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How does Kylie weave her magic?
26.06.2008

She's a superstar singer who has worked hard at her career and bravely battled cancer. As she begins a run of shows in Belfast tonight, Chrissie Russell and Kerry McKittrick ask local figures what makes Kylie Minogue so special

'It's amazing how she keeps reinventing herself, continually trying to develop'

Claire Sproule (24) is a singer and songwriter from Londonderry. She says:

I'm not really a big Kylie fan, it's not really my sort of music, but I can see her talent. I remember her more from Neighbours, of which I was a big fan in the early days. Although it's funny, I spent some time in Australia recently and wasn't aware of as much of a Kylie obsession as we get here.

I think Kylie totally deserves all the positive press she gets and her continued success is down to the fact that she has great music people working for her. She's released some great club records and she has a huge fan base that spans lots of different communities.

It's amazing how she keeps reinventing herself, continually changing and trying to develop herself. As a recording artist one lesson I'd definitely take from Kylie is her strong work ethic. I don't think it was her choice to have her battle with cancer played out in the media and I think she actually did quite well at trying to keep herself to herself. I'm sure all she was focused on was the cancer and I thought it was really admirable the way she dealt with it.

Even though I'm not a big fan I'd still definitely be interested in going to one of her gigs just because it would be something special to see.

Her over the top shows are not something that I would want to recreate myself but they are brilliant and an example of how Kylie is not just about the music.

With Kylie you get a whole package. She puts her heart and soul into what she does which is where she's maybe different to people like myself — I like the songwriting and performing my music but I'm never going to put on a show like Kylie.

And I'll never be putting on a pair of gold hot pants either!"

'I think she looks really good for her age now, and the music's a high standard'

Lauren Hood (25), Northern Ireland WAG and managing director of hair extensions company hairhostess.com, says:

I've been a Kylie fan for years — although probably of her earlier music more than the later.

I think hers might even have been one of the first albums I got but my dad managed to tape over it and I was gutted.

My favourite song was always Especially For You and, like every Neighbours fan, I remember watching the big wedding between Scott and Charlene. But what I really wanted was to own the polka dot dress that she wore in the video for I Should Be So Lucky. She rebelled in the 1990s a bit when she was going out with Michael Hutchence. I guess she had to do it but I missed the girly music and the whole time I just wondered 'what's happened to Kylie?'.

I think she looks really good for her age now, but the music's just not as good as it was and sometimes her stage outfits are a bit much. Madonna can get away with her stage performances because her new music is still of as high a standard as ever, but Kylie's not the same level. I was really shocked when it was announced she had breast cancer. I suppose we see celebrities as invincible but no matter how famous you are or how many millions are in the bank there are things that can't be controlled.

Kylie handled it all really well and it was good that she disappeared for a bit and did what she needed to do.

She should probably slow down a bit now, especially after the hectic few years she's had. It would be really lovely to see her settled down. I was gutted when she broke up with Olivier Martinez — I thought they were lovely together but you never know, it might still work out."

'She's all glitz, a good singer and a brilliant showwoman'

Vicky Pitchers (31) presents the Bigger Breakfast on Belfast's Citybeat radio. She says:

I worked at the breakfast show on Radio Forth in Edinburgh, and one of the people I interviewed was Kylie. We did a feature with everyone we interviewed and I sang a duet with them. We sang The Darkness's I Believe in a Thing Called Love.

Kylie is one of the most professional people I've ever interviewed and really knows how to play the game. When she's being interviewed she knows she has a job to do and a record to promote. She always remembers to call you by name, which surprisingly few people actually manage to do — and there's no diva behaviour, no list of approved questions like there would be for some.

I liked her in Neighbours, everyone did. I wasn't too keen on her music when she was with Stock Aiken and Waterman; I started to like her again in her collaborations with Nick Cave. I love her recent stuff, I think she's constantly reinventing herself and always up for anything. She's a good singer, maybe not the best in the world but she's a brilliant showwoman. She brings back all the glitz and glamour of the 1940s and 50s. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer it was terrible. As for her on-off boyfriend, Olivier Martinez, there must be something about him for her to keep taking him back."

Quelle: Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom