Kylie Minogue Crowned on Australia’s Chart With ‘Tension’

Australia’s very own “princess of pop,” Kylie Minogue, is now queen of Australia’s albums chart as Tension (via Liberation/Universal) opens at No. 1.

Tension becomes Kylie’s eighth leader on the ARIA Chart, and fourth in succession. The pop legend previously led the national tally with Light Years in 2000, Fever in 2001, X in 2007, Kiss Me Once in 2014, Golden in 2018, Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection in 2019, and Disco in 2020.

“All hail the queen,” comments ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd. “On behalf of everyone at ARIA, and as a superfan, it is my absolute pleasure to congratulate Kylie for her fourth consecutive No. 1 album debut. It’s a thrill to see an ARIA Hall of Fame artist continue to dominate, reinvent and represent Australian music on such a global scale. We can’t wait to celebrate her success at this year’s awards.”

Across her 35-year recording career, Kylie has bagged 10 No. 1 singles, and collected 16 ARIA Awards.

She can add to that tally at the 2023 ARIA Awards this November, where’s she’s nominated for four categories – best solo artist, best pop release, best independent release and song of the year, all for “Padam Padam,” the first single lifted from Tension.

Back in 2011, Minogue was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, with then-prime minister Julia Gillard doing the honors.

Minogue’s 16th studio album, Tension has been clocking impressive numbers around the globe. In her adopted homeland, the U.K., the album was outselling the rest of the top 20 at the midweek stage, and Tension placed at No. 3 on Spotify’s Top Albums Debut U.K. Chart. The set also this week cracked the top 5 of the DSP’s Top Albums Debut USA and Top Albums Debut Global Chart.

Kylie’s Tension isn’t the only new arrival on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, Sept. 29. Homegrown indie rock act Holy Holy debuts at No. 4 with Cellophane (Wonderlick/Sony), the group’s fifth studio album and third top 10. That’s an equal career high for Holy Holy, drawing level with Hello My Beautiful World, which hit No. 4 in 2021.

Close behind is Doja Cat with Scarlet (RCA/Sony), her fourth studio album. It’s new at No. 5 for the U.S. star’s second top 10 album in Australia, after 2021’s Planet Her peaked at No. 2.

Doja Cat continues to paint the ARIA Singles Chart red; her Scarlet hit “Paint The Town Red” enters a sixth consecutive week at No. 1.

Finally, South African-born, U.K.-based artist Kenya Grace continues to make her mark on the national singles survey with “Strangers” (Warner). Grace’s breakthrough, drum ‘n bass-fueled single, and first through a major label, leaps 6-2 for a new peak position.