Largely recorded at her London home during 2020's pandemic lock-down restrictions, DISCO is escapist fantasy. Feel-good music. Audio ocytocine. Opener Magic is a joyous 24-karat breeze of shimmering Phoenix-style synths, thumping percussion, shameless horns and infectious hand-claps. The bright tropical brass and sweeping keyboards —not to mention that "whoo-whoo" backing chorus—of "I Love It" is like a shot of Vitamin C. And that's the thing with Minogue: For all that synth, these songs are warm and intimate. Even with talk-box effects, the Daft Punk-esque Real Groove ("Got that perfect body/ But she ain't got the moves," coos the eternally youthful 52-year-old) feels superbly human; you can easily imagine crowds happily twirling to the music.
Kylie Minogue - Magic (Official Video)
Kylie MinogueMerengue-flavored Monday Blues conjures up a street party dance scene and the Xanadu-meets-electropop Say Something should be the anthem of the pandemic's roller-skating revival. But there's also something appealingly melancholy in the longing of slinky Miss A Thing—a FOMO for the world's former "normal": "Come dance with me...I don't want to miss a thing." Yes, please.
Kylie Minogue - Real Groove (INFINITE DISCO)
Kylie MinogueThere are shades of Chic in the funk guitars of Last Chance, and early Wham! vibes exude from Where Does The DJ Go?. Meanwhile, Celebrate You improbably borrows from Saint Etienne, '60s girl groups, late '90s R&B and playground chants, to delightful effect. At once nostalgic and totally fresh, DISCO taps exactly into the zeitgeist by offering a shot of comfort and aspiration instead of complaints. And when quarantines finally lift and concerts return, we can count on one thing. Minogue’s shows will be dance parties.
