Kylie Minogue hasn’t spent 40 years as one of the biggest pop stars by playing it safe. Behind her gentle smile lies a rebel, a facet that shines through in her three-part Netflix series reflecting on her life and career. Since topping charts with 'I Should Be So Lucky' in 1987, working with hitmakers Stock Aitken Waterman, she refused to be boxed in. Abandoning guaranteed success, she took back control of her music and image—but at a price.
A Rebel's Journey
By the early 1990s, Kylie shed her 'squeaky clean' image, collaborating with designer John Galliano on scandalous outfits and performing with topless men. Radio banned her music, the media labeled her 'raunchy,' and her career nearly ended. Watching the documentary, she reflects on 'Baby Kylie' with pride. 'I’m really proud of her,' she says. 'But people ask how I got through that. I wasn’t going to give up.'
In the documentary, Kylie’s mask slips only once, showing anger at a journalist’s inappropriate questioning. Otherwise, she handles misogyny with grace. 'I understand criticism—what you do isn’t for everyone,' she explains. 'But as someone who hates being boxed in, I see possibility.'
Empowering the Next Generation
Kylie recalls advising younger pop stars after her Tension tour. 'I love self-recording,' she says. 'Through lockdown, I learned to record myself—setting up, doing takes at 3 AM. It gave me control. The microphone, the portal, was always someone else’s. Seeing guys in the control room is triggering. So I told these girls, you might not need it, but I loved it.'
Producer John Battsek and director Michael Harte, who made the Beckham documentary, spent years convincing Kylie. After her hit 'Padam Padam,' timing aligned. Michael recalls dinner at Chateau Marmont: 'She was a beam of light. If we could capture that, it’d be electric.'
Vulnerability and Trust
Kylie is both open and a closed book. Michael notes, 'She’s got a lot inside. When she discussed her relationship with Michael Hutchence, tears built. She said, “I’ve been looking for something like that ever since—and haven’t got it.” That was the first time I saw emotional stuckness.' The documentary aims to show her dedication to fans. 'She loves her fans—that’s what drives her,' Michael adds.
Kylie grins when asked if the film lays misconceptions to rest: 'That you can contain me in a documentary—you can’t. Life is bigger.'
Kylie streams on Netflix from May 20.
