Tension II is the seventeenth studio album by Kylie Minogue. It was released on 18 October 2024 in various digital, physical, and streaming formats. It is a sequel to her sixteenth studio album, Tension (2023), and is described as the "high-energy, high-octane" version of its predecessor. Unlike her previous records, Tension II features several new producers and collaborators, as well as returning collaborators Duck Blackwell, Richard "Biff" Stannard, Peter "Lostboy" Rycroft, and Ina Wroldsen.
Tension II is a dance-pop and electropop album that includes elements of club, disco, and synth-pop music, and the lyrics cover topics such as having fun, love, lust, envy, flirting, loneliness, and fashion. Furthermore, some reviewers said the album's sound and production were similar to Tension and her fifteenth album, Disco (2020). Before its release, "My Oh My" featuring Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo, as well as three other collaborative singles were released: "Dance Alone" with Sia, "Midnight Ride" with Orville Peck and Diplo, and "Edge of Saturday Night" with The Blessed Madonna.
Tension II received praise from most music critics. Reviewers praised its danceable nature, with some claiming it was superior to Tension and one of her best offerings. Few were ambivalent about the collaborative efforts and the album's lack of catchy material. "Lights Camera Action" is the album's lead single, released on 27 September 2024. The Tension Tour, promoting both records, will begin in Perth on 15 February 2025 and travel through Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, and the United Kingdom, with additional appearances in South America.
Background and development[]
On 22 September 2023, Kylie released Tension, her sixteenth studio album, following Disco in 2020. Upon its release, it received universal acclaim from music critics for its production quality as well as Kylie's personality and delivery throughout the album. Commercially, it was a success, reaching number one on various record charts in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. To promote the album, she released three singles, including "Padam Padam" and the title track, both of which were critical and commercial successes, generating viral sensation and cultural significance. In January 2024, Variety reported that Tension would be repackaged and released later that year. The following month, Kylie hinted at working on new music during an interview at the Grammy Awards, where she received her second Grammy this time for Grammy Award for Best Pop Dance Recording for "Padam Padam".
Concept and development[]
At the beginning of 2024, she was featured on several collaborations, including "Dance Alone" with Sia and "Midnight Ride" with Orville Peck and Diplo. In July, Kylie confirmed she was working on new music, and teased a potential live comeback in the United Kingdom. On 8 July, she teased new music on social media with the acronym "MOM," which turned out to be her single "My Oh My", with Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo. She later released "Edge of Saturday Night", which includes The Blessed Madonna. Kylie teased an announcement on her social media on September 18, and one day later, she revealed Tension II, its release formats, the lead single "Lights Camera Action", and the announcement of her Tension Tour. The album is a sequel to its predecessor and is marketed as the "high-energy, high-octane" version. Additionally, the record enters a more electronic-driven sound with additional "dance floor anthems".
Release[]
Tension II is scheduled for a wide release on 18 October 2024. The album includes 13 songs, four of which were previously released, as well as nine unreleased songs. Tension II will be distributed in a variety of physical formats and bundles via Minogue's official store, including a digisleeve with a 12-page booklet, a clear and turquoise-coloured gatefold vinyl, and a coral-coloured cassette; early bundles included signed artwork. The standard tracklist differs from the vinyl and cassette versions, with minor changes to song placement.
Chart performance[]
In Australia, Tension II debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart, as well as on the Australian Artists and Vinyl Albums charts. It became Kylie's fifth consecutive number-one and her ninth number-one album overall in the country. Furthermore, Kylie ranks ninth on the list of acts with the most number-one albums in the Australia. In New Zealand, it debuted at number 22 on the regional albums chart, trailing her previous work. In Japan, the album debuted at number 47 on the Billboard Japan Download Albums chart and 40 on the Oricon Digital Albums chart.
Tension II topped the UK Albums Chart, becoming Kylie's tenth number-one album in the chart. With this feat, she joined ABBA, Coldplay, Queen and Michael Jackson, extending her record as the third female artist with the most number one albums, behind Madonna and Taylor Swift with 12, as of 2024. The album also debuted at number one on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart.
In the United States, Tension II debuted at number 98 on the Billboard 200 with 12,000 album equivalent units sold; this was apparently due to BMG being unable to get any physical formats in the US for release.
Track listing[]
| Tension II — Standard edition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Lights Camera Action" |
| Thompson | 2:42 |
| 2. | "Taboo" |
| Mac | 2:48 |
| 3. | "Someone for Me" |
|
|
2:34 |
| 4. | "Good as Gone" |
| TMS | 3:09 |
| 5. | "Kiss Bang Bang" |
|
|
2:27 |
| 6. | "Diamonds" |
|
|
2:42 |
| 7. | "Hello" |
|
|
2:44 |
| 8. | "Dance to the Music" |
| Oliver | 2:31 |
| 9. | "Shoulda Left Ya" |
|
|
2:20 |
| 10. | "Edge of Saturday Night" (with The Blessed Madonna) |
|
|
3:26 |
| 11. | "My Oh My" (with Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo) |
| Mac | 3:01 |
| 12. | "Midnight Ride" (with Orville Peck and Diplo) | Christopher Stracey · Minogue · Marta Cikojevic · Peck | Stracey · Peck · Diplo · Picard Brothers | 3:31 |
| 13. | "Dance Alone" (with Sia) | Sia Furler · Jesse Shatkin | Shatkin · Jim-E Stack | 2:52 |
Total length: |
36:47 | |||
| Tension II — Extended edition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Lights Camera Action" (extended mix) |
| Thompson | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Taboo" (extended mix) |
| Mac | 4:10 |
| 3. | "Someone for Me" (extended mix) |
|
|
4:09 |
| 4. | "Good as Gone" (extended mix) |
| TMS | 4:10 |
| 5. | "Kiss Bang Bang" (extended mix) |
|
|
4:02 |
| 6. | "Diamonds" (extended mix) |
|
|
3:57 |
| 7. | "Hello" (extended mix) |
|
|
3:53 |
| 8. | "Dance to the Music" (extended mix) |
| Oliver | 4:03 |
| 9. | "Shoulda Left Ya" (extended mix) |
|
|
4:21 |
| 10. | "Edge of Saturday Night" (extended mix) (with The Blessed Madonna) |
|
|
4:08 |
| 11. | "My Oh My" (extended mix) (with Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo) |
| Mac | 4:03 |
| 12. | "Midnight Ride" (extended mix) (with Orville Peck and Diplo) | Stracey · Minogue · Cikojevic · Peck | Stracey · Peck · Diplo · Picard Brothers | 4:28 |
| 13. | "Dance Alone" (extended mix) (with Sia) | Furler · Shatkin | Shatkin · Jim-E Stack | 4:05 |
Total length: |
53:24 | |||
| Tension II — LP / Cassette: Side A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "My Oh My" (with Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo) | Ina Wrolsden · Lo · Steve Mac | Steve Mac | 3:02 |
| 2. | "Lights Camera Action" |
| Thompson | 2:42 |
| 3. | "Taboo" |
| Mac | 2:48 |
| 4. | "Someone for Me" |
|
|
2:34 |
| 5. | "Good as Gone" |
| TMS | 3:09 |
| 6. | "Edge of Saturday Night" (with The Blessed Madonna) | Minogue · Rachel Keen · Marea Stamper · Jin Jin | The Blessed Madonna · Pat Alvarez | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Midnight Ride" (with Orville Peck and Diplo) | Christopher Stracey · Minogue · Marta Cikojevic · Peck | Stracey · Peck · Diplo · Picard Brothers | 3:31 |
Total length: |
21:11 | |||
| Tension II — LP / Cassette: Side B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Kiss Bang Bang" |
|
|
2:27 |
| 2. | "Diamonds" |
|
|
2:42 |
| 3. | "Hello" |
|
|
2:44 |
| 4. | "Dance to the Music" |
| Oliver | 2:31 |
| 5. | "Shoulda Left Ya" |
|
|
2:20 |
| 6. | "Dance Alone" (with Sia) | Sia Furler · Jesse Shatkin | Shatkin · Jim-E Stack | 2:52 |
Total length: |
15:36 | |||
Charts[]
Weekly Charts[]
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 1 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 6 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 4 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 3 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) | 64 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts) | 5 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 27 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 21 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 4 |
| Irish Albums (OCC) | 8 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 21 |
| Japan Download Albums (Billboard Japan) | 47 |
| Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) | 40 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 22 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 2 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 4 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) | 1 |
| US Billboard 200 | 98 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 14 |
| US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) | 2 |
|