“Give me the kiss of life…”
During the most locked-down, isolated of days amid the pandemilovato last year, several of our most beloved artists sought to keep us sane by supplying a much-needed escape via the dance floor in our minds – two of whom being Jessie Ware with What’s Your Pleasure? and Kylie Minogue with Disco.
Jessie, as a person of good taste, has been a ride-or-die Kylie stan from the beginning. Kylie has grown quite fond of Jessie herself, to the point where the Red Blooded Woman went over for a bit of wine and dining on Jessie’s podcast, leading to a casual chat about conjuring up a potential collapse – err, collaboration – together.
As it turned out, the two weren’t just paying lip service to the fans: they really did hop in the studio together, and just over a year since their dinner together, the fruit of their labor is now featured on Kylie’s Disco: Guest List Edition, out on November 12.
And, yes, as if there were any doubt: it’s the fun, flirty, campy, fabulous, big ol’ disco duet we all wished and hoped it would be.
If “Kiss of Life,” out Friday (October 29), sounds more What’s Your Pleasure? than Disco, that’s because it is: the song was co-crafted and produced by much of the Pleasure team: James Ford, Danny Parker and Shungudzo. Accordingly, it brings the studied sound of worn disco vinyls from yesteryear into the modern era, much like the rest of Jessie’s rich and masterful LP.
It’s also very playful, full of sultry, certifiably Minogue-friendly breathy come-ons (“I’ve been paaaatient, I’ve been puuurrfect…“), with ample talk of sweet sugar highs and delicious kisses aplenty. Seriously, it’s a lot of kisses (“Kiss it…”), but then, what else would one expect from the Kiss Me Once Kween herself?
“Kiss of Life” is just honesty in advertising, anyway: it’s added at least several years to mine.
To borrow a line from another fave, these two have chemistry like apple and cinnamon, purring, yelping and cooing across the funky bass and euphoric strings, especially when they hit their stride and trade off teases together in the second verse: “Cherry syrup on my tongue (Ah) / How about a little fun? (Ah) / I make it higher, baby / I make it wilder, baby / I make it hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot…” Heaven!
Not only is the song a tasty disco delight through and through, it also plays like the most perfect musical middle ground between the two reigning dance floor divas. No lazy, slapped-on verse here! This feels organic and right, like a real collaboration.
In fact, far from just a one-off moment, this “Kiss” feels like it could be the start of a sweet, sweet partnership. Collaborative EP next, please? Or, at the very least, a joint Disco Pleasure tour? In the round, with a crowd dancing under a disco ball? We should be so lucky, lucky, lucky.
Upon the song’s release, Jessie had a fangirl moment on her Instagram, and it’s actually quite charming.
“If you’d told me when I was a child that one day I would release a song with KYLIE I would have said ‘huh!?! ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE!’ I grew up with her on my telly, in our family car journeys on the tape player and emblazoned on my t-shirt in a love heart (I wish I still had that t-shirt). It’s been utterly amazing and inspiring to watch the Queen work. We have a song out and I’m still saying ‘Huh?! No chance’. However, my husband did say I had a little swagger to my step today and asked ‘is that because you have a tune out with Kylie Minogue today?’ Yes Sam, it is, I’m thrilled, proud and so excited to unleash this collaboration on the world. This wouldn’t have been possible without @jamesellisford @shungudzo @modelchild_____ and OF COURSE, her majesty, @kylieminogue herself. Thank you, thank you, thank you Universe!”
Between this and her double-drag fantasy with Olly Alexander on “A Second to Midnight,” Kylie Minogue truly is in the business of making dreams come true.
Disco: Guest List Edition is available to pre-order on vinyl now.
