KYLIE MINOGUE

By wearing Kylie's name on her T-Shirt at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards, even Madonna knows that Kylie Minogue is quite a contender for the title 'Queen if pop' and at 32, entertaining the world for over 14 years, she certainly deserves the title. Kylie Minogue, who hails from Australia, began her career as an actress in 1986 starring as Charlene in the popular soap 'Neighbours', fans were devistated when she and then real-life boyfriend Jason Donovan, decided to no longer appear on the soap.
Soon afterwards, at a charity gig, she and a couple of friends from Neighbours decided to sing a cover of The Locomotion and it was that day which brought us Kylie Minogue, the singer. She later released The Locomotion in Australia which was a massive hit and a number 1 for a long time. She then released I Should Be So Lucky both in Australia and Europe where I Should Be So Lucky became one of the most successful songs of
1988.
She released her No:1 debut album 'Kylie' (which is also the second most successful debut album from the youngest artist second only to Britney Spears) in 1988 which got her a string of hits around the world, even her only US hit single. She had another UK number one when she duetted with then boyfriend Jason Donovan on Especially For You, her second most successful hit to date. She released 'Hand on Your Heart', her 3rd UK number 1 which was from her second album 'Enjoy Yourself' in 1989 along with her first lead film role in 'The Delinquints' from which a cover of 'Tears On My Pillow' was released, her 4th UK number one and
another hugh European hit.
In 1990, a new decade and a new look for Kylie who had now gotten over her split with Jason Donovan and had started a new love affair with Michael Hutchence (The lead singer of INXS). Kylie dumped her bubbly, smiley girl-next-door image and donned new sexier clothes and a more grown up look and attitude. Her album 'Rhythm Of Love' gave her hits such as 'Better The Devil You Know' 'What Do I Have To Do' 'Shocked' and 'Step Back In Time' None of which went to number 1, but all of which were huge everywhere, especially Australia and Europe. Kylie Minogue then went through a low period in 1992.
Whilst Smash Hits readers voted her worst dressed person and the lack of the success of previous hits and her 1992 album 'Let's Get To It' be the only Kylie Minogue album to not have reached the top 10 in the UK album charts, her 'Greatest Hits' album still took the number 1 spot on the first week of it's release. Kylie later joined a new record company, Deconstruction and was now dating French photographer and director Stephane Sednoui she released her 5th album 'Kylie Minogue' which gave her a successful UK number 2 with ballad Confide In Me which was a massive Australian single and that song has been celebrated with a stamp featuring the lyrics and her lips to comemorate the new millennium. The songs to follow were unsuccessful even though Kylie, as Madonna had done (though not so provocativly) changed her image frequently.
She released her favourite of her songs, Where The Wild Roses Grow (a duet with Nick Cave) in 1995 and a Australian no:1 came her way but she did not release anything until 1997 which saw her have the most obvious and severe of her image changes. She had help from indie stars Manic Street Preaches to release the first single from her new album 'Impossible Princess' (Later changed to 'Kylie Minogue' due to the tragic death of Princess Diana which coincedentally clashed with the release of 'Impossible Princess') The song was called 'Some Kind Of Bliss' and only reached 22 in the UK charts.
From that same album she released to more singles 'Did It Again' and 'Breathe' which both hit 14. In Australia, she released 'Cowboy Style' which failed to even chart. She was dropped by Deconstruction due to the lack of hits. In 2000, she joined a new record company, Parlophone and this time, her new album would have any of the indie that caused her last album to be lassed as a flop, this time she would return to her pop roots with Light Years. The first release was Spinning Around, her 5th Uk number and a European number 1 as well as a number 9 in the world chart and a number 1 in her native land Australia. It was accompanied by a video which glorified the donning of Hotpants in the year 2000 and hotpants became the must-have item. The album got to number 1 all around the world but was kept of number 1 in the UK by Madonna's 'Music' LP. Also from Light Years, kylie released one of her most successful records in Australia, On A Night Like This which went to number 1 twice in the same month! She lso released
Please Stay, a surprising choice as it was quite weak compared to the rest of the album which was a masterpiece in itself. Kylie once again was in the limelight. and in September 2001, she released a new single and undoubtedly one of the catchiest singles ever and accompanied by a very sexy video, Can't Get You Out Of My Head is still number 1 as I am typing this so I cannot say for how long it was number one but it has hit number 1 in Australia, UK, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Macedonia and Holland and is in the top 10 everywhere else in Europe and Asia. Can't Get You Out Of My head is from the album 'Fever' which has hit the Australian and UK number 1 and is her fastest selling number 1. The only market which she has not conquered is US and now it's just a matter of time. People are uncertain about her title as Princess of pop but in her own words 'They can kiss my hotpants'