Whatever Happened To Kylie Minogue?
When did you first become a fan of Kylie Minogue and her fantastically dance-worthy pop music? Was it in 2001 when she released "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and fans were wooed by her super catchy lyrics as well as the accompanying video which included a spacey style and oh-so-memorable moves? Or are you an old-school fan who listened to "The Loco-motion" back in the '80s — honestly, how cute was she in the video? Of course, the singer has also put out plenty of other songs over the years, like "All The Lovers," "Come Into My World," and "On A Night Like This," just to name a few. On top of that, the star has been enjoying other amazing accomplishments, incredible opportunities, and enviable experiences.
However, Minogue hasn't been making the news these days as much as she did in the past. In fact, in November 2020, the BBC broke down why she's "pop's most underestimated icon." While noting that Minogue is apparently "the most charming and unassuming pop superstar of all," the outlet explained that she has "never been as provocative as Madonna or a vocal marvel to rival Mariah Carey, but her career has proven equally fascinating and enduring."
Indeed, the fact that Minogue is not sparking viral headlines every single day isn't because she's stepped back from the spotlight. And it's certainly not because she isn't busy. In fact, you might be surprised to find out about all of the things that she's up to now.
Kylie Minogue is still making music
You may need to update your playlists because Kylie Minogue has a lot of new music that's perfect for when you're working, hanging out, or just want to have a solo dance party. That's thanks to the fact that in 2017, she signed on to make new music with BMG, according to Official Charts. And that she did!
In 2018, Minogue released her "Golden" album with "Dancing" as the lead single, per Discogs. That was followed by 2019's greatest hits compilation which she decided to call "Step Back in Time: The Definitive Collection." The album which was released in June let "New York City" lead as the first single. But the pop star wasn't done there.
In 2020, Minogue released "Disco," her 15th studio album — and her first recorded in her home studio. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and accompanying lockdown measures, the star had to put together a recording setup in her apartment, and she showed it off on Instagram. As the Daily Mail noted, the "eighties-inspired room [is] aptly nicknamed the 'Infinite Disco.'" Although plenty of musicians have home studios, Hello! reported that Minogue happens to "[live] in the world's most expensive apartment building." The outlet went on to share that the penthouse at One Hyde Park in London "is believed to be worth £18 million, or $25 million." We have to wonder if the addition of the retro studio added to its value.
The album-topping singer earned a Guinness World Record
Did you know that late "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek earned a world record for his game show-related work? Or were you aware of the fact that Dwayne Johnson is also a world record holder? However, it's not for wrestling or anything to do with his action-packed movies. Instead, it came about thanks to a staggering amount of selfies. You might also be interested to find out why Kylie Minogue has an incredibly impressive world record. In November 2020, the popular singer became the "first woman to top the album chart in each of five consecutive decades," according to The Guardian. Indeed, Guinness World Records even acknowledged her achievement with an honor of their own.
Along with finding success with her 2020 album "Disco," The Guardian noted that Minogue has also "topped the album chart six further times, with 'Enjoy Yourself' (1989), 'Fever' (2001), 'Aphrodite' (2010), and 'Golden' (2018), plus two greatest hits collections in 1992 and 2019." Beyond that, Guinness also pointed out that "[w]ith eight No.1s, Kylie trails only Madonna," who has 12 No.1s, "among female artists with the most chart-topping albums in the UK."
When "Disco" hit charts in the top spot, Minogue took to Instagram to address the achievement, telling her followers, "I don't know what to say. I'm lost for words." She added, "Thank you to everyone who's supported this album ... It means the world to me and I'm so touched that it's found its way to your hearts."
Did you catch these special Kylie Minogue performances?
Kylie Minogue can be proud of the fact that she's released so many hits songs and albums over the years while also appreciating how much fans have loved that music. However, that's far from all that she can brag about. For instance, in April 2018, the singer was invited to make a royal appearance. Along with Shaggy, Craig David, Sting, and other notable names, Minogue performed for Queen Elizabeth's birthday, according to the BBC. The event's guest list, which celebrated the monarch's 92nd trip around the sun, included plenty of royal family members including Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle.
The next year, Minogue delivered another incredibly memorable show when she made her debut at Glastonbury. Her "set in the 'Icons' slot" was not only "the most viewed in the festival's history," per the NZ Herald, but it was also special due to the fact that she had been forced to cancel her appearance at the festival years earlier when she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer. NME noted that the star "tearfully told the crowd, she ended up watching the coverage" of the earlier event "in bed from Australia." Her 2019 experience was obviously very different. As NME recounted, it included "the most dazzling fashion, with three costume changes, a fake wedding, a raft of pop hits, a rainbow of confetti, a rare sighting of Nick Cave in the sunlight, and a guest appearance by Coldplay's Chris Martin." But really, it was all about Minogue!
Kylie Minogue put on her own Christmas extravaganza
As if performing for members of the British royal family and dominating the stage at Glastonbury wasn't enough, Kylie Minogue decided to make her fans merry by indulging in a special holly jolly gig. Indeed, in 2019, the singer appeared in her own Christmas television special which was titled "Kylie's Secret Night." If that sounds both festive and fabulous, that's because it was. However, if you're wondering what made it secretive, Channel 4 explained that a "specially invited audience" was brought to the show under the impression that it was "a Kylie-themed fan event." It was only once they were there and the action had started that they found out that they were "going to be spending a secret evening with Kylie herself." On the other hand, the star told Channel 4, "they had their share of surprises for me also."
According to Channel 4, the holiday special featured Minogue "treat[ing] her guests to the ultimate thank you through heartfelt and hilarious conversation" with host Alan Carr. On top of that, anyone who tuned in was able to enjoy "memorable performances, surprise money can't buy gifts, hidden camera VTs, and laugh out loud stunts."
When asked why Minogue wanted to create the holiday special for her fans, she told Channel 4, "It was a wonderful way to wrap up what has been a celebratory year for me. A chance to acknowledge thirty-plus years together and share some of the moments that have connected us."
Serving up Kylie Minogue Wines
George Clooney may have become famous for his acting roles, however, he made a jaw-droppingly massive fortune when he sold his tequila company. That's perhaps why other stars have gotten into the alcohol business. For example, Kendall Jenner branched out from modeling and reality TV to also launch a brand of tequila and Ryan Reynolds takes the occasional break from film roles to get behind Aviation Gin. These days, Kylie Minogue is also doing more than just making music. She's also the famous face (and name) behind Kylie Minogue Wines.
If you think that it's questionable for a celebrity to get into the alcohol game (and haven't already learned from Clooney's staggering success), banking on booze has definitely worked out for Minogue. As the brand's creative director, she brought on pros when she "collaborated exclusively with London-based distributor Benchmark Drinks to create a beautiful portfolio of premium wines." Apparently, the effort has paid off and the singer's brand of various wines sold "over a million bottles in less than a year."
So, what can you get if you're interested in drinking like Minogue? Those who indulge in a sip or two can enjoy a "modern," "fresh, and lively" Sauvignon Blanc or an "intense" Merlot, as well as a "dry and crisp" Organic Brut Reserva Cava, and "delicate" Rosé, Vin de France from the Kylie Minogue Wines line. If those don't quite pique your interest, then perhaps you'll want to try the "2020 Rosé vintages including a very special Sparkling Prosecco Rosé." Cheers!
Kylie Minogue wants you to visit Australia
If you're the type of person who likes to travel, then you might have visited Australia in the past. If that's the case, you might have also made Kylie Minogue happy. In 2019, an Australian tourism campaign launched that featured the singer eagerly encouraging others to visit the country where she was born. While those behind the project would surely have been pleased if it motivated anyone to book a trip to Oz, the point of the campaign, according to Reuters, was specifically to get "politics-weary" British folks to head down under following Brexit.
If you need a little political refresher, the Government of the Netherlands noted that Brexit is "the name given to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union." They added that the word itself "is a combination of 'Britain' and 'exit.'"
In the ad for the campaign, the Australian star — who was reportedly paid "nearly $1 million" (or exactly $935,000) for the seemingly straightforward gig, per AdNews — sings, "We can turn off the news, you can kick off your shoes." The marketing-focused outlet also explained that the "original three-minute Matesong TV ad, played before the Queen's Christmas message in the UK and shortened versions of the ad thereafter were watched over 30 million times, helping to generate over 33,000 pieces of news content worth $50 million in equivalent advertising value." However, according to a statement from Tourism Australia, it was eventually pulled "out of respect" when the Australian bush fires ravaged the country.
Doing good is important to Kylie Minogue
Over the years, Kylie Minogue has been involved with organizations like the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Disasters Emergency Committee, and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, according to Look to the Stars. She's also thrown her support behind the Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Breast Cancer Campaign, and Cahonas Scotland (which "raise[s] awareness about testicular cancer"), just to name a few. Clearly, she cares about important causes.
That's why, more recently, Minogue participated in a BBC Children in Need charity single. In November 2020, BBC Radio 2's Allstars put out their cover of the Oasis song "Stop Crying Your Heart Out." The special single featured performances by a slew of popular stars including Minogue along with Cher, Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Adams, Mel C, and Robbie Williams.
The song seemed to go over well with fans, with one person on YouTube revealing how much the tune had touched them, writing, "I'm not crying, you're crying!" Another commenter was also incredibly moved, and wrote, "I'm 60 yrs old and seen a lot in my lifetime. I must say, this video has opened my eyes. For those of you that contributed, Thank You! For the rest of us... Please be grateful for the things that have been granted to you!"
As for BBC Children in Need, in May 2021, the organization tweeted that at the time, they were "funding 1,501 projects supporting children's mental health [and] wellbeing across the UK." Now that's music to our ears!
Wait, did Kylie Minogue get engaged?
In February 2017, Kylie Minogue and her fiancé at the time, Joshua Sasse (who, at 29, was almost 20 years younger than the then-48-year-old star), split after getting engaged a year earlier, according to People. While that was a potentially heartbreaking situation, it wasn't long before she found someone new to love.
In 2018, Kylie Minogue became romantically involved with a man named Paul Solomons. Hailing from Caerphilly, Wales, according to Metro, Solomons has been the creative director of both British GQ and GQ style magazine since back in 2001 while also running Paul Solomons Design LTD. The pair were "first introduced in February 2018 through mutual friends." However, they didn't embark on a romance right away. The two formed a close friendship before finding love together. When they did change the nature of their connection by taking things a step further, they "chose to keep their relationship low-key at first." Yet, the star eventually began to share glimpses of her partner on social media.
While things still seem to be going well between Minogue and Solomons, in February 2021 (five years after getting engaged to Sasse and four years after breaking off their engagement), she found herself shutting down whispers that she and Solomons were affianced. The singer shared an emoji-filled tweet, writing, "#Lovers ... we ALL love LOVE but rumors are getting out of hand! Paul is [sparkly heart emoji]. We are [smiling with hearts emoji] but not [engagement ring emoji]. You are all [clapping hands emoji] and we [heart emoji] you."
A legal battle with Kylie Jenner
Once upon a time, Kylie Minogue was undoubtedly the most famous star around with that first name. Then Kylie Jenner came along and things got sticky. That's because both stars use their names as a major part of their money-making brands. Have you ever bought an item from Kylie Cosmetics? Then you know what we're referring to when we mention Kylie-saturated business ventures.
In fact, the similarly named stars actually got into a legal battle over their shared moniker. According to the BBC, "papers filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in April 2015" show that "Jenner attempted to register the mark 'KYLIE' in the US for 'advertising services' and 'endorsement services.'" That prompted Minogue's representatives to officially oppose the move the next year, "citing possible confusion and 'damage' to Minogue's branding."
What made things even more awkward was the fact that Minogue's team argued that she was an "internationally renowned performing artist, humanitarian, and breast cancer activist," while Jenner was deemed a "secondary reality television personality" who had stirred up scandal over her "photographic exhibitionism and controversial [social media] posts."
In 2018, Minogue told the hosts of "The Kyle and Jackie O Show" (via Elle), "It makes me laugh there was a tussle over a name." She may have thought it was funny, however, the legal matter was certainly serious enough. In 2019, Metro reported that while both stars "wanted to call their cosmetics range 'Kylie,'" it was Minogue who ended up "[winning] the naming rights in court."
Kylie Minogue now has a massive fortune
Kylie Minogue has banked serious bucks thanks to her contributions to the music world. "Music releases and arena tours have helped her amass sizeable wealth," according to the BBC, not to mention "very lucrative private appearances for families and businesses in the Middle East." However, beyond making money by making music, making wine, and monetizing her name, Kylie Minogue has other business ventures that are bringing in major funds.
According to the NZ herald, she has a homeware line and a clothes-to-wear line. There are also brands of Minogue glasses, sunglasses, make-up, and "even a £450 Kylie watch." So, how much does Minogue really make from what seem like side projects? Well, it turns out that "brand Kylie seems to account for as much as £15m to £20m over her career." That's around $21 million to over $28 million.
Overall, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Minogue has an eye-popping $100 million. Clearly, this star is as skilled at making money as she is at singing. "Building a career with such longevity is about more than just pop music, it is also about being a shrewd and clever businesswoman," as the BBC put it. Jo Elvin, editor of You Magazine, explained to the BBC one of the reasons why Minogue is so successful, saying that the singer "understands she is the pop person there to do her bit. She understands it's business. There are no big pop star dramas." But there are big pop star earnings.