Time Out NY: Kylie, The Hot Seat

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The tiny, iconic popstrel dishes on her $25 million tour

Why did you decide to go for the ancient Greek look on this tour?
It stemmed from the song “Aphrodite,” on my [new] album—there’s so much to play with visually, and of course we don’t go mildly or meekly [Laughs]. We’ve gone Fantasia—you know, we’ve brought Vegas on the road.

There are male dancers in Dolce & Gabbana playing bongos on each other’s bums in the show. How camp is too camp?
I don’t think we’ve reached that stage. [Laughs] In a way, this tour is not as camp as some of the others, unless my radar is off-kilter. The On a Night Like This tour had lots of sailors, and I arrived on a bedazzled anchor from the ceiling. Actually, my creative director e-mailed me a little YouTube clip of Miss Piggy—I’m a Muppet maniac—[with] Miss Piggy doing the full Esther Williams. It’s hilarious because that’s our show!

Has burlesque had a big influence on your shows? Both experiences are sexy, but funny, too…
Yeah, we’re always really aware of what we’re doing, and we take making joy seriously. But we definitely have a laugh, and I don’t think a lot of what I do would translate if there wasn’t that kind of understanding from the audience that we do it knowingly. You don’t see me winking, but you know I am.

You’re planning a duet with Britney? Will your styles clash?
[Laughs] Yeah, I put a tweet up because I’d heard some of her songs and I was genuinely excited by them. Then the question was raised, Would I like to do a duet with her? I think we’re both agreed that, yeah, of course it’d be interesting. And fabulous! And it’s almost, like, in people’s minds it’s already done! They’re just like, [She pretends to swoon.] Oh, Kylie and Britney equals heaven.

What do you make of Lady Gaga’s persona? You’re both showgirls, but you’re in a gold chariot and she’s in a rubber egg womb…
[Laughs] I get it, and I really appreciate that—that’s her character and it’s who she is. I watched an interview where she said finally people were seeing beyond the costumes. So I can relate to her. I think what I find really amazing is she’s still so young. Maybe I’m underestimating myself slightly, but when I was her age I was kind of going along and trying to do the best with what was presented to me.

She takes herself very seriously. Your early stuff was more playful.
Yup, probably more like an inquisitive puppy. [Laughs] But it’s a lot different now, I’m probably a bit of both.

How do you unwind after performing a Grecian-themed water extravaganza? It’s hard enough to calm down as a fan.
Yeah, you’ve got thousands and thousands of people having a joyous experience and screaming your name—and it’s going from that to putting the kettle on, on your own, in your room. It’s a weird one, but I’m still doing it after all these years, so I definitely do love it.