Kylie Minogue Tension Tour // Live 2025 album review: Why Kylie remains the princess of pop
"It’s a souvenir of the tour, an immersive experience that drops you right into the heart of the concert," says Attitude's Aaron Sugg
By Aaron Sugg
When I pressed play on Tension Tour // Live 2025, released on 26 September, I was instantly transported back to the glitter-ball sparkle of Kylie Minogue’s Tension Tour, at the O2 gig in June 2025. The album let me relive all of my Locomotion fantasies and reaffirmed why Kylie remains the princess of pop. If it wasn’t impressive the first time, this album spans 32 tracks, and captures not only the highlights of her Tension and Tension II eras but also her career-spanning journey through the most beloved hits from 1987 right up to today.
“Showcases Kylie’s rare ability to make you reminisce on the good and the bad, all while dancing the night away” – Attitude’s Aaron Sugg on Tension Tour // Live 2025
What makes this live collection shine brighter than Kylie’s legendary gold hot pants is how it perfectly encapsulates her playful performance style, her effortless audience interactions, that unmistakable velvety Kylie tone, and subtle reimaginings of fan favourites, just enough to make them pop. Her vocals throughout the album feel raw and dynamic, with a playfulness that the polished studio versions can’t quite capture. Every so often encouraging the crowd to fill space, and to join in with the beloved pop-disco classics.
Songs like ‘Better the Devil You Know’ and ‘All the Lovers’ thrive on the electricity of the audience, with voices and claps echoing just beneath Kylie’s award winning vocals, proof not only of her professionalism but also of the incredible bond she shares with her ‘lovers’. By contrast, ballads like ‘Hold On to Now’ have a sense of intimacy; soaring electronic backing and heartfelt lyrics, the track becomes a feel-good anthem, one that showcases Kylie’s rare ability to make you reminisce on the good and the bad, all while dancing the night away.
A series of standout extended intros
One of the albums biggest highlights was ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’. Its live arrangement unfolded with a slow, extended intro that fills you with anticipation to hear the melody we all know and love with several ‘la la la’s’ before erupting into pure Kylie euphoria, a reminder of exactly why this track remains a beloved classic. ‘Tension’ was another fan favourite Kylie kept us waiting for. The intro stretched into a moody office-siren-core tease, layered robotic vocals and breathy whispers before one dramatic sigh dropped us straight into the familiar groove. Sensual. A surprise addition for listeners might be Kylie’s take on ‘Last Night a DJ Saved My Life’, an Indeep classic in a Kylie tone.
Not every song gets the spotlight it deserves though. ‘Taboo’ was mixed into ‘On a Night Like This’ as part of a standout mashup that had the crowd roaring in a festival-like cheer. While the mix was close to being my favourite moment of the album, I couldn’t help but wish ‘Taboo’ had been given a bigger moment of its own.
“Not one sounds overdone” – Sugg on Tension Tour // Live 2025
One of the things that makes this album so special is how vividly it captures the pure excitement of the crowd. The chorus of ‘Timebomb’ is pure energy, with Kylie’s stage presence transferring through the 2012 song, you can feel her throwing herself into every beat. For a woman who must have performed these songs thousands upon thousands of times, not one sounds overdone.
The flow of the setlist deserves a mention. Every track feels deliberately placed, whether through a pleasing key change, a funky disco mix, or a soft musical shift underneath Kylie’s chatter with the crowd. Particularly well thought out was the pairing of ‘Where Does the DJ Go?’ followed by ‘Last Night a DJ Saved My Life’, a sequence that I found worked well to the ear.
Ultimately, Tension Tour // Live 2025 is more than a live album, it’s a souvenir of the tour, an immersive experience that drops you right into the heart of the concert. It’s proof that Kylie has still got it, bringing her sunny charismatic warmth, and pro-energy to the stage since the 80s. Whether you’re looking for a collection of her greatest hits or simply want to relive the magic of the Tension Tour, this is an album that delivers.
Tension Tour // Live 2025 is available to stream now across available platforms.