WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Lights Camera Action; Taboo; Someone For Me; Good As Gone; Kiss Bang Bang; Diamonds; Hello; Dance To The Music; Should’ve Left Ya; Edge Of Saturday Night; My Oh My; Midnight Ride; Dance Alone

Minogue’s purple patch continues with this 17th album a mere 12 months after its predecessor perpetuating the Tension-era vibe of electronic dance music with a very commercial edge.

• Read on for reasons including how and where to see Kylie on tour in 2025

We’re surprised lead single Lights Camera Action (59 in the UK) didn’t do better although the extended version of this album has been rather filled out with Kylie’s many recent collaborations, a lot of them bangers of variable quality, meaning 1 rarely has long to wait these days before the next Minogue bop to drop.

Padam co-writer Ina Wroldsen has co-penned at least 4 of the songs here and it’s her Taboo which is probably the most likely hit.

It opens with a muffled club-sounding track mixing Eastern vibes and the promise of something like Madonna‘s iconic Hung Up, maintaining that standard throughout.

Also strong is the Padam-esque Kiss Bang Bang with a lyric seemingly about the thrill of the 1-night stand.

Tension II has already been Minogue’s 8th UK number 1 album and very much serves as the perfect introduction to her 1st concert tour since summer 2019 which begins in Perth in February, arrives at London’s The 02 for 4 nights this summer before concluding in Mexico in August.

Blessed Madonna collaboration Edge Of Saturday Night was longlisted as 1 of our songs of the year and is a highlight of the additional tracks here.

It might not boast a Padam but there is a case to be made for Tension II holding together better than Tension and perhaps even surpassing its predecessor.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Kylie Minogue Tickets
• Have you heard this album and what did you think of it? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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