Our friends at Same Same in Australia have been kind enough to share their exclusive chat with Kylie Minogue with ‘lucky’ GayNZ.com readers! The star was in Sydney just days out from the big Mardi Gras night when Matt Akersten caught up with her! This special pic was taken by Frank Farrugia for the Australian Marriage Equality campaign Same Same: It’s such a surprise to see you here in Sydney Kylie, because I know you’re still busy with The Voice in the UK. Kylie: And I’ve got The Voice here as well soon! Yes! How does it feel to be back in Australia? It feels great, but I’m only here for about a week, and then I head back to The Voice. Straight back into work. I’ll be a mess by the time I get there, another jet lag to get over! Oh my goodness. With ‘Team Kylie’! Yeah it’s exciting going into the three weeks of live shows. That’s other first for me – the first live Voice shows. Yeah I think it will be different from other live shows I’ve done. I’ll be doing some performances with my acts, but it’s another crunch time for the acts who are going to make it through to the final. Kylie is a judge on The Voice UK right now We’ve heard nothing but good feedback about your coaching there in the UK and the ratings are going well. Yeah, it seems very positive which is great. I resisted doing it for a long time and then finally it just felt right. I’m just thrilled that it’s being received so well. Everyone puts in so much time… it’s intense, you want it to be great and for the contestant to shine. The energy that I feel people have put into the show is translating to people at home, and that’s great cause it’s not always the case. No, and some of those talent shows can be quite cruel actually. But having you there really helps keep it professional and kind. Oh good, thank you! Your new album is great, you should be very proud. It’s very sexy but in a way that’s sophisticated and fun. With some of the up-and-coming stars now it can go a bit the wrong way, you know what I mean? Um, I think its generational thing and your own taste. I think I’ve managed to get away with some stuff… like with the hot pants in Can’t Get You Out Of My Head, and my outfit in Slow. It’s because people know my personality, that’s kinda pushing it to that point and not further. It’s a fine line and it just depends on what side of it you want to be. Kylie with Sia Well you’ve got great taste and it really shows now on your work with Sia. Yeah how fortunate am I? That Sia came on board for this album it meant so much to me. How did it come about? Um, I was about halfway through the album. Of course at that time I didn’t know I was halfway through, because you don’t know when you’re going to finish! But I’ve been recording with a number of different writers and producers and I had some days in with Sia and we got on great. I then asked her if she would come on board as executive producer. I didn’t know what her answer would be but she said yes straight away, and then we basically just put out heads together and I gave her everything I had done. We had lists… she thought I had three albums of different styles of music, which is probably correct. Which is why I needed someone like Sia to work with me, to streamline of focus and pull the album together. I’m sure she was thrilled to work with you. So when you first start creating a new album, do you often feel like what comes together months later as what you first envisioned? Or does It become its own thing, changing and morphing as you go on? I really feel like these creations almost have a life of its own. Like on Into The Blue for example, I recorded it on my birthday last year so it’s memorable for me. I loved the song immediately but then over time it actually resonates so much more with where my life is at the moment. I don’t know if I knew that the new album would turn out the way it did in the beginning. It’s a long process. And it’s so involved. There’s so many people and moments… and anyway we reached, we finally reached Kiss Me Once and I couldn’t be happier. A lot of the album won’t be too much of a departure from how people know you and your music. One track really stuck out with me though was I Was Gonna Cancel. It really sounded different to me. It’s interesting you say that. It’s a Pharrell [Williams] track, he wrote and produced that. I had two days with Pharrell. On the first day we did another song… actually that one was good as well, maybe there will be a moment that can have its time Or there will be a time it can have its moment – better way to say it! And on the second day, I was just having a terrible day. The kind of day you really don’t want to face anyone. Maybe you can face the milk bar and buy a pint of milk and they ask how you are and can poke a face and you’ll be fine, but actually beyond that your emotions are so on the surface that it doesn’t really take anything for them to break through. So that’s what happened with Pharrell, I had a meltdown. I was very emotional… waterworks… anyway, he was very sympathetic and helpful. You know, we went aside and he talked me through it and calmed me down. And then he wrote I Was Gonna Cancel. I sang it and I didn’t like the tone of my voice doing it. But people tell me they like it. I had literally been crying my eyes out! It’s a real highlight. It’s a track that a lot of people are talking about, even if they don’t know its Pharrell. Because of course he’s mad at the moment and he’s Pharrell, but there’s maybe also something to do with the fact that it’s his production – he’s pretty fresh! Yeah, he wrote it, there and then, right in front of me. Just at the synthesizer creating the track and boom, boom, boom, lyrics came out. And it was born on an actual emotional moment for me. With your 25th anniversary year in 2012, our highlight was of course seeing you at Mardi Gras, and then later your Anti-Tour, providing a much more intimate and simple show for your fans. That was an absolute highlight for me too. My shows are known for the spectacle, bells and whistles and everything. And even my next tour its not going to be like Aphrodite. The idea for Anti-Tour came when people would say ‘how are you going to top this?’ We’ll have to go the other way, I thought. I can’t top it. With Aphrodite, going on the road with all that water was silliness, and yet we did it. You know it cost way too much money to do… it was a hassle for everyone! But it was spectacular. And ‘tick’, I did it, so that’s why I did the Anti-Tour. Having the K25 year of celebrations was the perfect opportunity to do the Anti-Tour and the Abbey Road Sessions album. Just to do things that I needed to get out of my system, and something that super fans would enjoy. By the end of that, I really felt ‘OK I’ve done it, I need to start fresh. I need so I make changes in my life.’ So I signed with Rock Nation management, and then end up with an album that I think is symbolic with where I am in my life, in my career, and being excited about the future. So what might your next tour be like? Is it too soon to say? I can only be very general, because it’s just a feeling. But I feel like it’ll be somewhere between Fever and X, which was a lot more minimal. Obviously I’ve got great new songs to interpret and put visuals to like Sexercise and Into The Blue. I can’t wait to perform Into The Blue to 10 or 15 thousand people. I’m too excited just thinking about it! Thinking of doing a Kiss Me Once tour… there’s so much new music to incorporate, and that adds freshness the back catalogue as well. Lie down…..#KissMeOnce pic.twitter.com/KqS3PmBoN8 — kylie minogue (@kylieminogue) March 10, 2014 One of the things I love about you is how natural and comfortable you seem on social media, like Twitter. Some artists say weird things, get into fights… or you can just tell it’s their management speaking, but you just have a very nice cool comfortable vibe which is refreshing to see. Yeah, thanks, I try to. It took me a little while to feel comfortable with it. I’m kinda old school, I come from learning about PR as a teenager in Neighbours. I don’t use it too much… but I can’t say I’ve never posted about what I’ve just ate… I’m not at that level! I don’t live out arguments or anything there too. I appreciate you saying that it comes across as natural, because it’s really what it feels like. I am amazed in such short little sound bites I can recognize humour from what fans tweet to me, and they can get my tone and what I mean. Matt meets Kylie! I remember when you arrived for Mardi Gras in 2012, and there was a special event, with so many people in the room wanting to meet you. I was already probably stressed! Oh boy, and I really felt how intense it was for you. People were crowding around, and everyone wanted a photo. I didn’t expect it to be quite that full-on and manic in the room when you arrived. What are situations like that like for you? It’s kinda crazy! I guess it’s great on the one hand, because people are excited and that’s what I need to deliver. On the other hand I probably just wanted to watch the parade, and it’s a merry dance. Sometimes I want to be the spectator, but I know I’m not. So it’s just trying to find a middle ground there if possible. Are you ready for Mardi Gras, by the way? I am, but because I’m seeing you today, everyone is asking me if you’ll be there? No, no… I did it. I know they have other performers there. But hey I’m always there in spirit, and I still remember when I did that in 1998 for the first time. In a pink feather dress with the devil horns! And the boys! And those pictures are so iconic. Then in 2012, having multiple floats of Kylies, it was just mind-blowing. I am a spectator this year, but hey, if I’m lucky I’ll be back celebrating again another year. Anytime Kylie, you know you’re always welcome. Keep an eye on GayNZ.com as we’ll soon be giving away copies of Kylie’s new album, Kiss Me Once, which is out THIS Friday! Matt Akersten - 12th March 2014