Does any gay icon better illustrate the Anglo-Australian tapestry of Aural Fixation than Kylie Minogue? Just why it took so long for us to sit down with the Princess of Antipodean Pop is unexplainable and inexcusable, but we\u2019re here now, spinning around, so ploise move out of our way.
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After blazing through the late 80s as Stock Aitken Waterman\u2019s poster girl and notching up four UK number ones, Kylie found herself at a reinvention crossroads in the early 90s, trialling different sounds and images over various albums and record labels. Struggling to find her place in the music industry took its toll and was followed by personal losses and a bout of depression, so at the new millennium\u2019s dawn, Ms. Minogue saw fit to strap on the gold hot pants for a triumphant comeback \u2013 in the shape of a love letter to the disco ball.
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We know Kylie\u2019s a gay icon, you know Kylie\u2019s a gay icon, we all know she\u2019s got a stonking arse and a back catalogue to rival any pop queen of reinvention, but what\u2019s so special about Light Years? Where does it sit in her journey, why did it have the impact it did, and why is she so universally adored? Is she even universally adored? One thing we learn and agree on pretty early is that Kylie Minogue is not all she might initially seem, and is certainly not to be underestimated.
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Our Spotify companion playlist features pretty much every song and artist mentioned in the episode, as well as some Kylie nuggets we know you\u2019ll enjoy. Follow the pod on Instagram at @auralfixationpodcast, or the boys on @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare. Or go retro and email us! auralfixationpodcast@gmail.com for ya nerve.
PS a huge shout out to Richard Croft, the creator of many an online pop treasure trove, but specifically the Impossible Princess\xa0episode of his Into the Groove podcast, and endorse it as a wonderful follow-up episode to... this one!