Throughout her headline set finally weekend’s BBC Radio 2 within the Park pageant, Kylie Minogue threw in her favorite advert lib: “Looks as if I’ve identified you a lifetime… and for a few of you it’s been a lifetime!”  From different performers, it might need come off glib, however Minogue made it really feel heartfelt and even touching. Two generations might have grown up along with her music, however pop’s everlasting showgirl isn’t shimmy into her legacy act period. After popping off on TikTok, this album’s good lead single ‘Padam Padam’ grew to become a track of the summer season and her first UK Prime Ten hit in 13 years.

A hypnotic electro bop with a vaguely Japanese European lilt, ‘Padam Padam’ is a slight outlier on ‘Rigidity’, the singer’s sixteenth studio album. Elsewhere, Minogue and collaborators together with Biff Stannard and Duck Blackwell – each of whom labored on her final album, 2020’s ‘Disco’ – rustle up a moreish dance-pop smorgasbord with flavours drawn from Minogue-appropriate pop traits and her personal in depth discography. ‘Arms’ and ‘Inexperienced Mild’ cut up the distinction between current Doja Cat and Dua Lipa hits, whereas ‘You Nonetheless Get Me Excessive’ is a Coldplay anthem with additional froth. Minogue’s tackle the ’80s drivetime revival spearheaded by The Weeknd is very efficient: ‘Issues We Do For Love’ sounds a bit like Belinda Carlisle with a waft of poppers within the air.

Different songs hit their goal by providing nostalgic nods to basic Minogue moments. ‘One Extra Time’ has echoes of the home bangers she made with Inventory Aitken Waterman within the early ’90s, whereas ‘Vegas Excessive’ is throbbing dance-pop within the mould of 2001’s ‘In Your Eyes’. The glittery, galvanising ‘Maintain On To Now’ seems like an upbeat successor to her wistful pandemic-era single ‘Say One thing’ – it’s the sonic equal of a burst of confetti. The entire album zips alongside in 36 minutes with no ballads and no duds, simply tracks that both slap exhausting or shimmer infectiously.

Lyrically, ‘Rigidity’ is resolutely escapist and maybe sexier than any Minogue album since 2007’s ‘X’.  She begins ‘Inexperienced Mild’ with an ideal pop come-on – “I do know your star signal, what’s in your bedside?” – and delivers lusty imperatives on the euphoric title monitor: “Oh my god, contact me proper there!” The outcome isn’t Minogue’s most cohesive or revealing LP, but it surely does really feel pushed by its personal inner logic. In the end, ‘Rigidity’ performs like a enjoyable, flirty evening out with an previous buddy who isn’t the sort to burden you along with her issues. Whether or not you’ve identified Minogue for a lifetime – or simply since ‘Padam Padam’ –  you’ll wish to lace up your dancing footwear and be a part of the celebration.

Particulars

• Launch date: September 22, 2022
• Report label: BMG