Career
After her big break, Kylie got noticed at a benefit concert where she performed a song called ‘The Loco-Motion’ along with other cast members of ‘Neighbours.’ She was noticed by the executives of the music industry and in 1987, she signed a contract with an Australian recording company called the ‘Mushroom Records.’ ‘The Loco-Motion’ spent seven weeks at the top of the Australian music charts and became the highest-selling song in Australia in the 1980s.
In 1988, the huge success of ‘The Loco-Motion’ led the British music producers— Stock, Aitken, and Waterman—to sign her with their record labels in order to make her an international star. This led to the production of her debut album ‘Kylie.’ One particular track from the album titled ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ became an international favorite.
In 1989, Kylie recorded another album called ‘Enjoy Yourself’ with her ‘Neighbours’ co-star and then-boyfriend Jason Donovan. The duets from this album became chart-toppers. Her popularity was spiraling up and she was cast to play the lead role of ‘Lola Lovell’ in the 1989 Australian coming-of-age movie ‘The Delinquents.’ The film transformed her image from an adorable pop star to a sexy movie star.
In 1990, Kylie came up with her third album ‘Rhythm of Love.’ This time, her album had several peppy dance numbers which changed her ‘girl-next-door’ image. With her third album, she targeted a wide range of audiences. She also focused on designing her music videos. Her hit single ‘Better the Devil You Know’ from the album showcased her flamboyant and sexy side.
In 1991, Kylie’s fourth album ‘Let’s Get to It’ failed to reach the top ten of the ‘UK Albums Chart.’ Singles like ‘If You Were with Me Now,’ ‘Give Me Just a Little More Time,’ and ‘Word is Out’ belonged to this album. In order to promote the album, Kylie embarked on the ‘Let’s Get to It Tour.’ By this time, her contract was done with Stock, Aitken, and Waterman. Kylie decided not to renew the contract as she felt that she had creative differences with them.
By this time, Kylie had adopted a style of her own. In 1993, she signed a contract with ‘Deconstruction Records’ and released her fifth album called ‘Kylie Minogue,’ which did very well in Europe and Australia. This was the time when she made a friendly appearance in the hit comedy sitcom series ‘The Vicar of Dibley.’ She appeared in Australia’s ‘Who’ magazine’s list of ‘30 Most Beautiful People in the World.’ Subsequently, director Steven E. de Souza cast her opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in ‘Street Fighter.’
In 1996, she collaborated with the ‘Manic Street Preachers’ and recorded an album called ‘Impossible Princess.’ She changed the title of the album to ‘Kylie Minogue’ in the UK after the sad demise of Diana, Princess of Wales. It turned out to be the lowest-selling album of her career. However, the album was a hit in Australia and remained on the albums chart for 35 weeks.
In 2000, she was dropped by her recording company ‘Deconstruction Records’ and was taken up by ‘Parlophone.’ The same year, she released her seventh album ‘Light Years,’ which featured a collection of various disco dance numbers. This album did very well in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. The hit single ‘Spinning Around’ from the album became her number-one track in the UK in 10 years. The album also featured a duet called ‘Kids’ with Robbie Williams.
In 2001, she came up with her eighth album ‘Fever.’ The album sold eight million copies throughout Australia, Europe, and the United States. The single ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ became the most successful single of her career. In 2002, she toured the world to perform her ‘KylieFever2002’ concert, which turned out to be her biggest production.
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In 2005, Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer, which led to the cancellation of the Australian leg of her hugely popular tour ‘Showgirl.’ She had to undergo immediate medical treatment. After this, she underwent surgery and then chemotherapy. During this time, she urged the media and fans to help keep her privacy.
In 2005, Kylie released her digital single ‘Over the Rainbow.’ Subsequently, the media started reporting that her health was improving and that she was recording material for her next album. She started preparing for her upcoming tour ‘Showgirl Homecoming.’ In 2006, her children’s book titled ‘The Showgirl Princess,’ which she wrote during her recovery, was released. During this time, she also launched her perfume brand ‘Darling.’
In 2007, Kylie released an album called ‘X’ after a gap of four years. This was her 13th album and contained 13 tracks that were recorded in London, Stockholm, and Ibiza. This was also the year when Kylie appeared in a documentary called ‘White Diamonds,’ which was directed by her friend and stylist William Baker. The documentary is behind-the-scenes of her 2006 ‘Showgirl’ tour.
In 2009, Kylie, along with English comedians James Corden and Mathew Home, hosted the ‘Brit Awards 2009.’ It was said at the time that she added glamor and charm to the award function. In 2009, she also appeared in the song ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ from the Bollywood movie ‘Blue.’
In 2010, Kylie released her studio album ‘Aphrodite.’ The album was executive produced by Stuart Price who also contributed to the lyrics along with Kylie, Calvin Harris, Jake Shears, Nerina Pallot, Pascal Gabriel, Lucas Secon, Tim Rice-Oxley, and Kish Mauve. In 2011, she embarked on her ‘Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour’ and traveled to Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. This was the biggest tour of her life.
In 2012, Kylie Minogue began ‘K25,’ a year-long celebration of her 25 years in the music industry.
In October 2012, she released the compilation album ‘The Abbey Road Sessions.’ The album contained reworked and orchestral versions of her previous songs.
Kylie released her studio album ‘Kiss Me Once’ in 2014. The album featured artists like Sia Furler, Mike Del Rio, Cutfather, Pharrell Williams, MNEK, and Ariel Rechtshaid.
She signed a new record deal with ‘BMG Rights Management’ in February 2017. The following year, she released her fourteenth album named ‘Golden.’ The album received mostly positive reviews from critics and comprised tracks like “Dancing,” “Stop Me from Falling,” “Golden,” “A Lifetime to Repair,” “Music's Too Sad Without You,” and “Sincerely Yours.”
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On 28 June 2019, Kylie Minogue released her greatest hits compilation called ‘Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection,’ featuring ‘New York City’ as its lead single.
Kylie put out her fifteenth studio album ‘Disco’ in November 2020. It was a critical and commercial success and topped several album charts across countries. She also held a livestream concert named ‘Infinite Disco’ to support her album. The concert was released on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray in November 2021.
In 2021, she put out her remix album ‘Disco: Extended Mixes.’ In September 2023, she released her sixteenth studio album under the name ‘Tension.’ The album received massive acclaim upon release and received an 86 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Tension also topped several music charts including ‘Australian Albums Chart,’ ‘UK Albums,’ ‘UK Independent Albums,’ and ‘US Top Dance/Electronic Albums.’
