"Padam Padam" is a song by Kylie Minogue from her sixteenth studio album, Tension (2023). It was released as the album's lead single by BMG on 18th May 2023. It was written by Ina Wroldsen and Peter Rycroft, and produced by Lost Boy. The music video, directed by Sophie Muller, was released on the same day as the song.
The song received critical acclaim from music critics, with many praising its catchiness and hook. It was also singled out by critics as a standout from the parent album. "Padam Padam" won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Pop Dance Recording at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, won Record of the Year at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, and was nominated for Song of the Year, Best Pop Release, and Best Independent Release at the 2023 ARIA Music Awards. "Padam Padam" charted in the top ten and twenty in the United Kingdom and Australia, respectively, earning certifications in both countries. It also peaked at number one in Israel and Serbia and reached the top ten in various European countries. Additionally, it also appeared on several component charts in the United States and Canada.
The accompanying music video was visually inspired by the works of The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and elements of Americana culture. Kylie has made several live appearances to promote "Padam Padam" in the United Kingdom, Australia, and North America. Since its release, "Padam Padam" has become a social media viral phenomenon and has been recognised by notable publications for its cultural significance in pop culture. It has been dubbed an anthem within the LGBT community and has been played at pride parades. Furthermore, the success of the track has been credited as a pioneer in bridging a generational gap between younger audiences and mature performers, both through social media and airplay.
Background and development[]
Norwegian singer Ina Wroldsen and English producer Lostboy met in London in February 2022 to collaborate on new music. They wrote "Padam Padam" over the course of two days during the session. "I'm married to an Englishman, and my mother-in-law from north London would always go, 'Oh my heart's going ped-ou, ped-ou," Wroldsen said of the song's title. According to her, "It was in my head when I went to the studio, but 'ped-ou' doesn't sound very nice. So we made 'padam'." After finishing the song together, they were unsure which artist would record it, and had considered pitching it to British singer Rita Ora or a Eurovision performer.
Nearing the end of promoting her fifteenth studio album Disco (2020), Kylie appeared on BBC Radio 2 to discuss new music, stating "Perhaps it's going a bit more electropop. Don't quote me that [...] but that's what's on the boil at the minute." She confirmed this in a June 2022 interview with Vogue Magazine, citing her 2003 single "Slow" as a reference point for the record's sound. While in Miami, Kylie's A&R from BMG Rights Management, Jamie Nelson, sent her a demo of "Padam Padam". Kylie instantly loved the demo, and recorded it in a hotel in London; it was one of the latter additions to the finished record. Of the sound itself, she said, "I loved the song, and the bonus is it felt like it was perfect for me".
Composition[]
"Padam Padam" was written by Ina Wroldsen and Peter Rycroft, while production was handled by the latter under the name Lost Boy. The song has been described as a "hypnotic electro" track, as well as the "euphoric opening" song on Tension. It contains an "unmistakable" electric guitar riff. At a runtime of two minutes and forty-six seconds, "Padam Padam" is set in the key of F minor, at a tempo of 128 beats per minute.
Release[]
"Padam Padam" was released on 18 May 2023, as the first single and opener to Kylie's sixteenth studio album Tension (2023). Prior to its release, the song was announced alongside the album on May 12, 2023, but no release date was given. Its release date was announced on May 15, along with a 20-second preview of the song, which Kylie shared on social media. Two cover artworks for the song, created by Studio Moross, were taken from the video shoot. The first features a shot of red thigh-high Mugler boots in front of a red-orange desert backdrop, while the second features Kylie in a Mugler catsuit on a red seat, in front of the same backdrop.
"Padam Padam" was made available in a variety of digital and physical formats. The song was initially released on digital platforms, and four remixes were later released: one by HAAi, one by Absolute, one by Jax Jones, and two different extended mixes. On Kylie's website, three physical formats were also available: a CD single with the song and the extended mix, a cassette tape with the song and the extended mix, and a second cassette tape with the song and all released remixes.
Critical reception[]
Writing for Stereogum, Tom Breihan described "Padam Padam" as "a sleek, thumping, catchy-as-hell dance-pop jam", adding that "Kylie knows exactly how to deliver a song like that". Describing it as "infectious", Retropop Magazine also called the song "a punchy electronic extravaganza that promises to be 'in your head all weekend'", citing a lyric from the song. Hollie Geraghty from NME called out its "thumping earworm refrain". Similarly, writing for Stereoboard, Jon Stickler said "the catchy pop banger" has a "an infectious chorus". Mary Varvaris of The Music highlighted the song's "fresh and vibrant dance sound". She wrote that the song "sounds completely 2023 while still remaining unmistakably Kylie".
"Padam Padam" was also mentioned in several reviews from its parent album. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic chose the song as an album standout, and said it has "her catchiest chorus in decades." Quentin Harrison of Albumism also highlighted the song as a notable mention to the album. Labelling the track as "brilliant", NME writer Nick Levine felt it was an "outlier" to Tension. Alexa Camp from Slant Magazine said "Padam Padam" is "an invasive earworm that feels like it could be a cover of a Reagan-era pop hit." Devon Chodzin of Paste felt it was Tension’s "glimmering thesis statement—a bouncy cut under three minutes that recounts a sultry dance floor encounter and the possibilities it presents." Guy Oddy from The Arts Desk wrote "It certainly remains an absolute banger and has been touted as one her best tunes in years – with good reason."
The song was also recognized as the Record of the Year at the Las Culturistas Culture Award. At the 2023 ARIA Music Awards, Kylie and "Padam Padam" won Best Pop Release and were nominated for three other categories, Best Solo Artist, Best Independent Release, and Song of the Year, with the latter decided by public vote. This is the most nominations Kylie has received since the 16th Annual Awards in 2002, when she was nominated seven times. The song received a nomination for Best Pop Dance Recording award at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, Kylie's first nomination since 2009. "Padam Padam" is also nominated for Dance Song of the Year at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Commercial performance[]
"Padam Padam" debuted at number 39 on the ARIA Singles Chart, making it Kylie's first top forty single in Australia since "Timebomb" in 2012. It later peaked at number 29. In Ireland, the single became Kylie's highest charting single since "Into the Blue" in 2014, peaking at number 26 on the Irish Singles Chart.
In United Kingdom, the song entered at number 8 on both the Singles Downloads Chart and Singles Sales Chart a day after its release, and later peaking at number 1 for three weeks. On the Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 26, becoming Kylie's fifty-second top forty single in the country. In its fourth week, it peaked at number 9, becoming Kylie's thirty-fifth top 10 single in the UK, and her highest charting solo song since "All the Lovers"
James Masterton, a chart analyst and historian, says the success of the single is significant because Kylie has "bridged a generation gap with a hit record that is reaching out both to her loyal (and ageing) acolytes but also a new generation of music fans".
Music video[]
The music video was shot in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and directed by Sophie Muller. It was released on 18 May 2023, and depicts Kylie in a red custom Mugler catsuit with a cape, surrounded by dancers who are also all dressed in red.
Live performances[]
| Dates | Show | Channel | Country |
|---|
| 2023 | |||
| 21 May | American Idol | ABC | United States |
| 17 September | Radio 2 in the Park | BBC | England |
| 15 November | F1 Las Vegas Opening Ceremony | ― | United States |
| 1 December | An Audience With... Kylie Minogue | ITV | England |
| 2024 | |||
| 18 February | People's Choice Awards | Peacock | United States |
| 2 March | BRIT Awards | ITV | United Kingdom |
| Dates | Location | City | Country |
|---|
| 2023 | |||
| 28 May | Le Jacques-Cartier | Monaco | |
| 6 June | British Museum | London | England |
| 11 June | Capital FM Summertime Ball | ||
| 17 June | KTUphoria | Wantagh, NY | United States |
| 15 September | Lío London | London | England |
| 27 September | Shepherd's Bush Empire | ||
| 16 November | T-Mobile Zone at Sphere | Las Vegas, NV | United States |
| 2024 | |||
| 6 April | Thermomix Vian | Stockholm | Sweden |
| 2 June | Outloud Festival | West Hollywood, CA | United States |
| 4 June | Capital Maritime Party | Athens | Greece |
| 21 June | Mawazine Festival | Rabat | Morocco |
| 13 July | BST Hyde Park | London | England |
| 7 August | Sziget Festival | Budapest | Hungary |
| 18 August | Electric Picnic | Stradbally | Ireland |
| 21 September | Singapore Grand Prix | Singapore | |
| 22 September | |||
| Tour | Dates | Performances |
|---|
| More Than Just a Residency | 3 November, 2023―4 May, 2024 (All dates) | 20 |
| Tension Tour | 15 February—26 August, 2025 (All dates) | 66 |
| Total: | 86 |
Notes[]
The premier performance of "Padam Padam" was on the finale on the twenty-first season of American Idol. Kylie performed the song as a medley with "Can't Get You Out of My Head", which she performed with Nutsa, one of the season's contestants.
On 11 June, Kylie made a surprise appearance at CapitalFM's Summertime Ball, where she performed the song in full for the first time in at Wembley Stadium, which was followed by "Can't Get You Out of My Head".
She returned to the US in June 2023, headlining at iHeartMedia 103.5 KTU 's KTUphoria 2023 at the Jones Beach Theater in New York. During the appearance, she performed "Padam Padam" as part of a set list with nine other songs. She also sang parts of the song during an interview to Andy Cohen's radio programme at SiriusXM Studios, as part of the American promotion of the single, singing in both her own voice and mimicking Siri's, Apple Inc.'s virtual assistant. There was also a live performance at New York City's LGBTQ+ club Horse Meat Disco, where, at the beginning of song, there were sound issues, so Kylie asked for the audience to sing along it with her for a second time.
Formats and track listings[]
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Other remixes[]
1. "Padam Padam" (Jax Jones Extended Mix) ― 4:39
2. "Padam Padam" (ABSOLUTE. Padam All Weekend Dub) ― 5:35
Charts[]
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentina Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 6 |
| Australia (ARIA) | 19 |
| Australia Club Tracks (ARIA) | 30 |
| Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard) | 21 |
| Chile Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 4 |
| CIS (TopHit) | 72 |
| Colombia Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 18 |
| Croatia (HRT) | 5 |
| Dominican Republic Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 17 |
| El Salvador Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 10 |
| Germany Download Singles (Official German Charts) | 14 |
| Global 200 (Billboard) | 190 |
| Guatemala Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 8 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40) | 32 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 13 |
| Israel (Media Forest) | 4 |
| Malta (Radiomonitor) | 19 |
| Mexico Anglo (Monitor Latino) | 12 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) | 24 |
| Netherlands (Single Tip) | 30 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) | 11 |
| Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100) | 99 |
| Russia Airplay (TopHit) | 115 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 8 |
| UK Dance (OCC) | 5 |
| UK Indie (OCC) | 1 |
| US Digital Song Sales (Billboard) | 18 |
| US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) | 10 |
Release history[]
| Region | Date | Format | Version | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 18 May 2023 | Digital download · streaming | Original | Darenote · BMG |
| 25 May 2023 | Extended mix | |||
| 26 May 2023 | CD single | Original · Extended mix | ||
| 9 June 2023 | Streaming | Extended mix | ||
| 15 June 2023 | Cassette | Original · Extended mix | ||
| 28 June 2023 | Digital download | Jax Jones remix | ||
| 30 June 2023 | Streaming | |||
| Digital Download | Jax Jones extended mix | |||
| 6 July 2023 | Absolute. Remix | |||
| 7 July 2023 | Absolute. Padam All Weekend Remix · Absolute. Padam All Weekend Dub | |||
| 23 July 2023 | Digital download · streaming | HAAi Remix | ||
| 1 August 2023 | Cassette | The Mixtape |
Lyrics[]
Padam
Padam
Padam
You look like fun to me
You look a little like somebody I know
And I can tell you how this ends
I'll be in your head all weekend
Shivers and butterflies
I got the shivers when I look into your eyes
And I can tell that you're all in
Cuz' I can feel your heart beating
Padam (Padam?)
Padam, padam
I hear it and I know
Padam, padam
I know you wanna take me home
Padam
And get to know me close
Padam, padam
When your heart goes
Padam, padam
I hear it and I know
Padam, padam
I know you wanna take me home
Padam
And take off all my clothes
Padam, padam
When your heart goes
Padam
This place is crowding up
I think it's time for you to take me out this club
And we don't need to use our words
Wanna see what's underneath that t-shirt?
Shivers and cold champagne
I got the shivers every time you say my name
And I can tell that you're all in
Cuz' I can hear your heart beating
Padam (Cuz' I can hear your heart beating)
Padam, padam
I hear it and I know
Padam, padam
I know you wanna take me home
Padam (Padam)
And get to know me close
Padam, padam
When your heart goes
Padam, padam
I hear it and I know
Padam, padam
I know you wanna take me home
Padam
And take off all my clothes
Padam, padam
When your heart goes
Padam
Padam, padam
Padam, padam
Padam, padam
Padam, padam
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