It’s hard to believe that nearly four decades into her career, Kylie Minogue is just now hitting arenas in North America. The Australian dance-pop phenom, who appears at TD Garden tonight (April 9), is a superstar all over the world, rivaling Madonna in popularity in some parts, and a bona fide gay icon – a status she embraced long before it became fashionable. Yet bring her up in the States, and you’re bound to get a curious look or two from those who still lump her in with Tiffany, Samantha Fox, Debbie Gibson, and the like, best known for their late ‘80s bubblegum pop.
Chalk it up to missteps by a gun-shy record label, disheveled management making poor decisions, etc. And then there’s the whole “America is difficult to break for foreign artists” maxim. But Minogue didn’t even tour here until 2009, which makes zero sense when you realize that was 21 years after her cover of “The Loco-Motion” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and eight years following the smash “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” topped seemingly every chart in the world – except for us here in America. Before that, there was a whole decade where you couldn’t even get her music here unless you shopped somewhere that would carry overpriced imports where the clerk looked at you sideways unless you were seeking out the Oasis “Roll With It” maxi-single.
Now, obviously and thankfully, things have changed. Maybe it’s streaming, maybe it’s the influence nods given by Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, and others, or maybe it’s just America waking the fuck up and wanting to get down while everything else is burning to the ground. Whatever it is, Kylie Minogue is finally recognized here as a force.
Tonight’s show is part of the Tension Tour, named after the 2023 record of the same name and its fall 2024 follow-up, Tension II. Bangers like the Grammy-winning “Padam Padam” and the Orville Peck and Diplo collaboration “Midnight Ride” show that this is no victory lap, either. Kylie is out to kill, and she’s going to have a goddamn good time doing it. So you better show up.
KYLIE MINOGUE + ROMY :: Wednesday, April 9 at TD Garden, 100 Legends Way in Boston, MA :: 7:30 p.m., all ages, $31 to $179.50 :: Event info :: Advance tickets
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