Assessment: Kylie Minogue – Pressure II (BMG)
★★★★☆
Sequel albums are uncommon, but Kylie justifies her determination to return to the studio with Pressure II – an intense nine-song blast of recent materials to sit down alongside 4 current collaborations
Though Pressure II inhabits the identical dancefloor house as its predecessor, its title has led to suspicions that its 9 new songs are merely offcuts, which might normally be packaged in a deluxe version of Pressure, fairly than claiming it is a wholly separate album.
Concern not. These 9 new bangers solely final a complete of 25 minutes however, as fizzing lead single Lights Digital camera Motion confirmed, they’re completely worthy of Full Kylie billing.
The one padding is by way of the 4 present collabs on the finish to bulk out the working time. With apologies to Bebe Rexha, Sia and the frankly rotten Orville Peck, solely The Blessed Madonna’s magnificently murky Edge Of Saturday Night time deserves its place alongside the equally lascivious up-all-night Hi there’s tease of “You and I make a very good mistake.”
Lights Digital camera Motion, That’s It
Fundamental album nearer Shoulda Left Ya is the one track approaching a ballad, its “Telephone lights on” epic really feel belying that it solely lasts two minutes 20 seconds. Taboo’s intro is cheekily much like Madonna’s Hung Up, setting the temper for Kylie’s personal confessions on a dancefloor.
Her self-described “electrical vitality” carries on into the bleepy Somebody For Me, earlier than the comparatively epic revenge anthem Good As Gone’s refrain is so infectious that it bears sufficient repeating to turn into the one track to run previous three minutes.
Common Kylie producers Stannard & Blackwell, TMS, Steve Mac and Padam Padam’s Lostboy are concerned, however first-time helpers Jenn Decilveo and Vaughn Oliver helm the most important shock: Diamonds, which incorporates a uncommon rap from Minogue, its appropriately indestructible riff serving to to hold her via such an innovation.
Oliver – who labored on the current album by Kylie’s good friend Jake Shears – additionally produces essentially the most traditional-sounding bop right here. It’s unusual that Minogue hasn’t had a track known as Dance To The Music in her 37-year profession earlier than. Now it’s right here, it’s as blissful as you’d hope, a nostalgic 70s-tinged cooldown after the previous depth.
The final time Kylie solely had a 13-month hole between albums was from Gentle Years to Fever in 2000-01, when she exploded again for her second imperial part.
Having loved making an attempt out different genres like nation (Golden), there appears to be no stopping Minogue once more now that she’s again centre stage on the dancefloor. It nonetheless fits her completely: simply attempt dislodging Kiss Bang Bang’s refrain as soon as it’s strutted into your head.
At this price, don’t be shocked if Kylie goes for the hat-trick by the point her tour kicks off subsequent spring.
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Learn Extra: Album By Album – Kylie Minogue