Neon Nights
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''Neon Nights'' is the fourth studio album by Australian singer
Dannii Minogue Dannii Minogue (; born 20 October 1971) is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. As a child, she became known for her appearances on the television talent show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988). She went on to play the r ...
. It was released through
London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
on 17 March 2003. Spurred by her success with the 2001 single " Who Do You Love Now?", Minogue signed a new record contract and began working on her first album in six years with the likes of Ian Masterson, Korpi & Blackcell, Neïmo and Terry Ronald. The effort culminated in a
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
record largely influenced by 1980s music and the European club scene. ''Neon Nights'' became the most successful album campaign of Minogue's career, peaking at number eight in the United Kingdom and spawning four top-ten singles in the territory, including " Put the Needle on It" and " I Begin to Wonder". ''Neon Nights'' received generally positive reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who praised its cohesion and mixture of styles; it has come to be regarded as a
cult classic A cult following is a group of Fan (person), fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some List of art media, medium. The latter is often cal ...
among pop music fans. Minogue went on a limited tour in support of the album, which included a one-off show in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. ''Neon Nights'' has been reissued twice since its release, marking its 15th and 20th anniversaries.


Background and recording

Despite producing a top-five hit with 1997's " All I Wanna Do", Minogue was dropped by record label
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
after her third studio album ''
Girl A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. '' daughter'' or '' girlfriend'' regardless of age ...
'' became a commercial disappointment, and she saw herself as effectively retired from the music industry. She appeared in productions of ''
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
'' and ''
Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...
'' during this time.
"Sometimes you need that bushfire to clear the slate and regenerate. We all get to know—when we've got enough years behind us—when you need to firmly shut a door for a very different one to open. It was like that. I was at peace with everything being finished."
In 2001, DJ
Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong (born 30 July 1960) is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as '' Essential Mix'' and '' Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for ...
approached her to record vocals for the
trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
instrumental "Stringer" by DJ duo Riva, which was becoming a hit in European clubs. The track became " Who Do You Love Now?", which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart in late November and remains her longest-charting entry, spending 16 weeks on the chart; in Australia, the song peaked at number fifteen.''DanniiMusic.com''
Chronology. Retrieved 30 June 2006
The single's success led to a six-album record deal with
London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
, a subsidiary of Warner Music, and work on a new album soon began with London giving Minogue free rein of its production."Dannii Minogue Ditched By Record Label"
ContactMusic.com. Retrieved 22 January 2007.
Minogue turned 30 while recording the album, a milestone that she wanted to celebrate with ''Neon Nights'' and reflect her positive mindset as a
time capsule A time capsule is a historic treasure trove, cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy ...
. Minogue worked on the album in London, Paris, and Stockholm, and was majorly involved with the songwriting process, having writing credits on 12 of the 15 tracks on the standard edition. Longtime collaborator Terry Ronald accompanied her on many of the songwriting trips. The recording process commenced in 2002 at Murlyn Studios, a cabin located in the outskirts of Stockholm. She first met with Henrik Korpi and Mathias Johansson, better known as Korpi & Blackcell, and
Karen Poole Karen Poole is an English songwriter and singer based in London. She is best known for her extensive songwriting collaborations with musicians such as Kylie Minogue, Becky Hill, David Guetta, Lily Allen, Sugababes, Zara Larsson, Tiesto, Alesso, ...
; the four wrote three of the tracks on ''Neon Nights'', including opener "Put the Needle on It". The French
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band Neïmo became involved with the album after sending several backing ideas to Faversham. In Paris, their studio was a living room outfitted with vintage music equipment, with Minogue's vocals recorded in a spare bedroom. She and Ronald finished three tracks with the band. Their third time in Paris, in May 2002, became the pair's last writing trip together as Ronald later started
chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated chemo, sometimes CTX and CTx) is the type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (list of chemotherapeutic agents, chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) in a standard chemotherapy re ...
. Ronald is a co-writer on six ''Neon Nights'' tracks, and survived his cancer diagnosis.


Composition

''Neon Nights'' is a
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
album with a prominent early 1980s music and
French house French house (also referred to as French touch, filter house, or tekfunk) is a style of house music devised by French musicians in the 1990s. It is a form of Eurodisco and a popular strand of the late 1990s and 2000s European dance music s ...
direction, capturing the European dance zeitgeist of the early 2000s. Minogue recounted that ''Neon Nights'' was the first time she had a major involvement in writing any album, from the lyrics to its production. Her blueprint was to translate the underground club scene into an accessible format; essentially a record that sounded like remixes of pop songs. As a result, ''Neon Night'' pulls from an eclectic assortment of genres including electro,
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
and R&B. The album was described by David Trueman of Amazon as "
ripping Ripping is the extraction of digital content from a container, such as a CD, onto a new digital location. Originally, the term meant to rip music from Commodore 64 games. Later, the term was applied to ripping WAV or MP3 files from digital audio ...
with sleazy synth-funk and production risks unheard of in polished pop music".
"Dance music is such a huge passion of mine, so he production processwas a dream. I wanted to hear the songs and feel, as I closed my eyes, that I'm on a dance floor, in the club, under a mirror ball. That's what that album is for me. In fact, that's why we called it ''Neon Nights''—it just had to be something that felt like when you're at a glitzy party with your dancing shoes on."
The initial output from ''Neon Nights'' mimicked the
trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
sound of "Who Do You Love Now?", a brief discarded early on, whose vestiges appear in the closer "It Won't Work Out"—later retooled into a
flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
-tinged
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
ballad. "Mystified" was one of the first tracks to be finished for ''Neon Nights'' which helped to mold the album's
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
template, while the band Neïmo influenced its sonic palette with a pared-down "tough
electro-punk Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...
sound". " Put the Needle on It", the opener, and "A Piece of Time" are both
electroclash Electroclash (also known as synthcore, retro-electro, tech-pop, nouveau disco, and the new new wave) is a Music genre, genre of popular music that fuses 1980s Electro (music), electro, New wave music, new wave and synth-pop with 1990s techno, re ...
songs that convey this underground element; the former has been compared to
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
, while the latter to
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining house music, funk, disco, tech ...
and
Miss Kittin Caroline Hervé (born 15 July 1973), known professionally as Kittin, is a French electronic music producer, DJ, singer, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worke ...
. "On the Loop" continues this experimentation with the use of
distortion In signal processing, distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of a signal. In communications and electronics it means the alteration of the waveform of an information-bearing signal, such as an audio signal ...
. Critics have identified
post-disco Post-disco is a term and genre to describe an aftermath in popular music history circa 1979–1986, imprecisely beginning with the backlash against disco music in the United States, leading to civil unrest and a riot in Chicago known as the Dis ...
as a prominent influence throughout ''Neon Nights'', from the aforementioned "Put the Needle on It", to "Creep" and "Mighty Fine". Music writer Quentin Harrison described the former two as pulling from American aesthetics in channeling electro-funk, R&B and
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
. Jack Smith from
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
likened "Mighty Fine" to the
P-Funk Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parliame ...
style. The record evolves into
eurodisco Eurodisco (also spelled as Euro disco) is a genre of electronic dance music that evolved from disco in the middle 1970s, incorporating elements of pop music, pop and rock music, rock into a disco-like continuous dance atmosphere. Many Eurodisco ...
on the "dark and gritty" " I Begin to Wonder" and its "dreamier" counterpart, "Come and Get It". Elsewhere, "For the Record" and " Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" are pure pop songs. Minogue also drew inspiration from artists she listened to in her youth including
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
,
Scritti Politti Scritti Politti are a British band formed in 1977 in Leeds by singer-songwriter Green Gartside, who is the sole remaining member of the original band. Initially formed as a punk culture, punk-aligned underground act influenced by leftist poli ...
, and
Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...
. The album utilizes several samples: "Mighty Fine" features the 1980 song " Thighs High (Grip Your Hips and Move)" by Tom Browne, and
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
-influenced "Push" borrows from the 1983 song "
White Horse A white horse is born predominantly white and stays white throughout its life. A white horse has mostly pink skin under its hair coat, and may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant w ...
" by
Laid Back Laid Back is a Danish electronic music duo group from Copenhagen, formed in 1979. The duo consists of John Guldberg (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tim Stahl (vocals, keyboards, drums, bass). They are best known for the hits " Sunshine Reggae" and ...
. As mashups gained traction in the early 2000s, "I Begin to Wonder" and "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" were augmented for promotional use, blended with "
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by the English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second studio album, '' Youthquake'' (1985). Released as a single in November 1984 by Epic Records, it reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart ...
" (1984) by
Dead or Alive A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...
and "
Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured in the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the s ...
" (1985) by
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
, respectively. The album's lyrical themes revolve around romance and sex. "Put the Needle on It" is innuendo-laden, and "Vibe On" is about vibrators, reportedly an inside joke from the 1997 film '' Private Parts'' where a woman straddles a speaker between her legs. Critics have noted that Minogue infuses the record with a "sultry" and "sleazy" persona, with John Lucas of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
writing that she is "sexually charged but smart and slightly aloof". Alexis Kirke of
MusicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
made the case for Minogue as the inverse of her older sister Kylie: "There's a Dark Willow in '' Buffy'', a Dark Phoenix in the ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' – and there is also a "Dark Kylie". Dark Kylie exudes more of a night-time sexuality than Kylie herself." Kirke and Smith described her vocals as "powerful", which Minogue credits her stint on the musical ''Notre-Dame de Paris'' with developing.


Release and artwork

The album was released in the United Kingdom and Europe on 17 March 2003. It was handled by London Records in all territories except for the United States, where its 7 October 2003 release was through Ultra Records. ''Neon Nights'' was Minogue's first album to be green-lit stateside since ''Love and Kisses'' in 1991. An official "bootleg" edition was made available in Australia in 2003, notably substituting "I Begin to Wonder" and "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" with its mash-up counterparts; this edition was later re-issued alongside ''Neon Nights 20''. The cover photograph for ''Neon Nights'' was taken by Matthew Donaldson. Its minimalist composition sees Minogue against a white backdrop, propping herself up from the floor with one leg extended and reaching for her shoe: " was like, there's a white board, just lie on it and roll about and we'll see what we come up with. There was a freedom to it and we wanted it to feel like an outtake from
Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served ...
or something." It was particularly inspired by a photograph of actress
Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...
crawling on the floor at the aforementioned nightclub. Minogue said that its laidback approach was due to her camera shyness. Rob Copesy of
Official Charts The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...
called the artwork "strangely brilliant", while Ron Slomowicz of
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
compared it to
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...
—"slice of life, like a bedroom photographer". ''Neon Night'' has seen three separate re-issues. A 2007 deluxe edition had made the album into a 33-track double disc. In March 2018, as part of the celebration of ''Neon Nights 15th anniversary, Minogue announced a special reissue of the album on streaming, CD and, for the first time, on a limited edition 180g pink and blue double vinyl. While the digital and CD versions followed the same tracklisting of the Deluxe Edition released on 2007, the double colored vinyl featured a slightly revised selection of bonus tracks, most notably omitting the B-side "Nervous". Another reissue of the album, ''Neon Nights 20'' boasted over 100 tracks across seven CDs.


Promotion


Tour dates


Commercial performance

''Neon Nights'' became Minogue's most successful album release, reaching number eight in the United Kingdom, selling 23,500 copies first week, And was certified
Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
. In Australia the album was initially a moderate success, reaching #25 on the albums chart. However, when re-issued for its 20th year anniversary, the album reached a new peak of #17 - the highest position for any of Minogue's albums, besting the chart position of her debut album in 1990. The album was also nominated for Best Pop Release at the 2003 ARIA Music Awards, making it Minogue's only ARIA nomination to date.


Critical reception

''Neon Nights'' was met with generally favourable reviews from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
. John Lucas of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
felt that it was the "most confident and forward-thinking release yet for Dannii" and commended the album's cohesion; its variety of influences notwithstanding. Similarly, Jack Smith from
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
called it "a pleasant cocktail of pop sophistication, club culture and accessibility". The album was highlighted by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' with Keith Caulfield writing, "''Neon Nights'' is full of unabashedly fun, well-crafted, pure dance songs. Clubgoers and pop fans will eat this album up, and nearly every track would work at top 40 radio." Similarly, ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' called it a "winning mix of pop and club". In a positive review, Alexis Kirke contrasted Minogue with her older sister: " Kylie">nowiki/> Kylieis in danger of being engulfed and surpassed by her darker side." Ron Slomowicz of
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
, who was a fan of Minogue's prior output, felt that the album "starts out amazingly" with "massive club hits", but criticized its middle section as " anderinginto a murky area of 80's throwback-inspired retreads". However, he felt that Minogue had the complete package as a pop star. Writing for
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
, Cristín Leach gave high praises to "I Begin to Wonder" and "Push", which the album's more "bland" material helped to elevate, and felt that Minogue was still "on her way" in carving an identity distinct from her sister's. In other mixed reviews, critics opined that the material on ''Neon Nights'' was generic. Karen Bliss from ''
Tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of lands which the state con ...
'' wrote that the album is "full of average booty-shaking dance tracks, good for the moment, but nothing memorable," though "It Won't Work Out" was highlighted as a "beautiful, earnest ballad". Kristina Feliciano of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' echoed this sentiment and felt that Minogue " eededsome of her big sister's cheekiness" on a set of "dance-floor trifles that's passable (especially "Put the Needle on It") but not very memorable." Retrospective reviews of ''Neon Nights'' were predominately positive. Writing for ''
The Arts Desk ''The Arts Desk'' (theartsdesk.com) is a British arts journalism website containing reviews, interviews, news, and other content related to music, theatre, television, films, and other art forms written by journalists from a variety of tradition ...
'', Thomas H. Green found it to be "a sassy and bouncy surprise" full of "chewy, invigorated club-pop, imaginatively constructed". Peter Piatkowski of
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
called it a "minor classic" that "displayed an artistry that Minogue hadn't shown before". Quentin Harrison of Albumism outlined Minogue's "club siren transformation" and commented that "''Neon Nights'' remains a distinct dance-pop marker". Mike Wass of '' Idolator'' wrote that "it's one thing to create an excellent three-and-a-half-minute dance-pop song, but another to sustain the appeal over an entire album. Kylie managed it with ''
Fever Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...
'',
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
followed suit on ''
Confessions on a Dance Floor ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' is the tenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 9, 2005, by Warner Bros. Records. A complete departure from her previous studio album '' American Life'' (2003), ...
''. Dannii's contribution to the genre is every bit as good as those classics."


20th anniversary reissue

On 1 April 2023, Minogue confirmed the deluxe, expanded anniversary issue of ''Neon Nights'' would be released later in 2023. On 16 June 2023, Minogue released ''Neon Nights 20''; the 33-track album was made available on all digital outlets and CD and vinyl. The reissue release saw the album re-chart at number 17 in Australia, higher than the original issue's peak of 25, and number 55 in the UK.


Track listing


Original release


2007 deluxe edition


''Neon Nights 20''


Notes

* "Mighty Fine" contains a sample from " Thighs High (Grip Your Hips and Move)" performed by Tom Browne. * "Push" contains a sample from "
White Horse A white horse is born predominantly white and stays white throughout its life. A white horse has mostly pink skin under its hair coat, and may have brown, blue, or hazel eyes. "True white" horses, especially those that carry one of the dominant w ...
" performed by
Laid Back Laid Back is a Danish electronic music duo group from Copenhagen, formed in 1979. The duo consists of John Guldberg (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tim Stahl (vocals, keyboards, drums, bass). They are best known for the hits " Sunshine Reggae" and ...
. * "Begin to Spin Me Around" is a mashup of "I Begin to Wonder" and Dead or Alive's 1984 song "
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" is a song by the English pop band Dead or Alive, featured on their second studio album, '' Youthquake'' (1985). Released as a single in November 1984 by Epic Records, it reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart ...
". * "Don't Wanna Lose This Groove" is a of "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" and Madonna's 1985 song "
Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured in the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the s ...
".


Credits and personnel

*Lead and backing vocals – Dannii Minogue *Backing vocals – Bruno Alexandre, Debbie French, James Khari, Ian Masterson, Anna Nordell,
Karen Poole Karen Poole is an English songwriter and singer based in London. She is best known for her extensive songwriting collaborations with musicians such as Kylie Minogue, Becky Hill, David Guetta, Lily Allen, Sugababes, Zara Larsson, Tiesto, Alesso, ...
, Terry Ronald, Mitch Stevens *Guitar – Mattias Johansson, James Nisbett, Camille Troillard *Bass – Camille Troillard *Keyboards – Matthieu Joly, Camille Troillard *Drums – Matthieu Joly * Mixing – Etienne Colin, Niklas Flyckt, Pete 'Boxsta' Martin, Heff Moraes, Tim Speight * Programming – Ian Masterson *
Engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
 – Gil Cang, Ian Masterson *Photography – Matthew Donaldson


Charts


Certifications


Release details

:All editions released by London/Warner Music Group/Ultra Records.


References


External links


DanniiMusic.com
nbsp;– official website (including lyrics to the songs on ''Neon Nights''). {{Authority control 2003 albums Dannii Minogue albums Warner Music Group albums Ultra Records albums