Kylie Minogue has become better at producing vocals than her own producers

Kylie Minogue, the multi-talented singer-songwriter, has seamlessly transitioned into the domain of music production, earning high praise from her collaborators.

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, while crafting her album Disco, Kylie ventured into production, initially starting with a basic GarageBand setup. Later, she transitioned to Apple Logic Pro and invested in a Brauner VMX microphone, allowing her to record remotely and collaborate globally. This shift showcased her self-sufficiency in vocal production, with Kylie remarking, “If 11-year-olds can do this in their bedroom, I can figure this out. It’s good to add new skills to your set.”

Biff Stannard, a regular writer and producer for Kylie Minogue, revealed her remarkable progress in vocal production. He confessed that when Kylie began her journey, she relied on a rudimentary GarageBand setup during the making of Disco. However, her rapid mastery of the process astounded everyone. Stannard went on to say, “She’s better than me now at producing her vocals. At the end of the day, no one knows her voice better than she does.”

Another collaborator, known as Duck Blackwell, praised Kylie as the “queen of remote vocals.” Many of her vocals for her upcoming album, Tension, were recorded in hotel rooms while she traveled. This flexibility allowed for simple adjustments and enhancements to her recordings from anywhere in the world. Blackwell described the convenience, stating, “I’ll get messages saying, ‘Oh, I think we need a backing vocal in that middle eight’ or ‘I think the second take was better on that line’ or in some cases [she’ll] even rewrite a verse and ping it over, and we can just drop it in. Five years ago, she’d have had to travel back, get into a studio or whatever and re-record it. This is such an exciting and easier way of working.”

Kylie’s initial foray into music production began in 2020, as she embraced Logic Pro and expanded her skill set even further. Her ability to adapt and grow in this domain has left her collaborators impressed. Together, Stannard and Blackwell co-wrote and produced several tracks for Tension, including the title track, demonstrating Kylie Minogue’s evolution as an artist and producer. The album is set to be released on the 22nd of September, marking another milestone in her illustrious career. Kylie picking up this ability so casually begs the question of what else she can conquer in the spectrum of music.

Image Credit: J.E.T. 603 via Flickr | License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)