| "Tension" | ||||
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&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Kylie_Minogue_%E2%80%93_Tension_(official_single_cover).png) Original single cover | ||||
| Single by Kylie Minogue | ||||
| from the album Tension | ||||
| Released | 31 August 2023 | |||
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| Length | 3:36 | |||
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| Kylie Minogue singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Tension" on YouTube | ||||
"Tension" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It is the second single from Minogue's sixteenth studio album Tension (2023), and was released on 31 August 2023 by BMG and Minogue's company Darenote, in digital, streaming, and physical formats. Minogue co-wrote the song with Camille "Kamille" Purcell, Anya Jones, and producers Duck Blackwell, Jon Green, and Richard "Biff" Stannard. It was conceived after Minogue, Blackwell, Green, and Stannard collaborated on various songs in Surrey and asked Purcell and Jones to assist them with new material.
Musically, "Tension" combines a variety of electronic dance genres, including club music, dance-pop, house, and electro-pop, and is regarded as one of Minogue's most experimental compositions. Lyrically, it is about sexual desire and feeling sexually attracted to a partner. Upon its release, "Tension" received positive reviews from music critics for its forward-thinking sound, production style, and overall sound, but few were ambivalent about its lyrical content and vocal performance. Nonetheless, the song appeared on year-end lists by Genius and Rolling Stone India, and it has been nominated for Song of the Year at the 2024 ARIA Music Awards.
Commercially, it reached the top ten of component charts in Australia, Latvia, Malta, New Zealand, Nicaragua, and the United Kingdom. Sophie Muller directed the music video, which featured Minogue in various outfits on a neo-futuristic set and received positive reviews from publications. To promote the song, it has appeared on Minogue's live sets, including the setlist for her More Than Just a Residency show. Since its release, it has become a viral phenomenon on social media and has become a notable gay anthem by the LGBTQ community.