Kylie Minogue – Light Years

12/11/19 • 61 min

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’re here now, spinning around, so ploise move out of our way.
After blazing through the late 80s as Stock Aitken Waterman’s 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’s dawn, Ms. Minogue saw fit to strap on the gold hot pants for a triumphant comeback – in the shape of a love letter to the disco ball.
We know Kylie’s a gay icon, you know Kylie’s a gay icon, we all know she’s got a stonking arse and a back catalogue to rival any pop queen of reinvention, but what’s 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.
Our Spotify companion playlist features pretty much every song and artist mentioned in the episode, as well as some Kylie nuggets we know you’ll enjoy. Follow the pod on Instagram at @auralfixationpodcast, or the boys on @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare. Or go retro and email us! [email protected] 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 episode of his Into the Groove podcast, and endorse it as a wonderful follow-up episode to... this one!

Previous Episode

George Michael – Faith

As part of teen pop two-piece Wham!, George Michael was every little hungry schoolgirl’s – and statistically one tenth of all little hungry schoolboy’s – pride and joy. With his hair feathered, his torso bronzed and his shorts shortened, George spent the first seven years of his career selling more than 30 million records globally alongside ghost of pop past Andrew Ridgely.

By 1987, it was time for George to go it alone. His debut album Faith heralded the death of Day-Glo George and the birth of George 2.0. This George was everything a male pop star in the 80’s should have been – a worldwide phenomenon, a master of his craft, a beacon of male sexuality. And then he fell in love with a dude.

To commemorate World AIDS Day we celebrate a gay trailblazer who, though never officially diagnosed with HIV or AIDS-related illnesses, suffered a tragic loss at the hands of the disease. A loss that would punctuate his career, and perhaps inform his incredible philanthropy, until the very end.

We’ve made a Spotify playlist brimming with all things gorgey Georgey – check it out! Follow the pod on Instagram at @auralfixationpodcast, or the boys on @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare. Or go retro and email us! [email protected] for ya nerve.

Next Episode

An Aural Fixation Christmas Special

God rest ye merry queers, and step into an Aural Fixation wonderland for our very first Christmas special.
Drew and Andy take each other on a Yuletide journey down and up their respective memory lanes, applying their now trademark Queer AnalysisTM to exactly what makes a merry music moment so magical. Each picking their eight favourite festive bops, the boys riff on the spectrum of emotions Christmas music can conjure up - from joy and mysticism, to loneliness and longing.
With cameos* from LGBT icons like Tinky Winky, Enya and Carol Vorderman (*mentions, really), we're gifting you our own Christmas treat before you open your own sack next week, to round off an exceptional year for queer music icons around the world.
Please enjoy our Spotify companion playlist, perfect for peeling the potatoes to, and tell us what Christmas means to you at @auralfixationpodcast or [email protected]. Follow the boys at @drew_down_under and @andrewdoyouthinkyouare, and see you in 2020.