1997 single « Did It Again », and was included on her video compilations: « The Kylie Tapes 94–98 » (1998), « Greatest Hits 87–99 » (2003) and « Artist Collection » (2004). REVIEWS/CRITICS When the single « Some Kind Of Bliss » was released, initial reviews were mixed but the song receives more positive reviews retrospectively: at first most reviews didn’t like her image in the video or didn’t quite get her transition to rock music, but now most reviews are positive towards her song-writing and experimentation. They all agree on one thing though: this is Kylie’s most « indie » -influenced single to date. • One of the worst critics came in 1997 from Ben Willmot (NME). He said the song was « supremely irritating », stating that : « Kylie belts out the lyrics like she’s reading from an autocue. Any soul is lost in a slurry of bought-in brass and a ropey guitar solo that’s be more at home on a Shakin’ Stevens record ».
• John Magnan from The Age stated that : « The rocky single, despite its standout singalong chorus, is actually one of the album’s clunkier tracks ». • Tom Parker, who wrote the liner notes for the 2003-release of the Special Edition of « Impossible Princess », wrote : « For the lazy critics and the casual observer alike, it was only too easy to assume that Kylie had unsuccessfully leapt aboard the indie bandwagon in a desperate bid for credibility ». and also that : « the choice of this song as lead single would ultimately overshadow the real character of the album ». • Michael Dwyer from Western Australia magazine stated : « « Some Kind Of Bliss » and « Did It Again » have already proved our Kylie has more tricks up her sleeve this time that Stock, Aitken and Waterman ever dreamed of and her 6th album harbours more strings to her carefully-cultivated bow ». • Larry Flick from Billboard was positive, saying : « Ms. Minogue has been reborn as an alterna-pop vixen to be reckoned with ». • While reviewing her 2012 compilation « Confide In Me », Chris True from Allmusic selected the song as an album and career stand-out track. He stated:
on different styles to replace the bubblegum pop of the past ». whereas Jaime Gill from Yahoo! Music called the song an « awkward faux-rock ». • Matt James from PopMatters was disappointed when he noted that the single was missing from « The Best Of Kylie Minogue » compilation, calling it a « lost classic ». • In 2017, Billboard ranked it as the 76th/100 greatest pop song of 1997. Andrew Unterberger wrote that : « The song’s string-soaked guitar-pop remains surprisingly alluring, a fascinating glimpse at an alternate reality in which the disco diva is better remembered for ripped jeans than golden hot pants, and sounds no less like herself for it ». • In honour of Kylie’s 50th birthday, Cameron Adams (Herald Sun) placed the song at number 21 on his list of the singer’s best songs calling it the peak : « « Indie Kylie » [...] a modern retro ‘60s girl band garage pop heaven, filled with brass, sass and class ». • In 2008, Michael R. Smith from The Daily Vault felt that it was : « surprisingly a strong and straight forward rock song ». • In 2012, Martin Power, who wrote the biography « Nailed to History: The Story of the Manic Street Preachers » commented that the song was : « Far away from Kylie’s glory days of « I Should Be So Lucky » and « Better the Devil You Know » as it was possible to get ».
« « Impossible Princess », both of which found her stretching and growing beyond the pop princess image she had previously. Dark, noisy tracks like « Limbo », the trip-hoppy « Jump », and the more rock-oriented « I Don’t Need Anyone » and « Some Kind of Bliss » […] found her trying 15 www.kylie-world.com
Kylie for ID Magazine
Focus • Some Kind Of Bliss DID YOU KNOW? / MISCELLANEOUS • Kylie’s partner in crime in the video of « Some Kind Of Bliss », Dexter Fletcher is an English actor and director. He has appeared in a few films and TV shows such as the comedy-drama « Hotel Babylon », the series « Band of Brothers » and, earlier in his career, a children’s show called « Press Gang ». Dexter Fletcher made his directorial debut with « Wild Bill » (2011), and also directed « Sunshine on Leith » (2013) and « Eddie the Eagle » (2015). He replaced Bryan Singer as director of « Bohemian Rhapsody », a biopic about the band Queen, released in October 2018 and in 2019 he directed « Rocketman », a film based on the life of Elton John. He has done more than that of course, but not sure you really want to go into that much detail… • The pictures used for the physical releases of the single were all taken by Stéphane Sednaoui, Kylie’s boyfriend. On a personal note I’ve always found that the cover art doesn’t match the song at all. It’s a feelgood song and the picture is so dark! I even read somewhere : « Her personality was notably absent from the track and things weren’t helped by a record sleeve that portrayed her as a heroin-addicted waif ». • On October 22nd, 1997, even though the release of Kylie’s new album was delayed in other territories, « Impossible Princess » was released simultaneously with « Some Kind Of Bliss » in Japan. • The b-Sides to « Some Kind Of Bliss » is either « Limbo » (CDs) or « Love Takes Over Me » (Limited Edition 7” vinyl);
Promo poster of the single
• If you listen closely to the opening of the song « Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) » from the Rolling Stones, you may notice a slight resemblance with the beginning of « Some Kind Of Bliss ». Even Kylie stated that the start of the song always reminded her a Stones song and not of Kylie song and that she would never imagined her music would ever sound that way;
Kylie at the Brits with Manics
• The song is on the tracklist of some of Kylie’s compilations, such as « Hits + » (2000); « Confide in Me » (2001), « Kylie Minogue: Artist Collection » (2004), « Confide in Me: The Irresistible Kylie » (2007) and was in the « K25: Time Capsule » (2012). Somehow it never made it on the « Ultimate Kylie » Kylie at the O2 Silver Clef with Manics compilation though and didn’t feature on the first version of the « Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection ». Luckily for us though, it was added on the expanded 3CD version of the album later on; • The most famous mix of this single is the Quivver remix which appears on her 1998 remix compilations « Mixes » and « Impossible Remixes ». • In December 1996, Kylie sang the song « Little Baby Nothing » with the Manics (the song they wanted to duet with her on in 1991) at the music venue The Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, and in 1999, it was Kylie who presented the Manic Street Preachers with the prize for « Best British Group » at the Brit Awards. They met again and had their last pictures taken together in 2012, at the O2 Silver Clef Awards (an annual UK music awards lunch which has been running since 1976); • On September 9th, 2018, Kylie was part of the line up of the « Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park 2018 » and guess who was performing after her? The Manics of course! I think every single Kylie fan prayed that day that they would make the most of this occasion to finally perform « Some Kind Of Bliss » all together, but guess what? It didn’t happen, and even today it’s still really sad to think that the band and Kylie have actually never performed it live together. LIVE / TV & TOUR PERFORMANCES To promote her new single, Kylie performed her song on several TV shows, of which TFI Friday (UK), Top Of The Pops (UK), Hey Hey It’s Saturday (Australia) and MTV Australia live. On TFI Friday, she was wearing the same denim dress as the one she is wearing in the clip.
16 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Break The Heart Of An Impossible Princess ». So it was obvious that had to be the title of the album, Impossible Princess ».
Kylie at TFI Friday
• On September 10th 1997, an MTV Special « Some Kind Of Kylie » -where Kylie was promoting her new album - was recorded live in front of a studio audience. During this recording, Kylie performed four songs from her upcoming album « Some Kind Of Bliss », « I Don’t Need Anyone », « Did It Again » and « Confide In Me ». There was also a « questions and answers » section from the audience, where she talks about her most embarrassing moment, her favourite fashion accessory, her most tragic outfits and fashion disasters… • The least we can say is that Kylie never sings this song on tour. The last time (and only time) she performed it during a tour was for her 1998 « Intimate and Live Tour » (opening act). INTERVIEW EXCERPTS FROM THAT TIME « It’s funny because when I was younger I used to be jealous if I read articles and stories about other artists who had this network of communications. But now I find myself with all these connections. Even with the title of the album. There’s a poet called Billy Childish, and he’d put a dedication to me in the front of his book. He gave it to a friend, who gave it to Nick Cave, who gave it to me. It was entitled « Dreams
« If I had a whole album that sounded like « Some Kind Of Bliss », or a whole album that sounded like « Too Far », it would be a lie, because I’m all over the place as a person. My music, like my image is all over the place. People tell me I’ve had this image, I’ve had that sound, I’ve got this image, I’ve got this sound, and yeah that’s right and I’m going to have a lot more because that’s how I see myself. I like to mould myself in different ways. Working on this album has been such a good example of that ». « I did a lot of writing and a lot of it was on holiday. I found it quite frustrating during this period that a lot of the time I had to wait for this person or producer to be available and was really dependent on a lot of other people, when there were days when I was so ready. I wanna record today, this is the day I feel this song, or that I can do a better version of something I’ve already done. So I went away and when I was away I wrote more songs so it was a great couple of years for me, but now it’s all come together I’m very relieved ». « I don’t want to sound scary but the album might be a bit schizophrenic. That’s not to say I am but I do have days when nothing makes sense then I have days when I feel like the luckiest girl on Earth. It’s scary because if it doesn’t work I won’t be able to blame anyone else. I know I’ll be truly terrified when the album comes out but hopefully people will see the work that I and the others have put into it and love it as much as we do ».
17 www.kylie-world.com
« It’s very diverse because of working with different producers, but then I realised that what I’m trying to do with this album is to be myself, and fortunately or unfortunately I’m not sure, I am all of those different areas […] In the end the album is a very good representation of my life in the past two years with the different exploring I’ve done within myself ». « The writing gave me the most satisfaction, the production side is something I’m learning about. As far as writing and having a set of lyrics, the best ones I’ve found were almost subconscious writing ». « For the first time, in my new album, I am expressing the real Kylie. I have got a great team around me, but I have written the lyrics and melodic content. I hope it will show the real me, my desires, my wishes, my failures and my successes. I want it to be Kylie laid bare to a certain extent. I will still keep some of me back though ». « If the album works, it’ll be my graduation. I’ve learned a lot but if it works, it’ll mean I’m past a certain point. I’ve grown up. It’s the best I can do at this moment, the most I can ask of myself ». « I’ve written lyrics before but they’ve been safe – just neatly rhymed words and that’s that. Now I have songs in which, from beginning to end, I don’t want another word, I don’t want a word removed. It’s not that I’ve dragged any demons out of myself but they’re much more personal songs than ever before ». « I regard all of the songs as little vignettes and different stories, and I even sound different from one track to the next just because it’s the first time I’ve written myself ».
Isa, April/May 2K20
Focus • Some Kind Of Bliss « It was really up and down at times. I cried a lot, lost it completely, threw myself dramatically into my boyfriend’s arms at night… In a sick way I was enjoying that though. I thought « OK this is part of it, this means it’s real ». It’s not an easy ride ». « Sometimes it’s hard for me to explain the changes I make in the way I look because I haven’t had a regimented thought process behind them. I just do them to keep myself amused and because I enjoy fashion and being able to manipulate myself into different forms, different characters. Maybe part of that is frustration of not acting anymore, because image-making is a form of acting ». In 2008, when talking about this era, she admitted : « That period, that album, I was a little bit lost and so I was trying lots of different styles in music and performance. It was certainly not as successful as the time with PWL but I think it did what needed to be done. That period did feel long I have to say, it was even at the time when it was a bit frustrating I wouldn’t say it was utterly depressing but I certainly wasn’t on a high ».
« I should have said no to the Hollywood films that were bad moves. You know how your parents are always the first to say « That was lovely Dear ? ». Well, I made this film with Steven Baldwin, my parents went to see it and they just said « Do. Not. See. It ». And my dad was going « Why… why? » I’m really bad. I say yes to most things ».
« I think I have been successful, but I would like to be more successful. My definition of success has changed in the past few years. It used to be the highest ratings, the most popular show, the highest-selling single, the most magazine covers, and I had all those. I think the work I’m doing now has more integrity and more of myself in it ».
« I used to be asked about drugs but I felt I couldn’t say anything either way. It was a no win situation. I didn’t want to say « Yeah it’s OK man, go and do it » and if you’ve done it yourself it’s not cool to say « Don’t do it ». So what I basically said was ‘young people have to make up their own minds’. But you know I don’t do any of that now. That was then, years ago…».
« I keep hearing these stories about how I am anorexic, but I swear I have not got a problem with food. I start my day with a chocolate croissant and coffee. I love a hearty lunch and go out to dinner with friends ».
« Dannii and I are different in that she will go straight at things, I will quietly work my way around a problem. But the bottom line is that we are always there for each other… But in many ways we are the same. Underneath everything, all the hype and the publicity and the fame, we are both soft-hearted and we both hurt ». *** Here are some other pics of the photoshoot that was done by John Rankin (yes, you should know his name very well by now !) with Kylie wearing her super mini denim dress. 18 www.kylie-world.com
lyrics Shut my eyes Feel the colour of you Sink into this elation So high so fast
Good to be here Time to be all alone Find a space where I belong and Not succumb to fear
Shut my eyes Feel the colour of you Succumb to this illusion So strong so deep
‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss ‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss.
‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss ‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss
‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss ‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss.
Study my reflection And let the covers fall Slip into stillness And be above it all
‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss ‘cause everyday is all there is In my some kind of bliss…
Study my reflection and let the covers fall 19 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Focus • Some Kind Of Bliss
RELEASE INFORMATION (PHYSICAL) (per tracklist) Tracklist : • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Album Version • « Limbo » • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Quivver Mix Tracklist applicable to UK, OZ, Japan, Taiwan CDs & to the European CD1 and the Poland cassette.
The UK CD is housed within the black & green outer + inner card picture sleeves below:
UK CD – Front (outter sleeve)
UK CD - Back (outter sleeve)
Japan CD - Front
UK CD - Front (inner sleeve)
Taiwan CD - Front
UK CD - Disc
EU CD1 - Front
Tracklist : • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Edit • « Limbo » Tracklist only applicable to the UK cassette (which comes in a Cardboard Sleeve). UK Cassette - Front
UK Cassette - Back
Tracklist : • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Edit • « Love Takes Over Me » – Single version Tracklist only applicable to the UK 7” vinyl (which is a limited and numbered edition).
20 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Tracklist : • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Album Version • « Limbo » Tracklist only applicable to the EU CD2.
EU CD2 - Front
EU CD2 - Back
EU CD2 - Disc
There is also the New Zealand Cassette featuring « Some Kind Of Bliss » and the Quivver Mix of the single - but the quality of the only photos I managed to find are terrible…
SOME PROMOTIONAL SUPPORTS UK Promo CD
Front
Back
Disc
Australian Promo CD « Some Kind of Bliss » - Edit
UK Promo Cassette 1 « Some Kind of Bliss » - Edit
UK Promo Cassette 2 • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Album Version • « Limbo » • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Quivver Mix • « Some Kind of Bliss » - Edit
UK VHS Promo Video « Some Kind Of Bliss »
Sources: personal collection, mixkylie.co.uk and Discogs 21 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
We talked to you about it a while ago when it was just rumour, without really believing it… In the end, it turned out that everything was true, since Kylie launched her own brand of wines very recently, on her birthday, under the name « Kylie Minogue Wines ». If for the moment, only one rosé has been revealed and is available only in England, other wines will soon be released under the same name.
Focus • Kylie Minogue Wines The singer has never hidden the fact that she loves good wine (which we have all seen in many photos), and she had even performed in a vineyard in Australia two years ago in Hunter Valley. But the fact that she would have her own brand of wine one day is something we weren’t really expecting. And yet, it is very discreetly that the singer’s collection made its appearance in some English supermarkets. The information spread very quickly on the internet and actually went viral thanks to the fans who had found bottles in their local supermarket as of May 23rd. Among the photos we saw, the singer’s bottle of rosé simply titled Kylie Minogue Rosé and its price, £9. Our favourite Australian has been in discussions with several vineyards for two years now, in order to make a wine that fully « matches » her. A source said in particular to The Sun newspaper in March: « [Kylie] is working with her team to make it happen and is in discussions with lots of vineyards to find the perfect wines. She has loads of adult fans and it feels like a good fit for her to put her name to a wine which is sophisticated but fun, just like her. She has been working on it for some time but is hoping she will finally be able to put it out there later this year as a treat for all of her fans ». If the singer remained silent, it was finally on May 28th that her rosé was officially launched with a message of thanks on her social networks for all the wishes for her birthday. « Birthday DONE!!! I raise my glass to love and to all of you!!! Thank you once again for your birthday wishes ». she said, posting a photo of her that we had never seen before, in which she holds a glass of rosé. This is the only exclusive photo for her brand of wines which has been revealed.
Laeti, April/May 2K20
Indeed, all the photos revealed so far and used for the promotion campaign were taken by Christian Vermaak, the singer’s makeup artist and hairdresser, who has become over time one of her official photographers. These images (except for the photo with the glass of rosé), were taken a little before the release of the album « Golden » and were published for the first time in April 2018, in the French edition of Elle magazine with a little interview of Kylie about her new album. They have since been used in several interviews and seem to be the official images of the campaign. Little anecdote, these photos were not chosen randomly because in one of them, we see the singer with a rose in her hand. At first, this collection was supposed to be called « The Wild Rosé » ! « Hah, yes, it was ! We did play with that idea, but for a start it was taken. And secondly, we didn’t want it to feel like a gimmick ». © Christian Vermaak - Darenote Ltd
Following the first tweets posted by people who had found some bottles at Tesco, many fans went to their local Tesco to try to get their bottle and taste it too. In the end, many stores found themselves out of stock even before the official launch and fan feedback was quite positive: @imamberzoe : I can honestly say I would 10/10 recommend Kylie Minogue’s rosé wine ! @carenlalania : I have not really been a fan of Rose or Red wines, however, I find it very palatable for me. It is light, fruity and crisp. It is a lovely wine. @dougray71 : Best rosé wine ever ! Very nice ! In a report for ITV’s This Morning, a reporter talked about the best rosés for the summer, and Kylie’s wine was mentioned. The hosts therefore tasted the rosé (which is brave, we’d never drink wine in the morning), and the comments were very positive, whether they were on the packaging deemed very cute, or on its actual taste. Of course, it’s a French wine (so it can only be good haha...). 25 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
Focus • Kylie Minogue Wines Indeed, on the - very simple - label, we can find the singer’s signature with the name Rosé and just below « Vin De France », written on a rose gold banner which stands out with the color of the rosé. The 75cl bottle is made of 80% Carignan & 20% Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé. It is described as : « Beautifully pale pink shade with delicate, alluring aromas of fresh summer berries and white blossom. Refined and refreshing on the palate with a fruity, crisp finish ». Also note that this wine is suitable for vegan people, and that it contains 12.5% alcohol. You can find the exact composition of this rosé on the following pages. A site dedicated to Kylie’s wine collection has been created: https://www.kylieminoguewines.com/, on which you can find all the news about the singer’s collections, where you can order the bottles etc... As we said above, for the moment, only the rosé is available, in two different versions: • The first one is the one you can find at Tesco stores for £9. • The second is obviously the same bottle but this time in a gift package, with a silver box, a note from the singer and nice packaging for £17. You can get both versions on the Kylie Wines website. Please note, for the
moment delivery is only in England (as usual...). The singer’s brand has however said that they are working on expanding the distribution of Kylie wines, especially in Australia or more recently in Brazil (and apparently even in France hurray!). The singer’s rosé is part of the « The Classic » collection. Another collection should soon arrive and is already named « The Collection ». It will apparently be a Merlot since the official Tesco Twitter announced a few days ago that they were going to put this wine on shelves. For the moment, no other picture of any of her other wines have appeared and on the site we can see the message « Coming Soon ». Several other wines should also arrive by the end of the summer.
The regular bottle
The gift package
For information, Kylie’s collection is distributed by Benchmark Drinks: It is a London-based distributor and brand developer established in 2018. Led by MD Paul Schaafsma, the combined trade experience of the team totals over 100 years all in senior management roles. They manage a premium portfolio of award-winning global brands from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and France. And Graham Norton has also launched his wine brand, which is signed and distributed by the same company! 26 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
In a recent interview for The Drink Business by Lucy Shaw, Kylie talks about this range and explains why she likes wine. It was Michael Hutchence who initiated her and took her on a romantic trip to the south of France and to Italy. « Michael was au fait with that lifestyle, but I was only 21 at the time, and it was all new to me, and incredibly glamorous and intoxicating. It was during that trip that I first got a full-bodied appreciation of wine ». The singer continued to drink wine at different events throughout her career (needless to say we don’t mean she drank heavily, just a glass here and there), and during the creation of « Golden » (where she drank a rosé from Provence), Kylie said she would love to create her brand. « It was exceptionally hot and humid that summer, and it was an exciting time, being in Nashville and writing songs with no distractions. While dining outdoors one night, my manager Polly and I were drinking Whispering Angel to cool down from the heat, which got me thinking how great it would be to have my own rosé. I love pale pink rosés and all the associations of the Mediterranean that go with them ». And this is how the idea of having her own brand came up! Paul Schaafsma of Benchmark Drinks, the brand that distributes Kylie rosé, helped her to find THE rosé she wanted. « I felt at ease with Paul and his team straight away. They got the measure of me very quickly » she said. Paul, meanwhile, admitted that the singer had a very good palate, and that she approved of all the choices at each stage of the conception. Being totally involved, she even had her say on the label’s design of course, and she didn’t want her name to be written too big on the bottle. « I’ll come clean and admit that I wasn’t comfortable with my name being bigger on the
upcoming wines • Kylie Minogue Sauvignon Blanc 2019 IGP Côtes de Gascogne
label, and looking like it had been slapped on the product. I didn’t want it to look and feel like that, so we made my name smaller but you can still see it’s my wine ». As we told you - and as it was confirmed in the interview with The Drink Business - Kylie will release several wines by summer, including a Côte De Provence 2019 rosé which is made with 50% Grenache, 40% Cinsault and 10% from Rolle and from the Château Des Anglades, near St Tropez, in France.For the moment, no champagne is on the list of the next products offered by the singer, but she hasn’t excluded the idea and even admits that it could one day happen. It’s a very interesting and clever idea especially if she sells her own drinks at her concerts (for the people in the front row who drink cola, good luck with the others around you). Additionally, Kylie also does not exclude the idea of having her own vineyard and owning a property in the south of France (yeahhhhhhh, great idea Kylie !), a place she knows particularly well and where she has already spent many of her holidays : « I’ve spent a lot of time in the south of France and have often dreamed of owning a property there. Waking up to the sun, the breeze and the smell of jasmine would be delicious ». The entire interview with Kylie can be found in the June edition of The Drink Business, who are now exceptionally selling this particular magazine individually for £20 (because there has been high demand as they said it themselves), instead of you having to subscribe annually to the magazine.
And once your bottle(s) is/are finished, don’t hesitate to keep them (unless you have drunk 10, you can throw them away) to put small light garlands inside! Several fans have done it, and the result is just wow!
• Kylie Minogue Merlot 2019 IGP Pays d’Oc • Kylie Minogue Côtes de Provence Rosé 2019 • Kylie Minogue Margaret River Chardonnay 2019 (Fall) © kyl13minogue on Twitter 27 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
KYLIE MINOGUE LAUNCHES FRENCH ROSÉ « I have a great passion for rosé and have loved working for the last two years on developingKylie Minogue Wines. Working with the brilliant team at Benchmark Drinks we have created a Rosé that I am truly enamoured by, it’s fresh, light and the perfect pink »
Kylie Minogue « It has been a privilege collaborating with Kylie to bring her rosé vision to life. Kylie’s exquisite taste and refined palate made it a dream to develop this bespoke rosé blend, creating a beautifuly elegant wine which reflects the character of Kylie Minogue ».
Paul Schaafsma, Benchmark Drinks EMBARGOED UNTIL MAY 28TH, 2020 : To coincide with her birthday on May 28th, pop icon Kylie Minogue launches her signature French rosé in collaboration with Benchmark Drinks. Kylie Minogue Rosé is an elegant, bespoke blend made from Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes sourced from the sun-drenched southern French Coast, a region known for its innovative viticulture. With a deliciously juicy and fresh first impression, the elegant blend features a beautifully pale pink shade with delicate, alluring aromas of fresh summer berries and white blossom, refined and refreshing on the palate with a fruity, crisp finish. The wine is beautifully presented in a long-neck curved bottle with an engraved label featuring Kylie’s signature, finished off with a bespoke pearlescent capsule. Kylie Minogue’s debut Rosé Vin de France will be launching exclusively in over 450 Tesco stores nationwide from the 28th May at an RRP of £9. For more information and to purchase Kylie Minogue Wines online visit www.kylieminoguewines.com, and to join the Kylie Minogue Wines community, follow: Instagram.com/KylieMinogueWines.
Blend : 80% Carignan & 20% Cabernet Sauvignon RosĂŠ, Sugar : 4.4g/l total Viticulture : o The grapes are sourced from the sundrenched southern French coast. o Cooling sea breezes help to keep grapes in optimum health and allow the development of expressive aromas and bright acidity. o Conventional guyot and goblet vine training. Vinification : o Grapes are night harvested to protect from oxidation and preserve aromas. o After destemming, the grapes are gently pressed and then processed through static racking. o Fermentation is maintained at a cool temperature to preserve freshness. o Matured in stainless steel tanks for 3 months on its fine lees to add texture and complexity. Tasting note : o Beautifully pale pink shade with delicate, alluring aromas of fresh summer berries and white blossom. Refined and refreshing on the palate with a fruity, crisp finish. Suitable for vegans.
The lastest NEWS on KYLIE’S NEW ALBUM (PART 2)
In our last edition of the Kylie Times, we gave you a summary of the latest information we had on the 15th album of Kylie with the statements that the singer had made. We also talked about the different people who were mentioned as working with our Australian: Sky Adams, Mousse T and Alex Gaudino, Biffco‌ Many artists have posted photos in the studio. In the past two months, several details have been revealed about Kylie’s future album and as always, many rumours have circulated. Here is a little summary of all of that, so you know all about the creation of this new project.
Focus • #KM15
KYLIE CONTINUED TO WORK ON HER ALBUM DURING THE LOCKDOWN While the lockdown has been, for many of us, a time when we didn’t necessarily have to work, Kylie didn’t suffer from unemployment in the past two months. Indeed, the singer continued to work on her new album, as confirmed by several photos posted by the artist herself, as well as the president of the BMG label, Alistair Norbury. In Music Week magazine, the president said that the label’s artists are still working on their new albums, and that Kylie is particularly creative. « Kylie Minogue is learning to use [the music software] Logic. She’s got herself a home studio and decided that, if there’s one thing she can do during this time, it’s to learn to engineer and record her own vocals. So with some Zoom lessons and plenty of input from [BMG VP, A&R] Jamie Nelson, Kylie’s learning to get herself to a place where she can be creative during this time ». Kylie said : « I’ve been really busy, setting up a home studio (AKA, my lounge room!) and learning so much about remote recording. It’s been a steep learning curve for all the team as there are technical
obstacles to navigate but I’m so thankful to be able to continue work on my album in this way. I’ve been riding the emotional wave along with the rest of the world, but creativity has been a big help ».
SESSIONS VIA ZOOM The singer therefore continues to work from home and posted a photo of a microphone with a hanging headphone and the caption « Back to biz! ». A few days later, the photo of a Zoom meeting with Sky Adams was also posted: « Yup. Still going. Sessions. There have been a dedicated few who have helped me navigate home studio writing and recording. Here’s one of them! ». It therefore seems that Sky Adams has a very important place in the production of this new album. May-
32 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
« There’s a lot of early 2000s love around at the moment. Both feel like good times for me, so I’m channelling that into this record. The songs that are pure escapism have even stronger purpose ».
AN OUTPUT PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR? be he’s the main producer? Only time will tell…
AN ALBUM CALLED KYLIE? Since her interview in GQ magazine which came out on her birthday, many people think that the name of the singer’s new album will be simply « Kylie », as it was written in the magazine. Personally, we think that it remains a « generic » name and that the title of the opus has not yet been defined, otherwise let’s not lie, we would be a bit disappointed... Anyway, if we already know that it is mostly a disco-pop album, the singer gave some more details: « It’s difficult for me to explain but even grownups need some pure pop fun ». She also added :
If several sources close to the singer’s management have said that Kylie will focus mainly on the composition of her album this year, the release date remains unknown at the moment. On SayHey, several rumours have recently circulated that the singer’s album will be released this year and would be one of the biggest releases for BMG. The album and the single would even be announced for the third quarter of 2020, i.e. at (or just after) the start of the school year… Another rumour says that the singer is back in the studio to record new songs because the label was not completely satisfied with some tracks, and that the first single would be released in September, and the album in October… For now, these remains rumours and our trust in SayHey is quite limited on some subjects… We hope we will have more gossip to give you by the end of the summer! In the meantime, stay tuned on our social networks for the latest info on Kylie’s next album!
33 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
News • April / May 2020
F
KYLIE SAYS THANK YOU TO THE NHS
ollowing the coronavirus crisis that hit all countries, Kylie did a short video clip which was then posted on the YouTube channel of the NHS (the public health system of the United Kingdom), on which we can find messages of support and thanks to caregivers, alongside many artists, including Elton John, David Beckham, Graham Norton and Stormzy. Two other parts were subsequently posted with more artists, also on the NHS YouTube channel. Kylie posted some stories on her social media where we see her cheering with pans in support of the caregivers.
D
magic fm concert
uring the lockdown, Magic FM radio announced that they would broadcast their private concert with Kylie which had been recorded in London in July last year. The various extracts which had been put on the internet and in particular on YouTube were put offline a few days before, which led us to think that we were going to enjoy the whole concert, which had lasted about an hour. The show was broadcast again on April 8th, and unfortunately, we got a shorter version of the concert with songs such as « Love At First Sight », « Hands On Your Heart », « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head », « All The Lovers », « Dancing » and « Spinning Around », lasting only 24 minutes in total and we heard 7 tracks out of 13...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOLDEN !
R
eleased on April 6th, 2018, Kylie’s fourteenth album celebrated its two years this year. A week after its release, it ranked first in the UK charts. On this occasion, Kylie posted a message on social networks with several photos of her and a small video where she received her little award from the Official Charts, the official English ranking. We see the singer in an airport accompanied by her team who gave her the prize. Here’s the caption that came with the pic: « #LOVERS... Two years ago today, « Golden » entered the charts at #1. It was such an exciting time for me and my team and connecting with so many of you around the world was truly wonderful. It seems a world away from where we are now but as I work (remotely) on new material, I send love and gratitude to you all. Stay safe everyone ».
34 www.kylie-world.com
Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
ANZAC DAY
A
NZAC Day, not very well known in Europe, is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, which commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders « who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations » and « the contribution and suffering of all those who served ». It takes place on April 25th of each year and was originally « created » to honor members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli campaign, their first engagement in the First War world (19141918). On this occasion and as she does almost every year, Kylie posted a photo on her social media. This year, she posted a sweet picture of herself with the following message: « Between home studio, home physio and home haircuts (thanks @paulsolomonsgq)... watching Aussie and Kiwi mates like @jamesreyne_official on #musicfromthehomefront this #Anzacday Love and gratitude. I MISS YOU!!! #homefront ».
Speaking of Music From The Home Front, the singer also sent a message to this festival, organized on Anzac Day, to pay its respects and celebrate the mateship between two great neighbouring nations. The concert, which was accessible via streaming, was also aimed at fighting the COVID-19, « to those that are currently fighting on the COVID-19 front line and say, « thank you » ». The line-up brought together many artists such as Delta Goodrem, Dean Lewis, Guy Sebastian, Tones And I and Andrew Farriss of INXS. Here is the message that Kylie left: « Hi everyone it’s Kylie, I just wanted to join you here from Music From The Home Front to send my best to you. It’s Anzac Day, and every Anzac Day is such an important time, such a humbling time for us to pause, reflect and honore those who sacrificed so much for all of us. So wherever you are in Australia I join you today with total love and gratitude and until we can be together again, an enormous virtual hug ». 35 www.kylie-world.com
easter memories
T
o celebrate Easter, Dannii shared a photo of her sister and her cooking at their grandparents’ house on social media. Here is the legend that accompanies the pic: « When I was very small I woke up one Easter Sunday morning and my sister said to me: « Did you hear the Easter Bunny? » And I said: « No, I didn’t hear the Easter Bunny, did YOU hear the Easter Bunny? » And she said « Oh yeah! » I asked her what it sounded like and she said: « Thump, thump thump thump, thump thump thump THUMP! I heard it on the roof! » Thank goodness the Easter Bunny has been classified as an essential service around the world! But, just in case he’s struggling and doesn’t make It to our place, we’ll be having homemade lemonade and chocolate chip pancakes for Easter breakfast so we’ll definitely get our chocolate fix! ».
She added : « This pic is me and @KylieMinogue cooking up a storm at our Nain’s house when we were little. What will you be whipping up for Easter this year and will your little ones be giving you a hand in the kitchen? ».
Kylie reposted this photo a few minutes later and added : « Hah! My brother just reminded me of this story today. I told him and my sister that I’d heard ‘thump, thump, thump’ in the night and even saw a flash of white. It MUST have been the Easter Bunny!!! Promise! ».
Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
News • April / May 2020
A MILLION FOLLOWERS ON spotify
A
fter reaching two million followers on Instagram, it’s a new record that Kylie reached in May: a million followers on Spotify!
F
A DANCE CHALLENGE
ollowing the coronavirus crisis, many dancers found themselves without any resources to live. The nonprofit Dancers association thus decided to open an online money pot to support these dancers. In order to give visibility to this project, the #DNChallenge was launched, with the aim of taking up the choreographies of certain singers. After a Little Mix song, it’s Ashley Wallen, Kylie’s choreographer, who teaches us the choreography of « Spinning Around ». The videos made were reposted by Kylie on her Instagram account, and the singer also took part in the challenge by doing the choreography.
On the singer’s recent statistics, we also learn that 4.5 million people listen to her on Spotify every month, and that the city that plays the most her songs is Mexico City, Mexico, with 107,000 listeners, followed by Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and London.
A few days later, her TikTok account was created... Maybe in order to develop more challenges of the same kind?
CGYOOMH rated by THE GUARDIAN BETTER THE DEVIL CELEBRATES 30 YEARS !
O
n the occasion of the 30th anniversary of « Better The Devil You Know », the singer gave us a gift by a remastered version of the video in high definition. « BTDYK now remastered in HD! Happy 30th #BetterTheDevilYouKnow I LOVE hearing your stories about this song, the single, the video or any of the many live versions I’ve done over the years. Enjoy and lots of LOVE xx ».
she said on social media. The video was posted by the PWL channel, with the following caption: « Remastered in HD to celebrate the 30th anniversary of « Better The Devil You Know ». One of Kylie Minogue’s signature songs, « Better The Devil You Know » was the lead single from her third LP « Rhythm Of Love ». The track is a staple of Kylie’s live sets and was a UK number two hit in May 1990. The track also featured on the soundtrack of the Richard Grieco film « If Looks Could Kill » ». 36 www.kylie-world.com
T
he Guardian newspaper revealed a ranking of the top 100 English songs that ranked first in the country’s charts, regardless of their release years. In the first place, we find the Pet Shop Boys with the song « West End Girls », followed by The Specials with « Ghost Town » or the Beatles with « She Loves You », released in 1963. You know us, if we’re talking about this, it’s because Kylie is part of the ranking with her song « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head », which we find in 17th place, before Beyoncé and the track « Crazy In Love » and after Ian Dury and The Blockheads with the song « Your Rhythm Stick ». On this occasion, an article on the creation of the track was published on the newspaper’s website describing the song as being: « A global No 1 that even the anti-pop brigade can enjoy, it is both the sweaty highlight of any wedding reception dancefloor and the crux of an argument in Words and Music, a gloriously verbose book by critic Paul Morley in which he calls it an example of pop’s « occasional odd shine of mind-changing art » ». Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
A DUET WITH DUA LIPA ?
W
P
KIESZA TALKS ABOUT KYLIE
op singer and author Kiesza recently gave an interview to etalk, a Canadian television channel, where she remembers various moments that have marked her career, including the first time she heard her track on the radio, the first time she sang live in front of an audience or the first time she wrote a song. And the singer revealed a little secret we weren’t aware of: she wrote lyrics for Kylie.
hen promoting her album « Future Nostalgia » which we already talked about in our previous edition of the Kylie Times, Dua Lipa granted numerous interviews, including one on video to the English version of GQ magazine. This is a short Q&A to questions asked by fans via social media. The first question was: « What female artists would you like to collaborate with ? » to which she replied: « I would like to collaborate with Rihanna. I would like to collaborate with Kylie Minogue ». And the following question made a perfect transition: « We’ve heard you love Kylie. What’s your favorite song or video ? ». Dua confessed that she loved « Slow », whether it’s the track or the music video! Dua Lipa’s new album is very disco inspired and Kylie’s should also be… It might be time to consider this collaboration right?
To the question: « Who’s the first artist who sang the lyrics that you wrote? » she replied: « Well, the song never got put out and I love the song so I actually might put it out still... it was actually Kylie Minogue. That’s how my songwriting career got started actually, I wrote a song and found out that Kylie Minogue really liked it and she cut the song and then from there I got a lot of interest from the industry as a songwriter and I got my first publishing deal and the first cut that I ever got of a musician that got put out was… I think it was JLO actually ».
Even if the song has not been released, we would really like to hear it and we hope that Kiesza will release it soon!
KYLIE IN A REALITY TV SHOW?
S
everal articles have recently been published in the press, revealing that the producers of the programs Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celebrity are going to fight to try and book the biggest stars for their programs. And in the list of these celebrities, we can find Boris Becker, a tennis player, Louis Tomlinson’s sister from One Direction, Lottie, or Kylie… Money would obviously not be a problem for these shows and Kylie would be a great signing for both programs, especially after her 30-year career and her performance at Glastonbury last year. But regarding the fact that it could happen or not, we still have a big doubt : the singer has worked a lot on her next album which is supposed to be released… this year… A short appearance on the set of Strictly to perform one of her new singles would make more sense ! 37 www.kylie-world.com
I
A QUICK WALK WITH PAUL
t’s been a while since we hadn’t seen pics of the singer in the street (which is relatively normal during a lockdown) but the day before her birthday, Kylie was spotted in London alongside Paul, walking around her house. We saw several photos of her bare feet, shoes in hand, and she was wearing a t-shirt that is in our budget for once (£20, you can find it in our fashion section), white pants, a cap and sunglasses. Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
News • April / May 2020
TONY FLOOD MY LIFE WITH THE STARS
F
leet Street reporter Tony Flood met many celebrities and decided to reveal some of their secrets in a book called « My Life With The Stars - Sizzling Secrets Spilled ». During the Covid-19 period, the author of the book decided to make it available on Amazon in digital format for free in order to entertain people. Result: the book has become a bestseller! Inside, you can find 45 chapters that tell secrets of various stars, including Joan Collins, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali. And if we are mentioning it, it is - obviously - because Kylie is mentioned in the book, in chapter 6, entitled: « Kylie and Peter Andre talk about their depression ». If we haven’t actually read the part about Kylie, we know for sure that Kylie spoke about the stress that she has already faced. If you read it, don’t hesitate to send us a little summary!
$935,000 FOR A TOURISM CAMPAIGN
Y
es, that’s the title used by news.co.au for the article in which they revealed how much the singer had been paid for the tourism campaign to highlight her country, which had to be taken down following the various fires affecting the country. Incredible, isn’t it, I mean, wow Kylie was paid for a job that she did ! And yes, indeed, was it really necessary to reveal how much money she had been paid for that? We don’t really think so, especially since this money was paid to KDB Pty Ltd, a company represented by Kylie, and of which her parents Carol and Ron and her brother, Brendon, are representatives. Obviously, news.co.au journalists have never had a company since it’s quite obvious Kylie didn’t put all the money in her pocket. Each company has people to pay, and her company has loads of people to pay. Another detail - which of course was not mentioned on the site - remember that the singer then made a donation of $ 500,000 following the bushfires in Australia... Between the charges, the fact of paying people and this donation, we have a slight doubt about the fact that she still has money from this campaign and we don’t really see why they are putting this forward... But oh well, haters gonna hate! The only interesting thing we learn in this article is that the advert - broadcast before the Queen’s speech - and the shorter versions of the ad were viewed more than 30 million times, which also helped to produce more than 33 000 articles and various content in the media!
A BIRTHDAY AT HOME
F
or her 52nd birthday, Kylie spent her day in London in her home because of the lockdown (well, like most of us really). The singer, however, received the visit of her friend Kathy Lette, who brought her a birthday cake and because of the social distancing, the author just put it on Kylie’s stairs so that she could come and get it! Kylie also posted two photos of her as a young girl thanking people who had wished her a birthday with the following message: « Thank you SO much for your birthday messages. My wish is to send you all... so... much... love! Especially to my family, your love and kindness lifts me up each and every day. #Lovers, take care of each other. I love U! ».
She also posted a photo of a typical Australian cake, the lamington, on which she blew her birthday candle. Note also the fact that, for Kylie’s birthday, Paul shared a beautiful drawing of Kylie, painted by David Downton.
38 www.kylie-world.com
Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
SOFI TUKKER’s Playlist
D
uring lockdown, we more or less all tried to find other ways to connect/share with people and some also decided it was the perfect time to exercise (and/or « Sexercise », but that’s not the subject here…..). It was the case of American musical duo « SOFI TUKKER ». First they made DJ sets every day on their Instagram and Facebook pages to continue connecting with their community. Then they released a workout playlist titled « Quarantine Workout » which starts with their song « Matador ». This list of songs also contains hits like « Saturday Night » by Whigfield, « Who is themba » by Themba, « World Hold On » by Bob Sinclar, « Playa Grande » by Bomba Estéreo and « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head » by Kylie Minogue (as the 39th song), among others.
KYLIE made 2 millions last year
O
n May 15th, 2020, msn.com claimed that our favourite Australian made £2 million last year, according to new accounts filed by her UK company Darenote Limited. Apparently that amount is set to double next year to £4 million when profits from her most recent tour are added in. A source told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column : « Kylie is still a money-making machine (we don’t really see it that way but….). Her fan base is very loyal and will continue to see her live whenever possible ».
I
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN BLOSSOMS AND KYLIE ?
n a recent interview with Sky News, Tom Ogden, the leader of the band Blossoms talked about the covers he did during the lockdown, his inspiration from the Backstreet Boys and even having Kylie Minogue as a fan. Now, you are probably wondering where this information is coming from. Well it’s pretty simple, the t-shirt that Kylie wore when she went out with Paul in the streets of London comes from the band’s merchandising! « Yeah, how mad’s that?I think someone must have given her the T-shirt because there’s no way she’s gone on our website and bought that, I just can’t see it happening. Well, who knows? Then she put another Instagram Story where she’s listening to the song while she was filming her birthday cake, so she must be a fan. We never really have any like, massive celebrity fans, so it is a nice surprise when someone sent us the photo ».
While the group took advantage of the lockdown to record several covers with other artists including collaborations with Miles Kanes or James Skelly, Odgen said he would be very happy if the next one was with Kylie. « Stranger things have happened I’m sure. We’d be 100% up for it ».
We hope that the message will reach Kylie’s ears now!
They also mention that she will be making more money thanks to her own range of wine launched this year. The source reportedly said: « Kylie has had the idea about launching her own wine range for ages but now it is finally coming into fruition. She has been working with her team to make it happen and had been in discussions with lots of vineyards to find the perfect wines. Kylie has loads of adult fans and it feels like a good fit for her to put her name to a wine which is sophisticated but fun, just like her. She has been working on it for some time and hoped she could get it out there this year as a treat for all of her fans ».
W
KYLIE LOSES THE BATTLE FACING CAPRICE HOME
e told you about it in one of our previous editions of the Kylie Times, Kylie’s homewear brand lost its battle against Caprice Home, accused of copying the designs of our Australian’s products (especially for the bedroom collection). If the decision was refused, Ashley Wild Group, the brand that deals with Kylie’s products, however appealed, without success since we already know that the verdict has been rendered and is as follows: « The judge made no error in her previous approach ». In short, it’s a closed debate but let’s face it, it is better to win against Jenner than Caprice Home !
39 www.kylie-world.com
Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
News • April / May 2020
a cover of LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
M
elbourne singer-songwriter Gretta Ray kept herself busy in isolation and released a cover of Kylie Minogue‘s 2001 hit « Love At First Sight ». On Saturday April 11th, she posted a video of her cover on social media and she also explained why she chose to cover this song: « Tonight I am singing Kylie Minogue because the « Ultimate Kylie » greatest hits record was the first CD that I ever owned. I got it for my 7th birthday and I remember there was a green disk and a purple disk and the purple disk was the one I listened to a million trillion times over and this song was on it ».
This is Ray’s third cover in recent times, following her renditions of Ariana Grande’s 2019 song « Needy » and Taylor Swift’s 2008 track « You Belong With Me ».
A
HAPPY BIRTHDAY jason !
few days after Kylie’s birthday, it was Jason Donovan’s turn to celebrate his 52 years. Kylie posted a message on her social media with many photos taken when they were together in Neighbours, as well as when he joined Kylie on stage to sing « Especially For You » in Hyde Park, with this message: « Happy birthday Jason!!! We go back such a long way now. What amazing times! Working with the « grown ups », learning lines, giggling on set with Guy and the team, travelling the world. Etc ETC!!! More memories on Instastory! ».
I
KYLIE AT THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE FINAL?
t’s a rumour that we’ve seen in several sports newspapers: Kylie Minogue may sing for the Australian Football League final. Music promoter Michael Gundinski said switching to a night finale would be the key to get someone like Kylie to perform at the Grand Final. If the date of this event has not yet been set, the promoter did say (about Kylie) : « Kylie lives in London, but she absolutely regards herself totally as an Australian, as she should. I can tell you one thing - if you don’t think I’ve thought of Kylie Minogue, our queen, who after seeing her at Glastonbury she never did many open-air shows. It was always more of a theatre-y, big arena production. Kylie Minogue is an artist where it was a night-time Grand Final or a twilight Grand Final, depending on her situation... it’s all about timing, getting the right acts ».
For now, these are only rumors and only time will tell if this proposal can interest the singer and if she can go to Australia to perform there! 40 www.kylie-world.com
Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
T O
The Women Who Inspire Ada Nicodemou
A LIVE TWEET ON APHRODITE LES FOLIES
he twitter of Track By Track, which likes to have look backs on best pop albums track by track, organized a live tweet during May regarding the « Aphrodite-Les Folies » concert in which Steve Anderson, the singer’s musical director, participated. Here are some of the anecdotes he revealed:
n April 9th, there was an article in Australia’s Marie Claire magazine about Australian actress Ada Nicodemou (« Heartbreak High », « Home and Away »…), on which she talks about the women who inspire her most, and she names three women: her mum Jenny, her best friend Simone and Kylie Minogue! The subtitle of the article is actually « Kylie Minogue was my first-ever celebrity obsession - I wanted to be Charlene » (so did I really, but weirdly enough no one has ever interviewed me about it…). Here’s what she said: « How do I begin to describe my love for Kylie Minogue? She was my firstever celebrity obsession – and the first concert I ever went to. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Charlene [her character in Neighbours]. My bedroom walls were covered in Kylie posters. I knew – and still know – the hospital she was born in, and the names of her parents and brother. I wrote her letters every week and would check the letterbox after school every day for a response. A couple of years ago, I posted a #flashbackfriday on my Instagram of me standing in front of my Kylie shrine – and she responded. I was so excited, but I didn’t want to be an annoying fan and message her back. If I ever met her, I would die. She is an inspiration to all Australians. Kylie’s a strong, beautiful and talented woman. Every time I hear « Spinning Around », I just want to dance – and rock a pair of gold hotpants ».
A COLLABORATION WITH MIRWAIS?
I
t’s a rumour which appeared on the SayHey website (we have to be cautious, not everything on there is true), apparently our favourite singer has collaborated with the producer Mirwais for his next album - Mirwais has worked on several albums including Madonna’s « Music », « American Life », « Confessions On A Dance Floor » and « Madame X »... Apparently she features on one of the tracks of his album which would be called « Retrofuture ». Let’s see what the future holds for us ! 41 www.kylie-world.com
« The idea for the intro was to be submerged into the deep and finally surface in the land of Greek mythology and the world of Aphrodite. Hence the two very different styles that make it up ».
« Then it would eventually lead to the build of Nerina Pallot’s superb title track of the album ending with a false reveal with Kylie singing off stage before her main « Aphrodite » reveal as the main track kicked in. ». « The audio for the album was mixed by the brilliant Toby Alington who has mixed nearly every Kylie live DVD I have ever been involved with alongside many other credits including the Brits. The show was directed by William Baker with choreography by Tony Testa and Lighting Design by Nick Whitehouse ».
« « The One » is such a fan favourite - it was Biffco’s birthday last week too who co-wrote it ». « Our drummer Thomas Meadows has filters on his drum pads which is how he can filter the sounds down in verse 2 of « Spinning Around » as a DJ would in a club. yes, he’s that good! ». « « What Do I Have To Do » arrangement is a slight nod to the first arrangement I ever did of it for « Intimate And Live » with the « love you’s » - outside of that it was about giving it the club anthem treatment. What a song though ! « And then for the main version of « Confide » we decided to replace the orchestral strings with more electronic synths and 80s electronic elements. I’ll never forget the first time we all saw the water fountains work for the first time in production rehearsals during Million Dollar Mermaid everyone in tears. So incredibly moving. ».
Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
News • April / May 2020
The Kooks’ weird Kylie rider request
T KYLIE’S CONFESSIONS
E
urotrash was a British program presented by two Frenchmen: Antoine De Caunes and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Described as a show that you shouldn’t see with your parents due to the fairly explicit sexual content and sulphurous guests, the show often buzzed between 1993 and 2007. A DailyStar article came out a few weeks ago, about the moments that marked the show. Among those moments, an interview of Kylie in 1995. When she had just revealed her new hair color - ginger - the singer was asked about her relationship with Michael Hutchence by JeanPaul Gaultier: « Paula says is he a good lover, is it true? If he has anything special that can please women, I want to know ».
his is probably the strangest thing we have for you in store in this edition. The PerthNow website revealed on April 19th that English indie rock band The Kooks have wanted a « life-size cut out of Kylie Minogue » on their tour rider for years! The band - comprised of Luke Pritchard, Hugh Harris and Alexis Nunez - have revealed the various items they have requested over the years, and they are still waiting for the cardboard Kylie to go up in their dressing room. Luke said: « A life-size cut out of Kylie Minogue has been on our list forever ».
and Hugh admitted that that have never gotten it. Luke said that they should just buy it in the end. Kylie if you’re reading us, how about sending these guys a life-size cut out of you to make them happy? (Oh and we’re not against the idea of having one as well - thanks!)
he asked Kylie. She shyly admitted that it was true, before the fashion designer asked her if she had learned a lot in the bedroom from her ex.
juno GET INSPIRED BY kylie
« Some things but not everything, each man should always teach you something new ».
We don’t want to know more!
O
BLACK LIVES MATTER
A
s the Black Lives Matter movement is gaining weight around the world, the singer (who very often remains silent on many subjects), expressed herself by posting the video of a little black girl who is fighting for her rights with the following message: « This beautiful, brave girl spoke so powerfully. If only she didn’t have to do it at all. I stand with you #BlackLivesMatter ».
A few days later, she also joined the #BlackOutTuesday movement, which consisted of posting a black square on social networks and which was launched by the music industry and the media, in order to raise awareness and find means of action. to act together, in solidarity. If some people considered that Kylie had not done enough, remember that the singer never really speaks about political or social issues, and it’s not because she doesn’t say anything that she does not take actions.
n May 24th, 2020, the site beat.com.au (Australia) published a short article called « Synthwave duo Juno channel Kylie Minogue in their new single, « Sleepwalker » ». Indeed, Sydney synthwave duo Juno have very recently released their debut single, « Sleepwalker » which was recorded and produced in their home studio. The track explores the reality of living with mental illness. Reflecting the state of flux that comes with suffering from bipolar disorder and suicidal thoughts, « Sleepwalker » pits complex themes and vulnerable lyrics against a danceable rhythm. Taking inspiration from Kylie Minogue’s « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head », the melody is a swelling concoction of synth and layered vocal effects which flow together seamlessly. Despite its dark and confronting undertones, « Sleepwalker » is almost anthemic - it greets its listeners with open arms and stands hand in hand with anyone who has suffered from mental illness. The full track is available on Spotify if you’re curious Lovers! Oh and in case you had no idea, Synthwave is a genre of electronic music influenced by 1980s film soundtracks and video games.
42 www.kylie-world.com
Isa and Laeti, April/May 2K20
F
JIVE RECORDS SABOTAGED BODY LANGUAGE ERA
or some time, the hashtag #JusticeForBodyLanguage has been « going around » on Twitter, in order to do justice to this incredible album (yes, it is our favorite), to make it more streamed and to increase the number of downloads. A few days later, a message was posted on the Reddit site from someone who worked at Jive Records. This message remains however to be taken with a grain of salt because we don’t know who this person is nor if what he said is true but here is the message: « I worked as a publicist for Jive Records from 2000-2005 (mainly a record for acts like Britney Spears or *NSYNC). The push Jive did for artists like Britney was insane, and I remember in the summer of 2000 just how much money she was bringing in. The « Oops I Did It Again » album sold 4 million copies in one week if I remember correctly... But Jive began to lose some core artists around 2001/2002 (*NSYNC being the main one) and even Britney began to slip. I remember when her third album came out (forgot the title) it under performed massively, they poured so much money into the singles and promotion and it didn’t even sell 1/2 as well as her two previous albums. Jive realized Britney was losing steam and other artists like Christina Aguilera began to gain it. Jive was worried so they set up a team to try and suppress new pop females from becoming more successful. Kylie Minogue unfortunately fell into that category. I remember her album « Body Language » was coming out and she was gaining a lot of attention from performing with artists like Justin Timberlake and her previous album got her a solid fanbase. When Jive was able to hear her lead single they knew it spelt trouble for Britney’s upcoming album because it was coming out around the same time and looked like it could steal major steam from Britney’s upcoming singles they had lined up (including « Toxic » which was previously a song Kylie Minogue had if I remember right). In a move to stop the album from doing anything of the sort, Jive threatened basically every pop radio and TV station with suspension of their artists playing on their stations, if they didn’t snub artists like Kylie Minogue. If you were a non-white non-pop non-female you were safe, but unfortunately a few pop stars viewed as threats got the full wrath of this. When this went into effect, Minogue’s new single « Slow » was already gaining traction but immediately fell off. The boycott stopped Minogue from getting another hit album in the USA and stopped many many other females from being as big as they could have been. That being said, Britney’s albums still didn’t do nearly as well as Jive hoped causing this whole no other female pop plan to be abandoned after Britney hurt her knee. I quit Jive in 2005 and have never looked back, it’s just sad that so many females had their careers stunted by an irrational fear of them. One thing I do know is « Slow » and the following singles would have at least gone top forty if this Jive thing never went down ».
We wonder what you think about this story? Tell us everything on our social networks Lovers!
Kylie In The Press • April / May
17 KYLIE MINOGUE FACTS EVERY FAN NEEDS TO KNOW On March 11th, Hollie-Anne Brooks published an article on planetradio. co.uk, regarding the 17 most surprising facts about Kylie Minogue. Let’s face it Lovers, as we are fans, we know it all, but it’s always nice to have a quick reminder, right? So, here is a recap of the 17 most surprising facts about Kylie (according to Hollie-Anne). BY HOLLIE-ANNE BROOKS (PLANETRADIO.CO.UK)
1. The Locomotion was the biggest selling single of the 80s in Oz! Kylie released « The Locomotion » as her 1st single in Australia and it stayed at number 1 for a total of 7 weeks. At the end of the decade it ended up being the biggest selling single of the 1980s over there. 2. « I Should Be So Lucky » was written in just 40 minutes It’s one of the catchiest songs and it was created in just over half an hour. Kylie flew to the UK to meet Stock, Aitken and Waterman. The story goes that they forgot Kylie was coming, had nothing prepared for her to test out and whacked up « I Should Be So Lucky » while they were waiting for her to arrive at the meeting. 3. Her Glastonbury performance is the festival’s most watched ever Kylie was heartbroken when she had to cancel her Glastonbury performance in 2005 due to her breast cancer diagnosis. 14 years later, she got to fulfil her dream and performed on the Pyramid stage, and her set became the most viewed ever with millions taking to their TV screens to watch her. 4. « Spinning Around » wasn’t
written for Kylie... The track wasn’t initially supposed to be a Kylie song. You’ll be surprised to know that Paula Abdul co-wrote the song and it was supposed to be her comeback single! 5. Kylie was in Doctor Who Back in 2007, Kylie Minogue played Astrid Peth in Doctor Who in an episode called « Voyage Of The Dammed ». At the time, Kylie said: « It’s an incredible thrill to be joining David Tennant and the entire Doctor Who production for this year’s Christmas special. Doctor Who enjoys a unique history and it is going to be very exciting to be part of that ». 6. Kylie starred in an advert to help promote Australian tourism Proud of her native home, Kylie teamed up with Tourism Australia in 2019 in a 3-minute musical advert that was on TV just before the Queen’s Christmas speech. 7. Kylie has an honorary doctorate In 2011, Kylie received an honorary doctorate from Anglia Ruskin university in a ceremony in Chelmsford, Essex. Kylie received the doctorate in Health Sciences, reflecting her work to promote breast cancer after going 44 www.kylie-world.com
through it herself. 8. Kylie also has an OBE (Order of the British Empire) Before her honorary doctorate, Kylie received an OBE from Prince Charles in 2008 for her services to music. Kylie took her mum and dad along to the ceremony at Buckingham Palace. 9. Madame Tussauds have no less than four Kylie waxworks Only the Queen has more waxworks than Kylie, although you could easily say Kylie is the Queen of Pop. 10. Michael Hutchence wrote a song about Kylie Kylie dated Michael Hutchence for two years and she was the inspiration behind the INXS song « Suicide Blonde ». When Kylie dyed her hair for her role in « The Delinquents », she told Michael that she was going « suicide blonde » and he took the phrase and turned it into a song. 11. Kylie’s boyfriend is creative director of British GQ Kylie’s boyfriend is Paul Solomons. Originally from South Wales, he graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a degree in graphic deIsa, April/May 2K20
sign. Since then, Paul has gone on to be the creative director of super cool men’s lifestyle magazine GQ. 12. She was great friends with the fashion designer Jean-Paul Gautier Kylie forged a friendship with fashion designer Jean-Paul Gautier in the early days of her career and the pair worked together on so many of her iconic looks and tour costumes (if you wanna know more, don’t hesitate to read our latest Kylie Times magazine) 13. Kylie has a brother We all know about Kylie’s sister Dannii Minogue but did you know she had a brother? Preferring to work behind the lens, Brendan is a news cameraman in Australia. 14. Ever wondered how old Kylie Minogue is? Kylie Minogue was born on the 28th
May 1968, making her 52 in 2020. 15. She’s done duets with some of the biggest names in the music industry Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are one of the most well known duos in pop culture but it’s not just « Especially For You » that has seen Kylie share the vocals. She collaborated with Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds on the song « Where The Wild Roses Grow », with Robbie Williams on « Kids », with Enrique Iglesias for « Beautiful », she sang with Nile Rogers and Jake Sheers on « The Other Boys », with « Music’s Too Sad Without You » with Jack Savoretti and also sang with the likes of Taio Cruz, Shaggy and Sam Sparro.
pular. As well as Kylie Minogue bedding, you can also jazz up your home with Kylie Minogue curtains, cushions and wallpaper. 17. Finally, her name has an interesting Aboriginal meaning... What do you think when you think of « Kylie »? Beautiful? Glam? Kind? While they’re all good words to describe Kylie, her name actually means boomerang in the Aboriginal language!
16. There’s a Kylie Minogue bedding range Kylie has turned her hand to interior design and it’s proven hugely po-
Melbourne’s Arts Centre is spinning around to a digital world BY NICK MILLER (THE AGE.COM.AU)
Rumours, apparently, abound on the precautions taken to secure Kylie Minogue’s hotpants − the famous golden ones from the « Spinning Around » video. And now, thanks to COVID-19, it’s time for those rumours to be put to bed. « There are so many myths »
says Arts Centre Melbourne chief executive Claire Spencer. « [For example] that we keep them in a safe behind bulletproof glass ».
The hotpants, part of the Arts Centre’s Performing Arts Collection, will be aired and their significance, semiotics and protective precautions revealed as part of a new digital program curated by the shuttered heart
of Melbourne’s performing arts. The initiative, titled Together With You, is another example of Melbourne’s arts institutions leaping into the digital realm in an effort to keep their audiences engaged and enamoured of the arts in absentia: following the Melbourne Theatre Company, the NGV and others. The Centre has physical and virtual vaults, and will mine them all. The program will include: • Videos from the Australian Music Vault’s Long Play Series, with Judith Durham, Archie Roach, Courtney Barnett and Michael Chugg: music trailblazers and heroes delving into their lives and careers in hour-long interviews; • Sound as Ever podcasts produced by young artists and radio-makers 45 www.kylie-world.com
© Reuters
exploring the Australian music scene: including a series examining the stories and controversies behind iconic songs such as Peter Allen’s « I Still Call Australia Home » and The Presets’ « My People »; • The Liner Notes Series of stories exploring the connection between artists and audiences, including Jane Gazzo reflecting on the poetic songwriting of The Triffids’ David McComb; • Curators discussing famous and never-seen-before items from the Australian Performing Arts Collection; • Plus: virtual workshops, family activities and free performance broadcasts. All the work has been done remotely. We can’t wait for the project to see the day ! Isa, April/May 2K20
Kylie In The Press • April / May
Step Back In Time! Kylie Minogue Served Looks In The ’80s BY MIKE WASS (IDOLATOR.COM)
Given that 2020 is a literal hellscape, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on simpler times. Like when you could walk outside without a mask and pop stars knew how to serve a look, unfiltered by the sterile gaze of a stylist. Kylie Minogue is my go-to for a boost of serotonin and her PWL discography has been a lifeline during these dark days. Not only did the Aussie pop queen bless us with timeless bops in the ’80s (« I Should Be So Lucky », « It’s No Secret », « Hand On My Heart » and many, many more), she also gave us FASHION. As with every other diva of the era, Kylie rocked a giant, frizzy perm and massive shoulder pads. She also wholeheartedly embraced denim of all shades (high-waisted jeans, of course) and went through a phase of wearing floppy hats. Sit back, fire up the fabulous 51-year-old’s first two albums, « Kylie » and « Enjoy Yourself », and have a look at my gallery of promo pics, red-carpet moments and paparazzi candids. If that doesn’t put a smile on your face, you might need to consult a doctor.
Should Have Been Bigger: Kylie Minogue’s « Into The Blue » BY MIKE WASS (IDOLATOR.COM)
« Kiss Me Once » is Kylie Minogue’s most uneven album by some margin. There are a couple of real head-scratchers, but when it gets it right — the result is pretty magnificent. The lead single definitely falls into that category. Released in early 2014, « Into The Blue » ranks as one of the Aussie diva’s best singles of the 2010s. Making pop music for grown adults is an increasingly lost art, but this somehow manages to sound current and classy. In fact, « Into The Blue » is about as elegant as electro-pop gets.
« I drew the smile upon my face, I paved the road that would one day leave me lonely », Kylie begins the song over Mike Del Rio’s shimmery synths. « No angel’s too good to fall from grace, if she lets go of whatever keeps her holy ». Instead of being a cautionary tale, life’s twists and turns have only made the pop icon stronger. And she celebrates her strength and defiance on the massive chorus. « When I get my back up against the wall, don’t need no one to rescue me », she promises. « Because I am not waiting up for no miracle, yeah tonight I’m running free ».
46 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Bio-Dome: Kylie Minogue’s worst career move is a blueprint for managing isolation BY NICK BUCKLEY (THEGUARDIAN.COM)
ful people still haven’t installed geodesic utopias on every block. Starring Pauly Shore and a lesser Baldwin, the 1996 comedy is full of gross-out humour, terrible jokes and surprisingly salient lessons Pubescents and teenagers had a huge cinematic year in 1996. There was Happy Gilmore, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Kingpin and Bio-Dome – a film about two carefree imbeciles, Bud and Doyle, who get trapped inside a self-sustaining science experiment for a year when one of them needs to take a piss. It’s a puerile film full of gross jokes but its premise has parallels to life in lockdown – especially if you live in Brunswick East. Bud and Doyle get locked inside the Bio-Dome – a microcosm of Earth complete with a desert, rainforest and waterfalls – with five environmental scientists. The demographic under the dome is not unlike the one in Brunswick East, in Melbourne’s inner north, which is populated by well-meaning, educated people who want to save the planet, some of whom also want to stay up partying and doing drugs at a nearby pizza parlour. There are households growing their own vegetables, urban foragers, wild yeasts and biodynamic everything. The film opens with a voice bellowing about searching for hope in the face of environmental disasters, over footage of burning oil derricks and baby ducks covered in tar, so we’ve known fossil fuels are bad since at least ’96. And yet, despite having 24 years to take this BioDome thing seriously, the power-
Doyle and Bud are respectively played by one of the lesser Baldwins and Pauly Shore, who is a kind of weirder Adam Sandler. They star alongside Kylie Minogue playing an oceanographer which is confusing because the Bio-Dome doesn’t have an ocean and the only « science » we see Minogue’s character do involves her licking a carrot. Why she’s named after the lead character in German auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s film « The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant » is also inexplicable. Coming in hot from starring alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in the big-screen Street Fighter adaptation, Minogue says BioDome was her worst career move and is the only thing she’s done in her professional life that her father ridicules her for. (I was unable to find the original source of this bit of Minogue IMDB trivia, but if you’ve seen Bio-Dome it’s believable.) Despite the current hype, Street Fighter will always be cooler than Animal Crossing.
It drives the film’s baddie – doctor Noah Faulkner – insane, forcing him to sneak around his bountiful ark like a Tinder user ignoring lockdown restrictions. But the two degenerates win back the affections of their learned roomies by returning the Bio-Dome to a harmonious equilibrium. Getting along with your housemates is really important right now, but it’s hard when you’re all cooped up together. The other day my housemate cracked it at me because I said hedgehog slices were overrated. I was pretty mad about it but realised it’d be really dumb to have a falling out over a cake and offered to make her lasagne. In true Bio-Dome style she said sorry by presenting me with some freshly foraged feijoas. So under lockdown, don’t forget about saving the environment, don’t have a falling out with your housemates and don’t have a massive infectious house party. As Bud and Doyle say: « Viva Los BioDome! ».
There’s also a Tenacious D (American comedy rock duo) cameo at an environmental rally that resembles the kind of moshpit-free, socially distanced concert you can see happening once lockdown lifts. It’s perhaps a best-case scenario – the worst being free-for-all, virus-spreading parties like the one Bud and Doyle throw in the Bio-Dome. Relations are tense between Bud, Doyle and the scientists after the big bash trashes their experiment. 47 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Kylie In The Press • April / May
5 Kylie album tracks that should have been singles On May 12th, 2020, the internet site RetroPop wrote a short article to list the 5 Kylie album tracks that should have been singles according to them. Here they are below! (RETROPOPMAGAZINE.COM)
1. Can’t Beat The Feeling, from Aphrodite, 2010 Kylie’s « Aphrodite » is a favourite era for many reasons - from the stellar singles, to the gorgeous imagery and that tour stage design that just… well, « wow » is all we can say on that one. The album itself ranks among her best, and just when you start to think things are winding down, she knocks it out the park with closing track « Can’t Beat The Feeling ». Talk about leaving us wanting more. 2. Rollin’, from Golden, 2018 Disco-Dolly proved divisive among fans, but we can’t help but have a soft spot for « Golden ». The tracks are consistently strong and, while a little samey in places, the concept is excellently executed. « Rollin » appears on the deluxe edition of the record, and 14 tracks in, jumps out as a slight deviation from the rest of the album. Probably why it wasn’t included on the standard edition - but all the more reason to put it out mid-campaign and hook a few more people in. It would have made a great end of summer single. 3. Disco Down, from Light Years, 2000 Ah, the « Light Years » era - one of her best. So many songs on this album deserved a single release, but we can’t help but think « Disco Down » being left as an al-
bum track is a massive injustice. The dance floor banger is camp to the max, and a pure slice of Kylie’s trademark pop precision. 4. Sexy Love, from Kiss Me Once, 2014 « Kiss Me Once ». Ah, what could have been… Half of the album, we love, and the rest - well… The set gets off to a stellar start, but seems to lose its way towards the end, with a blend of sounds that don’t quite hit the mark. Fortunately, Side A - oh, how retro - is quality, and « Sexy Love » is a favourite. With just two singles - and promo track « Sexercize » - released, a third couldn’t have hurt, surely. 5. Secrets, from Rhythm of Love, 1990 Our favourite Kylie album. When it comes to « Rhythm of Love », the single choices are nothing short of stellar - and we can’t help but want more! « Secrets » is the perfect follow-up to « Better The Devil You Know », « Step Back In Time », and « What Do I Have To Do » on the tracklist, and we’ve yet to figure why it didn’t get the single treatment too? Sure, « Shocked » is great, but… we could have had 5 singles, right?
My favourite film aged 12: The Delinquents On April 27th, 2020, Jude Rogers from The Guardian published an online article entitled « My favourite film aged 12: The Delinquents ». He tweeted the link to the article on the same day with the following caption « Yes, I did write 800 words on my tweenage love of The Delinquents, and yes, it is a love-letter of sorts to @Kylie Minogue, and what happened when we met years later. Off now to do some rock and roll dancing » and Kylie retweeted it, so we thought it’d be nice to read it and share it with you Lovers. BY JUDE ROGERS (THEGUARDIAN.COM) 48 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
January 1990: the first month of a thrilling new decade. I am embracing the mood by jumping on the 111 bus from my small South Walian village, jetting off to the buzzing metropolis of Swansea. I am joined on this illicit adventure by three school-friends. We have spent hours debating what coloured jeans we should wear and spraying our backcombed fringes into frosty tsunamis. We have to pass a huge test at the newly opened UCI cinema, after all. We have to look 12, and I’m a few months off that yet. My favourite film when I was 12 – and yes, honestly, Mr UCI, I’m really, genuinely 12, ignore my quivering knees and my huge bag of strawberry shoelaces – was the first film I was brave enough to fake my age for (and yes, I got in). That film was The Delinquents, starring my ultimate heroine, Kylie Minogue. I’d convinced myself I had known Minogue well since I was nine. She regularly accompanied my tea in front of the TV, on Neighbours. She was cute, she was funny, but her car mechanic character, Charlene, also stood her ground; her first appearance on the show involved her punching Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan), who later became her husband. She was quick-tempered, as I was, but also rebellious in a safe, gentle way. She was everything I wanted to be. But in The Delinquents, Minogue turned up the trangressiveness. This was clear from the moment I saw the poster for it in the pages of Smash Hits: she was dressed in a leather jacket and bodice, passionately stretching her neck back, which was being kissed by Charlie Schlatter. The display felt impossibly provocative. Going through the confusion of puberty, I didn’t quite know what to do with it. Looking back, I’m sure it felt like she was growing up for all of us, getting interested in things we were getting interested in, despite the fact that those things – to most of us, anyway – still felt totally alien. The Delinquents was set in the 1950s, a period well-known to any kids
who had grown up in the 1980s. That whole decade had been obsessed with commercialising the neon-lit nostalgia of early rock’n’roll, and the growing chasm between the generations, and what that all meant for the ignition of the new spirit of accessible culture. Watching the film again all these years later, its rebelliousness begins gently. Minogue plays Lola Lovell, a vision in a pastel-blue, A-lined dress, noticing an American boy that she likes on the roof of the cinema. She laughs – he’s taking down the letters advertising the latest film – then she politely approaches the cinema’s owner outside. « Excuse me, will you be getting Rock Around the Clock back again any time? It was really popular!! » She beams, like a giddy head girl. « Not with normal people », he grouches. Then Brownie Hansen – the boy taking down the letters – jumps down. They get talking. They like books. They like music. Names of their favourites rush out, instant connections suddenly fizzing together – this, precisely this, is what love will be like, I bet I thought. Brownie teaches Lola rock-and-roll dancing. They end a practice with their legs wrapped around each other on floor: they approach each other breathing slowly, and they kiss. This was courting as I knew it would be: heady and feverish, but also blissfully simple. Then things got hotter (predictably, The Delinquents was known in our school by the boys as the film where Kylie got her boobs out). Then they get darker: Lola gets pregnant, and the couple run away, but get caught, then Lola’s mother forces her to have an abortion. Things go downhill quickly from here – Lola gets sent away to live with her aunt, then gets put in a young offenders’ institute for underage drinking, then her friend dies in labour, all of which seems a bit of a harsh learning curve – but the scenes I remember best are still oddly delightful. In one, she’s bleach-haired, telling her mother what she does with the the boy she’s not allowed to love. « I love the 49 www.kylie-world.com
way he kisses me », she says, lustily. Then she puts her face right up to her mother’s. « I love the way he looks when he’s… just… about... to… » Kylie, come, come. I kept up my obsession with The Delinquents for a while, but then I moved on (New Kids on the Block had arrived by that point). I never really abandoned Kylie, though, buying her records and watching her films as I moved from adolescence to adulthood. I finally met her properly years later, interviewing her for a magazine in 2014 – we even talked about her Welsh family on the side of her mother, Carol, which made me feel that we had our own fizzing connection. I mentioned faking my age to see her in the Swansea UCI nearly 25 years earlier, and she laughed. « What a rebel! » she said, bouncily, politely, and I nearly caved in. The backcombedfringed wannabe delinquent had achieved her dream, after all.
Kylie In The Press • April / May
Kylie Minogue: the real princess of pop BY ALONSO MARTINEZ (GQ.COM.MX)
With a career of more than 40 years, the Australian singer is much more important than any other female artist, and her quality as a songwriter is unique in the pop world. A lot of people know Kylie Minogue since the beginning of the century. She surfed on the wave of pop, at the time of Britney Spears with her single « Can’t Get You Out Of My Way », her biggest hit to date and one of the most played songs of the years 2000. However, at this point, she had already had a long career and had already been recognized as the « Princess Of Pop » long before. Born in Melbourne, Australia, she first started as an actress in the soap opera Neighbours when she was just a kid, but when came the end of the 80’s she started a really successful career as a pop singer, and that’s how she became famous in Australia. She started with a series of successful pop singles, and in 1992 decided she wanted to have more control over her music, and subsequently became one of the most revolutionary artists at the time, at least in Australia. Not many people remember this but Minogue appeared in the film Street Fighter as Cammy. She tried but it didn’t work very well, critics were not very good. One of her big moments came in 1997 when she released her sixth album (her second « indie » album) « Impossible Princess », in which, for the very first time she took part in the writing of the tracks. The album was a mix of genres, from Celtic to Middle East music, and this work
is currently considered as one of the best constructed pop records, and it was proof that Minogue had talent. Before that, the singer had collaborated with Nick Cave, an alternative artist who represented anything but pop music. The album is considered as one of the rare works of the kind, something completely experimental, even if it didn’t sell very well. After that, Kylie signed with Parlophone and her second album with them, « Fever », was to be her most successful one, the one that made her an international star. « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head » was - strangely - not a composition of hers but of producers Cathy Dennis and Rob Davis, which is also a mix of genres and which, in fact would serve as a foundation for the future of pop for the rest of this decade. The song is best remembered for its impressive and sensual video directed by Dawn Shadford, which integrates futuristic scenarios with different dance routines, and an outfit that would also make the artist an immediate sex symbol. The impact of the video was such that the critic Paul Morley conducted an essay in which he highlights that it seems to be a representation of the artist « passing through the ghosts » of the greatest pop icons such as Elvis Presley and Madonna, passing through Kraftwerk and Ludwig Wittgenstein, proving that her creative side is always a little more planned than that of any other artist in the genre.
2001 she joined the cast of Moulin Rouge!, as the Green Fairy singing a few lines. In 2007, she participated in a special Christmas episode of Doctor Who, in which she plays a waitress on a spaceship that has a story similar to the one of the Titanic, and it ended up being the most watched episode in the history of the series. In 2005 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, prompting her to withdraw her performance from that year’s Glastonbury Festival, even prompting a message of support from then-Prime Minister of Australia John Howard. In 2006 she finished chemotherapy treatment, but in 2008 she revealed that her cancer had been misdiagnosed, so she underwent treatment for a medical error. However, the impact her story had is it made more women in Australia do check-ups regularly. The artist has virtually received awards from all major organizations including a Grammy, three BRIT Awards, 17 ARIA Music Awards, and more, she is the UK’s third best-selling artist with over 10.1 billion albums sold. She is catalogued as « the mother of reinvention » because in each album she changes her image or revolutionizes her sound without maintaining a single essence, which has allowed her to have independence that very few artists have. Likewise, her impact on fashion has been recognized, and she is generally seen as the true princess of pop, so much that when people hear only her first name, Kylie, everyone knows who we are talking about.
Some of her other best moments are also in films and television. In 50 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Kylie Minogue Shares Her 5 Favourite Fashion Memories BY KERRY MCDERMOTT (VOGUE.CO.UK)
The item of clothing Kylie Minogue is most associated with is a pair of hotpants (the gold lamé micro-shorts she wore in her « Spinning Around » video were displayed in the V&A), but it was a far comfier look that kicked off the star’s fashion journey in earnest. As tomboyish mechanic Charlene Mitchell in Neighbours, Kylie was rarely out of her roomy khaki overalls. « Comfort level, max », says Minogue of the dungarees that became her trademark back when she was everyone’s favourite soap sweetheart in the late ’80s. In the decades since, Minogue’s wardrobe has gone from utilitarian staples to Chanel separates, via some seriously spangled Dolce & Gabbana stage looks. Here the star, who marked her 52nd birthday on 28 May by unveiling an eponymous French rosé wine and promising new music to come, reflects on five of her favourite fashion memories for Vogue.
for them. Hats? Yes. Jewellery? No problem. Boots? Sure. All of the clothes – including this diamanté set – were also made in slightly larger and smaller sizes, just in case! Their work, guided by the show’s creative director, William Baker, was wonderful. It’s amazing how much work a stage look can take. My arm pieces were custom-made to echo the cyborg structure from the opening of the show ». Balenciaga in Barcelona
« Nicolas Ghesquière was at the helm of Balenciaga when I wore this dress in the video for « Slow », directed by Baillie Walsh and filmed at the Piscina Municipal in Barcelona. The dress was sublime ». A « moment » with Michael Hutchence
Sunshine-yellow Stella McCartney
« I had had this beautiful Stella McCartney dress in my wardrobe for a good few months, and finally found the right event (and the right weather!) for it. This was the Summer Party at the glorious V&A. There are a million reasons to love the V&A, but I always feel a special connection to it as I had my exhibition [Kylie Minogue: Image of a Pop Star] there in early 2007. It was one of the first, if not the first, « Pop » exhibition, so I’m extremely proud of that ».
« December 1989, The Delinquents premiere in Sydney, Australia. I attended with Michael Hutchence and it was a moment. The short blonde hair was a last-minute decision. I don’t recall us planning to match so well, but we did. My noughts and crosses mini-dress was by the Aussie designers, Morrissey Edmiston ». The overalls that started it all
A tour wardrobe to remember
« Dolce & Gabbana designed all of my costumes for the Fever tour in 2002. I remember doing the fittings for all of the outfits in Milan, and nothing was too much trouble
« I just can’t! Those overalls became so famous… in fact I think they were part of the V&A exhibition. I used to love the days when my Neighbours character Charlene was scripted to wear overalls. We would film the outdoor scenes the week before the matching studio shots for any particular episode. When we were outside, I could sneak a pair of track-pants underneath to stay warm, and then ditch them for the indoor scenes. Comfort level, max ».
51 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
Kylie In The Press • April / May
Kylie Minogue’s studio albums ranked Kylie Minogue has had an enviable career accumulating 51 Top 40 UK singles and 25 Top 40 albums. Now some 33 years on since she released Loco-Motion in Australia as her debut single and it’s recently been reported that she is learning music programming tool, Logic in lockdown so she can keep working on her forthcoming 15th studio album. Whilst we eagerly await the next KM era, I’ve been listening to all of her studio albums from 1988’s debut Kylie through to 2018’s No.1 Golden and gave myself the near impossible task of trying to put them in order. Kicking things off ! BY GARY JAMES (ENTERTAINMENT-FOCUS.COM)
14. Let’s Get To It With the release of her fourth and final studio album with SAW in 1991, it was obvious that Kylie was growing up and her music, although still pop, took a turn towards the dance music she was clearly listening to in the clubs. The imagery on the sleeve nods to Madonna, showing a fuller lipped, black and white Kylie being looked upon by men. Lead single « Word Is Out » unfortunately didn’t resonate with the public who didn’t seem ready to let go of girl-nextdoor Charlene for the sex siren that was emerging. The more wholesome « If You Were With Me Now » (one of her most underrated ballads) and her cover of Chairman of the Board’s « Give Me Just A Little More Time » saw her back in the top 5 of the UK singles chart but didn’t help the parent album which stalled at 15. « Finer Feelings » finished the run of singles and introduced Kylie to Brothers in Rhythm who would go on to be very influential on her next album and beyond. It’s a bit of a mish mash of sounds, with neither SAW or Kylie at her best for me. Should’ve been a single: « Right Here, Right Now ». 13. Body Language Kylie’s « Fever » album was an international juggernaut that saw Kylie’s popularity soar around the world and gave her a new start in America. It was perhaps trying to ca-
pitalise on the success stateside that influenced the direction of her follow up album « Body Language ». It took on some more American sounding R&B lite tracks including the second single « Red Blooded Woman », which could easily have been a Destiny’s Child song. As the world waited for the next « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head », instead Kylie delivered a minialistic dance track in lead single « Slow ». It debuted at Number 1 in the UK and is the only Kylie-penned Number 1 single of her career to date, as well as her most recent. I have to confess I felt the song was lacking some oomph on first couple of listens but it is now a firm favourite that just sounds classy and timeless. The album has a retro 80s funk style in places and I think had the Prince-esque « Still Standing » been a single rather than the generic US R&B pop of « Red Blooded Woman », the album may have had a longer shelf life. Other stand out cuts include « Loving Days » (feels like an « Impossible Princess » track) and « Secret (Take Me Home) » where we get to hear Kylie bring out her rap skills. There are more experimental tracks like « Someday » and « I Feel For You » but they just don’t excite me. I appreciate Kylie trying not to just give us « Fever » pt 2 but maybe if the album had been that it would’ve helped cement her status in the US without trying to sound like anyone other than Kylie. Should have been a single: « Secret (Take Me Home) ». 52 www.kylie-world.com
12. Kiss Me Once In 2014 Kylie released her first album since she signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation management company. She also started as a coach on The Voice UK and Australia so her profile was high with the very mainstream, family-friendly audience. Unfortunately, « Kiss Me Once » like a few other Kylie albums feels like three different album ideas that they ended up merging rather than focusing on one direction and it just doesn’t stand up as a cohesive collection. There are also too many overt sex references with three songs all having sex in the title; « Les Sex », « Sexercise » and « Sexy Love ». Kylie is sexy by not trying blatantly to ram home the message; this was overkill. « Sexercise », with it’s shock value sexy video, more or less killed this album but if it hadn’t then an awful video for the average « I Was Gonna Cancel » as single two, or Enrique Iglesias duet « Beautiful » being a single then not being a single, all helped to stop momentum. Messy album, messier campaign. On the plus side there are some great tracks including the title track, « Feels So Good », « If Only » and « Fine ». Should have been a single: « Kiss Me Once » (should’ve been a Christmas single). 11. X Kylie’s first studio album following her treatment for breast cancer was a confusing one. Once again it sounds Laeti, April/May 2K20
like several ideas that have been merged in to one incoherent album and with around 50 tracks demoed it could well have been the case that Kylie and her team were trying different directions and a compromise was made for the final album. I think the public expected songs penned by Kylie about what she’d been through and despite songs like « Stars », « No More Rain » and « Cosmic » appearing on the album, the general vibe seems to be electropop for the dancefloor. I think had they picked the latter as a theme and gone all out with a message of Kylie’s back and doesn’t want to talk about cancer yet, she just wants to get out and have a good old dance, it would’ve worked so much better commercially. I would’ve called it « Rippin Up The Disco » and included that bonus track too.Rumour has it that before « 2 Hearts » came in, « Like A Drug » was planned for lead single, shame they didn’t go with that and relegate « 2 Hearts » to an album track or even a b-side. Should have been a single: « Like A Drug ».
of around 14 tracks is ideal. I think the label screwed up on single choice (a theme perhaps) and tried to go for the cooler tracks with « Only You » as a promo track and the Chris Martin penned track « Everyday’s Like Christmas » as the lead single. Then Kylie went on every TV show she could and performed mostly the covers instead so the public never had a chance to connect with then new single. I think things could’ve been very different had she gone with the track below as the lead single and performed it on a few of the big TV shows she appeared on. Here she is performing it at her Royal Albert Hall gig; Loving Youving You ». Should have been a single: « Christmas Isn’t Christmas Til You Get Here ».
10. Kylie Christmas 9. Kylie Kylie making a Christmas album was a perfect idea and I was expecting high camp, fun and sleigh bells aplenty. On many tracks she delivered just that with a mix of well trodden covers like « Most Wonderful Time of the Year » and « Santa Claus is Coming to Town », and brand new festive tracks such as the brilliant « White December » and « Cried Out Christmas ». The featured artists were a little odd to say the least. Maybe Kylie is a big Iggy Pop fan? Maybe James Corden promised her a carpool karaoke? Who knows! I for one would’ve liked to have seen some better duet partners than those two and a posthumous Frank Sinatra. I was excited to see Dannii on the list but the song just doesn’t work for me in the context of the other tracks and aside from the lyrics isn’t a Christmas track. Running at 22 tracks (if you include « Snow Queen » edition) there’s plenty to like, but perhaps make your own shorter playlist
The place where it all began! In July 1988, « Kylie » was released following the No.1 single « I Should Be So Lucky » and the No.2 « Got To Be Certain ». The ten track album was written and produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman (except for « The Loco-Motion ») and it went on to become the biggest selling album of the year in the UK. We all learnt a little bit of French with « Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi » and chugged along to « The Loco-Motion » as they both went to No.2. « Turn It Into Love » was released in Japan (and in the UK by Hazell Dean) and « It’s No Secret » was released in New Zealand and the USA where it became Kylie’s third top 40 Billboard hit. It sound tracked my year and pretty much my life! I thought it was a nice touch for Kylie to sing a little ad lib from the song below on her « Golden Tour ». Should’ve been a single: « I’ll Still Be 53 www.kylie-world.com
8. Enjoy Yourself Kylie’s second album was half moreof-the-same as her debut and half throwback to a 50s and 60s sound to tie in to her film debut in The Delinquents and the two styles merged together well. Lead single « Hand on your Heart » was everything you’d expect from SAW and Kylie at the time, but it was « Wouldn’t Change A Thing » where you could start to hear and see a bit of a change in Kylie. « Never Too Late » gave us that incredible video of many looks and « Tears on my Pillow » gave Kylie her fourth UK No.1, not bad for the fourth single from a multi-platinum album. One of my favourite performances of that era is from Smash Hits Poll Winners Party where she opened with remix elements of « Wouldn’t Change a Thing » before going in to « Never Too Late » complete with a « Made In Heaven » middle 8 breakdown – genius! Should have been a single: « Over Dreaming (Over You) ». Laeti, April/May 2K20
Kylie In The Press • April / May 7. Kylie Minogue 94 Kylie’s first album after leaving hitmakers Stock Aitken and Waterman was a real chic statement piece. Lead single « Confide in Me » not only showed the world that Kylie could sing, hitting the high notes with ease, but also that she was a true artist. The pop art stylings of the video, helped propel the song to No.2, just missing out to Wet Wet Wet’s marathon No.1 « Love is All Around ». The album mixes laid back dance songs (« Falling »/» Where Has The Love Gone ») with power ballads (« Dangerous Game » / « Put Yourself In My Place ») and funky R&B lite tracks (« Surrender »/ « If I Was Your Lover »). It was a bold, yet subtle album that was certified Gold in the UK. Unfortunately due to Kylie’s filming of Streetfighter the campaign lost a bit of steam by the time « Where Is The Feeling? » was released as the third single. It also gave us this iconic album advert. Should’ve been a single: « Where Has The Love Gone ».
(Natalie Cole) and produced by Keith Cohen (Paula Abdul). Oh Venol, yoo hoo! Should’ve been a single: « Always Find The Time ». 5. Fever In 2001, « Can’t Get You Out of my Head» became a monster hit around the world and sent parent album « Fever » straight to the top of the UK charts and well on it’s way to being one of Kylie’s biggest selling albums. The icy, cool electro sound of the single continued with songs like « In Your Eyes », « Love Affair » and « Give It To Me » and there was the pure pop joy of « Love at First Sight » and title track « Fever ». Album closer « Burning Up » is a unexpected surprise starting with acoustic guitar and some spacey sound effect noises before erupting into the funky chorus. Should’ve been a single: « Love Affair ». 4. Aphrodite
6. Rhythm Of Love I need to start by saying the Top 6 all could be No.1 on my list, depending on my mood but I have to draw the line somewhere and today it’s Kylie’s third album that comes in sixth. The album with the perfect run of singles; « Better the Devil », « Step Back », « What Do I Have To Do » and « Shocked ». « Rhythm of Love » saw Kylie take control of her image and also test out her songwriting chops as she developed into an artist. It was an exciting time to be a fan and had the album performed better there’s definitely more choices for a fifth single. Kylie went to America to write with Stephen Bray (Madonna) on the title track and « Count The Days » – both are much more laidback R&B influenced love songs. She also worked with Michael Jay (Five Star/Martika) on the gorgeous ballad « The World Still Turns » and showed her rap skills on « One Boy Girl » with Willie Wilcox
Produced by Stuart Price (who also produced Madonna’s brilliant future disco album « Confessions on a Dancefloor ») and with writers including Calvin Harris, Jake Shears and Keane’s Tom Chaplin, it is one of Kylie’s most cohesive albums to date. All themed around Kylie as the Goddess of Love, it’s an album of classic Kylie dance pop opening with, what has now become, Kylie’s anthem « All The Lovers ». A slice of eurphoric pop that still sounds effortlessly fresh today. The tour for the album also gave us this incredible Vegas style water spectacle; I still get goosebumps at 2.51 mark.
« Dolly Parton on the dancefloor » as Kylie described the album. The lyrical double meaning was very clever and the whole thing seemed to have reinvigorated Kylie as an artist. Writing on all the tracks on the album and with Nashville as an inspiration, pretty much any of the tracks on the album could’ve been singles. That said, I wouldn’t have gone for « Stop Me From Falling » as second single as structurally it was too similar to « Dancing » and lyrically was at odds with what I was expecting from a post-break up Kylie. « Music’s Too Sad » was a great way to say goodbye to the campaign. Should’ve been a single: Live a Little. 2. Impossible Princess In 1997, Kylie underwent another transformation which was quickly labelled Indie Kylie. The trademark blonde perm from the 80s had longs since gone and now we had a black and white image of Kylie with a dark, short, spikey hair. She’d written with Manic Street Preachers and dared to add guitars to her sound, as well as trip hop, electronica and even irish folk violins. All lyrics were penned by Kylie and it was a real insight to a young woman and her inner most thoughts and fears. Maybe not to every fan’s taste but definitely her most personal album to date. Commerically, it struggled with lead single Some Kind of Bliss being Kylie’s first to miss the Top 20 in the UK and the album title dropped and delayed til spring ’98 following the tragic death of Princess Diana. It still holds a very special place in my heart and ears, all these years on. Should’ve been a single: Dreams.
3. Golden
1. Light Years
« Golden » was a great return to form for me. I know it split fans with most loving but many not fans at all of the country leanings. Lead single « Dancing » was the right blend of
Following Kylie’s dip into the world of serious indie navel gazing, she took to the road for her small « Intimate and Live » show. On this tour she performed « Dancing Queen » and a torch
54 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
dant, light version of « I Should Be So Lucky » and seemingly embraced her past in a way that she’d struggled with. It made her realise that her next record had to be a return to pop with cocktails and poolside as the mood board, and boy did she deliver. « Spinning Around » said it all lyrically, move out of her way, the Princess of Pop was back to take her crown. « On a Night Like This » and her duet with then King of Pop, Robbie Williams followed and the album « Light Years » just missed out on the top spot settling for Number 2 but going on to be certified platinum in the UK. With a big disco feel and summer
vibes throughout, it’s an album that sounds instantly familiar. With Kylie as our Bursar I’d be willing to risk boarding a plane again! Should’ve been a single: « Light Years ». So there you have my Kylie studio albums ranking at this moment in time. Don’t hold me to it as some albums pull me in more at certain times, just know it’s a solid back catalogue of work and I cannot wait to see what she has up her sleeve for KM15.
KYLIE MINOGUE’S 10 BEST SINGLES RANKED Kylie Minogue celebrates her 52nd birthday today (28 May), we’ve got to thinking about the best tracks the Aussie pop princess has given us over her 33-year pop career. Our Kylie top ten was the subject of a rather heated debate at Attitude HQ, but eventually we came to the following conclusion - and yes, no doubt we’ve skipped a few of your favourites, but that’s bound to happen when Ms. Minogue has released more than 50 singles, most of them absolute winners... ATTITUDE.CO.UK
10. Put Yourself In My Place (1994) It may not have been Kylie’s most successful single, but « Put Yourself In My Place » remains a gem from Kylie’s slightly more challenging Deconstruction era. The video features a naked Kylie floating around a spaceship. Amazing. 9. On A Night Like This (2000) « Spinning Around » may have signalled Kylie’s « comeback », but its follow-up « On A Night Like This » that holds a special place in our hearts. The « Abbey Road Sessions » version of the track is also sublime. 8. Love At First Sight (2002) We imagine this 2002 single features quite highly on most Kylie fans’ top tens. Kylie referenced « Love At First Sight » when trying to describe 2014’s « Into The Blue » in an interview a while back, and we can definitely see why. 7. Get Outta My Way (2010) Kylie’s message to a lover who is
leaving her less than satisfied showed a sassier side to the little Aussie pop rocket than we were used to. As always, she pulls it off with ease.
territory, « Confide In Me » is an alluring dance ballad, and one of the highlights of Kylie’s live shows.
6. Better The Devil You Know (1990)
3. Wow (2008)
« Better The Devil You Know » is probably the campest Kylie track in our top ten and it remains brilliant nearly 25 years after its release. It’s also provided some of the most extravagant Kylie tour numbers.
This is the song that should have kicked off 2007’s « X » campaign. Team Kylie can probably see the error of their ways now, as « Wow » sounds just as amazing in 2017 as it did the day we first heard it.
5. All The Lovers (2010)
2. Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (2001)
Kylie couldn’t have picked a better lead single from « Aphrodite ». Not only is « All The Lovers » quintessentially Kylie, it has a charm that appeals to more than just us gays - its sense of euphoria is irresistible to even the hardest of pop cynics.
An « Ultimate Kylie » playlist wouldn’t be complete without giving mention to Kylie’s 2001 enormo-hit « Can’t Get You Out Of My Head ». Just sublime.
4. Confide in Me (1994)
« Slow » proves that sometimes less is actually more - and we’re not just talking about the song’s accompanying music video. It’s a seductive piece of synth-pop that, for us, remains Kylie’s best track to date.
« Confide In Me » is a Kylie song of epic proportions. Undoubtedly the highlight from Kylie’s mid-90s move into less straightforwardly « poppy » 55 www.kylie-world.com
1. Slow (2004)
Laeti, April/May 2K20
Interviews • April / May
« It’s always such a difficult question to answer with a neat sentence, but cancer changed many things forever, and some things didn’t change at all. My view of the world was different, my destination, for the most part, was the same. Broader, for sure. I was even more passionate about the people and things that I loved, but life as I had known it was on hold ». Despite her battle and the physical, mental and emotional battles that came with it, looking back, Kylie says that her cancer diagnosis forced her to be more grateful for life. The star admitted that at the time she tried to be positive but that she was also realistic with the need to allow some space for all the other difficult feelings and emotions. She again stated that it was those around her - both family and strangers – that gave her the strength to come out the other end of her diagnosis. « People shone so bright for me in those dark days. The strength my family showed was extraordinary. The love, support and the kindness of strangers! I was so very aware of, and grateful for, all that had gone before me ». But, if she had to sum up her experience in one neat sentence, it would be: « The research, the trials, the heartbreak, the loss, the progress, the love and the hope ».
who magazine april 2Nd, 2020 australia In April 2020, Kylie Minogue gave Who Magazine an interview in which she revealed that she still finds it difficult to talk about her cancer diagnosis, and she opened up on how the illness still impacts her life 14 years later.
In 2005, she had already told Jonathan Ross: « It’s deep, and it’s long and it’s involved, and it’s hard to really say what it was like in a neat package, it’s pretty strange ». In 2018, before celebrating her 50th birthday, Kylie shared a throwback photo from her recovery period with short brunette locks. She captioned the photo at the time : « This decade had brought the challenge of breast cancer. With the help of family, friends, medical teams and of course all of you, we made it through ».
56 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
We all know that Kylie now has her own wine collection, and the first wine of a series is the Kylie Minogue rosé. David asked her if they had considered calling it « The Wild Rosé » and Kylie answered that yes, they did play with the idea, but that « for a start, it was taken and secondly they didn’t want it to feel like a gimmick ». Talking about the new album, she has confirmed once again that it will be « grown-up disco » (which she herself finds difficult to explain) and that for now, it is called « Kylie » (we honestly hope this title will be changed otherwise it’ll be confusing at some point…). David mentioned this type of music couldn’t be better timed (mentioning several disco songs that have come out recently by Doja Cat, Jessie Ware and Sam Smith for example), and Kylie agreed. « It’s all cyclical, right? I loved disco as an eight-year-old, so it’s been a long love affair. I’m loving the modern interpretations of the genre now […] There’s a lot of early 2000s love around at the moment… ».
GQ magazine MAY 28TH, 2020
united kingdom On the day of Kylie’s birthday, GQ magazine posted an online interview in which she talks to David Levesley about the birthday present that she is preparing for us: a more disco album. He asked her about the new wine and how lockdown has been for her. Here’s a summary of what we learn in the interview, you can find it in full here: https://www.gq-magazine. co.uk/culture/article/kylie-minogue-rose-interview
It is mentioned in the interview that Kylie explained that self-isolation has played a role in how the new album is shaping up, whether that’s in the lyrics or just in the hope that music will serve as an antidote: « The songs that are pure escapism have even stronger purpose ». We learn that all of Kylie’s plans during the lockdown did not quite go according to plan. She thought she would have done a lot of sorting in the house but that it didn’t happen… « Nor has the fitness, learning a language or doing any of the seemingly ‘doable’ tasks ». Kylie said the experience has been a roller-coaster, she has friends who have had the virus, but have recovered (which is something she’s endlessly grateful for) and she stated that she’s never felt further from her homeland, Australia. She explained that « some days felt so long and then a week had passed in a minute » and that « the hardest part was dealing with the mind and emotions ». But luckily, she finally found a rhythm: « This time has been about trying to stay well, stay sane and appreciate the creative outlet I have with making this album ». She said that creativity is the best thing to come out of the coronavirus. « I have loved seeing how creative all sorts of people are right now, be it helping on the front line or making us laugh on socials […] The humanity that is pouring out of people is so beautiful ». She’s hoping that will continue, but there is one thing that she’s hoping will get back to normal very soon « Can we please do concerts again one day? ». We hope so Kylie, we really do, because we miss you so much. 57 www.kylie-world.com
Isa, April/May 2K20
Kylie Minogue - May 27th, 2020 - London T-shirt : Blossoms (Official Merch) 58 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
Kylie Minogue - May 28th, 2020 - London Dress : Joseph 59 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
Kylie Minogue - June 8th, 2020 - London Coat : Max Mara 60 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
STEP BACK IN TIME the definitive collection STILL AVAILABLE !
Meanwhile, on social media... • April / May 2020
FACTS
FACTS
Rare footage of Kylie Minogue resting on #Chromatica before her birthday party.
FACTS
LIFESTYLE FACTS
62 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
LIFESTYLE
LIFESTYLE Kylie Minogue during the pandemic.
FACTS
FACTS
FACTS
63 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
Kylie Reactions • April / May
When the end of the lockdown was announced by the government
Me celebrating the end of the lockdown
When I remember all the good times I spent outside before
Me on my first walk outside
The moment I realise it’s been three months since I haven’t been to the hairdresser’s
Me after a fresh haircut
When I read the rumours that there may be two discs on the next album
Including a pop / country one
64 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
When I read that Kylie’s bottle of rosé is available at the supermarket
And that I find it on the shelf
When I am told that I am on partial unemployment until September...
... but that I still have to work and reach my goals
How I saw my summer before the pandemic…
... and how my summer is going to be in reality
Me as soon as I have the possibility to go and eat a pizza at the restaurant
My face when I’ll attend concerts again
65 www.kylie-world.com
Laeti, April/May 2K20
The Kylie Times is made by Kylie World Website : www.kylie-world.com In partnership with Kylie Brasil Founder : Laetitia Berry Editorial : Laetitia Berry, Isabelle Marin, Junior Barreto Design : Laetitia Berry Translations : Laetitia Berry, Isabelle Marin, Junior Barreto Website : www.kylie-world.com Email : contact@kylie-world.com SPECIAL THANKS TO : A&P Management Junior and Deyse from Kylie Brasil Anthony from Kendal & Partners
CREDITS : All photos belong to their authors respectively. Our last issue :