Around the release of Pet Shop Boys’ 1988 album Introspective, Neil Tennant coined the term "imperial phase" to describe an era when he felt the duo understood the essence of pop music and could do whatever they liked. For his partner Chris Lowe, this was typically followed by disappearing up one's own backside. By the time Kylie Minogue’s album Fever dropped, everything in her subsequent era represented her very own imperial phase. Everything she did in 2001 and 2002 clicked perfectly, from her videos and choices of singles to her tour, fashion, and cohesive vision. At the center of this pop reinvention was the hypnotic, downright odd track, "Can’t Get You Out of My Head." To mark the song's legacy, author Michael Cragg is releasing a new book, "Can’t Get You Out of My Head: In Search of Kylie," published by Faber on September 24.
The song was born one autumn weekend in 2000 in a Surrey garage studio belonging to former Mud guitarist Rob Davis, who had been encouraged by manager Simon Fuller to write songs with pop star turned songwriter Cathy Dennis. On a Sunday, using Cubase on a Mac computer to create a drum loop before adding guitar, the seed of the track was planted. Dennis came up with the title hook, structuring the song so that almost every line acted as its own chorus melody, while Davis added the famous "la la la" section. The demo was finished in three hours, with Dennis’s vocals laid down by 7:00 PM that same day.
Fuller played the demo down the phone and later presented it to S Club 7, but they passed on it. The song was also offered to Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who similarly deemed it unsuitable. It was Fuller’s idea to send it to Minogue. Dennis initially doubted the match, believing the song did not fit Minogue's style. However, Minogue knew within hearing just a few bars that the song was for her, writing in 2002 that she wanted to know how quickly she could get into the studio. Minogue arrived in Surrey to record, surprising Davis, who had convinced himself she would not turn up. Fuelled by fancy salmon salad and other treats, the song was finished in a few hours, revealing an immediate pop alchemy that took everyone by surprise.
The song’s sexy futurism dictated the visual feel of the era, characterized by sleek lines, icy silhouettes, and darker undertones. For the album cover, shot by Vincent Peters, Minogue’s stylist and creative director William Baker drew inspiration from Jean-Paul Goude’s photos of Grace Jones, highlighting both sexuality and power. The artwork featured a black microphone power cord wound around Minogue's body. Moving away from the campy vibes of her previous album Light Years and its lead single "Spinning Around," the Fever look leaned into an artful sexiness. This was highlighted in the music video directed by Dawn Shadforth, which presented a millennium-inspired utopia of manicured cityscapes and futuristic fashion, featuring Minogue in a purple-silver Post-it notes dress and her iconic white hooded dress split to the navel. The video's red-visored dancers caused unexpected trouble at Top of the Pops, where producer Chris Cowey noted that the lighting department complained after partygoers repeatedly stole their red lighting gels to wrap around their heads while drunkenly imitating Minogue.
The single’s release on September 17, 2001, set up a highly publicized UK chart battle with Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, who was releasing "Not Such an Innocent Girl," the lead single from her debut solo album. Beckham had previously lost a chart race to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)," which was also co-written by Rob Davis. Beckham expressed lukewarm feelings about Minogue's single, stating she preferred songs with more emotion and complaining about voice effects. On the UK chart of September 23, "Can’t Get You Out of My Head" debuted at number one, selling 306,000 copies and holding off Bob the Builder’s cover of "Mambo No. 5." The song stayed at number one in the UK and Australia for a month, while Beckham’s single entered at number six with 35,000 copies sold.
The pop chart battle also served as an escapist distraction following the September 11 terrorist attacks. In the UK, the song became a hypnotic cultural balm. Writer Julie Burchill contrasted Minogue with Osama bin Laden, describing them as polar opposites of human nature, while the Daily Mail labeled Minogue the "scourge of the Taliban." Minogue was dumbfounded by this narrative, rejecting the comparison. She had been live on local radio when the attacks took place, and when a DJ asked her how it felt to be a pop star in that situation, she expressed her disbelief before the station cut to a record.
In the United States, where Enrique Iglesias’s ballad "Hero" had initially dominated post-9/11 radio, Minogue's track found its footing in early 2002. NYC music journalist Larry Flick recalled that the record, alongside the return of "Friends" and David Letterman, helped New Yorkers cope with the aftermath of the tragedy. After witnessing a DJ play the track for 20 minutes to an ecstatic crowd at the Roxy nightclub, Flick knew the song was a massive hit. The track climbed the Billboard Hot 100, marking Minogue's first appearance on the main US chart since 1988, and led to a performance on Saturday Night Live hosted by Ian McKellen.
Minogue's momentum culminated at the 2002 Brit Awards, where she won best international female and best international album. Her performance of a mashup of "Can’t Get You Out of My Head" and New Order’s "Blue Monday"—crafted by DJ Erol Alkan—became legendary. Arriving on stage lying on a giant neon-pink CD in a Dolce & Gabbana minidress and silver boots, Minogue solidified her status at the peak of her pop powers. Reflecting on the era, Minogue noted that she felt like she was riding a wave and finally knew how to stand on the board.
Posh had already been beaten, the previous year, by actually-quite-posh Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose Rob Davis-assisted Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) had left Beckham’s banger Out of Your Mind at No 2. This time, Victoria roared on to the battlefield with a ropey single and mildly scathing bons mots for her Australian r
In the end, on the UK chart of 23 September, Can’t Get You Out of My Head crashed in at No 1, shifting an eye-watering 306,000 copies, holding off emerging talent Bob the Builder’s cover of Mambo No 5 in the process. It would stay at No 1 in the UK for a month, a feat matched in Australia. Posh’s Not Such an Innocent G
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Md. Kazi Bijoy is a dedicated tech enthusiast and content creator with a passion for digital innovation. With years of experience in the tech industry, he specializes in breaking down complex topics into easy-to-understand guides. When he isn’t writing, he explores the latest gadgets and researches emerging trends in the digital world.