Back in 2012, Kylie Minogue had an epiphany. The Aussie star was celebrating 25 years since her arrival into the music world and subsequent ascent to a pop-icon status that (outside the US, at least) rivals Madonna. But during the year-long run of festivities — including a short tour, a retrospective album and high-profile shows such as Sydney Mardi Gras and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Concert — Minogue remembers sitting at home one day and looking at her future.
“I had a vision of the horizon with nothing on it,” she tells The Post. “There was a lot of looking back during [2012] and it made me think, ‘Oh God, is that it? Am I just going to go around in circles now?’ I didn’t feel like I wanted to repeat myself.”
Minogue’s vision inspired her to kick-start the next phase of her career. She ditched the management team that guided her through that first quarter of a century and instead signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nation. After a year of clearing the decks, Minogue has returned with a fresh outlook and a reinvigorated sound on her twelfth album, “Kiss Me Once,” out Tuesday.
“During that moment of clarity, I felt very calm and clear about what I needed to do,” she recalls. “I wish I had more clear moments like that in my life!”
Being on Roc Nation obviously has its perks: The album is packed with an army of A-list songwriters and producers, including Ariel Rechtshaid (Vampire Weekend, Sky Ferreira), Sia Furler (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera) and man-of-the-moment Pharrell Williams.
“We had a couple of days working together in Los Angeles,” remembers Minogue of Williams. “On the second day, I was having one of the days when you just don’t feel like yourself. I tried to keep a poker face, but I arrived to work and the first person I saw was Pharrell. He asked me how I was, and I just burst into tears.” After comforting her, Williams then wrote the album track “I Was Gonna Cancel” on the spot. “Pharrell has a lot of heart and humanity,” Minogue adds.
Another striking facet of “Kiss Me Once” is how sexy and sultry the 45-year-old singer sounds. During 2013, she split with her boyfriend of five years, Spanish model Andrés Velencoso — and judging by song titles such as “Sexy Love,” “Les Sex” and “Sexercize,” she seems to be enjoying the single life.
“They say that if you’re talking about it a lot, you’re not actually doing it,” laughs Minogue. “There hasn’t been much time for that because I’ve been so busy with work.”
It sounds like a total cop-out, but the story seems to check out: Aside from launching her new album, she is also currently a coach on both the UK and Australian versions of “The Voice.”
“Being busy is good for heartbreak,” says Minogue. “But I haven’t become a nun or anything!”