Kylie Minogue - Shocked (Hot Tracks NRG for the 90s Remix)

8th track on the Hot Tracks NRG For The 90's vol 1
© 1990 Mushroom
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Born in Melbourne on May 28, 1968, Kylie Minogue began acting in television dramas at the age of 12. Her 1986 debut on the insanely popular soap Neighbours catapulted her to stardom. In Australia, Minogue's role as the tomboy Charlene and the exploits of that character and her love interest -- played by the actor Jason Donovan -- made the Aussie drama one of the most watched shows in the U.K. Understanding Minogue's megastar potential, as well as her ability to vamp and sing, Mushroom Records signed her to a contract in 1987. Her debut single, "The Loco-Motion" (a cover of the 1962 Little Eva hit) rocketed to number one and took the globe by storm, hitting the upper reaches of the charts in many countries.
Her pop status was further consolidated with her debut album, 1988's Kylie, which topped the charts in the U.K. and did very well in many other places, including Australia. As the '80s drew to a close, Minogue's stature worldwide only grew. Her duet with Jason Donovan, "Especially for You," sold over a million copies in 1989. A second LP, Enjoy Yourself, was also released that year, along with a handful of singles that managed to further dominate charts in both hemispheres and she appeared in her first feature film, The Delinquents.
Many things would change for her in the frenetic decade of the '90s. Her relationship with the late frontman of INXS, Michael Hutchence, and her shedding of the near-virginal facade that dominated her first two albums began to have an effect in the evolution of her music. Released in 1990, Rhythm of Love, its worldwide hit single, "Better the Devil You Know," and its follow-up, "Shocked," brought her into the more adult world of dance music and nightclubs.
Freed from the yoke of both a production team and a mainstream pop label, Minogue began a long trend of collaborating with up-and-coming and hot producers and songwriters, which allowed her to release a much more mature and stylish dance-pop record in 1994's Kylie Minogue. The singles "Confide in Me" and "Put Yourself in My Place" were slicker and more stylish than anything she had previously recorded. The next couple of years included the hit single (and unlikely collaboration) with Nick Cave entitled "Where the Wild Roses Grow."
Her eagerness to expand on this collaboration led to her 1997 album, Impossible Princess. The album, soon retitled Kylie Minogue in England due to the death of Princess Diana, was successful, and Minogue toured the world for the album, selling out stadiums (as usual).
In 1999 Minogue shed the indie influences and set about creating dance-pop that was more disco than anything in her catalog. The resulting album Light Years, and its lead single, "Spinning Around," were huge successes, bringing her critical acclaim and winning a new generation of fans.
In 2001, she would be re-introduced to America after more than a decade. That year's album, Fever, and its massively successful single "Can't Get You Out of My Head" were the first to be released in the U.S. since Enjoy Yourself, and the single managed to chart stateside at number three. While her next album, 2003's Body Language, was not as big a seller as Fever, it was a successful attempt at broadening her sound, this time with electro and hip-hop influences. A greatest-hits package (her second), 2004's Ultimate Kylie, acted as a catalyst for her worldwide Showgirl tour, but that was to be set aside after her diagnosis with breast cancer.
In 2005, she underwent successful surgery and follow-up chemotherapy, and eventually made a full recovery and in 2007 she released her tenth album X, and it was well-received. Minogue was also honored by Queen Elizabeth with an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for her services to music. She released Aphrodite (produced by Stuart Price), in 2010.
In early 2014, she began appearing as a coach on the U.K. version of The Voice and her 12th album, Kiss Me Once, which featured songwriting and production from the likes of Pharrell, Sia, and MNDR, was released that year.
Minogue signed to BMG in 2017 and began working on a new album, her 14th. Recovering from heartbreak, she took the suggestion from one of her team to try writing and recording in Nashville. The resulting record, Golden, was released in April 2018.
In 2020, she returned with fresh material for her 15th official album, including the singles "Say Something" and "Magic." These nostalgic throwback tunes landed on the aptly titled DISCO, which was written and recorded at her London home during the COVID-19 lockdown. - Chris True, Allmusic