The Music You Were Playing Really Blew My Mind

Kylie Minogue “Love At First Sight (Live in Sydney)” – Can anyone listen to this song without getting this amazing physical sensation; this lightness in the chest; this overwhelming feeling of WOW WOW WOW? I can’t fathom any other reaction. The music feels exactly like what its words are describing! The lyrics may seem trite to some people, but there isn’t room in this song for cleverness or obfuscation of emotion; this is just a pure burst of joy and revelation. It’s an Occam’s razor sort of thing — this wouldn’t feel nearly as true if it were not so bold and direct. It’s about owning these feelings, and not feeling ashamed or talking yourself out of them because they seem tacky or ridiculous.

Kylie Minogue “White Diamond (Live in Sydney)” – Scissor Sisters + Kylie, round two! It’s not as sublime and gorgeous as “I Believe In You,” but it definitely sounds more like Kylie doing a Scissor Sisters song, which is certainly no bad thing. It’s easy to imagine Jake Shears singing this song, but it’s clearly built to show off that wonderful, shimmering quality in Kylie’s voice. It’s sort of interesting that the Scissor Sisters have written two diffuse, ethereal ballads for her — it says a lot about how they perceive her, and how they interpret their respective strengths as writers and performers. Are Shears and Babydaddy writing these songs based on their idea of who Kylie is, or is this what they want her to be? (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)