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New music from certified Australian pop royalty is always an event, so you can imagine the excitement when Kylie Minogue recently announced a new full-length album.
Her 16th studio album is titled Tension (out 22 September) and now we get the lead single, 'Padam Padam', which has us thinking the kind of tension she's referring to is – in classic pop fashion – sexual.
It's an addictive banger that uses the titular 'Padam Padam', mimicking a heartbeat, as a vocal hook atop cavernous synths and clipped, club-centric electronic beats.
It feels like new territory for Kylie but simultaneously in step with her stock-in-trade. Think 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' but more cyberpunk than the sci-fi utopia depicted in its iconic music video.
Fans of her slow-burning 2003 hit 'Slow' will immediately catch what 'Padam Padam' is throwing, presenting Kylie's sexier side alongside its subterranean, minor-key groove.
'I know you wanna take me home/ and take off all my clothes
Padam padam, when your heart goes' she sings, her voice given a surgeon's electronic treatment.
'This place is crowding up/ I think it's timе for you to take me out this club.
And we don't need to usе our words/ Wanna see what's underneath that T-shirt.'
While other blockbuster pop icons out working this season require a little more investment from the listener – from Beyoncé's textured throwback to a whole history of dance music on the codified Renaissance tour to the deep lore of Taylor Swift revisiting her various 'Eras' – Kylie is playing it straight.
There's no wider context here. If you've ever felt attraction, the impulse to dance and own a pair of ears, then the appeal of 'Padam Padam' is obvious. And that accessibility is its strength.
The accompanying music video sees Kylie glamming up urbane locations – a roadside motel, diner, a car yard – in her crimson red catsuit.
The visual was directed by Sophie Muller, who previously worked with Minogue on the wild clip for 'Kiss Of Life' – her 2021 collaboration with Jessie Ware. The latter recently told Double J she pulled an all-nighter making the video.
Kylie's new album doesn't have a 'theme'
'Padam Padam' is the first we're hearing of Tension but don't expect it to necessarily define the tone and aesthetic of the record.
Unlike her previous two albums – 2020's genre-faithful Disco and 2018's country-infused excursion Golden – Minogue says her latest doesn't adhere to a particular motif.
"I started this album with an open mind and a blank page," she said in a statement. "It was about finding the heart or the fun or the fantasy of that moment and always trying to service the song. I wanted to celebrate each song's individuality and to dive into that freedom."
"I would say it's a blend of personal reflection, club abandon and melancholic high."
'Padam Padam' was produced by LOSTBOY (whose clients include Tiësto, Ellie Goulding, and Griff) and Minogue worked on Tension with her long-time co-writer/producer Richard 'Biff' Stannard and Disco collaborator Duck Blackwell.
Minogue added: "I loved being back in the studio with my collaborators but was also able to benefit from remote recording, which we have all got used to – my mobile studio never left my side for a year and a half! The album is a mix of songs I have written and songs which really spoke to me."
Diehard fans have already heard the album
And perhaps not in the way Kylie's label intended.
Last week, before 'Padam Padam' was even released, a low-quality rip of the song had already appeared in several videos on TikTok.
It was among multiple tracks from Tension that had leaked online, reaching fan accounts on various social media.
Despite the breach, 'Padam Padam' received some very positive (and hilarious) commentary across Twitter.
Neither Kylie nor her label have commented on the leak.
Was it a legitimate bungle? Or a deliberate marketing tactic? Drumming up free marketing from a diehard fanbase has become the new normal for many big album releases these days.
The jury's out but the fact is Kylie Minogue will release Tension on Friday 22 September. You can view the album art and tracklist below.
Check out Double J's Best New Music playlists on Spotify and Apple Music for more great new tunes.