Kylie Minogue
Encyclopedia
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE (icon; born 28 May 1968) - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours
, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987. Her first single, "Locomotion", spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart and became the highest selling single of the decade. This led to a contract with songwriters and producers
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
. Her debut album, Kylie
(1988), and the single "I Should Be So Lucky
", each reached number one in the United Kingdom, and over the next two years, her first 13 singles reached the British top ten. Her debut film, The Delinquents (1989) was a box-office hit in Australia and the UK despite negative reviews.
Initially presented as a "girl next door
", Minogue attempted to convey a more mature style in her music and public image. Her singles were well received, but after four albums her record sales were declining, and she left Stock, Aitken & Waterman in 1992 to establish herself as an independent performer. Her next single, "Confide in Me
", reached number one in Australia and was a hit in several European countries in 1994, and a duet with Nick Cave
, "Where the Wild Roses Grow
", brought Minogue a greater degree of artistic credibility. Drawing inspiration from a range of musical styles and artists, Minogue took creative control over the songwriting for her next album, Impossible Princess
(1997). It failed to attract strong reviews or sales in the UK, but was successful in Australia.
Minogue returned to prominence in 2000 with the single "Spinning Around
" and the dance-oriented album Light Years, and she performed during the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympics
. Her music videos showed a more sexually provocative and flirtatious personality and several hit singles followed. "Can't Get You Out of My Head
" reached number one in more than 40 countries, and the album Fever
(2001) was a hit in many countries, including the United States, a market in which Minogue had previously received little recognition. Minogue embarked on a concert tour but cancelled it when she was diagnosed with breast cancer
in May 2005. After surgery and chemotherapy treatment, she resumed her career in 2006 with Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour. Her tenth studio album X
was released in 2007 and was followed by the KylieX2008
tour. In 2009, she embarked upon her For You, For Me Tour
, her first concert tour of the United States and Canada, and the following year released her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite
.
Minogue has achieved worldwide record sales of more than 68 million, and has received notable music awards, including multiple ARIA and Brit Awards and a Grammy Award
. She has mounted several successful and critically acclaimed concert world tours and received a Mo Award for "Australian Entertainer of the Year" for her live performances. Bestowed from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire
(O.B.E.) at Buckingham Palace
in 2008 "for services to music". In the same year she was awarded France's highest cultural honour, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
from the French government for her contribution to the enrichment of French culture. In 2011, I Should Be So Lucky
was added to the National Film and Sound Archive
of Australia's Sounds of Australia
registry.. While also in 2011, Minogue was awarded an honorary Doctor of Health Science
(D.H.Sc.) degree by Anglia Ruskin University
in the United Kingdom of for her work in raising awareness for breast cancer. On 27th November 2011, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ARIA Music Awards
, Kylie Minogue was inducted by the Australian Recording Industry Association
into the ARIA Hall of Fame
by Australian Prime Minister
Julia Gillard
. This has been the first and only time an Australian political leader has presented an ARIA Award, symbolising the impact Minogue has had not only on popular culture but also in recognition of her highly successful international career in music - a career has so far spanned a quarter of a century. In addition, Minogue is Australia's biggest selling solo recording artist in history. In fact, she is the first, and to date the only, artist in UK and Australian chart history to have number one albums across four consecutive decades (1980's, 90's, 2000's and 2010's).
, Australia
, the eldest child of Ronald Charles Minogue, an accountant of Irish ancestry and Carol Ann (née Jones), a former dancer from Maesteg
, Wales. Kylie's sister, Dannii Minogue
, was also a pop singer and is a judge on Australia's Got Talent
, while her brother, Brendan, works as a news cameraman in Australia. The Minogue children were raised in Surrey Hills
, Melbourne, and educated at Camberwell High School
.
The Minogue sisters began their careers as children on Australian television. From the age of 11, Kylie appeared in small roles in soap operas such as The Sullivans
and Skyways
, and in 1985 was cast in one of the lead roles in The Henderson Kids
. Interested in following a career in music, she made a demo tape
for the producers of the weekly music programme Young Talent Time
, which featured Dannii as a regular performer. Kylie gave her first television singing performance on the show in 1985 but was not invited to join the cast. Dannii's success overshadowed Kylie's acting achievements, until Kylie was cast in the soap opera Neighbours
in 1986, as Charlene Mitchell
, a schoolgirl turned garage mechanic. Neighbours achieved popularity in the UK, and a story arc
that created a romance between her character
and the character played by Jason Donovan
, culminated in a wedding episode in 1987 that attracted an audience of 20 million British viewers.
Her popularity in Australia was demonstrated when she became the first person to win four Logie Award
s in one event, and the youngest recipient of the "Gold Logie" as the country's "Most Popular Television Performer", with the result determined by public vote.
benefit concert with other Neighbours cast members, Minogue performed "I Got You Babe
" as a duet with the actor John Waters
, and "The Loco-Motion
" as an encore, and was subsequently signed to a recording contract with Mushroom Records
in 1987. Her first single, "The Loco-Motion", spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian music charts. It sold 200,000 copies, became the highest selling single of the 1980s, and Minogue received the ARIA Award for the year's highest selling single. Its success resulted in Minogue travelling to England with Mushroom Records executive Gary Ashley to work with Stock, Aitken & Waterman
. They knew little of Minogue and had forgotten that she was arriving; as a result, they wrote "I Should Be So Lucky
" while she waited outside the studio. The song reached number one in the UK, Australia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Israel and Hong Kong. Minogue won her second consecutive ARIA Award for the year's highest selling single, and received a "Special Achievement Award". Her debut album, Kylie
, a collection of dance-oriented pop tunes
spent more than a year on the British album charts, including several weeks at number one. The album went gold in the United States, and the single, "The Loco-Motion", reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart, and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart
. "It's No Secret
", released only in the U.S., peaked at number 37 in early 1989, and "Turn It Into Love
" was released as a single in Japan, where it reached number one.
In July 1988, "Got To Be Certain
" became Minogue's third consecutive number one single on the Australian music charts, and later in the year she left Neighbours to focus on her music career. Jason Donovan
commented "When viewers watched her on screen they no longer saw Charlene the local mechanic, they saw Kylie the pop star." A duet with Donovan, titled "Especially for You
", sold almost one million copies in the UK in early 1989, but critic Kevin Killian wrote that the duet was "majestically awful ...[it] makes the Diana Ross
, Lionel Richie
'Endless Love
' sound like Mahler
." She was sometimes referred to as "the Singing Budgie
" by her detractors over the coming years, however Chris True's comment about the album Kylie for Allmusic suggests that Minogue's appeal transcended the limitations of her music, by noting that "her cuteness makes these rather vapid tracks bearable".
Her follow-up album Enjoy Yourself
(1989) was a success in the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand, Asia and Australia, and contained several successful singles, including the British number one "Hand on Your Heart
", but it failed throughout North America, and Minogue was dropped by her American record label Geffen Records
. She embarked on her first concert tour, the Enjoy Yourself Tour
, in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and Australia, where Melbourne's Herald Sun
wrote that it was "time to ditch the snobbery and face facts—the kid's a star." In December 1989, Minogue was one of the featured vocalists on the remake of "Do They Know It's Christmas", and her debut film, The Delinquents, premiered in London. It was poorly received by critics, and the Daily Mirror reviewed Minogue's performance with the comment that she "has as much acting charisma as cold porridge", but it proved popular with audiences; in the UK it grossed more than £
200,000, and in Australia it was the fourth-highest grossing local film of 1989 and the highest grossing local film of 1990.
Rhythm of Love
(1990) presented a more sophisticated and adult style of dance music and also marked the first signs of Minogue's rebellion against her production team and the "girl-next-door" image. Determined to be accepted by a more mature audience, Minogue took control of her music videos, starting with "Better the Devil You Know
", and presented herself as a sexually aware adult. Her relationship with Michael Hutchence
was also seen as part of Minogue's departure from her earlier persona; Hutchence was quoted as saying that his hobby was "corrupting Kylie", and that the INXS
song "Suicide Blonde
" had been inspired by her. The singles from Rhythm of Love sold well in Europe and Australia and were popular in British nightclubs. Pete Waterman
later reflected that "Better the Devil You Know" was a milestone in her career and said that it made her "the hottest, hippest dance act on the scene and nobody could knock it as it was the best dance record around at the time". "Shocked
" became Minogue's thirteenth consecutive British top-10 single.
In May 1990, Minogue performed her band's arrangement of The Beatles
's "Help!
" before a crowd of 25,000 at the John Lennon: The Tribute Concert on the banks of the River Mersey
in Liverpool
. Yoko Ono
and Sean Lennon
offered Minogue their thanks for her support of The John Lennon Fund, while the media commented positively on her performance. The Sun wrote "The soap star wows the Scousers
— Kylie Minogue deserved her applause". Her fourth album, Let's Get to It
(1991), reached number 15 on the British album charts and was the first of her albums to fail to reach the Top 10; her fourteenth single "Word Is Out" was the first to miss the Top 10 singles chart, though subsequent singles "If You Were with Me Now
" and "Give Me Just a Little More Time
" reached number four and number two respectively. Minogue had fulfilled the requirements of her contract and elected not to renew it. She later expressed her opinion that she was stifled by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and said, "I was very much a puppet in the beginning. I was blinkered by my record company. I was unable to look left or right."
A Greatest Hits
album was released in 1992. It reached number one in the UK and number three in Australia, and the singles "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)
" and her cover version of Kool & The Gang
's "Celebration
" each reached the UK Top 20.
was highly touted in the music media as the beginning of a new phase in her career, but the eponymous Kylie Minogue
(1994) received mixed reviews. It sold well in Europe and Australia, where the single "Confide in Me
" spent four weeks at number one. She performed a striptease
in the video for her next single, "Put Yourself in My Place", inspired by Jane Fonda
in the film Barbarella
. This single and her next, "Where Is the Feeling?
" each reached the British top 20, and the album peaked at number four, eventually selling 250,000 copies. During this period she made a guest appearance as herself, in an episode of the comedy The Vicar of Dibley
. The director Steven E. de Souza
was intrigued by Minogue's cover photo in Australia's Who Magazine
as one of "The 30 Most Beautiful People in the World", and offered her a role opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme
in Street Fighter
(1994). The film was a moderate success, earning USD$70 million in the U.S., but received poor reviews with The Washington Post
s Richard Harrington calling Minogue "the worst actress in the English-speaking world". She co-starred with Pauly Shore
and Stephen Baldwin
in Bio-Dome
(1996), but it was a failure, dismissed by Movie Magazine International as the "biggest waste of celluloid space". Minogue returned to Australia where she appeared in the short film, Hayride to Hell
(1995), and then to the UK where she filmed a cameo role as herself in the film Diana & Me (1997).
Australian artist Nick Cave
had been interested in working with Minogue since hearing "Better the Devil You Know", saying it contained "one of pop music's most violent and distressing lyrics" and "when Kylie Minogue sings these words, there is an innocence to her that makes the horror of this chilling lyric all the more compelling". They collaborated on "Where the Wild Roses Grow
" (1995), a brooding ballad whose lyrics narrated a murder from the points of view of both the murderer (Cave), and his victim (Minogue). The video was inspired by John Everett Millais
's painting Ophelia
(1851–1852), and showed Minogue as the murdered woman, floating in a pond as a serpent swam over her body. The single received widespread attention in Europe, where it reached the top 10 in several countries, and acclaim in Australia where it reached number two on the singles chart, and won ARIA Awards
for "Song of the Year" and "Best Pop Release". Following concert appearances with Cave, Minogue recited the lyrics to "I Should Be So Lucky" as poetry in London's Royal Albert Hall
"Poetry Jam", at the suggestion of Cave, and later described it as a "most cathartic moment". She credited Cave with giving her the confidence to express herself artistically, saying: "He taught me to never veer too far from who I am, but to go further, try different things, and never lose sight of myself at the core. For me, the hard part was unleashing the core of myself and being totally truthful in my music." By 1997, Minogue was in a relationship with the French photographer Stéphane Sednaoui
, who encouraged her to develop her creativity. Inspired by a mutual appreciation of Japanese culture, they created a visual combination of "geisha
and manga
superheroine" for the photographs taken for the album Impossible Princess
and the video for "German Bold Italic", Minogue's collaboration with Towa Tei
. Minogue drew inspiration from the music of artists such as Shirley Manson
and Garbage
, Björk
, Tricky
and U2
, and Japanese pop musicians such as Pizzicato Five
and Towa Tei.
Impossible Princess featured collaborations with musicians such as James Dean Bradfield
and Sean Moore
of the Manic Street Preachers
. Mostly a dance album, its style was not represented by its first single "Some Kind of Bliss
", and Minogue countered suggestions that she was trying to become an indie artist. She told Music Week, "I have to keep telling people that this isn't an indie-guitar album. I'm not about to pick up a guitar and rock." Acknowledging that she had attempted to escape the perceptions of her that had developed during her early career, Minogue commented that she was ready to "forget the painful criticism" and "accept the past, embrace it, use it". Her video for "Did It Again" paid homage to her earlier incarnations, as noted in her biography, La La La, "Dance Kylie, Cute Kylie, Sex Kylie and Indie Kylie all struggled for supremacy as they battled bitchily with each other." Billboard described the album as "stunning" and concluded that "it's a golden commercial opportunity for a major [record company] with vision and energy [to release it in the United States]. A sharp ear will detect a kinship between Impossible Princess and Madonna
's hugely successful album, Ray of Light
". In the UK, Music Week gave a negative assessment, commenting that "Kylie's vocals take on a stroppy edge ... but not strong enough to do much". Retitled Kylie Minogue in the UK following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
, it became the lowest-selling album of her career. At the end of the year a campaign by Virgin Radio
stated, "We've done something to improve Kylie's records: we've banned them." A poll conducted by Smash Hits
voted her the "worst-dressed person, worst singer and second-most very horrible thing—after spiders".
In Australia, Impossible Princess spent 35 weeks on the album chart and peaked at number four, to become her most successful album since Kylie in 1988, and her Intimate and Live tour was extended due to demand. The Victorian Premier
, Jeff Kennett
, hosted a civic reception for Minogue in Melbourne, and she maintained her high profile in Australia with live performances, including the 1998 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
, the opening ceremonies of Melbourne's Crown Casino
and Sydney's Fox Studios
in 1999, where she performed Marilyn Monroe
's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
", and a Christmas concert in Dili
, East Timor in association with the United Nations Peace-Keeping Forces. During this time she filmed a small role for the Australian-made Molly Ringwald
film, Cut (2000).
Minogue and Deconstruction Records parted company. She performed a duet with the Pet Shop Boys
' on their Nightlife album and spent several months in Barbados
performing in Shakespeare's The Tempest
. Returning to Australia, she appeared in the film Sample People and recorded a cover version of Russell Morris
's "The Real Thing" for the soundtrack. She signed with Parlophone Records in April 1999. According to Miles Leonard
, her new A&R at Parlophone, it was the label and not Minogue that was responsible for her career downturn, believing that her talent hadn't been tapped into by Deconstruction. Leonard later told HitQuarters
: "I believed that she was still very strong vocally, and still definitely a star ... and I knew that with the right project, the right songwriters, the right producers, the right team, she would still have a fanbase out there." Parlophone wanted to reestablish Minogue as the pop artist they felt she essentially was, but that had been lost. Leonard said: "But I didn't want to make a throwaway pop record, I wanted it to have an edge and some depth."
Her album Light Years (2000) was a collection of dance songs, influenced by disco
music. Minogue said that her intention was to present dance-pop music in a "more exaggerated form" and to make it "fun". It generated strong reviews and was successful throughout Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, selling over one million copies in the UK. The single "Spinning Around
" became her first British number one in ten years, and its accompanying video featured Minogue in revealing gold hot pants, which came to be regarded as a "trademark". The single was described by a 2009 The Times
article as heralding a new era in synthpop
that was continuing. Her second single, "On a Night Like This
" reached number one in Australia and number two in the UK. "Kids", a duet with Robbie Williams
, was also included on Williams's album Sing When You're Winning
, and peaked at number two in the UK.
In 2000, Minogue performed ABBA
's "Dancing Queen
" and her single "On a Night like This
" at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
closing ceremony. She then embarked upon a concert tour, On A Night like This Tour
, which played to sell-out crowds in Australia and the United Kingdom. Minogue was inspired by Madonna's 1993 world tour The Girlie Show which incorporated Burlesque and theatre, William Baker also cited the style of Broadway shows such as 42nd Street
, films such as Anchors Aweigh
, South Pacific, the Fred Astaire
and Ginger Rogers
musicals of the 1930s and the live performances of Bette Midler
. Minogue was praised for her new material and her reinterpretations of some of her greatest successes, turning "I Should Be So Lucky
" into a torch song
and "Better the Devil You Know
" into a 1940s big band
number. She won a "Mo Award" for Australian live entertainment as "Performer of the Year". Following the tour she was asked by a Seattle Post-Intelligencer journalist what she thought was her greatest strength, and replied, "[That] I am an all-rounder. If I was to choose any one element of what I do, I don't know if I would excel at any one of them. But put all of them together, and I know what I'm doing."
She appeared as "The Green Fairy" in Moulin Rouge!
(2001), shortly before the release of Fever
, an album containing disco elements combined with 1980s electropop and synthpop
. Fever reached number one in Australia, the UK, and throughout Europe, eventually achieving worldwide sales in excess of eight million. Its lead single "Can't Get You Out of My Head
" became the biggest success of her career, reaching number one in more than 40 countries. She won four ARIA Awards including a "Most Outstanding Achievement" award, and two Brit Awards, for "Best international female solo artist" and "Best international album". Rolling Stone
states that "Can't Get You out of My Head" "was easily the best and most omnipresent dance track of the new century", and following extensive airplay by American radio, Capitol Records
released it and the album Fever in the U.S. in 2002. Fever debuted on the Billboard 200
albums chart at number three, and "Can't Get You out of My Head" reached number seven on the Hot 100. The subsequent singles "In Your Eyes
", "Love at First Sight" and "Come into My World" were successful throughout the world, and Minogue established a presence in the mainstream North American market, particularly in the club
scene. Minogue followed the success of the album by touring the United States with the Jingle Ball festival, visiting Miami, Anaheim, New York City, Philadelphia and Houston. In 2003 she received a Grammy Award
nomination for "Best Dance Recording" for "Love at First Sight", and the following year won the same award for "Come into My World".
Minogue's stylist and creative director William Baker
explained that the music videos for the Fever album were inspired by science fiction film
s—specifically those by Stanley Kubrick
—and accentuated the electropop elements of the music by using dancers in the style of Kraftwerk
. Alan MacDonald, the designer of the 2002 KylieFever tour, brought those elements into the stage show which drew inspiration from Minogue's past incarnations. The show opened with Minogue as a space age vamp, which she described as "Queen of Metropolis
with her drones", through to scenes inspired by Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange
, followed by the various persona
s of Minogue's career. Minogue said that she was finally able to express herself the way she wanted, and that she had always been "a showgirl at heart". During 2002 she worked on the animated film The Magic Roundabout
, released in 2005 in Europe and 2006 in the U.S.; she voiced one of the principal characters, Florence.
Minogue began a relationship with the French actor, Olivier Martinez
, after meeting him at the 2002 Grammy Awards ceremony. Her next album, Body Language
(2003), was released following an invitation-only concert, titled Money Can't Buy
, at the Hammersmith Apollo
in London. The event marked the presentation of a new visual style, designed by Minogue and Baker, inspired in part by Brigitte Bardot
, about whom Minogue commented: "I just tended to think of BB [Bardot] as, well, she's a sexpot, isn't she? She's one of the greatest pinups. But she was fairly radical in her own way at that time. And we chose to reference the period, which was ... a perfect blend of coquette and rock and roll." The album downplayed the disco style and Minogue said she was inspired by 1980s artists such as Scritti Politti
, The Human League
, Adam and the Ants
and Prince
, blending their styles with elements of hip hop
. It received positive reviews with Billboard Magazine writing of "Minogue's knack for picking great songs and producers". Allmusic described it as "a near perfect pop record... Body Language is what happens when a dance-pop diva takes the high road and focuses on what's important instead of trying to shock herself into continued relevance". Sales of Body Language were lower than anticipated after the success of Fever, though the first single, "Slow
", was a number-one hit in the UK and Australia. After reaching number one on the US club chart, "Slow" received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Dance Recording category.
Body Language achieved first week sales of 43,000 in the U.S., and declined significantly in the second week. The Wall Street Journal
described Minogue as "an international superstar who seems perpetually unable to conquer the U.S. market". Minogue commented that she had told her American record company that she was not willing to invest the time needed to establish herself in the U.S. and that she would rather enhance the success she had already achieved in other parts of the world, an attitude endorsed by Billboard analyst Geoff Mayfield as a "business decision... If I were her accountant, I couldn't blame her for making that call." Minogue later commented that she was not concerned by her limited success in the U.S. and was more frustrated by assumptions that she considered her career incomplete without it.
Minogue played a guest role in the season finale of the comedy series Kath & Kim
, in which she referenced her earlier role as Charlene in Neighbours, during a wedding sequence. The episode achieved the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
's highest ratings of the year.
She released her second official greatest hits album in November 2004, entitled Ultimate Kylie
, along with her music videos on a DVD compilation of the same title. The album introduced her singles "I Believe in You
", co-written with Jake Shears
and Babydaddy
from the Scissor Sisters
, and "Giving You Up
". "I Believe in You" reached the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
top three, and Minogue was nominated for a Grammy Award for the fourth consecutive year when the song was nominated in the category of "Best Dance Recording".
Early in 2005, Kylie : The Exhibition opened in Melbourne. The free exhibition featured costumes and photographs spanning Minogue's career and went on to tour Australian capital cities receiving over 300,000 visitors, and was exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London in February 2007. Minogue commenced her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, and after performing in Europe, travelled to Melbourne, where she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
" to her father, a survivor of prostate cancer
. Her dance routines had been reworked to accommodate her medical condition, and slower costume changes and longer breaks were introduced between sections of the show to conserve her strength. The media reported that Minogue performed energetically, with the Sydney Morning Herald describing the show as an "extravaganza" and "nothing less than a triumph". The following night, Minogue was joined by Bono
, who was in Australia as part of U2
's Vertigo tour, for the duet "Kids", but Minogue was forced to cancel a subsequent planned appearance at U2's show, because of exhaustion. Minogue's shows throughout Australia continued to draw positive reviews, and after spending Christmas with her family, she resumed the European leg of her tour with six sold-out shows in Wembley Arena
, before taking her tour to Manchester
for a further six shows.
In February 2007, Minogue and Olivier Martinez announced that they had ended their relationship, but remained on friendly terms. Minogue was reported to have been "saddened by false [media] accusations of [Martinez's] disloyalty". She defended Martinez, and acknowledged the support he had given during her treatment for breast cancer, commenting "He was always there, helping with the practical stuff and being protective. He was incredible. He didn't hesitate in cancelling work and putting projects on hold so he could be with me. He's the most honourable man I have ever met."
Minogue released X
, her tenth studio album and much-discussed "comeback" album, in November 2007. The electro-styled album included contributions from Guy Chambers
, Cathy Dennis
, Bloodshy & Avant
and Calvin Harris
. For the overarching visual look of X, including the music video for first single "2 Hearts
", Minogue and William Baker developed a combination of the style of Kabuki
theatre and the aesthetics originating from London danceclubs including BoomBox
. The album received some criticism for the triviality of its subject matter in light of Minogue's experiences with breast cancer; she responded by explaining the personal nature of some of the album's songs, and said "My conclusion is that if I'd done an album of personal songs it'd be seen as 'Impossible Princess 2' and be equally critiqued." Rolling Stone
s reviewer described Minogue as "pop divadom's party planner in chief", and said of her breast cancer, "thankfully, the experience hasn't made her music discernibly deeper". Minogue later said, "In retrospect we could definitely have bettered it [the album], I'll say that straight up. Given the time we had, it is what it is. I had a lot of fun doing it."
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X and "2 Hearts" entered at number one on the Australian albums and singles charts respectively. In the UK, X initially attracted lukewarm sales, although its commercial performance eventually improved, and Minogue won a Brit Award for "International solo female". X was released in the U.S. in April 2008, and debuted outside the top 100 on the albums chart despite some promotion. Minogue called the U.S. market "notoriously difficult ... [Y]ou have so many denominations with radio. To know where I fit within that market is sometimes difficult." X was nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award
for Best Electronic/Dance Album
, Minogue's fifth Grammy Award nomination.
In December 2007, Minogue participated in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
in Oslo, Norway, and later performed in the final of the UK talent show The X Factor
with the eventual winner, Leon Jackson
, whose mentor was Dannii Minogue. From May 2008, Minogue promoted X with a European tour, KylieX2008
, which is her most expensive tour to date with production costs of £10 million. Although she described the rehearsals as "grim" and the set list went through several overhauls, the tour was generally acclaimed and sold well.
Minogue was featured in White Diamond
, a documentary filmed during 2006 and 2007 as she resumed her Showgirl Homecoming Tour. She appeared in The Kylie Show
, which featured highly stylised set-piece song performances from Minogue as well as comedy sketches with Mathew Horne
, Dannii Minogue, Jason Donovan and Simon Cowell
. She co-starred in the 2007 Doctor Who
Christmas special episode
, "Voyage of the Damned
", as Astrid Peth
, a waitress on a spaceship Titanic. The episode aired on 25 December 2007, with 13.31 million viewers, the show's highest viewing figures since 1979.
It was announced in late December 2007 that Minogue was to be among those honoured in Queen Elizabeth II's 2008 New Years Honours list, with an OBE
for services to music. Minogue commented "I am almost as surprised as I am honoured. I feel deeply touched to be acknowledged by the UK, my adopted home, in this way." She received the OBE officially from The Prince of Wales
in July 2008. In May, 2008 Minogue was awarded the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
, France's highest cultural honour. Culture Minister Christine Albanel
described Minogue as a "midas of the international music scene who turns everything she touches into gold", and saluted her for publicly discussing her breast cancer. In July, Minogue was named the UK's "Best Loved Celebrity" by a tabloid newspaper, who commented that she "won the hearts of the nation as she bravely battled breast cancer", and won the "Best International Female Solo Artist" award at the 2008 BRIT Awards
.
In late September 2008, Minogue made her Middle East debut as the headline act at the opening of Atlantis, The Palm
, an exclusive hotel resort in Dubai
, and from November, she continued with her KylieX2008 tour, taking the show to cities across South America, Asia and Australia. The tour visited 21 countries, and was considered a success, with ticket sales estimated at $70,000,000. She hosted the 2009 BRIT Awards
on 18 February 2009 with James Corden
and Mathew Horne
.
In September and October 2009, Minogue embarked on the For You, For Me Tour
, her first North American concert tour, which included shows in the U.S. and Canada. She was also featured in the Bollywood
film, Blue, performing an A.R. Rahman song, and had confirmed that she was working on her eleventh studio album, commenting that it would be an album of dance and pop music. On 13 September 2009, Minogue performed "Super Trouper
" and "When All Is Said and Done
" with Benny Andersson
at the ABBA
tribute concert "Thank You for the Music... a Celebration of the Music of ABBA" at London's Hyde Park
, her only live performance in the UK in 2009. On 14 December 2009, Minogue released a download-only concert album entitled Kylie: Live in New York
. The album was recorded at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom
and contains 25 live version songs.
, was released in Japan on 30 June 2010 and worldwide in July 2010. The lead single, "All the Lovers
", premiered on radio in May 2010 and was made available for purchase in June 2010. The album debuted at number one in the UK charts, exactly twenty two years after her first UK number one hit. On 3 June 2010, she hosted the inaugural AmfAR
"Inspiration Gala" at the New York Public Library
honouring Jean Paul Gaultier for his lifelong contribution to men's fashion and the fight against AIDS
. Minogue appeared on BBC1's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
on 25 June 2010, during which she confirmed she is a UK resident, and announced that she will tour in 2011.
In July 2010, Minogue filmed a cameo performance as a rock star in the American independent film Jack and Diane. The movie stars Juno Temple
, Riley Keough
and Jena Malone
. She also recorded a duet titled "Devotion" with British synthpop duo Hurts
for their debut album Happiness
, released on 6 September 2010. The second single from Aphrodite, titled "Get Outta My Way
" was released on 27 September 2010. In October 2010, Minogue performed in front of the Sphinx
and the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt
to celebrate the anniversary of "Enigma" magazine, with profits going to the We Owe It To Egypt Foundation. A third single, "Better Than Today
", was released on 6 December 2010.
Minogue's singles, "All the Lovers" and "Get Outta My Way", were popular in U.S. clubs, each reaching number one on the Billboard
Hot Dance Club Songs chart. On March 5, 2011 "Better Than Today" was at number one on the chart, and her collaboration with Taio Cruz
, "Higher
", was at number three, making her the first artist in the chart's history to have two singles simultaneously in the top three. On 1 December 2010, Minogue and Parlophone
records released the EP
A Kylie Christmas on iTunes
, which included a cover of the 1945 song "Let It Snow
" as well as "Santa Baby
" which was previously available as a b-side to her 2000 single "Please Stay
". Kylie performed the song "Santa Baby" at the 2010 rockefeller tree lighing in new york on Nov 30, 2010.
In August 2011, "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
", also reached number one on the Billboard dance chart, where Minogue has now achieved five consecutive number one spots on the chart for her last five releases - including her collaboration with Taio Cruz on the track, "Higher
".
In 2011, Minogue embarked on the Aphrodite World Tour, travelling to Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and Africa. A DVD/Blu-Ray of the concert, filmed in London, was released at the end of November 2011.
Minogue is currently working on a new compilation album featuring re-worked versions of hits that will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of her debut single 'Locomotion'.
Minogue's efforts to be taken seriously as a recording artist were initially hindered by the perception that she had not "paid her dues" and was no more than a manufactured pop star exploiting the image she had created during her stint on Neighbours. Minogue acknowledged this viewpoint, saying, "if you're part of a record company, I think to a degree it's fair to say that you're a manufactured product. You're a product and you're selling a product. It doesn't mean that you're not talented and that you don't make creative and business decisions about what you will and won't do and where you want to go." In 1993, Baz Luhrmann
introduced Minogue to the photographer Bert Stern
, notable for his work with Marilyn Monroe. Stern photographed her in Los Angeles and, comparing her to Monroe, commented that Minogue had a similar mix of vulnerability and eroticism. During her career Minogue has chosen photographers who attempt to create a new "look" for her, and the resulting photographs have appeared in a variety of magazines, from the cutting edge The Face
to the more traditionally sophisticated Vogue
and Vanity Fair
, making the Minogue face and name known to a broad group of people. Stylist William Baker
has suggested that this is part of the reason she has entered in the mainstream pop culture of Europe more successfully than many other pop singers who concentrate solely on selling records.
By 2000, when Minogue returned to prominence, she was considered to be have achieved a degree of musical credibility for having maintained her career longer than her critics had expected. That same year, Birmingham Post
noted "[o]nce upon a time, long before anybody had even heard of Britney
, Christina
, Jessica
or Mandy
, Australian singer Kylie Minogue ruled the charts as princess of pop. Back in 1988 her first single, I Should Be So Lucky
, spent five weeks at number one, making her the most successful female artist in the UK charts with 13 successive Top 10 entries." Her progression from the wholesome "girl next door
" to a more sophisticated performer with a flirtatious and playful persona attracted new fans to her. Her "Spinning Around" video led to some media outlets referring to her as "SexKylie", and sex became a stronger element in her subsequent videos. William Baker described her status as a sex symbol as a "double edged sword" observing that "we always attempted to use her sex appeal as an enhancement of her music and to sell a record. But now it has become in danger of eclipsing what she actually is: a pop singer." After 20 years as a performer, Minogue was described as a fashion "trend-setter" and a "style icon who constantly reinvents herself". She has been acknowledged for mounting successful tours, and for worldwide record sales of more than 60 million.
Minogue is regarded as a gay icon
, which she encourages with comments such as "I am not a traditional gay icon. There's been no tragedy in my life, only tragic outfits..." and "My gay audience has been with me from the beginning ... they kind of adopted me." Minogue has explained that she first became aware of her gay audience in 1988, when several drag queen
s performed to her music at a Sydney pub and she later saw a similar show in Melbourne. She said that she felt "very touched" to have such an "appreciative crowd" and this had encouraged her to perform at gay venues throughout the world, as well as headlining the 1994 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
.
Minogue has been inspired by and compared to Madonna
throughout her career. Her producer, Pete Waterman recalled Minogue during the early years of her success, with the observation, "She was setting her sights on becoming the new Prince or Madonna... What I found amazing was that she was outselling Madonna four to one, but still wanted to be her." Minogue received negative comments that her Rhythm of Love tour in 1991 was too similar visually to Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour
of the previous year for which the critics labelled her a Madonna wannabe. Kathy McCabe for The Telegraph notes that Minogue and Madonna follow similar styles in music and fashion, and concludes, "Where they truly diverge on the pop-culture scale is in shock value. Minogue's clips might draw a gasp from some but Madonna's ignite religious and political debate unlike any other artist on the planet... Simply, Madonna is the dark force; Kylie is the light force." Rolling Stone
comments that, with the exception of the U.S., Minogue is regarded throughout the world as "an icon to rival Madonna", and says, "Like Madonna, Minogue was not a virtuosic singer but a canny trend spotter." Minogue has said of Madonna, "Her huge influence on the world, in pop and fashion, meant that I wasn't immune to the trends she created. I admire Madonna greatly but in the beginning she made it difficult for artists like me, she had done everything there was to be done...", and "Madonna's the Queen of Pop, I'm the princess. I'm quite happy with that."
In January 2007 Madame Tussauds
in London unveiled its fourth waxwork of Minogue; only Queen Elizabeth II has had more models created. During the same week a bronze cast of her hands was added to Wembley Arena
's "Square of Fame". On 23 November 2007, a bronze statue of Minogue was unveiled at Melbourne Docklands
for permanent display.
In March 2010, Minogue was declared by researchers as the "most powerful celebrity in Britain". The study examined how marketers identify celebrity and brand partnerships. Mark Husak, head of Millward Brown's UK media practice, said: "Kylie is widely accepted as an adopted Brit. People know her, like her and she is surrounded by positive buzz".
. Her hospitalisation and treatment in Melbourne resulted in a brief but intense period of media coverage, particularly in Australia, where Prime Minister
John Howard
issued a statement supporting Minogue.
As media and fans began to congregate outside the Minogue residence in Melbourne, the Victorian Premier Steve Bracks
warned the international media that any disruption of the Minogue family's rights under Australian privacy laws would not be tolerated. His comments became part of a wider criticism of the media's overall reaction, with particular criticism directed towards paparazzi
.
Minogue underwent surgery on 21 May 2005 at Cabrini Hospital in Malvern
, and commenced chemotherapy
treatment soon after.
On 8 July 2005, she made her first public appearance after her surgery, when she visited a children's cancer ward at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital. She returned to France where she completed her chemotherapy
treatment at the Institut Gustave-Roussy
in Villejuif
, near Paris. In December 2005, Minogue released a digital-only single, "Over the Rainbow", a live recording from her Showgirl tour. Her children's book, The Showgirl Princess
, written during her period of convalescence, was published
in October 2006, and her perfume
, "Darling", was launched in November. This range was later augmented by eau de toilettes such as Pink Sparkle, Couture and Inverse. On her return to Australia for her concert tour, she discussed her illness, and said that her chemotherapy treatment had been like "experiencing a nuclear bomb". While appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
in 2008, Minogue said that her cancer had originally been misdiagnosed. She commented, "Because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn't necessarily mean they're right", but she later spoke of her respect for the medical profession.
Minogue was acknowledged for the impact she had made by publicly discussing her cancer diagnosis and treatment; in May 2008, the French Cultural Minister Christine Albanel
said, "Doctors now even go as far as saying there is a 'Kylie effect' that encourages young women to have regular checks."
and represents Kylie Minogue
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, before commencing her career as a recording artist in 1987. Her first single, "Locomotion", spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart and became the highest selling single of the decade. This led to a contract with songwriters and producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Stock, Aitken & Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
. Her debut album, Kylie
Kylie (album)
Kylie is the debut album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, released by PWL on 4 July 1988. Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced and wrote eight of the ten tracks on the album....
(1988), and the single "I Should Be So Lucky
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a pop-dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie .The song was released as the album's second single in December 1987...
", each reached number one in the United Kingdom, and over the next two years, her first 13 singles reached the British top ten. Her debut film, The Delinquents (1989) was a box-office hit in Australia and the UK despite negative reviews.
Initially presented as a "girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
", Minogue attempted to convey a more mature style in her music and public image. Her singles were well received, but after four albums her record sales were declining, and she left Stock, Aitken & Waterman in 1992 to establish herself as an independent performer. Her next single, "Confide in Me
Confide in Me
Confide in Me is a compilation album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, which was released in May, 2002. The album cosists both studio albums of her former record label Deconstruction Records, which are Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess. However, her single Breathe was not featured...
", reached number one in Australia and was a hit in several European countries in 1994, and a duet with Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, "Where the Wild Roses Grow
Where the Wild Roses Grow
"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' ninth album Murder Ballads , with guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The song was produced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen and...
", brought Minogue a greater degree of artistic credibility. Drawing inspiration from a range of musical styles and artists, Minogue took creative control over the songwriting for her next album, Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess is the sixth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released in Japan on 1 November 1997 by BMG Records, Australia on 12 January 1998 by Mushroom Records and 23 March 1998 in Europe by Deconstruction Records to mixed reviews. The album was produced by...
(1997). It failed to attract strong reviews or sales in the UK, but was successful in Australia.
Minogue returned to prominence in 2000 with the single "Spinning Around
Spinning Around
"Spinning Around" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was written by Ira Shickman, Osborne Bingham, Kara DioGuardi, and Paula Abdul, and produced by Mike Spencer. It was originally intended for Paula Abdul's "comeback" album. However, as the album never came into fruition, it...
" and the dance-oriented album Light Years, and she performed during the closing ceremonies of the 2000 Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Her music videos showed a more sexually provocative and flirtatious personality and several hit singles followed. "Can't Get You Out of My Head
Can't Get You out of My Head
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released from her eighth studio album Fever . The song was released worldwide as the lead single from the album, which was released on 8 September, 2001. The song was written and produced...
" reached number one in more than 40 countries, and the album Fever
Fever (Kylie Minogue album)
Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
(2001) was a hit in many countries, including the United States, a market in which Minogue had previously received little recognition. Minogue embarked on a concert tour but cancelled it when she was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in May 2005. After surgery and chemotherapy treatment, she resumed her career in 2006 with Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour. Her tenth studio album X
X (Kylie Minogue album)
X is the tenth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is her first release since the greatest hits compilation Ultimate Kylie , and her first studio album since Body Language . X was preceded by lead single "2 Hearts" and released worldwide in November 2007...
was released in 2007 and was followed by the KylieX2008
KylieX2008
KylieX2008 was the tenth concert tour by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue, in support of her tenth studio album, X . Originally announced as just a European tour, rumors of Minogue taking the tour to Australia, Asia, and America had surfaced in the international media...
tour. In 2009, she embarked upon her For You, For Me Tour
For You, For Me Tour
The For You, For Me Tour was the ninth concert tour by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. This is Minogue's first concert tour in North America. The concert has received very favorable reviews from music critics...
, her first concert tour of the United States and Canada, and the following year released her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite
Aphrodite (album)
Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single, "All the Lovers"...
.
Minogue has achieved worldwide record sales of more than 68 million, and has received notable music awards, including multiple ARIA and Brit Awards and a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. She has mounted several successful and critically acclaimed concert world tours and received a Mo Award for "Australian Entertainer of the Year" for her live performances. Bestowed from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(O.B.E.) at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
in 2008 "for services to music". In the same year she was awarded France's highest cultural honour, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
from the French government for her contribution to the enrichment of French culture. In 2011, I Should Be So Lucky
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a pop-dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie .The song was released as the album's second single in December 1987...
was added to the National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...
of Australia's Sounds of Australia
Sounds of Australia
The National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia is a public registry of recordings that celebrates the unique and diverse recorded sound culture and history of Australia.The Registry was launched in February 2007 with a foundation list of ten...
registry.. While also in 2011, Minogue was awarded an honorary Doctor of Health Science
Doctor of Health Science
The Doctor of Health Science is a post-professional academic degree for those who intend to pursue or advance a professional practice career in Health Arts and Sciences, and Health Care Delivery Systems, to include clinical practice, education, administration, and research. Individuals who...
(D.H.Sc.) degree by Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University is one of the largest universities in Eastern England, United Kingdom, with a total student population of around 30,000.-History:...
in the United Kingdom of for her work in raising awareness for breast cancer. On 27th November 2011, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
, Kylie Minogue was inducted by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
by Australian Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
. This has been the first and only time an Australian political leader has presented an ARIA Award, symbolising the impact Minogue has had not only on popular culture but also in recognition of her highly successful international career in music - a career has so far spanned a quarter of a century. In addition, Minogue is Australia's biggest selling solo recording artist in history. In fact, she is the first, and to date the only, artist in UK and Australian chart history to have number one albums across four consecutive decades (1980's, 90's, 2000's and 2010's).
1968–86: Early life and career beginnings
Kylie Ann Minogue was born 28 May 1968 in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the eldest child of Ronald Charles Minogue, an accountant of Irish ancestry and Carol Ann (née Jones), a former dancer from Maesteg
Maesteg
Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2001, Maesteg had a population of 17,859, but it is now at an estimate of 20,000....
, Wales. Kylie's sister, Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
, was also a pop singer and is a judge on Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent is an Australian reality television talent show which premiered on 18 February 2007 on the Seven Network. The show was based on the Got Talent series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell...
, while her brother, Brendan, works as a news cameraman in Australia. The Minogue children were raised in Surrey Hills
Surrey Hills, Victoria
Surrey Hills is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area lies within the cities of Boroondara and Whitehorse...
, Melbourne, and educated at Camberwell High School
Camberwell High School
Camberwell High School is a government-funded, co-educational high for years 7 to 12 located on Prospect Hill Road in Canterbury, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
.
The Minogue sisters began their careers as children on Australian television. From the age of 11, Kylie appeared in small roles in soap operas such as The Sullivans
The Sullivans
The Sullivans is an Australian drama television series produced by Crawford Productions which ran from 1976 until 1983. The series told the story of an average middle-classMelbourne family and the effect World War II had on their lives...
and Skyways
Skyways (TV series)
Skyways is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network.The series, which aired from 1979 to 1981, was set at the fictional Pacific International Airport and dealt with the lives of the pilots, airline staff and management team who worked there.Skyways was...
, and in 1985 was cast in one of the lead roles in The Henderson Kids
The Henderson Kids
The Henderson Kids was an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for Network Ten between 1985 and 1987. It was created and storylined by Roger Moulton, who also wrote 5 episodes in the first series and 2 episodes in the second series....
. Interested in following a career in music, she made a demo tape
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
for the producers of the weekly music programme Young Talent Time
Young Talent Time
Young Talent Time is an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten, running from 1971 until 1988. The series features a core group of young performers in the vein of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a weekly junior talent quest. The "Young Talent Team" regularly performed popular...
, which featured Dannii as a regular performer. Kylie gave her first television singing performance on the show in 1985 but was not invited to join the cast. Dannii's success overshadowed Kylie's acting achievements, until Kylie was cast in the soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
in 1986, as Charlene Mitchell
Charlene Robinson
Charlene Edna Robinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours played by Kylie Minogue. She made her first on-screen appearance on 17 April 1986 when she came to join her mother Madge in Ramsay Street. Charlene was a tomboy and later worked as a Mechanic...
, a schoolgirl turned garage mechanic. Neighbours achieved popularity in the UK, and a story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
that created a romance between her character
Scott and Charlene
Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell are fictional characters and a supercouple from the Australian daytime drama Neighbours.Scott was portrayed by Jason Donovan, and Charlene Mitchell was portrayed by Kylie Minogue.- Storyline :...
and the character played by Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
, culminated in a wedding episode in 1987 that attracted an audience of 20 million British viewers.
Her popularity in Australia was demonstrated when she became the first person to win four Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
s in one event, and the youngest recipient of the "Gold Logie" as the country's "Most Popular Television Performer", with the result determined by public vote.
1987–92: Stock, Aitken and Waterman and Kylie
During a Fitzroy Football ClubFitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...
benefit concert with other Neighbours cast members, Minogue performed "I Got You Babe
I Got You Babe
"I Got You Babe" is a 1965 #1 single by American pop music duo Sonny & Cher.-Background and composition:Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics to and composed the music of the song for himself and his then-wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. Session...
" as a duet with the actor John Waters
John Waters (actor)
John Russell Waters is a film, theatre and television actor and musician best known in Australia, to where he moved in 1968...
, and "The Loco-Motion
The Loco-Motion
"The Loco-Motion" is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. The song is notable for appearing in the American Top 5 three times – each time in a different decade: for Little Eva in 1962 ; for Grand Funk Railroad in 1974 ; and for Kylie Minogue in 1988 "The...
" as an encore, and was subsequently signed to a recording contract with Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
in 1987. Her first single, "The Loco-Motion", spent seven weeks at number one on the Australian music charts. It sold 200,000 copies, became the highest selling single of the 1980s, and Minogue received the ARIA Award for the year's highest selling single. Its success resulted in Minogue travelling to England with Mushroom Records executive Gary Ashley to work with Stock, Aitken & Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman
Stock Aitken Waterman, sometimes known as SAW, were a UK songwriting and record producing trio consisting of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. They had great success during the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s...
. They knew little of Minogue and had forgotten that she was arriving; as a result, they wrote "I Should Be So Lucky
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a pop-dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie .The song was released as the album's second single in December 1987...
" while she waited outside the studio. The song reached number one in the UK, Australia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Israel and Hong Kong. Minogue won her second consecutive ARIA Award for the year's highest selling single, and received a "Special Achievement Award". Her debut album, Kylie
Kylie (album)
Kylie is the debut album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, released by PWL on 4 July 1988. Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced and wrote eight of the ten tracks on the album....
, a collection of dance-oriented pop tunes
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
spent more than a year on the British album charts, including several weeks at number one. The album went gold in the United States, and the single, "The Loco-Motion", reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, and number one on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
. "It's No Secret
It's No Secret
"It's No Secret" is a pop-ballad song written by English songwriting team Stock, Aitken and Waterman for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's debut studio album Kylie . The song was produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman and received a mixed reception from music critics...
", released only in the U.S., peaked at number 37 in early 1989, and "Turn It Into Love
Turn It into Love
"Turn It into Love" is a single released from singer Kylie Minogue's debut album Kylie. The single was released in December 1988 as the album's sixth and final single and was written by Stock Aitken Waterman.-Song information:...
" was released as a single in Japan, where it reached number one.
In July 1988, "Got To Be Certain
Got to Be Certain
"Got to Be Certain" is a dance-pop song written and produced by British songwriting team Stock, Aitken and Waterman And included on Minogue's debut studio album Kylie . The song had been originally written for singer Mandy Smith, but her recording was never released until 2005. The song received a...
" became Minogue's third consecutive number one single on the Australian music charts, and later in the year she left Neighbours to focus on her music career. Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan
Jason Donovan is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 million records, and his début album Ten Good Reasons was one of the highest-selling albums of 1989...
commented "When viewers watched her on screen they no longer saw Charlene the local mechanic, they saw Kylie the pop star." A duet with Donovan, titled "Especially for You
Especially for You
"Especially for You" was the fifth international single released from singer Kylie Minogue in time for the Christmas 1988 market and is a duet with Jason Donovan. It did not appear on her debut album but was included on Jason Donovan's 1989 debut album Ten Good Reasons. The track did appear on the...
", sold almost one million copies in the UK in early 1989, but critic Kevin Killian wrote that the duet was "majestically awful ...[it] makes the Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
'Endless Love
Endless Love (song)
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and fellow soul singer Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by soul singer Luther Vandross with R&B singer Mariah Carey and also by...
' sound like Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
." She was sometimes referred to as "the Singing Budgie
Budgerigar
The Budgerigar , also known as Common Pet Parakeet or Shell Parakeet informally nicknamed the budgie, is a small, long-tailed, seed-eating parrot, and the only species in the Australian genus Melopsittacus...
" by her detractors over the coming years, however Chris True's comment about the album Kylie for Allmusic suggests that Minogue's appeal transcended the limitations of her music, by noting that "her cuteness makes these rather vapid tracks bearable".
Her follow-up album Enjoy Yourself
Enjoy Yourself (Kylie Minogue album)
Enjoy Yourself is the second album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. It was released by PWL on 9 October 1989. The album was mostly just produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, who had written and produced the whole album . The album was also mostly similar to its debut album as well.Minogue had...
(1989) was a success in the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand, Asia and Australia, and contained several successful singles, including the British number one "Hand on Your Heart
Hand on Your Heart
"Hand on Your Heart" is a dance-pop song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman...
", but it failed throughout North America, and Minogue was dropped by her American record label Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. She embarked on her first concert tour, the Enjoy Yourself Tour
Enjoy Yourself Tour
The Enjoy Yourself Tour was Kylie Minogue's first world tour following the success of her second studio album, Enjoy Yourself. By the start of the European leg of the tour, Minogue had started to take control of her image and musical direction, demonstrated by the release of the career milestone...
, in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and Australia, where Melbourne's Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
wrote that it was "time to ditch the snobbery and face facts—the kid's a star." In December 1989, Minogue was one of the featured vocalists on the remake of "Do They Know It's Christmas", and her debut film, The Delinquents, premiered in London. It was poorly received by critics, and the Daily Mirror reviewed Minogue's performance with the comment that she "has as much acting charisma as cold porridge", but it proved popular with audiences; in the UK it grossed more than £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
200,000, and in Australia it was the fourth-highest grossing local film of 1989 and the highest grossing local film of 1990.
Rhythm of Love
Rhythm of Love (Kylie Minogue album)
Australian Tour Souvenir/The Gold Album# "Step Back in Time" – 7:55# "What Do I Have to Do" – 7:08# "Shocked" – 3:10Australian limited edition CD album repackaged with SHOCKED single...
(1990) presented a more sophisticated and adult style of dance music and also marked the first signs of Minogue's rebellion against her production team and the "girl-next-door" image. Determined to be accepted by a more mature audience, Minogue took control of her music videos, starting with "Better the Devil You Know
Better the Devil You Know
"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love.-Background:...
", and presented herself as a sexually aware adult. Her relationship with Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
was also seen as part of Minogue's departure from her earlier persona; Hutchence was quoted as saying that his hobby was "corrupting Kylie", and that the INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
song "Suicide Blonde
Suicide Blonde
"Suicide Blonde" is the title of the first single from the INXS album X. It reached the top 10 on the US Hot 100 and Australia in 1990 and reached a peak of #11 in the UK.-Writing and recording:...
" had been inspired by her. The singles from Rhythm of Love sold well in Europe and Australia and were popular in British nightclubs. Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
later reflected that "Better the Devil You Know" was a milestone in her career and said that it made her "the hottest, hippest dance act on the scene and nobody could knock it as it was the best dance record around at the time". "Shocked
Shocked
"Shocked" is a dance pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love . It was produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman and received a positive reception from music critics...
" became Minogue's thirteenth consecutive British top-10 single.
In May 1990, Minogue performed her band's arrangement of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
's "Help!
Help! (song)
"Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom....
" before a crowd of 25,000 at the John Lennon: The Tribute Concert on the banks of the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
and Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
offered Minogue their thanks for her support of The John Lennon Fund, while the media commented positively on her performance. The Sun wrote "The soap star wows the Scousers
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
— Kylie Minogue deserved her applause". Her fourth album, Let's Get to It
Let's Get to It
Let's Get to It is the fourth album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. It was released by PWL on 14 October 1991 and was a top twenty album in both Minogue's native Australia and the United Kingdom.-Album information:...
(1991), reached number 15 on the British album charts and was the first of her albums to fail to reach the Top 10; her fourteenth single "Word Is Out" was the first to miss the Top 10 singles chart, though subsequent singles "If You Were with Me Now
If You Were with Me Now
"If You Were with Me Now" is a pop–R&B song written by British songwriting team Stock and Waterman, Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue and American R&B singer Keith Washington for Minogue's fourth studio album Let's Get to It . The song was produced by Stock and Waterman and received a mixed...
" and "Give Me Just a Little More Time
Give Me Just a Little More Time
"Give Me Just a Little More Time" is the debut single for Chairmen of the Board, released in 1970 through Capitol Records on Holland–Dozier–Holland's Invictus Records label....
" reached number four and number two respectively. Minogue had fulfilled the requirements of her contract and elected not to renew it. She later expressed her opinion that she was stifled by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and said, "I was very much a puppet in the beginning. I was blinkered by my record company. I was unable to look left or right."
A Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Kylie Minogue album)
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue, released in 1992. It contains 19 singles from her albums Kylie, Enjoy Yourself, Rhythm of Love and Let's Get to It, as well as 3 songs recorded specifically for inclusion on this album.The album was largely written and...
album was released in 1992. It reached number one in the UK and number three in Australia, and the singles "What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)
What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)
"What Kind of Fool " is a song performed by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, from her Greatest hits album Greatest Hits . The song was written by Mike Stock, Kylie Minogue and Pete Waterman, and produced by Stock and Waterman...
" and her cover version of Kool & The Gang
Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
's "Celebration
Celebration (song)
"Celebration" is a song released in 1980 by Kool & the Gang from their album Celebrate!. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 7, 1981 and held that position until February 20, 1981. Late in 1980, the song had also reached number one on both the Billboard Dance and R&B...
" each reached the UK Top 20.
1993–98: Deconstruction, Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess
Minogue's subsequent signing with Deconstruction RecordsDeconstruction Records
Deconstruction Records is a record label founded in 1987 by Pete Hadfield and Keith Blackhurst in the United Kingdom. Distribution was via label deals with Parlophone Records, for acts such as K-Klass and Bassheads), and RCA Records for everybody else....
was highly touted in the music media as the beginning of a new phase in her career, but the eponymous Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue (album)
Kylie Minogue is the self-titled fifth studio album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue, which was first released on 19 September 1994. The album was first released by Deconstruction Records/BMG throughout much of the world while in Australia and New Zealand the album was released by Mushroom...
(1994) received mixed reviews. It sold well in Europe and Australia, where the single "Confide in Me
Confide in Me (song)
"Confide in Me" is a dance–pop song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and written by Steve Anderson, Dave Seaman and Owain Barton. It was produced by Brothers in Rhythm, and received a good overall reception from music critics when it was released as the first single from Minogue’s...
" spent four weeks at number one. She performed a striptease
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
in the video for her next single, "Put Yourself in My Place", inspired by Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
in the film Barbarella
Barbarella (film)
Barbarella is a 1968 Franco-Italian science fiction film based on Jean-Claude Forrest's French Barbarella comics. The film was directed by Roger Vadim and stars Jane Fonda, who was Vadim's wife at the time.-Plot:...
. This single and her next, "Where Is the Feeling?
Where Is the Feeling?
"Where Is the Feeling?" is a song by Kylie Minogue, released as the third and final single from her 1994 album Kylie Minogue. The single was released on 10 July 1995 and was produced by Brothers in Rhythm.-Background:...
" each reached the British top 20, and the album peaked at number four, eventually selling 250,000 copies. During this period she made a guest appearance as herself, in an episode of the comedy The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
. The director Steven E. de Souza
Steven E. de Souza
Steven E. de Souza is an American producer, director and screenwriter. He is among a handful of screenwriters whose films have earned over two billion dollars at the worldwide box office.-Life and career:...
was intrigued by Minogue's cover photo in Australia's Who Magazine
Who magazine
Who is a celebrity news and entertainment weekly magazine published in Australia by Pacific Magazines. It was launched as a sister magazine to the United States weekly People, with a name change facilitated because of an existing Australian lad's mag of the same nameAs of 2006, Who had a...
as one of "The 30 Most Beautiful People in the World", and offered her a role opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
in Street Fighter
Street Fighter (film)
Street Fighter is a 1994 American action film written and directed by Steven E. de Souza. It is based loosely on the same-titled video games produced by Capcom, and stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Raul Julia, along with supporting performances by Byron Mann, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na...
(1994). The film was a moderate success, earning USD$70 million in the U.S., but received poor reviews with The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
s Richard Harrington calling Minogue "the worst actress in the English-speaking world". She co-starred with Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Andrew Baldwin is an American actor, director, producer and author. One of the Baldwin brothers, he is known for his roles as William F. Cody in the western show The Young Riders and as Stuart in the movie Threesome...
in Bio-Dome
Bio-Dome
Bio-Dome is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Jason Bloom. Bio-Dome was produced by Motion Picture Corporation of America on a budget of $15 million and was distributed theatrically by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
(1996), but it was a failure, dismissed by Movie Magazine International as the "biggest waste of celluloid space". Minogue returned to Australia where she appeared in the short film, Hayride to Hell
Hayride to Hell
Hayride to Hell is a 1995 Australian short subject directed and written by Kimble Rendall. It tells the story of salesman George Weygate, who comes across a girl begging for his help. Only shown in late night art houses, the film has never been widely released...
(1995), and then to the UK where she filmed a cameo role as herself in the film Diana & Me (1997).
Australian artist Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
had been interested in working with Minogue since hearing "Better the Devil You Know", saying it contained "one of pop music's most violent and distressing lyrics" and "when Kylie Minogue sings these words, there is an innocence to her that makes the horror of this chilling lyric all the more compelling". They collaborated on "Where the Wild Roses Grow
Where the Wild Roses Grow
"Where the Wild Roses Grow" is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' ninth album Murder Ballads , with guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. The song was produced by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Tony Cohen and...
" (1995), a brooding ballad whose lyrics narrated a murder from the points of view of both the murderer (Cave), and his victim (Minogue). The video was inspired by John Everett Millais
John Everett Millais
Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter and illustrator and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Early life:...
's painting Ophelia
Ophelia (painting)
Ophelia is a painting by British artist Sir John Everett Millais, completed between 1851-52. Currently held in the Tate Britain in London, it depicts Ophelia, a character from Shakespeare's play Hamlet, singing before she drowns in a river in Denmark....
(1851–1852), and showed Minogue as the murdered woman, floating in a pond as a serpent swam over her body. The single received widespread attention in Europe, where it reached the top 10 in several countries, and acclaim in Australia where it reached number two on the singles chart, and won ARIA Awards
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
for "Song of the Year" and "Best Pop Release". Following concert appearances with Cave, Minogue recited the lyrics to "I Should Be So Lucky" as poetry in London's Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
"Poetry Jam", at the suggestion of Cave, and later described it as a "most cathartic moment". She credited Cave with giving her the confidence to express herself artistically, saying: "He taught me to never veer too far from who I am, but to go further, try different things, and never lose sight of myself at the core. For me, the hard part was unleashing the core of myself and being totally truthful in my music." By 1997, Minogue was in a relationship with the French photographer Stéphane Sednaoui
Stéphane Sednaoui
Stéphane Sednaoui is a French-American photographer, director and producer whose work includes music videos, art projects, photographic essays, portrait photography, fashion photography and photojournalism....
, who encouraged her to develop her creativity. Inspired by a mutual appreciation of Japanese culture, they created a visual combination of "geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
superheroine" for the photographs taken for the album Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess
Impossible Princess is the sixth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released in Japan on 1 November 1997 by BMG Records, Australia on 12 January 1998 by Mushroom Records and 23 March 1998 in Europe by Deconstruction Records to mixed reviews. The album was produced by...
and the video for "German Bold Italic", Minogue's collaboration with Towa Tei
Towa Tei
is a DJ, artist and record producer in Yokahoma, Japan.Tōwa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the U.S. label Elektra Records in 1990, and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart"...
. Minogue drew inspiration from the music of artists such as Shirley Manson
Shirley Manson
Shirley Anne Manson is a Scottish recording artist and actress, best known internationally as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Garbage. For much of her international career Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh to the United States to record with Garbage but now lives and...
and Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, and Japanese pop musicians such as Pizzicato Five
Pizzicato Five
Pizzicato Five was a Japanese pop group best known to audiences in the West in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya and Yasuharu Konishi...
and Towa Tei.
Impossible Princess featured collaborations with musicians such as James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield
James Dean Bradfield is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.- Early life :...
and Sean Moore
Sean Moore (musician)
Sean Anthony Moore is the writer, drummer/percussionist and sometime trumpet player of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers.-Early years:...
of the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
. Mostly a dance album, its style was not represented by its first single "Some Kind of Bliss
Some Kind of Bliss
"Some Kind of Bliss" is a song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written by Minogue, James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore for Minogue's sixth studio album Impossible Princess...
", and Minogue countered suggestions that she was trying to become an indie artist. She told Music Week, "I have to keep telling people that this isn't an indie-guitar album. I'm not about to pick up a guitar and rock." Acknowledging that she had attempted to escape the perceptions of her that had developed during her early career, Minogue commented that she was ready to "forget the painful criticism" and "accept the past, embrace it, use it". Her video for "Did It Again" paid homage to her earlier incarnations, as noted in her biography, La La La, "Dance Kylie, Cute Kylie, Sex Kylie and Indie Kylie all struggled for supremacy as they battled bitchily with each other." Billboard described the album as "stunning" and concluded that "it's a golden commercial opportunity for a major [record company] with vision and energy [to release it in the United States]. A sharp ear will detect a kinship between Impossible Princess and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's hugely successful album, Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
". In the UK, Music Week gave a negative assessment, commenting that "Kylie's vocals take on a stroppy edge ... but not strong enough to do much". Retitled Kylie Minogue in the UK following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, it became the lowest-selling album of her career. At the end of the year a campaign by Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
stated, "We've done something to improve Kylie's records: we've banned them." A poll conducted by Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
voted her the "worst-dressed person, worst singer and second-most very horrible thing—after spiders".
In Australia, Impossible Princess spent 35 weeks on the album chart and peaked at number four, to become her most successful album since Kylie in 1988, and her Intimate and Live tour was extended due to demand. The Victorian Premier
Premiers of Victoria
The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly....
, Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
, hosted a civic reception for Minogue in Melbourne, and she maintained her high profile in Australia with live performances, including the 1998 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
, the opening ceremonies of Melbourne's Crown Casino
Crown Casino
Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex is a large casino and entertainment precinct located on the south bank of the Yarra River, in Melbourne, Australia. Crown Casino is a unit of Crown Limited....
and Sydney's Fox Studios
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
in 1999, where she performed Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, model and showgirl who became a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s....
's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is a song introduced by Carol Channing in the original Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , which was written by Jule Styne and Leo Robin...
", and a Christmas concert in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, East Timor in association with the United Nations Peace-Keeping Forces. During this time she filmed a small role for the Australian-made Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald
Molly Kathleen Ringwald is an American actress, singer and dancer. Having appeared in the John Hughes movies Sixteen Candles , The Breakfast Club , and Pretty in Pink , Ringwald has been frequently named the greatest teen star of all time...
film, Cut (2000).
1999–2005:
Light Years, Fever and Body LanguagePet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
' on their Nightlife album and spent several months in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
performing in Shakespeare's The Tempest
The Tempest
The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
. Returning to Australia, she appeared in the film Sample People and recorded a cover version of Russell Morris
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
's "The Real Thing" for the soundtrack. She signed with Parlophone Records in April 1999. According to Miles Leonard
Miles Leonard
Miles Leonard is a British music industry executive and is currently president of Parlophone and Virgin A&R labels at EMI Music UK. He has previously worked for Roadrunner Records and been credited as signing and breaking artists including Gorillaz, Coldplay, Tinie Tempah, The Verve and for...
, her new A&R at Parlophone, it was the label and not Minogue that was responsible for her career downturn, believing that her talent hadn't been tapped into by Deconstruction. Leonard later told HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
: "I believed that she was still very strong vocally, and still definitely a star ... and I knew that with the right project, the right songwriters, the right producers, the right team, she would still have a fanbase out there." Parlophone wanted to reestablish Minogue as the pop artist they felt she essentially was, but that had been lost. Leonard said: "But I didn't want to make a throwaway pop record, I wanted it to have an edge and some depth."
Her album Light Years (2000) was a collection of dance songs, influenced by disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music. Minogue said that her intention was to present dance-pop music in a "more exaggerated form" and to make it "fun". It generated strong reviews and was successful throughout Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, selling over one million copies in the UK. The single "Spinning Around
Spinning Around
"Spinning Around" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was written by Ira Shickman, Osborne Bingham, Kara DioGuardi, and Paula Abdul, and produced by Mike Spencer. It was originally intended for Paula Abdul's "comeback" album. However, as the album never came into fruition, it...
" became her first British number one in ten years, and its accompanying video featured Minogue in revealing gold hot pants, which came to be regarded as a "trademark". The single was described by a 2009 The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
article as heralding a new era in synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
that was continuing. Her second single, "On a Night Like This
On a Night like This
"On a Night Like This" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, taken from her seventh studio album Light Years . The song was released as a CD Single on 25 September 2000, and was released digitally after the physical release date...
" reached number one in Australia and number two in the UK. "Kids", a duet with Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, was also included on Williams's album Sing When You're Winning
Sing When You're Winning
Sing When You're Winning is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.-Background:Following the release of his last album, I've Been Expecting You in 1998, and in the middle of promotion and touring in 1999, Robbie found time to start the work on what would be his third...
, and peaked at number two in the UK.
In 2000, Minogue performed ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
's "Dancing Queen
Dancing Queen
"Dancing Queen" is a pop song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in August 1976, but was first performed two months earlier, on 18 June 1976, during a Royal Variety Show in Stockholm the evening before the Swedish royal wedding. It was the follow-up single to the hit "Fernando"...
" and her single "On a Night like This
On a Night like This
"On a Night Like This" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, taken from her seventh studio album Light Years . The song was released as a CD Single on 25 September 2000, and was released digitally after the physical release date...
" at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
closing ceremony. She then embarked upon a concert tour, On A Night like This Tour
On A Night Like This Tour
On a Night Like This Tour is a Kylie Minogue concert tour in support of her seventh studio album Light Years that began in March 2001. Having hit the headlines around the globe for her hugely successful performance at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and having subsequently performed again at the...
, which played to sell-out crowds in Australia and the United Kingdom. Minogue was inspired by Madonna's 1993 world tour The Girlie Show which incorporated Burlesque and theatre, William Baker also cited the style of Broadway shows such as 42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
, films such as Anchors Aweigh
Anchors Aweigh (film)
Anchors Aweigh is a 1945 American musical comedy film directed by George Sidney in which two sailors go on a four-day shore leave in Hollywood, accompanied by music and song, meet an aspiring young singer and try to help her get an audition at MGM...
, South Pacific, the Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
and Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
musicals of the 1930s and the live performances of Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
. Minogue was praised for her new material and her reinterpretations of some of her greatest successes, turning "I Should Be So Lucky
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a pop-dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie .The song was released as the album's second single in December 1987...
" into a torch song
Torch song
A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship...
and "Better the Devil You Know
Better the Devil You Know
"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love.-Background:...
" into a 1940s big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
number. She won a "Mo Award" for Australian live entertainment as "Performer of the Year". Following the tour she was asked by a Seattle Post-Intelligencer journalist what she thought was her greatest strength, and replied, "[That] I am an all-rounder. If I was to choose any one element of what I do, I don't know if I would excel at any one of them. But put all of them together, and I know what I'm doing."
She appeared as "The Green Fairy" in Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
(2001), shortly before the release of Fever
Fever (Kylie Minogue album)
Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
, an album containing disco elements combined with 1980s electropop and synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
. Fever reached number one in Australia, the UK, and throughout Europe, eventually achieving worldwide sales in excess of eight million. Its lead single "Can't Get You Out of My Head
Can't Get You out of My Head
"Can't Get You Out of My Head" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released from her eighth studio album Fever . The song was released worldwide as the lead single from the album, which was released on 8 September, 2001. The song was written and produced...
" became the biggest success of her career, reaching number one in more than 40 countries. She won four ARIA Awards including a "Most Outstanding Achievement" award, and two Brit Awards, for "Best international female solo artist" and "Best international album". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
states that "Can't Get You out of My Head" "was easily the best and most omnipresent dance track of the new century", and following extensive airplay by American radio, Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
released it and the album Fever in the U.S. in 2002. Fever debuted on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart at number three, and "Can't Get You out of My Head" reached number seven on the Hot 100. The subsequent singles "In Your Eyes
In Your Eyes (Kylie Minogue song)
"In Your Eyes" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eighth studio album Fever. ""In Your Eyes" was written by Minogue, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher and Ash Howes. It was produced by Stannard and Gallagher...
", "Love at First Sight" and "Come into My World" were successful throughout the world, and Minogue established a presence in the mainstream North American market, particularly in the club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
scene. Minogue followed the success of the album by touring the United States with the Jingle Ball festival, visiting Miami, Anaheim, New York City, Philadelphia and Houston. In 2003 she received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for "Best Dance Recording" for "Love at First Sight", and the following year won the same award for "Come into My World".
Minogue's stylist and creative director William Baker
William Baker (fashion designer)
William Baker is a fashion designer, stylist and author and theatre director, best known for his work with musician Kylie Minogue....
explained that the music videos for the Fever album were inspired by science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
s—specifically those by Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
—and accentuated the electropop elements of the music by using dancers in the style of Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
. Alan MacDonald, the designer of the 2002 KylieFever tour, brought those elements into the stage show which drew inspiration from Minogue's past incarnations. The show opened with Minogue as a space age vamp, which she described as "Queen of Metropolis
Metropolis (film)
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and...
with her drones", through to scenes inspired by Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
, followed by the various persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
s of Minogue's career. Minogue said that she was finally able to express herself the way she wanted, and that she had always been "a showgirl at heart". During 2002 she worked on the animated film The Magic Roundabout
The Magic Roundabout (film)
The Magic Roundabout, , is a 2005 British computer-animated film based on the television series of the same name...
, released in 2005 in Europe and 2006 in the U.S.; she voiced one of the principal characters, Florence.
Olivier Martinez
Olivier Martinez is a French film actor. He became known after roles in several French films such as Un, deux, trois, soleil , which garnered him the César Award for "Most Promising Actor", The Horseman on the Roof , and The Chambermaid on the Titanic...
, after meeting him at the 2002 Grammy Awards ceremony. Her next album, Body Language
Body Language (Kylie Minogue album)
Body Language is the ninth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, released on 20 November 2003 by Parlophone. While Body Language failed to reach the chart and sales success of its predecessor, 2001's Fever, it still managed to chart inside the top five in several countries...
(2003), was released following an invitation-only concert, titled Money Can't Buy
Money Can't Buy
Money Can't Buy was a one-off, invitation only concert in support of Kylie Minogue's 2003 album, Body Language held at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England. This event cost £1 million to stage and tickets were not available for sale...
, at the Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
in London. The event marked the presentation of a new visual style, designed by Minogue and Baker, inspired in part by Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
, about whom Minogue commented: "I just tended to think of BB [Bardot] as, well, she's a sexpot, isn't she? She's one of the greatest pinups. But she was fairly radical in her own way at that time. And we chose to reference the period, which was ... a perfect blend of coquette and rock and roll." The album downplayed the disco style and Minogue said she was inspired by 1980s artists such as Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti
Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. Although there have been various changes to the line-up, Cardiff-born singer-songwriter Green Gartside was the founding member of the band and the only member to have remained throughout the group's...
, The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
, Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, blending their styles with elements of hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. It received positive reviews with Billboard Magazine writing of "Minogue's knack for picking great songs and producers". Allmusic described it as "a near perfect pop record... Body Language is what happens when a dance-pop diva takes the high road and focuses on what's important instead of trying to shock herself into continued relevance". Sales of Body Language were lower than anticipated after the success of Fever, though the first single, "Slow
Slow (song)
-Charts:-Year-End charts:-Chart procession and succession:-Release history:...
", was a number-one hit in the UK and Australia. After reaching number one on the US club chart, "Slow" received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Dance Recording category.
Body Language achieved first week sales of 43,000 in the U.S., and declined significantly in the second week. The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
described Minogue as "an international superstar who seems perpetually unable to conquer the U.S. market". Minogue commented that she had told her American record company that she was not willing to invest the time needed to establish herself in the U.S. and that she would rather enhance the success she had already achieved in other parts of the world, an attitude endorsed by Billboard analyst Geoff Mayfield as a "business decision... If I were her accountant, I couldn't blame her for making that call." Minogue later commented that she was not concerned by her limited success in the U.S. and was more frustrated by assumptions that she considered her career incomplete without it.
Minogue played a guest role in the season finale of the comedy series Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
, in which she referenced her earlier role as Charlene in Neighbours, during a wedding sequence. The episode achieved the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's highest ratings of the year.
She released her second official greatest hits album in November 2004, entitled Ultimate Kylie
Ultimate Kylie
Ultimate Kylie is the third compilation album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, which was released in November 2004 by Parlophone Records. This collection superseded Kylie's 1992 Greatest Hits compilation and the 2000 compilation Hits+. It was released with the Copy Control...
, along with her music videos on a DVD compilation of the same title. The album introduced her singles "I Believe in You
I Believe in You (Kylie Minogue song)
"I Believe in You" is a dance-pop song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and written by Minogue and Scissor Sisters members Jake Shears and Babydaddy...
", co-written with Jake Shears
Jake Shears
Jake Shears is the lead male vocalist for the American music group Scissor Sisters.-Early life and education:...
and Babydaddy
Babydaddy
Scott Hoffman , known by his stage name Babydaddy, is the Ivor Novello Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, backing vocalist and lyricist for the American glam rock band, Scissor Sisters...
from the Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism...
, and "Giving You Up
Giving You Up
UK CD 1# "Giving You Up" - 3:31# "Made of Glass" - 3:12UK CD 2# "Giving You Up" - 3:31...
". "I Believe in You" reached the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
top three, and Minogue was nominated for a Grammy Award for the fourth consecutive year when the song was nominated in the category of "Best Dance Recording".
Early in 2005, Kylie : The Exhibition opened in Melbourne. The free exhibition featured costumes and photographs spanning Minogue's career and went on to tour Australian capital cities receiving over 300,000 visitors, and was exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London in February 2007. Minogue commenced her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, and after performing in Europe, travelled to Melbourne, where she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
2006–09: Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour, X, KylieX2008 and For You, for Me Tour
In November 2006, Minogue resumed her Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour with a performance in Sydney. She had told journalists before the concert that she would be highly emotional, and she cried before dedicating the song "Especially for YouEspecially for You
"Especially for You" was the fifth international single released from singer Kylie Minogue in time for the Christmas 1988 market and is a duet with Jason Donovan. It did not appear on her debut album but was included on Jason Donovan's 1989 debut album Ten Good Reasons. The track did appear on the...
" to her father, a survivor of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. Her dance routines had been reworked to accommodate her medical condition, and slower costume changes and longer breaks were introduced between sections of the show to conserve her strength. The media reported that Minogue performed energetically, with the Sydney Morning Herald describing the show as an "extravaganza" and "nothing less than a triumph". The following night, Minogue was joined by Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
, who was in Australia as part of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's Vertigo tour, for the duet "Kids", but Minogue was forced to cancel a subsequent planned appearance at U2's show, because of exhaustion. Minogue's shows throughout Australia continued to draw positive reviews, and after spending Christmas with her family, she resumed the European leg of her tour with six sold-out shows in Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, before taking her tour to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
for a further six shows.
In February 2007, Minogue and Olivier Martinez announced that they had ended their relationship, but remained on friendly terms. Minogue was reported to have been "saddened by false [media] accusations of [Martinez's] disloyalty". She defended Martinez, and acknowledged the support he had given during her treatment for breast cancer, commenting "He was always there, helping with the practical stuff and being protective. He was incredible. He didn't hesitate in cancelling work and putting projects on hold so he could be with me. He's the most honourable man I have ever met."
Minogue released X
X (Kylie Minogue album)
X is the tenth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is her first release since the greatest hits compilation Ultimate Kylie , and her first studio album since Body Language . X was preceded by lead single "2 Hearts" and released worldwide in November 2007...
, her tenth studio album and much-discussed "comeback" album, in November 2007. The electro-styled album included contributions from Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers
Guy Chambers is an English songwriter and record producer, perhaps best known for his long partnership with Robbie Williams.- Biography :...
, Cathy Dennis
Cathy Dennis
Cathy Dennis is a British dance-oriented pop singer-songwriter, record producer and actress...
, Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
and Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...
. For the overarching visual look of X, including the music video for first single "2 Hearts
2 Hearts
"2 Hearts" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her tenth studio album, X . The song is a cover version of a track originally recorded by Kish Mauve, who also produced Minogue's version. "2 Hearts" was Minogue's first commercial single release since she was diagnosed with...
", Minogue and William Baker developed a combination of the style of Kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
theatre and the aesthetics originating from London danceclubs including BoomBox
Boombox (Kylie Minogue album)
Boombox is a remix album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue, released by Parlophone on 5 January 2009...
. The album received some criticism for the triviality of its subject matter in light of Minogue's experiences with breast cancer; she responded by explaining the personal nature of some of the album's songs, and said "My conclusion is that if I'd done an album of personal songs it'd be seen as 'Impossible Princess 2' and be equally critiqued." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s reviewer described Minogue as "pop divadom's party planner in chief", and said of her breast cancer, "thankfully, the experience hasn't made her music discernibly deeper". Minogue later said, "In retrospect we could definitely have bettered it [the album], I'll say that straight up. Given the time we had, it is what it is. I had a lot of fun doing it."
51st Grammy Awards
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA on February 8, 2009. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the biggest winners of the night, jointly winning five awards including Album of the Year and Record of the Year...
for Best Electronic/Dance Album
Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the dance music and electronica genres...
, Minogue's fifth Grammy Award nomination.
In December 2007, Minogue participated in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert
Nobel Peace Prize Concert
The Nobel Peace Prize Concert has been held annually since 1994 on 11 December, one day after the date of Alfred Nobel's death, to honour the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The award ceremony on 10 December takes place in the Oslo City Hall, while the concert is in the Oslo Spektrum Arena, with the...
in Oslo, Norway, and later performed in the final of the UK talent show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
with the eventual winner, Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He won the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008...
, whose mentor was Dannii Minogue. From May 2008, Minogue promoted X with a European tour, KylieX2008
KylieX2008
KylieX2008 was the tenth concert tour by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue, in support of her tenth studio album, X . Originally announced as just a European tour, rumors of Minogue taking the tour to Australia, Asia, and America had surfaced in the international media...
, which is her most expensive tour to date with production costs of £10 million. Although she described the rehearsals as "grim" and the set list went through several overhauls, the tour was generally acclaimed and sold well.
Minogue was featured in White Diamond
White Diamond
White Diamond: A Personal Portrait of Kylie Minogue is a 2007 documentary film directed and produced by William Baker and chronicling the life of Australian singer Kylie Minogue during her Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour...
, a documentary filmed during 2006 and 2007 as she resumed her Showgirl Homecoming Tour. She appeared in The Kylie Show
The Kylie Show
The Kylie Show is a one-off television special from Australian artist Kylie Minogue that aired on ITV on 10 November 2007 and was recorded at The London Studios...
, which featured highly stylised set-piece song performances from Minogue as well as comedy sketches with Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne
Mathew Frazer Horne is an English actor, stand-up comedian, television presenter and narrator best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey portraying Gavin Shipman, The Catherine Tate Show, Teachers and Horne and Corden.-Early life:Horne was born...
, Dannii Minogue, Jason Donovan and Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
. She co-starred in the 2007 Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
Christmas special episode
Christmas in the media
Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists, writers, and weavers of folklore. Moviemakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptations of literary classics and new stories.-Films:...
, "Voyage of the Damned
Voyage of the Damned (Doctor Who)
"Voyage of the Damned" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. First broadcast on 25 December 2007, it is 72 minutes long and the third Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005...
", as Astrid Peth
Astrid Peth
Astrid Peth is a fictional character played by Kylie Minogue in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She is a one-off companion of the Tenth Doctor who appears in the episode "Voyage of the Damned", which was first broadcast in the UK on 25 December 2007...
, a waitress on a spaceship Titanic. The episode aired on 25 December 2007, with 13.31 million viewers, the show's highest viewing figures since 1979.
It was announced in late December 2007 that Minogue was to be among those honoured in Queen Elizabeth II's 2008 New Years Honours list, with an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to music. Minogue commented "I am almost as surprised as I am honoured. I feel deeply touched to be acknowledged by the UK, my adopted home, in this way." She received the OBE officially from The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
in July 2008. In May, 2008 Minogue was awarded the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
, France's highest cultural honour. Culture Minister Christine Albanel
Christine Albanel
Christine Albanel is a French civil servant. From May 2007 to June 2009 she was France's Minister for Culture and Communication in François Fillon's government.Albanel is agrégé in classical Letters...
described Minogue as a "midas of the international music scene who turns everything she touches into gold", and saluted her for publicly discussing her breast cancer. In July, Minogue was named the UK's "Best Loved Celebrity" by a tabloid newspaper, who commented that she "won the hearts of the nation as she bravely battled breast cancer", and won the "Best International Female Solo Artist" award at the 2008 BRIT Awards
2008 BRIT Awards
The 2008 BRIT Awards was the 28th edition of the biggest annual music awards in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 20 February 2008 at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London. The ceremony attracted 6.1 million viewers, 800,000 more than the...
.
In late September 2008, Minogue made her Middle East debut as the headline act at the opening of Atlantis, The Palm
Atlantis, The Palm
Atlantis, the Palm is a hotel resort at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is a joint venture between Kerzner International Limited and Istithmar PSJC and was opened on 24 September 2008. The resort is modelled after the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in Nassau, Bahamas...
, an exclusive hotel resort in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, and from November, she continued with her KylieX2008 tour, taking the show to cities across South America, Asia and Australia. The tour visited 21 countries, and was considered a success, with ticket sales estimated at $70,000,000. She hosted the 2009 BRIT Awards
2009 BRIT Awards
The 2009 BRIT Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 18 February 2009. It was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, and was broadcast live on ITV1 on 18 February at 8pm...
on 18 February 2009 with James Corden
James Corden
James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
and Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne
Mathew Frazer Horne is an English actor, stand-up comedian, television presenter and narrator best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey portraying Gavin Shipman, The Catherine Tate Show, Teachers and Horne and Corden.-Early life:Horne was born...
.
In September and October 2009, Minogue embarked on the For You, For Me Tour
For You, For Me Tour
The For You, For Me Tour was the ninth concert tour by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. This is Minogue's first concert tour in North America. The concert has received very favorable reviews from music critics...
, her first North American concert tour, which included shows in the U.S. and Canada. She was also featured in the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film, Blue, performing an A.R. Rahman song, and had confirmed that she was working on her eleventh studio album, commenting that it would be an album of dance and pop music. On 13 September 2009, Minogue performed "Super Trouper
Super Trouper (song)
-A-Teens version:"Super Trouper" was A-Teens' second single from their 1st album The ABBA Generation, a cover of ABBA's song. When the single came out in the fall of 1999, it became a hit around the globe, just as its predecessor "Mamma Mia", also an ABBA cover...
" and "When All Is Said and Done
When All Is Said and Done (song)
"When All Is Said and Done" is the name of a song recorded in 1981 by Swedish pop group ABBA. It is featured on the group's final studio album, The Visitors, and was released as a single in the United States on December 31, 1981 on Atlantic 3889. It debuted on the Billboard pop singles chart on...
" with Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
at the ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
tribute concert "Thank You for the Music... a Celebration of the Music of ABBA" at London's Hyde Park
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, her only live performance in the UK in 2009. On 14 December 2009, Minogue released a download-only concert album entitled Kylie: Live in New York
Kylie: Live in New York
-Credits:*Backing vocals – Roxanne Wilde, Lucita Jules*Bass – Jenni Tarma*Drums – Matthew Racher*Guitar – Adrian Eccleston*Keyboards – Sarah De Courcy*Producer, mixer, programmer – Steve Anderson*Recorded by – Gary Bradshaw...
. The album was recorded at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
and contains 25 live version songs.
2010–present: Aphrodite
Minogue's eleventh studio album, AphroditeAphrodite (album)
Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single, "All the Lovers"...
, was released in Japan on 30 June 2010 and worldwide in July 2010. The lead single, "All the Lovers
All the Lovers
"All the Lovers" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is the first single from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. "All the Lovers" was written by English electropop duo Kish Mauve and was one of the last songs to be recorded for the album. Minogue chose the song as the...
", premiered on radio in May 2010 and was made available for purchase in June 2010. The album debuted at number one in the UK charts, exactly twenty two years after her first UK number one hit. On 3 June 2010, she hosted the inaugural AmfAR
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
"Inspiration Gala" at the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
honouring Jean Paul Gaultier for his lifelong contribution to men's fashion and the fight against AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. Minogue appeared on BBC1's Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
on 25 June 2010, during which she confirmed she is a UK resident, and announced that she will tour in 2011.
In July 2010, Minogue filmed a cameo performance as a rock star in the American independent film Jack and Diane. The movie stars Juno Temple
Juno Temple
-Early life:Juno Temple was born in London, and is the daughter of producer Amanda Pirie and film director Julien Temple. She grew up in Somerset, England and attended Enmore Primary School, Bedales School, and King's College, Taunton...
, Riley Keough
Riley Keough
Danielle Riley Keough , known as Riley Keough, is an American actress and model. She is the daughter of singer/songwriter Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough, and the oldest grandchild of Elvis and Priscilla Presley.- Model :...
and Jena Malone
Jena Malone
Jena Malone is an American actress and musician who has appeared on television, in films, and on Broadway. She made her movie debut with the film Bastard Out of Carolina , and has appeared in films including Contact , Stepmom , Donnie Darko , Saved! , Into the Wild , and Sucker Punch .Malone is...
. She also recorded a duet titled "Devotion" with British synthpop duo Hurts
Hurts
Hurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
for their debut album Happiness
Happiness (Hurts album)
Happiness is the debut studio album by English synthpop duo Hurts, released in the United Kingdom on 6 September 2010. It was preceded by the release of the singles "Better Than Love" on 23 May 2010 and "Wonderful Life" on 22 August 2010. Collaborators include Jonas Quant and production team The...
, released on 6 September 2010. The second single from Aphrodite, titled "Get Outta My Way
Get Outta My Way
"Get Outta My Way" is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. It was released as the second single internationally on 27 September 2010. The song has received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many praising it as the second single...
" was released on 27 September 2010. In October 2010, Minogue performed in front of the Sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
and the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to celebrate the anniversary of "Enigma" magazine, with profits going to the We Owe It To Egypt Foundation. A third single, "Better Than Today
Better Than Today
"Better Than Today" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue from her eleventh studio album Aphrodite . The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, Buckminster Fuller EP. It was re-recorded by Minogue in...
", was released on 6 December 2010.
Minogue's singles, "All the Lovers" and "Get Outta My Way", were popular in U.S. clubs, each reaching number one on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Dance Club Songs chart. On March 5, 2011 "Better Than Today" was at number one on the chart, and her collaboration with Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
, "Higher
Higher (Taio Cruz song)
"Higher" is the fifth single from English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz's second studio album Rokstarr. It was written and produced by Cruz and Sandy Vee, and was released on 26 November 2010. This song was originally written for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's album Aphrodite, but plans fell through...
", was at number three, making her the first artist in the chart's history to have two singles simultaneously in the top three. On 1 December 2010, Minogue and Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
records released the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
A Kylie Christmas on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, which included a cover of the 1945 song "Let It Snow
Let It Snow
"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in 1945. The song was written in July 1945 in Hollywood, California during one of the hottest days on record. First recorded by Vaughn Monroe, it became a popular...
" as well as "Santa Baby
Santa Baby
"Santa Baby" is a 1953 Christmas song written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer. Although Tony Springer is listed as co-writer, he was a legal fiction created for purposes of membership in the performing rights organization BMI.The song is a tongue-in-cheek look at a Christmas list sung by a...
" which was previously available as a b-side to her 2000 single "Please Stay
Please Stay (song)
"Please Stay" is an early hit of The Drifters featuring the new lead singer Rudy Lewis, who replaced Ben E. King...
". Kylie performed the song "Santa Baby" at the 2010 rockefeller tree lighing in new york on Nov 30, 2010.
In August 2011, "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)
"Put Your Hands Up " is a song by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue released as the fourth single from her eleventh studio album Aphrodite ....
", also reached number one on the Billboard dance chart, where Minogue has now achieved five consecutive number one spots on the chart for her last five releases - including her collaboration with Taio Cruz on the track, "Higher
Higher (Taio Cruz song)
"Higher" is the fifth single from English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz's second studio album Rokstarr. It was written and produced by Cruz and Sandy Vee, and was released on 26 November 2010. This song was originally written for Australian singer Kylie Minogue's album Aphrodite, but plans fell through...
".
In 2011, Minogue embarked on the Aphrodite World Tour, travelling to Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and Africa. A DVD/Blu-Ray of the concert, filmed in London, was released at the end of November 2011.
Minogue is currently working on a new compilation album featuring re-worked versions of hits that will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of her debut single 'Locomotion'.
Image and celebrity status
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
introduced Minogue to the photographer Bert Stern
Bert Stern
Bertram Stern is an American fashion and celebrity portrait photographer.-Marilyn Monroe:His best known work is arguably The Last Sitting, a collection of 2,500 photographs taken of Marilyn Monroe over a three day period, six weeks before her death, taken for Vogue...
, notable for his work with Marilyn Monroe. Stern photographed her in Los Angeles and, comparing her to Monroe, commented that Minogue had a similar mix of vulnerability and eroticism. During her career Minogue has chosen photographers who attempt to create a new "look" for her, and the resulting photographs have appeared in a variety of magazines, from the cutting edge The Face
The Face (magazine)
The Face was a British music, fashion and culture monthly magazine started in May 1980 by Nick Logan.-1980s:Logan had previously created the teen pop magazine Smash Hits, and had been an editor at the New Musical Express in the 1970s before launching The Face in 1980.The magazine was influential in...
to the more traditionally sophisticated Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
and Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, making the Minogue face and name known to a broad group of people. Stylist William Baker
William Baker (fashion designer)
William Baker is a fashion designer, stylist and author and theatre director, best known for his work with musician Kylie Minogue....
has suggested that this is part of the reason she has entered in the mainstream pop culture of Europe more successfully than many other pop singers who concentrate solely on selling records.
By 2000, when Minogue returned to prominence, she was considered to be have achieved a degree of musical credibility for having maintained her career longer than her critics had expected. That same year, Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
The Birmingham Post newspaper was originally published under the name Daily Post in Birmingham, England, in 1857 by John Frederick Feeney. It was the largest selling broadsheet in the West Midlands, though it faced little if any competition in this category. It changed to tabloid size in 2008...
noted "[o]nce upon a time, long before anybody had even heard of Britney
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Christina
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Jessica
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
or Mandy
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
, Australian singer Kylie Minogue ruled the charts as princess of pop. Back in 1988 her first single, I Should Be So Lucky
I Should Be So Lucky
"I Should Be So Lucky" is a pop-dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. The song was written and produced by Stock Aitken Waterman for Minogue's debut album Kylie .The song was released as the album's second single in December 1987...
, spent five weeks at number one, making her the most successful female artist in the UK charts with 13 successive Top 10 entries." Her progression from the wholesome "girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
" to a more sophisticated performer with a flirtatious and playful persona attracted new fans to her. Her "Spinning Around" video led to some media outlets referring to her as "SexKylie", and sex became a stronger element in her subsequent videos. William Baker described her status as a sex symbol as a "double edged sword" observing that "we always attempted to use her sex appeal as an enhancement of her music and to sell a record. But now it has become in danger of eclipsing what she actually is: a pop singer." After 20 years as a performer, Minogue was described as a fashion "trend-setter" and a "style icon who constantly reinvents herself". She has been acknowledged for mounting successful tours, and for worldwide record sales of more than 60 million.
Minogue is regarded as a gay icon
Gay icon
A gay icon is a public figure who is embraced by many within :lesbian, :gay, :bisexual and :transgender communities...
, which she encourages with comments such as "I am not a traditional gay icon. There's been no tragedy in my life, only tragic outfits..." and "My gay audience has been with me from the beginning ... they kind of adopted me." Minogue has explained that she first became aware of her gay audience in 1988, when several drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
s performed to her music at a Sydney pub and she later saw a similar show in Melbourne. She said that she felt "very touched" to have such an "appreciative crowd" and this had encouraged her to perform at gay venues throughout the world, as well as headlining the 1994 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
The Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
.
Minogue has been inspired by and compared to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
throughout her career. Her producer, Pete Waterman recalled Minogue during the early years of her success, with the observation, "She was setting her sights on becoming the new Prince or Madonna... What I found amazing was that she was outselling Madonna four to one, but still wanted to be her." Minogue received negative comments that her Rhythm of Love tour in 1991 was too similar visually to Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour
Blond Ambition World Tour
The Blond Ambition World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter, Madonna. The tour was launched in support of her fourth studio album, Like a Prayer, and the soundtrack, I'm Breathless. The tour reached North America, Europe and Asia. It was a highly controversial tour,...
of the previous year for which the critics labelled her a Madonna wannabe. Kathy McCabe for The Telegraph notes that Minogue and Madonna follow similar styles in music and fashion, and concludes, "Where they truly diverge on the pop-culture scale is in shock value. Minogue's clips might draw a gasp from some but Madonna's ignite religious and political debate unlike any other artist on the planet... Simply, Madonna is the dark force; Kylie is the light force." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
comments that, with the exception of the U.S., Minogue is regarded throughout the world as "an icon to rival Madonna", and says, "Like Madonna, Minogue was not a virtuosic singer but a canny trend spotter." Minogue has said of Madonna, "Her huge influence on the world, in pop and fashion, meant that I wasn't immune to the trends she created. I admire Madonna greatly but in the beginning she made it difficult for artists like me, she had done everything there was to be done...", and "Madonna's the Queen of Pop, I'm the princess. I'm quite happy with that."
In January 2007 Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and was formerly known as "Madame Tussaud's", but the apostrophe is no longer used...
in London unveiled its fourth waxwork of Minogue; only Queen Elizabeth II has had more models created. During the same week a bronze cast of her hands was added to Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
's "Square of Fame". On 23 November 2007, a bronze statue of Minogue was unveiled at Melbourne Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
for permanent display.
In March 2010, Minogue was declared by researchers as the "most powerful celebrity in Britain". The study examined how marketers identify celebrity and brand partnerships. Mark Husak, head of Millward Brown's UK media practice, said: "Kylie is widely accepted as an adopted Brit. People know her, like her and she is surrounded by positive buzz".
Cancer
Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer on 17 May 2005, leading to the postponement of the remainder of her Showgirl – The Greatest Hits Tour and her withdrawal from the Glastonbury FestivalGlastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
. Her hospitalisation and treatment in Melbourne resulted in a brief but intense period of media coverage, particularly in Australia, where Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
issued a statement supporting Minogue.
As media and fans began to congregate outside the Minogue residence in Melbourne, the Victorian Premier Steve Bracks
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
warned the international media that any disruption of the Minogue family's rights under Australian privacy laws would not be tolerated. His comments became part of a wider criticism of the media's overall reaction, with particular criticism directed towards paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
.
Minogue underwent surgery on 21 May 2005 at Cabrini Hospital in Malvern
Malvern, Victoria
Malvern is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Malvern had a population of 9,422.-History:...
, and commenced chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
treatment soon after.
On 8 July 2005, she made her first public appearance after her surgery, when she visited a children's cancer ward at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital. She returned to France where she completed her chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
treatment at the Institut Gustave-Roussy
Institut Gustave Roussy
The Institut Gustave-Roussy is one of the world’s leading cancer-research institutes and the biggest health center dedicated to oncology in Europe. It is located in Villejuif, South Paris, France...
in Villejuif
Villejuif
Villejuif is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.-Name:The name Villejuif was recorded for the first time in a papal bull of 1119 as Villa Judea, the meaning of which is still debated...
, near Paris. In December 2005, Minogue released a digital-only single, "Over the Rainbow", a live recording from her Showgirl tour. Her children's book, The Showgirl Princess
The Showgirl Princess
The Showgirl Princess is a children's book written by Kylie Minogue. It was released on September 21, 2006 through Puffin Books. The book is aimed at girls aged six and upwards and is based on Minogue's life.The hardcover book was illustrated by Swan Park...
, written during her period of convalescence, was published
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
in October 2006, and her perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
, "Darling", was launched in November. This range was later augmented by eau de toilettes such as Pink Sparkle, Couture and Inverse. On her return to Australia for her concert tour, she discussed her illness, and said that her chemotherapy treatment had been like "experiencing a nuclear bomb". While appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
in 2008, Minogue said that her cancer had originally been misdiagnosed. She commented, "Because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn't necessarily mean they're right", but she later spoke of her respect for the medical profession.
Minogue was acknowledged for the impact she had made by publicly discussing her cancer diagnosis and treatment; in May 2008, the French Cultural Minister Christine Albanel
Christine Albanel
Christine Albanel is a French civil servant. From May 2007 to June 2009 she was France's Minister for Culture and Communication in François Fillon's government.Albanel is agrégé in classical Letters...
said, "Doctors now even go as far as saying there is a 'Kylie effect' that encourages young women to have regular checks."
Discography
- KylieKylie (album)Kylie is the debut album by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, released by PWL on 4 July 1988. Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced and wrote eight of the ten tracks on the album....
(1988) - Enjoy YourselfEnjoy Yourself (Kylie Minogue album)Enjoy Yourself is the second album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. It was released by PWL on 9 October 1989. The album was mostly just produced by Stock Aitken Waterman, who had written and produced the whole album . The album was also mostly similar to its debut album as well.Minogue had...
(1989) - Rhythm of LoveRhythm of Love (Kylie Minogue album)Australian Tour Souvenir/The Gold Album# "Step Back in Time" – 7:55# "What Do I Have to Do" – 7:08# "Shocked" – 3:10Australian limited edition CD album repackaged with SHOCKED single...
(1990) - Let's Get to ItLet's Get to ItLet's Get to It is the fourth album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue. It was released by PWL on 14 October 1991 and was a top twenty album in both Minogue's native Australia and the United Kingdom.-Album information:...
(1991) - Kylie MinogueKylie Minogue (album)Kylie Minogue is the self-titled fifth studio album by Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue, which was first released on 19 September 1994. The album was first released by Deconstruction Records/BMG throughout much of the world while in Australia and New Zealand the album was released by Mushroom...
(1994) - Impossible PrincessImpossible PrincessImpossible Princess is the sixth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released in Japan on 1 November 1997 by BMG Records, Australia on 12 January 1998 by Mushroom Records and 23 March 1998 in Europe by Deconstruction Records to mixed reviews. The album was produced by...
(1997) - Light Years (2000)
- FeverFever (Kylie Minogue album)Fever is the eighth album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released 1 October 2001 by Parlophone Mushroom Records, and Capitol Records. Minogue began work on the album in 2001, working with famous songwriters and producers like Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, and Tom Nichols, moving into a...
(2001) - Body LanguageBody Language (Kylie Minogue album)Body Language is the ninth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, released on 20 November 2003 by Parlophone. While Body Language failed to reach the chart and sales success of its predecessor, 2001's Fever, it still managed to chart inside the top five in several countries...
(2003) - XX (Kylie Minogue album)X is the tenth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is her first release since the greatest hits compilation Ultimate Kylie , and her first studio album since Body Language . X was preceded by lead single "2 Hearts" and released worldwide in November 2007...
(2007) - AphroditeAphrodite (album)Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single, "All the Lovers"...
(2010)
See also
- List of awards and nominations received by Kylie Minogue
- List of Kylie Minogue concert tours
- Kylie Minogue filmography
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- List of best-selling music artists
External links
– owned and maintained by EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and represents Kylie Minogue
- Kylie Minogue Collection at the Performing Arts CollectionPerforming Arts CollectionThe Performing Arts Collection at the Arts Centre, Melbourne is the largest specialist performing arts collection in Australia, with over 450,000 items relating to the history of circus, dance, music, opera and theatre in Australia and of Australian performers overseas.- Highlights of the...