Album Review: Kylie Minogue - 'Tension II'

As Taylor Swift, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish battle it out for album of the year, Kylie Minogue releases Tension II, her highly anticipated seventeenth album. Listening to a pre-release of the album, we are reminded that Minogue’s legacy transcends the status and performance of fellow pop artists, with the Australian icon unable to be compared or categorised. 

The record was released at midnight and is a follow-up to her previous 2023 album, Tension, closing the anthology and injecting her signature sound into the crowded pop landscape.

Widely regarded as Australia’s best musical export, Kylie boasts over 80 million streams and recently announced her Tension world tour, with tickets released earlier in the month. The tour is the biggest Minogue has brought in over a decade, with some Australian shows and most UK shows already sold out.

The thirteen-track record delivers the same fun, dopamine-delivering experience that all her albums offer, proving her sound can be recognisable yet fresh after 36 years of making music.

The first track, Lights Camera Action, is an instant classic with the pace, synth, and lyrics giving it quintessential Kylie. Minogue referenced the track in a recent statement, saying, “I can’t wait to share beautiful and wild moments with fans all over the world, celebrating the Tension era and more. It’s been an exhilarating ride so far, and now get ready for your close-up because I will be calling Lights, Camera, Action … and there will be a whole lot of Padaming.” 

Taboo is another favourite, and a slower number with the narrative following a taboo connection of the intoxication of wanting someone off limits. The sexy, catchy track has Minogue whispering breathlessly “un, deux, trois, taboo” before the chorus picks up the pace with “I know I shouldn’t but I just can’t help myself.”

Dance Alone is the final track on Tension II, released earlier in the year, and is a collaboration with Sia, offering a different flavour to the album.

With ten years between drinks for the two Australian artists' collaboration together (Kiss Me Once is the first track), Minogue proves she enjoys sharing a mic with a range of artists, with fans treated to three more tracks featuring other artists. Edge Of Saturday Night features The Blessed Madonna, My Oh My features Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo and Midnight Ride features Orville Peck and Diplo.

Much of Tension II had the team at The Music diving in and out of the artist's previous sixteen albums, trying to identify which album and tracks remind us of the sound of her new music. The truth is, Kylie Monigue’s unique sound is so fully formed after more than three decades that Australians, regardless of their genre of choice, would easily spot her fingerprints on each track.

If you were to describe Minogue to someone living under a rock and unfamiliar with the hold she has on the history of dance-pop, certain songs and moments define her success.

Few albums have missed the mark, with a collection of 229 industry awards, from her work on Locomotion to her more recent work with Padam Padam (Tension I), which took out the ARIA Award for Best Pop Release and the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Dance Pop Recording. 

Initially, Padam Padam was not slated to be played on certain UK radio stations with a younger listener base, but the bouncy dance track became viral on TikTok and X, discovered by a younger audience base, which brought the track back to radios by demand. 36 years on, Minogue is inspiring new generations with her contagious dance legacy.

Tension II is available at kylie.com and all streaming services, with tickets still available for Australian Tension tour dates here.