Since 1988, Kylie Minogue has been a titan in pop music across the world. After the release of her 2010 album Aphrodite, however, subsequent releases failed to spawn top ten hits; that is, until ‘Padam Padam’ took the UK charts by storm in the summer of 2023. Featuring an effortlessly catchy chorus and pulsating electronic instrumentation, the song was a natural hit, appearing on the studio album Tension which was swiftly followed by its counterpart, Tension II. In a show split into five acts and complete with video interludes and outfit changes, Kylie celebrated the release of both albums, looked back on the highlights of her career, and ultimately proved her capability as an all-time great.
“Manchester, are you ready?”, Kylie asked as she opened with ‘Lights Camera Action’, the disco-infused opening track from 2024’s Tension II. With references to high-end fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier, the song celebrates self-confidence and provided the perfect opening for an ultra-stylish, charismatic show. Shortened versions of career highlights ‘In Your Eyes’ and ‘Get Outta My Way’ followed, while the powerful chorus of ‘What Do I Have to Do?’ allowed the star to flaunt live vocals just as impressive as those on the recorded studio version. ‘Good As Gone’ returned to Tension II, before 2000’s UK number one single ‘Spinning Around’ closed the energetic first act.
Returning to the stage clad in a glittering red and silver jumpsuit, Kylie provided a measured dose of Euro-pop with her cover of Pandora’s ‘On a Night Like This’, which was followed by her Alok collaboration ‘last night i dreamt i fell in love’ and the undeniably brilliant ‘Better the Devil You Know’. “What makes it so heartwarming playing these shows is seeing people who have clearly been to one of my shows before a while ago, but also seeing people who are clearly at their first Kylie show”, she remarked, pointing out a group of four girls no older than ten.
Taking a few moments to reminisce, Kylie informed the crowd “tonight is my 33rd show in this arena, the first one being in 1999, and that makes me the female artist that’s played here the most times, that doesn’t happen without all of you”. While this testified to the longevity of an artist whose music transcends decades and generations, it also seemed to resemble the star’s reclamation of her position as pop music’s number one diva. “Do you know where it all began?”, Kylie asked, before clarifying that “it began in a mystical, wonderful time and place known as the eighties”. And as the instantly recognisable notes of ‘The Loco Motion’ began: “what if I said I could take you back in time?”
After a confetti-strewn strut to her B-stage, Kylie performed ‘Holding On to You’, a standout track from 2023’s Tension, which lent The Tension Tour its name. On her knees to praise her backing vocalists while they sang the end of this track, this came as yet another moment that proved her humble humanity: it would be easy, and probably quite apt, for a show of this nature and stature to celebrate the solo artist alone, but Kylie instead took every chance to express appreciation for her band and crew.
During this portion of the set, Kylie took requests from fans in the form of ‘Cupid Boy’, an album track from 2010’s Aphrodite, and “one you’ll all know”, ‘Especially for You’, her 1988 collaboration with Jason Donovan. A snippet of ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’ followed, during which the star accepted and distributed roses held out by members of the crowd. The song is a haunting tale of passion and uxoricide taken from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ 1996 album Murder Ballads, and despite being short-lived in Kylie’s live set, it provided an unexpected highlight.
It was clear throughout that the show was emotional for many in the crowd, but also for Kylie herself. The star teared up during ‘Say Something’, a track taken from her “lockdown album”, 2020’s DISCO, commenting that “this was my dream, to be in the centre of an arena singing to you all”, before a medley of DISCO songs closed the acoustic act. The show’s fourth act saw Kylie return to the main stage in a flowing black cape for a performance of the lyrically affectionate, musically brooding ‘Confide in Me’, underneath which was a purple dress revealed for ‘Edge of Saturday Night’, a recent hit in collaboration with American DJ and producer The Blessed Madonna.
The fifth act opened with ‘Tension’, a flawless house-inflected track that saw Kylie striding across her stage and its accompanying catwalk. It became evident that the show was reaching its end as the monumental ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ appeared, beginning with a singalong of its world-famous “la la la”s led by Kylie herself. ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ was guaranteed to be a highlight, and the pure joy it instigated in the crowd cannot be overestimated. In slight contrast, the unbridled euphoria of ‘All the Lovers’ brought a tear to the eye of many in attendance, before an encore of the unstoppable ‘Padam Padam’ and feel-good anthem ‘Love at First Sight’ provided the perfect close to a remarkably dynamic live set.
Despite missing some of her hits and highlights, most notably ‘Wow’ and ‘I Should Be So Lucky’, Kylie Minogue’s 33rd show at AO Arena brought an array of some of her biggest and best tracks, proving the strength of her back catalogue and forming an extraordinary, unmatched live set. Somehow, the elements of each song were elevated when performed live, and the star’s genuine devotion to her music and to her fans was clear from start to finish. The star’s continuing prominence was evident as the areas around the venue were transformed for two nights in tribute and welcome, and the reception she received was justified by a career-spanning show proving that Kylie remains one of pop music’s best.
