Entering her fourth decade in the music industry, it feels surreal that Australian pop export and icon Kylie Minogue had one of the most viral songs of last year – the addictive and sexy “Padam Padam” – and found appreciation from the newer generation of listeners in realising just how impactful she is. “Padam Padam”’s home album – last year’s critically acclaimed Tension – was further proof that Kylie’s star burned brighter than ever.
This year, rather than following that (somewhat) annoying trend of deluxe editions, Kylie has opted for a separate course rather than a side salad with Tension II. A nine-track project (with some added droplets at the end of the main album to add some volume), the album is a breezy, sexy consolidation of the singer’s legacy. Like the first, Tension II is an amalgamation of Minogue’s past, present and future – albeit with a unifying, electronic thread. In the typical vein of sequels, however, the album doesn’t quite reach the apex of its predecessor’s highs but the fun, unpretentious spirit of Kylie basking in the glory of the past two years gleams through it.
Lead single “Lights Camera Action” is a confident and camp stomper of a track showcasing Kylie’s inherent chicness. Beginning with a rather ominous sequence of notes before unfurling into a strutting proclamation of diva-ness. “I’m two seconds away / I’m right around the corner now,” she proclaims as if knowing how eagerly the party waits for her. She shouts out fashion icons like Lagerfield and sings how her “armour is by Gaultier” before the runway drama of the track explodes during the chorus’s instrumental drop. The track succeeds in showing how Kylie is embodying her ‘Mother’ persona and loving all the attention it brings.
The album becomes more melodic after this brazen entry track, slowing down with “Taboo”. Its delectably dark electronic production invokes the sexier side of ABBA’s music (the electronic strings even invoke an inverse of ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”’s iconic riff). “It’s electric energy / When you get this close to me,” she seductively sings over the pulsating synths. Like Tension II’s album cover suggests, Kylie plays a celestial vixen who is equal parts romantic and erotic with a cheeky wink on tracks such as these and the highlight “Someone For Me”. The latter, with plucked notes, subdued synths and fun tempo, finds Kylie watching the dynamic between her friend and their partner covetously (“I like the way he stands / That he’s not afraid to dance / And I would never make a move / But I like the way he looks at you.”) Before you think Kylie is acting like those couples who approach a solitary person at the bar with a “We saw you over here and we liked your vibe,” her observations are punctuated with a comical “But do you have someone for me?” With her sexily modulated vocals and modern pop production, this track is begging to be the next single.
Despite being more streamlined and contemporary, Kylie cannot fully resist the pulls of the nostalgic pop eras that she has flourished in. For example, “Diamonds” is an inoffensive slice of Euro-pop complete with a “da da da da da” chorus with an innuendo about how pressure makes the jewels (“I know the stars are out tonight / Come press your body onto mine”). “Dance To The Music” is a sweet and airy disco-lite tune about, well, dancing to the music, that flutters against the ears like a gentle butterfly without leaving much of an impression.
A similarly inoffensive track is “Good As Gone” which, despite its strong lyrics about liberating yourself from a bad relationship (“I would have died for you / Ruined my life for you / You’d just have to ask / And I’d jump into my car to where you were”), feels like its message does not get the dramatic delivery it needs, both vocally and musically, to really impact the listener. Kylie undoubtedly flourishes over such pleasant pop productions but on Tension II they seem a bit too safe for this particular era.
If someone is to inevitably ask “What’s this album’s “Padam Padam”?”, the closest unique approximation is the frenetic “Kiss Kiss Bang”. Starting off with ethereal synths, Kylie’s breathy vocals navigate this heavenly soundscape like a seductive goddess as she urges: “Touch me go exploring / Take me for a ride / Midnight until morning / Turn on more than the lights.” The rush of the repetitive chorus as she sings “Kiss bang bang / Baby kiss bang bang” is delightful proving one of the album’s stronger tracks. The pulsating “Hello” also joins this “Padam” party but unlike “Kiss Kiss Bang”, it shares too much DNA to stand by itself. As such, it ends up ironically reminding you of “Padam Padam” rather than drawing attention on its own merits.
A general criticism of the album is that it unfortunately succumbs to the symptoms of a pop sphere that treats songs that go longer than three minutes as if they are the same length as the audiobook of Great Expectations. Quite frequently, the songs suddenly end when it feels like they are gearing for one final chorus and it can often feel unsatisfying, like when an overzealous waiter removes your plate where there’s still a few bites of food left. Regardless, Tension II is a fun continuation of what has been Kylie’s renaissance since 2020’s Disco album. It is not wholly without flaws as stated above but still manages to solidify that Kylie will always be someone we just can’t get out of our heads.
