It’s Better the Devil You Know Kylie’s Legacy
Pop music has long held a special place in the hearts of gay men, serving as a powerful outlet for self-expression and emotional connection. The genre’s vibrant beats and catchy melodies often provide anthems of empowerment and liberation, resonating with those who have felt marginalized or misunderstood.
Among the pantheon of pop queens, Kylie Minogue stands out as a quintessential gay icon, embodying resilience, glamour, and infectious joy. Her music, ranging from upbeat dance tracks to heartfelt ballads, captures the spectrum of human emotion, allowing listeners to celebrate their identities and navigate their struggles.
Her unabashed embrace of camp, her iconic performances, and her ability to connect with fans on a personal level have solidified her status within the LGBTQ+ community, making her not just a pop star, but a beloved figure who has inspired generations with her authenticity and unwavering spirit.
Early Life
Kylie Ann Minogue was born on May 28, 1968, in Melbourne, Australia. As the eldest of three siblings, Kylie was the first to step into the limelight, though her younger sister, Dannii Minogue, would also become a successful singer. Their brother pursued a different path, becoming a news cameraman in Australia.
Kylie's entertainment career began when she was just 10 years old. Her aunt had arranged for Dannii to audition for a television show, but producers felt she was too young and instead gave Kylie a small role in the soap opera The Sullivans. Between 1979 and 1985, Kylie landed a few more minor roles before her breakout moment in 1986 when she was cast as Charlene Mitchell in the popular soap opera Neighbours. Her portrayal of Charlene catapulted her into fame, earning her four Logie Awards in 1988, including the Gold Logie, making her the youngest recipient of the prestigious title.
Career Beginnings
Kylie’s musical journey began shortly after her rise to television fame. In 1986, she performed I Got You Babe and The Loco-Motion at a benefit concert, which later led to her recording a demo of The Loco-Motion. Mushroom Records, impressed by her performance, signed her, and a re-recorded version of the song was released in July 1987. The track was a massive success in Australia, becoming one of the highest-selling records of the 1980s.
This success caught the attention of PWL Records in London, who signed Kylie and helped her release her next single, I Should Be So Lucky, in December 1987. The song went to number one in both Australia and the UK, and even charted in the U.S., peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Dance Chart.
Kylie released her third single, Got to Be Certain, which reached number one in Australia and number two in the UK. On July 4, 1988, she released her debut album, Kylie, which peaked at number one in the UK and number two in Australia. Although reviews were mixed, it marked the beginning of her global pop career.
Her label followed up by remixing and reissuing The Loco-Motion on July 28, 1988, over a year after its initial Australian release. This remix found international success, reaching number two in the UK, number three on the US Hot 100, and number 12 on the US Dance Chart.
Her debut album produced two additional singles:
- Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi, which peaked at number 11 in Australia and number two in the UK
- Turn It Into Love, which didn’t make a big impact on the charts, is still a fan favorite.
Kylie then collaborated with her Neighbours co-star and then-boyfriend Jason Donovan, releasing the duet Especially for You in December 1988. The song topped the charts in the UK and hit number two in Australia, becoming yet another classic in her discography.
Just over a year later, on October 9, 1989, Kylie dropped her second album, Enjoy Yourself. Though it also received mixed reviews and only reached number nine in Australia, it once again topped the UK charts. The album produced four singles that performed well, including:
- Hand on Your Heart, which hit number four in Australia and number one in the UK
- Wouldn't Change a Thing, peaking at number six in Australia and number two in the UK
- Never Too Late, reaching number 14 in Australia and number four in the UK
- And a cover of Tears on My Pillow, which climbed to number 20 in Australia and number one in the UK
However, neither the album nor the singles made a mark in the US, and as a result, Kylie's American label dropped her. Despite this setback, her international success was undeniable, and her pop career continued to thrive.
Kylie Minogue as a Gay Icon
Despite mixed reviews early in her career, Kylie quickly became regarded as a gay icon. From the late 1980s, her appeal to the LGBTQ+ community, particularly gay men, was undeniable. Kylie herself first became aware of her gay following in 1988, when several drag queens began performing her music. This moment highlighted the emotional resonance her songs had with a queer audience.
Kylie’s connection to her gay fanbase is further explored in Matthew Todd’s book Straight Jacket, where he delves into why so many young gay men gravitate toward her music. Todd suggests that Kylie's early hits, such as I Should Be So Lucky, tap into feelings of vulnerability and inadequacy—emotions familiar to many in the LGBTQ+ community. He notes that songs like this reflect themes of longing, self-doubt, and unrequited love, feelings often felt by those navigating their identity in a world that can feel rejecting.
I Should Be So Lucky embodies this emotional experience. Its lyrics tell the story of someone dreaming of love they believe they will never attain: “I’m dreaming you fell in love with me like I’m in love with you. But dreaming’s all I do; if only they’d come true.” These words capture a sense of vulnerability and yearning, emotions that resonate deeply with listeners who have felt "not good enough" or unworthy of love.
Despite the serious undertones of the song’s lyrics, I Should Be So Lucky remains an upbeat, danceable anthem, combining light-hearted fun with emotional depth. This blend of catchy pop and heartfelt lyrics is part of what makes Kylie so beloved by her LGBTQ+ fans—a balance of joy and vulnerability that mirrors the complexities of queer life.
Kylie's early music spoke to her gay audience’s emotional struggles and joys, and it’s no surprise that she has become a legendary figure within the community. Her journey as a gay icon began with these early songs, and her influence has only grown stronger over the years.
Kylie’s Evolution in the 1990s
As Kylie entered the 1990s, she maintained the vulnerability that had endeared her to fans but adopted a more mature, adult image. No longer the "girl next door" of her early career, she began exploring themes and styles that reflected her personal growth.
On April 30, 1990, Kyle released Better the Devil You Know, an upbeat dance anthem, which was an instant hit, peaking at number four in Australia and number two in the UK. The idiom behind the song’s title—"better the devil you know than the devil you don't"—speaks to the idea that it's safer to stay in a bad situation that's familiar than to venture into the unknown. This theme of uncertainty and longing is evident in the song’s lyrics, which explore the emotional complexity of wanting a lover back despite the pain they've caused. The music video, which featured Kylie in more provocative outfits and mature choreography, signaled a significant shift in her public image. Critics and fans embraced the new direction, seeing it as a bold evolution in her artistry.
At the time of the song's release, Kylie was making major changes in her personal life, leaving her role on Neighbours and ending her relationship with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. This added to the emotional depth behind the song, making it not only a pop hit but also a reflection of her own experiences.
Better the Devil You Know served as the lead single for her Rhythm of Love album, released on November 12, 1990. Although the album didn’t perform as strongly as her previous releases, it still received positive reviews and charted at number ten in Australia and number nine in the UK. The album solidified Kylie's shift toward a more mature and confident image, and its music videos further emphasized this transformation. The era produced three additional successful singles: Step Back in Time, What Do I Have to Do, and Shocked, which all charted well in both Australia and the UK.
Despite the success, Kylie’s next album, Let's Get to It (1991), didn’t fare as well. It was met with mixed reviews, and some critics suggested that her more provocative image wasn’t resonating with the public. The album didn’t break into the top ten on the charts, and following its release, her record label, Pete Waterman Limited (PWL), chose not to renew her contract. Kylie herself later expressed frustration with the label, feeling as though they were treating her like a puppet.
In 1993, Kylie signed with Deconstruction Records, a UK-based dance label, and began working with new songwriters to evolve her sound. This partnership led to the release of Confide in Me on August 29, 1994, a sultry and experimental track that marked a departure from her earlier bubblegum pop hits. The song, which blends pop and dance with Middle Eastern influences, received critical acclaim and was a commercial success, reaching number one in Australia, number two in the UK, and even charting in the US for the first time since The Loco-Motion in 1988.
Her self-titled album, Kylie Minogue, followed in September 1994, continuing the trend of positive reviews and more mature themes. The album’s singles, Put Yourself in My Place and Where Is the Feeling?, performed moderately well, further cementing her place as an evolving pop artist.
However, Kylie’s experimentation reached its peak with her 1997 album Impossible Princess, a darker, more introspective record that delved into themes of self-expression, relationships, and emotion. The album was a significant departure from her previous work, incorporating rock and electronic elements that puzzled many of her long-time fans. While it charted at number four in Australia and number 11 in the UK, it wasn’t as commercially successful as her earlier albums, and its singles, such as Some Kind of Bliss, Did It Again, Breathe, and Cowboy Style, didn’t achieve the same level of chart success.
The response to Impossible Princess was polarizing. In the UK, it was heavily criticized for its departure from the familiar Kylie sound, and she faced backlash for the change in musical direction. The album's poor reception even led Kylie to consider retiring from music altogether. However, in hindsight, critics and fans alike have come to appreciate Impossible Princess for its boldness and creativity.
Following this challenging period, Kylie left Deconstruction Records in 1998 and took a brief hiatus from music. But as history would later show, her career was far from over—she was on the verge of an incredible comeback.
Kylie’s Comeback and Global Stardom
In June 1999, Kylie signed with Parlophone and expressed a desire to return to her pop roots. At the time, she was reportedly inspired by the music from Grease as well as Donna Summer’s Bad Girls and Dim All the Lights. When working on her next album, Kylie described her musical vision to producers as falling into three categories: poolside, disco, and cocktails. It was clear she was crafting a sound that would resonate with her core fan base, including the LGBTQ+ community.
The result? On June 19, 2000, Kylie released Spinning Around as the lead single for her forthcoming album Light Years. The song, a joyful dance-pop track with disco influences, marked her triumphant return to the spotlight. Lyrically, Spinning Around is all about reinvention and personal transformation—a perfect metaphor for Kylie’s own career resurgence.
The lyrics reflect this theme of starting fresh:
Traded in my sorrow for some joy that I borrowed from back in the day
Threw away my old clothes, got myself a better wardrobe
I’m through with the past, ain't no point in looking back, the future will be
I found a new direction, and it leads back to me
The music video, which featured Kylie strutting in gold hotpants and dancing with an entourage, became iconic. It was a fun, playful, and sexy showcase of her new image. Critics hailed Spinning Around as a return to form, and commercially, the song soared to number one in both Australia and the UK. It was her first chart-topper in Australia since 1994’s Confide in Me and her first in the UK since 1990’s Tears on My Pillow.
And fun fact: Spinning Around was co-written by Paula Abdul, originally intended for her before being passed to Kylie.
Just a few months later, on September 22, 2000, Kylie released her album Light Years, a Euro-pop and disco-influenced record that received positive reviews. The album debuted at number one in Australia and number two in the UK, her highest charting album since Enjoy Yourself in 1989.
The album spawned several successful singles:
- On a Night Like This reached number one in Australia and number two in the UK.
- Kids, a duet with Robbie Williams, peaked at number 14 in Australia and number two in the UK.
- Please Stay reached number 15 in Australia and number 10 in the UK.
- Your Disco Needs You, a campy anthem, charted at number 20 in Australia, though it was not officially released as a single in the UK due to her label’s concerns it was “too gay” and “too camp.”
Light Years revitalized Kylie’s career, setting her up for greater global success. From March to May 2001, she embarked on her On a Night Like This tour, during which she premiered a new song—Can’t Get You Out of My Head—which was officially released on September 8, 2001. It became a massive hit, topping the charts in over 40 countries, including Australia and the UK. In the US, it peaked at number seven, marking her highest-charting single there since The Loco-Motion in 1988. The accompanying album, Fever, released on October 1, 2001, was also a global success, reaching number one in Australia and the UK.
The overwhelming success of Can’t Get You Out of My Head helped secure a US release for Fever, Kylie’s first album to be released there in 13 years. It peaked at number three on the US charts, her highest position in the country. According to biographer Chris True from AllMusic, this album and single cemented Kylie’s status as an international pop icon.
Fever also produced three other hit singles:
- In Your Eyes, which topped the charts in Australia and reached number three in the UK.
- Love at First Sight, a fan favorite, peaked at number three in Australia, number two in the UK, number 23 in the US, and topped the US Dance Chart.
- Come into My World, which hit number four in Australia, number eight in the UK, and number 91 in the US, as well as number 20 on the US Dance Chart.
Kylie received her first Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best Dance Recording for Love at First Sight, and while she lost that year, she won in the same category in 2004 for Come into My World.
Following this success, Kylie released another greatest hits album in 2002 and followed up with a new album, Body Language, on November 17, 2003, reaching number two in Australia, number eight in the UK, and number 42 in the US. Its lead single, Slow, topped the charts in Australia, the UK, and on the US Dance Chart. It peaked at number 91 on the US Hot 100, making it her last entry on the US Hot 100. The album produced two other singles, Red Blooded Woman and Chocolate, both of which performed well in Australia and the UK, though only Red Blooded Woman charted in the US Dance Charts.
In 2004, Kylie released another greatest hits album, Ultimate Kylie, which featured two new singles, I Believe in You and Giving You Up, both of which became top 10 hits in Australia, the UK, and on the US Dance Charts.
Health Battle and the “Kylie Effect”
In March 2005, Kylie embarked on her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits tour. However, just two months later, in May, she was forced to cancel the remaining dates after being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36.
Following surgery and chemotherapy, Kylie returned to the stage in November 2006, with adjustments to her setlist, choreography, and costumes to accommodate her health. Her openness about her diagnosis had a significant societal impact, as her case raised public awareness about breast cancer. Studies even found that the media attention around her diagnosis led to an increase in women undergoing regular cancer screenings.
French Cultural Minister Christine Albanel highlighted this, noting, "Doctors now even go as far as saying there is a 'Kylie effect' that encourages young women to have regular checks."
Kylie’s Later Career and Genre-Bending Success
After concluding her Showgirl tour, Kylie shifted her focus to her tenth studio album, X, released on November 21, 2007. The album featured a more dance-pop and electronic sound, receiving mixed reviews but still achieving commercial success. It topped the charts in Australia and reached number four in the UK, though it didn't perform as well in the U.S.
She released five singles from X, with the lead single, 2 Hearts, topping the Australian charts and peaking at number four in the UK. The other singles—Wow, In My Arms, All I See, and The One—had moderate success, though All I See only charted on the U.S. Dance Charts, where it peaked at number three.
Fast forward to June 30, 2010, when Kylie released her next album, Aphrodite, a return to her dance-pop roots with a disco influence. The album peaked at number two in Australia, number one in the UK, and number 19 in the U.S., earning favorable reviews. It spawned four singles—All the Lovers, Get Outta My Way, Better Than Today, and Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love). While these were moderately successful in Europe and Australia, they all reached number one on the U.S. Dance Chart. In 2012, Kylie released the non-album single Timebomb, which also topped the U.S. Dance Chart, marking her fifth consecutive number-one hit on that chart.
On March 14, 2014, Kylie dropped her album Kiss Me Once, marking her first and only release under Roc Nation. Despite contributions from notable songwriters and producers like Sia and Pharrell Williams, the album received mixed reviews. It reached number one in Australia and number two in the UK, but its singles Into the Blue and I Was Gonna Cancel underperformed, though Into the Blue did hit number one on the U.S. Dance Chart. Following the album's performance, Kylie parted ways with Parlophone, her record label since 1999.
In April 2018, Kylie ventured into new territory with Golden, a country-pop album recorded largely in Nashville. It was her first album since 1997’s Impossible Princess where she co-wrote every track, making it a deeply personal project. The album received favorable reviews and topped the charts in Australia and the UK. Despite this, its five singles, including the lead track Dancing, had limited chart success, though Dancing did hit number one on the U.S. Dance Chart.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kylie released her fifteenth studio album, Disco, on November 6, 2020. Largely recorded during lockdown, she learned to engineer her own vocals using Logic Pro. The album was well-received and achieved significant success, topping the charts in both Australia and the UK. This marked her eighth UK number-one album, making her the first female artist to achieve a number-one album in five consecutive decades—from the 1980s through to the 2020s. Disco also became her third-highest charting album in the U.S. Despite its success, the three singles released from the album, including Real Groove featuring Dua Lipa, had more impact on the U.S. Dance Charts than in the UK. In 2021, Kylie reissued Disco with three new singles featuring Years & Years, Jessie Ware, and Gloria Gaynor.
Kylie Captivates a New Generation
On May 18, 2023, Kylie released the single Padam Padam, which became an unexpected hit and introduced her to a new generation of listeners, reaffirming her status as a pop icon. The infectious dance track, with its pulsating beat and catchy hook, quickly gained traction on social media platforms like TikTok, where younger audiences embraced it. Padam Padam peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, number 19 on the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia, and number 7 on the U.S. Dance/Electronic Songs Chart, marking a significant global achievement for Kylie. The song's viral success became a cultural moment and demonstrated her ability to adapt to modern pop culture while maintaining the timeless appeal that has characterized her decades-long career.
Following the single’s success, Kylie’s Tension album was released in late 2023, and blended dance-pop, electro, and synth-pop, showcasing her signature style while introducing fresh production that resonated with younger audiences. Critics praised Tension for its playful, escapist sound and its ability to bridge the gap between nostalgia and modernity. The album’s commercial triumph, bolstered by a string of strong singles, demonstrated Kylie’s continued relevance in an ever-evolving industry. Her success was further solidified when Padam Padam earned her a second Grammy in February 2024, celebrating her enduring influence on the global pop scene.
On October 18, 2024, Kylie released Tension II, a follow-up to her successful Tension album, which was met with widespread acclaim for its bold exploration of electro-pop and its infectious, high-energy tracks. Critics claimed the album solidified her status as a pop legend while continuing to captivate both longtime fans and a new generation of listeners.
Riding the waves of success from these albums, Kylie’s ability to reinvent herself while staying true to her roots has become a defining feature of her career. With a newfound connection to younger fans and ongoing chart success, her enduring impact on pop music remains undeniable, proving that her music can transcend generations and trends.
A Legacy of Resilience, Reinvention, and Unstoppable Success
Beyond her undeniable musical talent, Kylie Minogue’s career is a story of resilience, reinvention, and triumph over adversity. At 56 years old, she continues to defy expectations, remaining the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, with over 80 million records sold worldwide. Her accolades speak for themselves: 17 ARIA Awards, three BRIT Awards, and a Grammy, all marking a career that has not only weathered the highs and lows of the music industry but consistently come back stronger.
Kylie’s journey is a testament to the power of vulnerability and authenticity. In the early stages of her career, her lyrics often explored themes of insecurity and not feeling good enough, all wrapped in upbeat, danceable tracks. As she matured as an artist, especially in the 1990s, she took greater creative control over her music, releasing albums like Kylie Minogue and Impossible Princess, that aligned with her vision, regardless of external reception. Though these projects initially faced criticism, they marked a turning point in her artistry.
While Impossible Princess was initially panned by critics, this phase of her career laid the groundwork for her massive comebacks with albums like Light Years and Fever. Each era brought fresh reinvention, both in sound and image, reaffirming Kylie’s ability to evolve with the times while staying true to her core.
Her resilience offers a valuable lesson: embracing vulnerability can ultimately make us stronger. Despite the negative reviews or setbacks, she always returned to the spotlight more successful than before, proving that even in moments of doubt or criticism, it’s essential to remain aligned with your authentic self.
We can all draw inspiration from Kylie’s story. Whether it’s in our careers, relationships, or personal growth, the key is to take action based on what feels true to us, even when the road is uncertain. The discomfort of stepping out of our comfort zones often leads to growth, and like Kylie, we too can come back bigger and better every time.
And remember. Every day is all we have, so you've got to make your own happiness.
For more information on this topic, listen to Episode 25. Gay Icons: My Name is Kylie.
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