Kylie Minogue – Better the devil you know

In a constant, unrelenting, whirlwind career, upholding what has sometimes been a turbulent, challenging private life, Kylie Minogue believes her greatest achievement has been one of self-discovery, and having turned 50 last year, the journey continues, as Violet Wilder reveals.

When you see perhaps the most perfect pop artist of a generation venturing off to th envelop herself into the moody, melancholic, pity-ridden harmonies of Nashville, Tennessee – the heart of the world country music scene – you know something might be amiss.

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Kylie’s Deep South slumber came in the wake of rumours that her two-year relationship with actor Joshua Sasse had come to an end; another devastating blow for the 50-year-old musician and actress who surely deserves to soak up some of the power and positivity her personality brings to others.

Musically, the album that emanated from that Tennessee tour, Golden – a very modern take on Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette and perhaps even a bit of Patsy Cline – was a breath of fresh air in a largely predictable assortment of chart genres. Commercially, the record took Kylie back to the top of the charts, and has now provoked a world tour.

In summing up, it shows again, just as Kylie has repeatedly proven over a 30-year career, that first impressions can be deceptive. Just as her Neighbours breakthrough character Charlene elevated herself from pint-sized oil-smeared car mechanic, blossoming into Erinsborough’s effervescent princess, so too have the preconceptions over the Melbourne-born star’s hapless love life often turned full circle.

“I think reaching 50 was a big thing for me, and it drew a line under a few things,” admits Kylie. “There was always the speculation of this and that, but I feel I have gained a real sense of peace at what is a significant milestone. It meant I could look back and really see what I had achieved. 

“That was something I didn’t really expect I’d be able to do. I guess for many years my thoughts of being that age were wired in with apprehension over the future. And yet hitting 50 also gave me clarity over the past, where I could congratulate myself on the decisions I made along the way.”

Of course, the ability to switch off has always been there for Kylie. “I think having the time to regroup between records has always been very useful for me,” she says. “I may have a busy life and I have been doing this for over three decades, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t any downtime, and of course music itself is wonderful therapy that I have always relied on, right back to the early days.

“To have all these things by my side is a real gift, and I’m grateful for that.”

Of course, we’re at the point now where we trust Kylie’s every move. After all, There are few pop stars who could boast a three-decade long career, record sales of over 80 million and enough awards and triple platinum discs to fill a warehouse.

Yet none of that seems to hold back a media fixation on the musician’s relationship status, probably because she bucks the trend of the typical pop star who earns fame, finds love, settles down with kids and politely withdraws from the spotlight. Instead, she remains the party girl. And sure enough, she celebrated her 50th birthday – looking as fabulous as ever in a series of photoshoots to mark the impressive milestone – at London’s exclusive Chiltern Firehouse with her new beau, Paul Solomons, the Creative Director of GQ. 

The sense now is that Kylie may have finally, belatedly, settled down with the man of her dreams. “I do feel different and I think I have allowed myself to settle into something that feels right. I am not forcing it and I am not having it forced on me, and I think that is as much to do with me being in this new phase of my life as much as it is the person I am with.”

Certainly, as far as career ambitions go, turning 50 has not altered the star’s vision one bit. The mono-monikered popette has always danced to the beat of her own drum, right from the days of evolving into a bona fide Eighties star under the tutelage of so-called ‘hit factory’ producers Stock, Aitken & Waterman. The trio steered the young singer towards a slew of number one hits and albums, with tracks like I Should Be So Lucky, The Locomotion and Especially for You (a duet with former Neighbours co-star and real-life lover Jason Donovan) becoming iconic tracks of the era. 

By the early Nineties however, Kylie was growing bored of her saccharine image. At the time she was dating fellow Aussie and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, who seemed to fuel her desire to make darker, more complex music. Her fans weren’t so sure, and although her 1995 collaboration with Nick Cave, for the song Where the Wild Roses Grow, was a surprising highlight of this period, it seemed as if this might be the end of the road for the perky popstar. 

But Kylie had other ideas, and when she returned in the new Millennium wearing gold hot pants for the video of sublime disco hit Spinning Around, the world fell in love once more. 

“It took me a long time to realise you don’t have to do everything right all the time,” she says. “As I have got older that is certainly something I remind myself of, and I think that sort of philosophy becomes even more important as the years go by, because things that were easy become more difficult. You need to be patient and tolerant with yourself, as much as anyone else around you.”

While Kylie’s career has maintained a steady pace, her personal life has had its turbulent moments. Aged 36, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, an obstacle she courageously overcame, but perhaps inevitably, she views the physical recovery from that, and other emotional challenges she has had to ascend – including the split from fiancé Joshua Sasse in 2017 – as worthwhile.

For someone who admits to having always wanted to exert control in relationships in the sense of going “all out”, there is often the sense that this is someone still learning the fine arts of emotions. “We are all learning, all of the time,” she says. “And definitely, you have to step back to move forward sometimes, but I do really feel in the right place now to explore without the frustration, worry or baggage.

“I don’t feel the pressure to conform to what people expect of me, whereas in the past I did, and again, I think that comes with age too.”

Proving that she is as buoyant as her famous curls, Kylie always bounces back, and in making that triumphant return last year with Golden, still continues to inspire and delight perhaps one of the record industry’s widest demographics. Arguably, such impressive success deserves praise, not consternation at her decision not to bear children. And as for the future – well, who knows? It was only a year ago that the star said marriage probably wasn’t for her, and yet engagement rumours continue aplenty. Whether she does tie the knot appears incidental right now – Kylie is moving forward, but now totally comfortable in herself.

You sense that in over 50 years, the serenity and trust she has found within has undoubtedly been her greatest discovery of all.