When Kylie Minogue issued “Say Something”—the initial volley from her forthcoming album DISCO due in stores November 6th—only a few short months ago, she demonstrated then that her command of the conventional and subversive (in a musical context) was second to none.
Her current offering “Magic” takes this a step further.
Unlike the synth-pop and nu-disco fusion that defined “Say Something,” Minogue turns the dial back to somewhere circa 1975 to pay homage to the Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay production “Fly, Robin, Fly”—as tendered by the German disco troupe Silver Convention. Like that GRAMMY Award winning classic, the composition for “Magic” boasts a sublime marriage between melody and groove; from its warm brass facsimiles, bubbly programming touches and insistent bass work, the track is perfect for consumption on or off a dancefloor.
As for the lady herself, Minogue is as vocally divine as ever, the sensuousness of her performance is likely a direct response to “Magic’s” lush arrangement.
And so, she has done it again: “Magic” is a perfect pop confection with cross-generational appeal. However, this is nothing new for Minogue.
For decades—even on her most eclectic musical sojourns—Minogue has always maintained a faultless reputation as a woman ready to trek into territories unexplored, but with the understanding that she had to maintain one familiar audience while forging in-roads with an unknown crowd too. With “Magic,” Minogue’s aforesaid ability to straddle convention and subversion in a pop music context will continue to serve her in satisfying old fans and courting new ones.
Quentin Harrison recently published Record Redux: Kylie Minogue, the fifth book in his Record Redux series. The ambitious project traces the rise of the Australian pop vocalist from soap actress star to international pop powerhouse by examining every single and studio album in her repertoire. Record Redux: Kylie Minogue follows previous entries from the Atlanta, Georgia based author centered on Carly Simon, Donna Summer and Madonna. Order Record Redux: Kylie Minogue here (digital) and here (physical). An overhauled version of his first book Record Redux: Spice Girls will be available in early January 2021.
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