The best way to think of ‘Tension II’ is to picture a DJ who’s in their zone during the middle of the greatest set of their lives. The music is pumping, the crowd is vibing and no one wants it to end – the disco needs Kylie Minogue, and she is more than happy to oblige.
Most everything about the record is classic Kylie at her best. The Aussie pop superstar might have gotten her unexpected but well-deserved renaissance last year with the viral ‘Tension’ single ‘Padam Padam’, but on ‘Tension II’, it rarely feels as if she’s chasing her own success or letting it define her output. Instead, it’s a showcase of how she’s a popstar who was, is and will continue to be second to none.
Kylie flaunts her pop mastery on the saucy and sultry album highlight ‘Taboo’, a cross between ABBA and the vibes of her underrated 2007 record ‘X’. Over dramatic violins, hand claps and a pulsating Hi-NRG bassline, she celebrates sexual freedom in the club: It’s electric energy when you get this close to me / Count me in, let’s go, let’s leavе, un, deux, trois. Meanwhile, fellow standout ‘Good As Gone’ is a drunker, darker take on 2010 fan favourite ‘Get Outta My Way’, and features one hell of a hook: “Gone, gone, love the way you’re gone.
The record also isn’t absent of magical, euphoric moments that are the highlight of every Kylie concert. The dancefloor call-to-action of ‘Dance To The Music’, which cheekily references her joyous 2010 hit ‘All the Lovers’, is an easy crowd-pleaser. Meanwhile, the diva-driven energy of ‘Lights Camera Action’, with lines like I look stellar tonight / My armour is by Gaultier, is as delicious as it is exciting. At times, she even gets a little dejected, like on ‘Someone For Me’ and ‘Shoulda Left Ya’ – but still dancing, of course.
‘Tension II’ isn’t entirely faultless. ‘Hello’ is a middling attempt to replicate the success of ‘Padam Padam’, while the speak-singing parts on ‘Diamonds’ are bland and uninspired – but they aren’t offensive in a way that detracts from the overall listening experience. The record ebbs and flows with ease, the songs complement each other while not blending into one another. It’s cohesive, without being too familiar with itself, giving the individual tracks space to breathe.
Not to put a damper on the triumph that was ‘Tension’, but ‘Tension II’ surpasses it by light years – and, in so doing, awkwardly puts into question the need to connect the two albums in the first place. This collection of (mostly) new songs stands strong on its own. The record is tighter yet bolder, sexier yet sadder, as icy, electropop siren Kylie once again leaves it all on the dancefloor.
