Watching Kylie Minogue

Watched her 2002 Fever DVD again for the 10th time last night (first song from the DVD available here). Very impressed by her self-possession and determination to tell HER version of pop culture and history, based on her particular idiosyncratic Anglo-Australian perspective. Definitely a leader, not a follower. Actually very few pop artists (e.g., Bob Dylan) have such a strong perspective. When Madonna does something, you can always tell that she intends to make a STATEMENT about something. When Kylie follows a few years later with something similar, it isn't to copy or to make a similar statement, but merely because it looks like droll fun, maybe with a bit of a tale (a pop tale, not a political tale) to tell too. Which means Kylie understands what pop culture is about better than Madonna, and better than almost anybody, really.