The Kylie renaissance continues with a British Summer Time headline slot
Pop legend will headline BST festival this summer, after she receives the Global Icon award at the Brits in March
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Your support makes all the difference.Padam Padam! Pop queen Kylie Minogue appears to have reached a new chapter in her ongoing career renaissance, securing one of the most coveted headline spots of the summer at British Summer Time festival.
The annual event takes place at London’s Hyde Park, and this year stars pop artist Robbie Williams, country-pop icon Shania Twain, and K-pop superstars Stray Kids on the top billing.
Australian pop icon Minogue, 55, is the latest addition to the lineup, and will take to the stage on Saturday 13 July.
“I can’t wait to return to BST Hyde Park this summer,” she said. “My last appearance at this iconic event was in 2015 and it was a truly unforgettable experience. So excited to see you all again!”
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 21 February at 10am GMT.
The announcement comes shortly after Minogue scooped her second Grammy Award for her 2023 summer anthem, “Padam Padam”. Released as the lead single from Minogue’s 16th studio album, Tension, the track was written by Norwegian singer-songwriter Ina Wroldsen and producer Lostboy.
Wroldsen told The Independent last year that, contrary to popular belief, the refrain was inspired by an expression uttered by her English mother-in-law.
“My mother-in-law from north London would always go, ‘Oh my heart’s going ped-ou, ped-ou,’” she explained. “I went to the studio and it was in my head, but ‘ped-ou’ doesn’t sound very nice. So we did ‘padam’.”
”Padam Padam” became the subject of controversy last year after it was claimed that certain mainstream radio stations were refusing to play the song due to Minogue’s status as an veteran female pop star.
“I could see it as clear as day; it was definitely a wake-up call,” producer Lostboy, real name Pete Rycroft, said. “There are other 55-year-old artists, David Guetta for example, and he’s all over the radio obviously, because he’s a bloke and he’s got some amazing tunes. ‘Padam’ should have been on there from the beginning and it’s just a reflection on Radio 1.”
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Fortunately, thanks in part to fierce campaigning from Minogue’s fans, Radio 1 “caved” and placed the song on its C list.
“I’ve had songs that were way less of a social phenomenon that were straight onto the A list,” Wroldsen said. “So C list feels like a bit of an insult, but it was a small victory for her.”
Minogue has enjoyed many huge victories in the months since. In August, “Padam Padam” became her first Top 40 hit in the US in almost 20 years, as well as her highest-charting single in the UK charts in a decade.
At the Grammy Awards this month, she won the prize for Best Pop Dance Recording, beating fellow Australian Troye Sivan for his club anthem “Rush”, along with “Miracle” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding. She also beat two entries by Guetta: “One in a Million” with Bebe Rexha” and “Baby Don’t Hurt Me” with Anne-Marie and Coi Leray.
This week, the Brit Awards organisers announced that she would receive the 2024 Global Icon award at the ceremony on 2 March, in recognition of her career spanning five decades.
A press release sharing the news acknowledged Minogue’s record sales exceeing 80 million, plus five billion streams and nine UK No 1 albums. She is the only artist in history to achieve a No 1 album in five consecutive decades.
Minogue, who is nominated for the Brit Award for International Artist of the Year, will also perform live on the night. Previous Icon award winners include Elton John, Robbie Williams, David Bowie and Taylor Swift.
“I am beyond thrilled to be honoured with the Global Icon Award and to be joining a roll call of such incredible artists,” she said in a statement.
“The UK has always been a home from home so the BRITs have a very special place in my heart. I have some amazing memories from the awards over the years and I can't wait to be back on the Brits stage. See you at the O2!”
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