Few pop songs have earned their title quite so completely as Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”. 25 years after its release, it’s still a certified banger—but it’s only one jewel in a catalogue of everlasting hooks. This weekend, Kylie’s biggest hits will take on a new form at St Stephen’s Uniting Church in Sydney, where a string quartet brings a classical spin to her pop legacy.
The star’s arsenal of hits has undoubtedly stood the test of time—“Love At First Sight”, “Spinning Around” and “I Should Be So Lucky” have filled dancefloors and soundtracked our shower singalongs for decades. This Saturday, the classics that have defined Kylie’s career step out of the club and into a candlelit church for a 60-minute tribute powered entirely by strings.
25 years on: How Kylie’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” rocked the world
“Can’t Get You Out of My Head” had everything it needed to become one of pop’s most inescapable hits: a sleek dance-pop beat, a hypnotic “la la la” chorus and a futuristic music video featuring a now-iconic white hooded jumpsuit.
The song was released on 8 September 2001 as the lead single for her eighth studio album Fever. Straight out of the gate, it took on a life of its own, going number one in 40 countries and since racking up over 1 billion streams on Spotify alone.
But “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” wasn’t an instant yes for everyone. The song’s original demo was reportedly passed over by both S Club 7 and Sophie Ellis-Bextor before Kylie Minogue heard it —and turned it into one of the biggest pop hits of the 21st century.
What to expect at Candlelight: Tribute to Kylie Minogue in Sydney
Kylie Minogue’s pop catalogue goes for a classical spin at this intimate tribute concert at St Stephen’s Uniting Church—thousands of twinkling candles flickering against Inter-War Gothic arches and grand stained glass windows.
Performed by the Ash Quartet, the hour-long programme swaps out the pop synths and dance club beats for string-led arrangements of era-defining hits.
The tribute spans her career, from the early, fresh-out-of-Neighbours days with songs like “The Loco-Motion” to the 2023 Grammy Award-winning hit “Padam Padam”. Other songs in the programme include chart-toppers like “In Your Eyes”, “Hand on Your Heart”, and of course, “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”.
