Kylie Minogue is one of the most reliable and resilient pop stars of the last few decades. Unlike Madonna, who has lost momentum and direction in recent years, Kylie has managed to stay the course and remain contemporary without feeling like she’s trying to keep up with what’s hot. She’s never been afraid to dabble in what’s trending, but executes it in a way that feels neither blatant nor desperate. It just feels like that’s where the wind takes her.
And that air has served her well. 35 years into her music career, summer 2023 proved to be a significant notch in Kylie’s belt. The lead single to her 16th studio album Tension, “Padam Padam” (the sound of a heartbeat), throbbed unstoppably from the moment it was released in May 2023 and mesmerized listeners worldwide. It became the best-selling song of the summer in the U.K. and has arguably become her most viral song worldwide since “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” stormed the charts in 2001. “Padam” transcended its modest 2:47 timestamp and became a greeting, calling card, response, and inescapable part of the vernacular.
The rollout for Tension on the other hand proved to have some chaotic moments. “Padam Padam,” along with Tension’s album title, cover, and tracklist all leaked in the days leading up to the album’s official announcement in mid-May. The following week, high quality snippets of the entire album hit TikTok and then the rest of the internet.
Simultaneously, at least 50 tracks including leftovers, demos, and alternate takes also leaked. Though the leaks were largely material from her last two albums, they also included at least 5 songs recorded for Tension that didn’t make the album and an alternate version of one song that did (“Hold On To Now”). Despite the massive leak, the album surprisingly managed to remain unleaked for almost the entire four months between the announcement and release in late September (though it did eventually leak exactly one week prior to its release).
After two albums (three if you include 2015’s Kylie Christmas) that focused on themes (country on 2018’s Golden and 2020’s Disco), Tension breaks free of sonic confinements and finds Kylie playing with a host of sounds, often blending bits of sub-genres together with great results. Instead of making for a haphazard body of work, it flows like a savory multi-course meal, delivering a range of exciting and delicious pop records. Tension is a testament to the greatness that is Kylie Minogue.
Lead single “Padam Padam” makes for a hypnotizing introduction, where Kylie responds to the sound of a rapidly beating heart. “I hear it and I know,” she sings with haunting allure. Though none of the other songs on the record match the sonic tone it sets, it’s a captivating way to kick off the album. The closest sonic sibling to “Padam” is “Vegas High,” an infectious, pulsating track that was a contender for the album’s title, and ties into Kylie’s upcoming Vegas residency. “Make my eyes roll back as I feel that Vegas high,” she sings over the euphoric, “In Your Eyes”-esque instrumental.
80’s influences blanket much of Tension, and it’s a trip to hear her heavily embrace elements of pop music that rose to prominence when she was just starting out. These sounds fit Kylie like a glove. “Things We Do For Love” and “You Still Get Me High” are driving, 80’s fueled tracks that sound as if someone ratcheted contemporary tech on some of her Stock-Aitken-Waterman productions of the late 80’s (think “Turn It Into Love” and “Nothing To Lose”). They’re stellar records that seamlessly connect the Kylie of today to the Kylie of back then.
“Hold On To Now,” which was an early contender for second single, has all the hallmarks of a classic Kylie track. It glitters with a seize-the-moment attitude and 80’s-inspired electro-pop production, evoking flourishes of 2010’s “All The Lovers.” “We’ll figure it out somehow, keep holding on to now,” she reassures as she embraces living in the moment and brushes aside the worries of tomorrow. Kylie’s confidence and optimism have always been contagious on and off record, and that’s helped the bubbly pop aesthetic she relies on to feel believable and authentic.
On the alluring “Green Light,” she continues to draw on the 80’s, this time leaning into bass-driven R&B. There’s even a saxophone solo accentuating the mix as she calls for the consent to cure all ails, and be yours forever. The record also intertwines a synthesizer that recalls the classic Korg M1 organ 2 which adorns countless 90’s house classics. It adds a unique twist to an already killer cut.
There’s also nods to 90’s house in the keyboards of the title track “Tension,” which blends with elements of the early aughts as Kylie reaches her climax and goes full robotic. It was the perfect choice for the second single, demonstrating how Kylie can merge multiple eras of music together in one song and emerge with something that sounds fresh, and is even ready for the TikTok generation. It feels like there are multiple opportunities for choreography to come out of the song, whether on the repetitive echoes of the verses or the repeated calls to “touch me right there.”
90’s house also creeps up in the chords of the very danceable “One More Time.” Opening with a wonky-sounding synth loop, the record gives way to glorious house chords, disco strings and flutes, funky horns, and a call to “slow down, shake it all out.” There’s something here that’s “worth repeating,” and it’s not just this song.
She even embraces her inner Doja Cat as she raps her way through the breezy “Hands.” Sure, it’s not what you’d expect from Kylie (who has delivered a few vocals that hinge on rapping over the years including 2018’s “New York City,” 2007’s “Heart Beat Rock,” and 2003’s “Secret [Take You Home]”), but it’s certainly not terrible. It’s camp, and tied together with an absurdly confectionary, cavity-inducing melody on the chorus. It’s one of the best hooks on the album, if not one of her best to date.
Throughout Tension, Kylie excels at what she does best: crafting pop music that invigorates, excites, and encourages love. There isn’t a bad cut here, including the three songs that adorn the album’s deluxe edition. It’s truly bop after bop of continuous upbeat fun from one of the reigning queens of pop music. And 35 years into her music career, Kylie Minogue has proven that her reign remains unstoppable And that’s on padam.