Tension II by Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue Tension II

81
ChoruScore
8 reviews
Oct 18, 2024
Release Date
BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.
Label

Kylie Minogue's Tension II reasserts her command of euphoric, club-minded pop with a confident wink and a polished production palette. Across eight professional reviews, critics point repeatedly to opener moments and duets as the album's high points, and the consensus—an 81/100 across those reviews—frames the record as a largely successful extension of the dance-pop revival she has been steering.

Reviewers consistently single out “Lights Camera Action”, “Taboo” and “Good As Gone” among the best songs on Tension II, praising their hook work, dancefloor immediacy and blend of nostalgia with modern electropop sheen. Several critics also highlight duet-heavy bonus cuts like “Edge Of Saturday Night” and moments of surprising vocal weight such as “Someone For Me” and “Shoulda Left Ya” as evidence of Kylie’s pop craftsmanship and emotional range. Themes that recur across reviews include playful sexuality and seduction, disco and Balearic house influences, resilient post-breakup narratives and an emphasis on club-ready production that favors momentum over experimentation.

Not all assessments are unqualified: some reviews note occasional lapses into familiarity and a few tracks that trade distinctiveness for comfort. Still, the critical consensus suggests Tension II is worth seeking out for fans of high-gloss dance-pop, offering enough standout tracks and nostalgic reinvention to justify its place in Kylie’s catalog. Below, the detailed reviews map how the record balances party confidence with moments of grown-up hurt and pop mastery.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

Lights Camera Action

6 mentions

"the diva-driven energy of ‘Lights Camera Action’, with lines like I look stellar tonight / My armour is by Gaultier , is as delicious as it is exciting"
New Musical Express (NME)
2

Padam Padam template

1 mention

"She goes heavy on the “Padam Padam” template, full of her cheeky camp wit and breathy allure"
Rolling Stone
3

Taboo

8 mentions

"Kylie flaunts her pop mastery on the saucy and sultry album highlight ‘Taboo’"
New Musical Express (NME)
the diva-driven energy of ‘Lights Camera Action’, with lines like I look stellar tonight / My armour is by Gaultier , is as delicious as it is exciting
N
New Musical Express (NME)
about "Lights Camera Action"
Read full review
6 mentions
89% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

Lights Camera Action

6 mentions
100
02:42
2

Taboo

8 mentions
100
02:48
3

Someone For Me

6 mentions
74
02:34
4

Good As Gone

8 mentions
92
03:09
5

Kiss Bang Bang

5 mentions
64
02:27
6

Diamonds

6 mentions
49
02:42
7

Hello

6 mentions
25
02:44
8

Dance To The Music

7 mentions
53
02:31
9

Shoulda Left Ya

6 mentions
87
02:20
10

Edge Of Saturday Night

5 mentions
94
03:26
11

My Oh My - with Bebe Rexha & Tove Lo

3 mentions
33
03:01
12

Midnight Ride

5 mentions
52
03:31
13

Dance Alone

5 mentions
41
02:52

What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 12 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

Kylie Minogue returns on Tension II with sleeker, sexy pop that leans into nostalgia while flirting with modern electronic production. The reviewer's eye lands on standouts like “Lights Camera Action” and “Someone For Me” as the album's best tracks - the former a confident, camp stomper and the latter a melodic highlight begging to be a single. Other songs such as “Kiss Bang Bang” and “Hello” bring the addictive energy of recent hits but sometimes trade distinctiveness for familiarity. Overall, Tension II is fun and unpretentious, even if it rarely reaches the apex of its predecessor.

Key Points

  • “Lights Camera Action” is the best song because it is a confident, camp stomper that showcases Kylie’s chic persona and runway drama.
  • The album’s core strengths are its breezy, sexy consolidation of Kylie’s legacy and its nostalgic-electronic production that feels fun and unpretentious.

Themes

nostalgia sexuality and seduction electronic pop revival disco influences

Critic's Take

Kylie Minogue extends her winning streak on Tension II, and the review makes clear the best tracks - notably “Lights Camera Action” and “Edge Of Saturday Night” - deliver the album’s most irresistible moments. The reviewer praises “Lights Camera Action” as rave-pop at its finest, a slightly eccentric earworm that showcases Minogue’s glamour and knack for sonic gimmicks. Likewise, “Edge Of Saturday Night” is singled out as the best of the bonus duets, a deliriously euphoric, groovy house-pop highlight. Other notable songs like “Taboo” and “Diamonds” are praised for balancing homage and modern pop polish, making them among the best tracks on Tension II for listeners seeking high-energy electropop.

Key Points

  • “Lights Camera Action” is best for its eccentric earworm quality and rave-pop production.
  • The album’s core strengths are high-energy electropop, nostalgic dance-pop references, and polished collaborations.

Themes

electropop dance-pop nostalgia collaboration/duets club-ready production vulnerability

Critic's Take

Rob Sheffield revels in Kylie Minogue's refusal to quiet down on Tension II, highlighting the best tracks as continuations of her club-dominant peak. He points to “Good As Gone” as a resilient post-breakup anthem and “Taboo” as a floor-focused quest for emotional salvation, both built on the winning "Padam Padam" template. The reviewer's tone is admiring and celebratory, treating these best songs as proof that Kylie is the dependable, sparkling pop constant. The narrative frames the best tracks on Tension II as the reasons the era keeps rolling, the party refusing to end.

Key Points

  • “Good As Gone” is the standout for its resilient, post-breakup anthem power that channels classic disco survival anthems.
  • Tension II succeeds by leaning into disco-drenched club beats, collaborations, and the reliable "Padam Padam" template to keep the party rolling.

Themes

disco revival club beats resilience nostalgia

Critic's Take

Kylie Minogue sounds like a DJ in full command on Tension II, a record that keeps the disco pumped and the crowd wanting more. The review highlights the best songs - “Taboo”, “Good As Gone” and “Lights Camera Action” - as moments where Kylie flaunts pop mastery, hooks and diva energy. The tone is celebratory but measured, noting occasional missteps like “Hello” and “Diamonds”, yet insisting the album surpasses its predecessor. Overall, the reviewer paints Tension II as tighter, bolder and a recommended return to the dancefloor.

Key Points

  • The best song is 'Taboo' because it showcases Kylie’s pop mastery with electric energy and confident celebration of sexual freedom.
  • The album’s core strengths are cohesive, dancefloor-ready production, charismatic hooks, and a balance of euphoria and melancholy.

Themes

dancefloor euphoria sexual freedom pop mastery nostalgia vs reinvention

Critic's Take

In her fizzing, knowing tone Helen Brown finds the best tracks on Tension II to be the immediate club thrills - “Lights Camera, Action” and “Taboo” - which announce Kylie as confidently party-ready. Brown writes like a fan in the front row, noting how “Lights Camera, Action” springs from an anticipatory synth and how “Taboo” channels a distant cousin of Britney’s “Toxic” while retaining Minogue’s blasé charm. The reviewer keeps pointing to the album’s undeniably fun and fizzy vibe, so searches for "best songs on Tension II" will repeatedly land on those opener-and-anchor moments, even as later collabs and slow burners add texture. This is compact, celebratory criticism that steers listeners to the album’s floor-fillers without losing sight of its sweeter, slower turns.

Key Points

  • The best song is the opener "Lights Camera, Action" because it functions as a banger of a show opener with assured vocals.
  • The album’s core strengths are its unabashed disco-pop production, confident vocal delivery, and successful collaborations that extend the party energy.

Themes

disco revival party confidence collaboration retro pop production

Critic's Take

In a voice that celebrates precision and playful reinvention, Kylie Minogue’s Tension II stakes its claim with club-ready craft and a few undeniable highlights. The reviewer singles out “Someone for Me” and “Shoulda Left Ya” as moments of vocal gravitas, while “Midnight Ride” channels the spangled countrypolitan of Golden with pleasing effect. For listeners asking "best songs on Tension II," those three tracks emerge as the best tracks on Tension II, each offering a distinct flavor amid the album’s floor-filling momentum. Overall the set is framed as another convincing victory lap for a pop dynamo who still knows how to subvert expectations.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Someone For Me" for its vocal gravitas and distinction among the album's floor-filling tracks.
  • The album's core strength is polished, dance-pop songwriting and skilled collaborations that reward repeat listens.

Themes

sonic exploration dance-pop revival disco and Balearic house influences collaboration

Critic's Take

Kylie Minogue’s Tension II reads like vintage Kylie, a record of frothy disco and club-ready moments where “Lights Camera Action” and “Kiss Bang Bang” stand out. Robin Murray wears his enthusiasm lightly but clearly: the ABBA-adjacent “Taboo” is called sublime, “Good As Gone” matches Kylie’s best disco bangers, and “Shoulda Left Ya” brings unexpected emotional weight. It’s joyous, occasionally slim, and often brilliant - the best tracks on Tension II remind you why she keeps returning to the pop summit.

Key Points

  • The best song(s) combine frothy disco production with strong vocal hooks, notably “Taboo” and “Lights Camera Action”.
  • The album’s core strengths are Kylie’s command of club energy and polished pop craftsmanship, tempered by occasional slim moments.

Themes

disco revival club energy pop craftsmanship nostalgia and reinvention

Critic's Take

Kylie Minogue leans fully into propulsive dance-pop on Tension II, and the best songs - notably “Someone For Me” and “Edge Of Saturday Night” - crystallize that aim with hooky urgency and emotional payoff. Cinquemani’s ear picks out the sly, undulating synths that power “Kiss Bang Bang” and the frothy, earworm ambition of “Diamonds” while praising the gutting kiss-off of “Good As Gone” as one of Minogue’s most affecting moments. The reviewist’s voice is admiring and precise, celebrating tracks that marry irresistible production with just enough feeling to lift them beyond pure club sugar. Overall, the critic positions these songs as the standout moments that answer the question of the best tracks on Tension II without diluting the album’s cohesive dance-pop intent.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Someone For Me" because it pairs emotional lyrical depth with standout songwriting in the dance-pop context.
  • The album’s core strength is its commitment to propulsive, ingratiating dance-pop that still occasionally delivers genuine emotional payoff.

Themes

dance-pop club influence fun and flirting breakup/grown-up hurt fashion references