Breathing is a bit difficult right now, because Kylie Minogue has announced a brand new album of “euphoric, empowered dance floor bangers and sultry pop cuts” (!).

Tension, the pop icon’s 16th studio album, will be released on 22 September and will be led by the “hypnotic electro” track Padam Padam.

According to the press release, the album will contain 11 “unabashed pleasure-seeking, seize-the-moment, joyful pop tunes”. Again, it’s a bit hard to breathe.

Kylie said she started the album with “an open mind and a blank page”.

“Unlike my last two albums there wasn’t a ‘theme’, it was about finding the heart or the fun or the fantasy of that moment and always trying to service the song,” she explained in a statement.

“I wanted to celebrate each song’s individuality and to dive into that freedom. I would say it’s a blend of personal reflection, club abandon and melancholic high.”

Seven of Tension’s tracks are produced and co-written with Kylie’s long-time collaborators, Biff Stannard and Duck Blackwell.

On the recording process, she added: “I loved being back in the studio with my collaborators but was also able to benefit from remote recording, which we have all got used to – my mobile studio never left my side for a year and a half!

“The album is a mix of songs I have written and songs which really spoke to me. Making this album helped me navigate challenging times and celebrate the now. I hope it accompanies listeners on their own journeys and becomes part of their story.”

Photo: Edward Cooke

Kylie’s last album, DISCO, received near universal critical acclaim and topped the charts in Australia, Scotland, Ireland and the UK.

She recently headlined Sydney WorldPride, performing classic anthems such as Spinning Around, Love at First Sight, Get Outta My Way, Slow and Can’t Get You Out of My Head to a crowd of over 20,000.

The star ended her set with a surprise appearance from her sister Dannii, where they performed a duet to her LGBTQ+ favourite All The Lovers. It was the first time they shared a stage in eight years.

Check out the tracklist for Tension below and pre-save the album here.

Padam Padam
Hold On To Now
Things We Do For Love
Tension
One More Time
You Still Get Me High
Hands
Green Light
Vegas High
10 Out Of 10
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