search
date/time
Yorkshire Times
A Voice of the Free Press
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionCartoons
Jeremy Williams-Chalmers
Arts Correspondent
@jeremydwilliams
4:39 PM 19th November 2015
arts

Kylie Christmas

 
Kylie Minogue has teased fans over the years with festive releases.
Everyone is aware of her sexy rendition of Santa Baby, while her sporadic Christmas EPs have been so poptastic, that they have left the listener hungry for more. Finally, as 2015 draws to a close, Ms Minogue has delivered the Christmas present for her fans.

Following in the footsteps of 2014's savagely overlooked sex pop fest Kiss Me Once, Kylie Christmas sees a return to the cute girl next door format that has always seen her score her biggest hits. With the record also boasting duets with Frank Sinatra, James Corden, Iggy Pop and of course, the heavily anticipated pairing with her sister Dannii, this is a bumper package that is a pre-determined chart hit. But is worthy of its guaranteed success?

A hundred times yes! Over the years there have been hit and miss Christmas contributions. While Michael Buble and Mariah Carey perhaps boast the most commercially successful, equally notable contributions to the genre have been added by Kelly Clarkson, Hanson, Leona Lewis and most recently LeAnn Rimes. What all of them achieved was a sense of seasonal fun and frolity without losing the sentimental core of the festival. Kylie manages to create a warm, fuzzy, familiar feeling that leaves you wanting to press play again and again.

Opening her collection with a big band arrangement of The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, it is immediately apparent that this is the feel good affair people have longed for. However, it is when Kylie delivers something a little less predictable that she really hits the home run. A truly wonderful reworking of Yazoo's Only You alongside James Corden is subtle, sentimental and seasonal. A 60s driven rendition of Connie Francis' I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter breathes new life into a classic and becomes Kylie's own property.

While the album delivers in so many ways, it is obvious that the song most people want to work is the Dannii duet. 100 Degrees is an interesting nclusion on the record, simply because it isn't really a traditional Christmas song. An original composition, it is an explosive disco hit that is destined for dancefloors and more than delivers for fans who have been waiting far too long to hear the song. Our only big query is why only include it on a deluxe edition and why overlook it for a single release - surely it was a guaranteed number 1 hit?